EFELE site (2012-2032) dedicated to the study of the agronomic and environmental effects of raw and processed animal wastes

• Site Management ResearchUnit : UMR SAS INRAE- AgroCampusOuest     (http://www6.rennes.inrae.fr/umrsas/).
• Coordinator and contact : Thierry Morvan (thierry.morvan@inrae.fr) 
• Head of metrology : Philippe Le-Roy (philippe.le-roy@inrae.fr )
• Location : Agricultural school – Le Rheu (Brittany)

The experimental site EFELE allow for measuring long-term evolution of agrosystems after repeated applications of organic residues derived from animal wastes (slurries, composts, manures) and undergoing various treatments (none, composting, anaerobic digestion).

The experimental site was established in 2012 and is located in Le Rheu. The soil is classified as luvisol-redoxisol derived from aeolian silt on an alluvial terrace deposited on schist material. It is a loamy soil, characterized by a low organic matter content (10.8 ± 0.73 gC kg^-1 soil in 2012), a pH value  around 6. Soil texture of the upper layer consist in 15% clay, 24% fine silt,  45% coarse silt, 10% fine sand, and 6%  coarse sand.

The climate is mild oceanic temperate, with a mild winter and warm summer. Annual precipitation heights are less than 700 mm. Monthly average temperatures range from 19°C for the months of July and August to 6°C for January and February (averages calculated over the period 1981-2010)

The field is cultivated with a maize/wheat crop rotation, and white mustard is sown after the wheat to cover the soil during the intercropping period.

Two trials are underway at the EFELE site:

- “PROs” is designed as a complete randomized block design with 4 replicates. The effects of 5 typical animal wastes are compared to control treatments: i) cattle farmyard manure and composted pig manure are applied every 2 years before maize sowing; and ii) chicken manure, pig slurry and a digestate obtained after pig slurry digestion are applied in spring. The animal wastes are applied to wheat in early spring or after wheat and just before maize sowing.

- “TS/MO” is designed as a split plot trial with 3 replicates. Its objectives are to study effects of applications of cattle farmyard manure (CM) on soil properties under conventional tillage (CT) and reduced tillage (RT)

EFELE is equipped to monitor the hydrodynamic functioning of soil (TDR probes, tensiometers, temperature sensors, wick-fiber lysimeters) and emissions of N₂O and CO₂ gas (measurement chambers).

Financial partnerships

EFELE's instrumentation has received funding from the Brittany Region and Rennes Métropole.

EFELE's annual functioning is provided by INRAE and ANAEE-France credits, and by contracts with ADEME, to which occasional support was also provided by ARVALIS and the Departmental Council of Ille et Vilaine.