 Over 16 million hectares are cultivated under conservation agriculture techniques in Europe (ECAF, 2005). Those most followed are minimum tillage with a plant cover (over 12 million) and direct drill, which reaches 3 million hectares. Tree crops contribute to this figure with close to 1 million hectares, basically in olive and other fruit trees.
The short-medium term prospects are highly favourable due to:
A good adaptation to most European agrarian systems The existence of numerous field assays and research, which have demonstrated its feasibility and economic benefits for farmers. Pioneer farmers all over Europe who have raised to 16 million hectares the surface cultivated. Notable improvement of machinery and inputs. Continuous creation of local work networks. Regional groups of farmers and technicians who carry out these systems in the field. In ECAF there are at present 15 national associations working in this aspect. - Present legislative scenario which increasingly backs up sustainable agriculture.
- A series of experiences have demonstrated the effectiveness of legislative measures to encourage the application of conservation agriculture, such as the wide response to a programme of the Regional Government of Andalusia (Spain), through the Consejería de Agricultura y Pesca, for the promotion of the use of cover crops in olive on slopes, with aids of € 132.22 ha-1. This programme has permitted an important increase in the number of hectares of olive with plant covers in Andalusia, over the 100,000 included in the project, with an estimated mimetic effect of 300,000.
- Conservation agriculture has also been included in agri-environmental measures in Portugal with specific actions for the promotion of minimum tillage and direct drill in grassy crops and permanent vegetation covers in crops. Similarly, programmes supporting conservation agriculture have been initiated in France and in some regions of Spain and Germany. In the latter country, a Law for the Protection of Soils should be highlighted.
- Creation of state essays. Since it is the case of the Andalusian Net of Agrarian Experimentation of Conservation Agriculture (from the Spanish, RAEA), financed by the Andalusian Institute of Investigation and Agrarian, Fishing, Food Formation and of the Ecological Production (IFAPA). In this net of tests in field, doses of sowing are tried in wheat and sunflower, as well as different fertilizers and doses.
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CA in Europe 
