At present, agricultural soils are tilled deeply, intensively, and frequently. Arable farmers are increasingly aware of the drawbacks of this approach: moisture loss during dry springs, surface sealing when rainfall occurs shortly after sowing, and, in the long term, a decline in soil life and organic matter. Direct drilling is a fundamental shift away from intensive tillage, requiring much more than just investing in a new seeding machine. It requires a fundamentally different approach to soil management, crop rotation, the use of cover crops, and the addition of organic matter.

In other countries, direct drilling is often adopted as part of a low-cost farming strategy. In Flanders, however, high yields must offset already high production costs, such as land and labor. The question is whether direct drilling can also deliver added value in this context. Given the fertility of Flemish agricultural soils, the participants believe that direct drilling can help safeguard this natural capital for the future.

This operational group brings together pioneers with experience in direct drilling, arable farms that are adopting the system for the first time, machinery experts who share their knowledge, and researchers. Their ambitions combine reflection and practice: learning through training in France and farm visits in Wallonia, while simultaneously establishing test fields and practical plots under direct drilling, both for cover crops and main crops.