The Agricultural Pollution Control Project of Moldova aims to reduce nutrient run-off into water bodies through integrated land and water management. It promotes mitigation measures like manure management, environment-friendly agriculture, and wetland restoration. The project also strengthens national policies around agricultural pollution control and increases public awareness. Monitoring shows reductions in phosphorus and nitrogen levels in project areas. Over 8,000 farmers have adopted promoted practices on over 14,000 hectares of land.

1. Agricultural Pollution Control
Project of Moldova:
the progress made
Regional Conference on Integrated Nutrient
Pollution Control in the Danube-Black Sea Basin
October 23-25, 2007, Ankara, Turkey.
Dr. A. Jolondcovschi- Project Manager, Silvia Pana-Carp – Project Assistant

2. Project objective and
components
The ultimate goal is to reduce the discharge of nutrients into the Danube River and
Black Sea through integrated land and water management.
The following are the project Components:
Promotion of mitigation measures to reduce nutrient run-offs into water objectives:
o Award GEF mitigation grants to eligible applicants from the RISP Special Credit Line;
o Manure management ;
o Promote environment-friendly agricultural practices;
o Plant forest vegetation;
o Restore wetlands;
o Monitor water and soil quality.
Strengthening of national policy and regulation capacity in the field:
o Identify gaps in the national legislation pertaining to agricultural pollution control;
o Make comparative analysis between national regulations and of EU, especially Nitrates
Directive;
o Draw up a Code of Good Agricultural Practices.
Public awareness and replication strategy:
o Develop a public awareness campaign and training for the population and stakeholders
from the pilot area, who will ensure support for the project interventions;
o Replicate results at pilot area and country level.
Project administration

3. Project scope

At the country level, the Project is being implemented in close
association with the Rural Investments and Services Project (RISP),
financed by IDA, which assists Moldova in increasing the profit level and
improving living conditions in rural areas, via promotion of
entrepreneurship in agro-industrial sector, raising of agricultural
production, broadening of economic activities and trade development.
APCP offers grants to agro-industries, cooperatives, individual and
farmers’ associations to cover incremental costs related to mitigation
measures for reducing nutrient load into water. Granting is done based
on some eligibility criteria established jointly with all interested parties.
 In the pilot area, which includes a part of the Prut River tributary, an
integrated soil and water management plan, for reducing and fighting
nutrient pollution, has been developed. The Plan is designed for
Lapusna Watershed.

4. APCP/RISP Synergy
To date a total of 93 sub-projects receiving RISP credits have been selected
for APCP funding of environmental mitigation measures. The GEF grant
funds committed in 2004 – 2007 for these mitigation measures total about
US$2.5 million. Of the total of 93 sub-projects approved to date, 59 are
for livestock enterprises, 27 for crop production/irrigation and 7 for agro-
industry. The following mitigation measures were financed:
- manure storage and handling facilities;
- waste waters treatment plant;
- storage sheds for agro-processing wastes;
- agronomic measures, such as conservation tillage, shelterbelts, buffer
strips etc.
- irrigation systems.
The total storage capacity of the manure platforms built under this
synergy represented almost 30,000 cub.m. and 6 ha of degradated
lands were restored. Additionally, the total area of vegetative filter
strips installed under this sub-component amounted to 166 ha and
the area intended for irrigation -825 ha.
There are no more funds available under this sub-components though the
demand for Environmental Mitigation Grants is still high.
MANURE STORAGE FACILITY
FOR THE CATTLE FARM
WASTE WATER
TREATMENT PLANT
(under construction)
OIL PROCESSING
FACTORY
STORAGE SHEDS FOR
AGRO-PROCESSING
WASTES (under onstruction)
DRIP IRRIGATION VEGETATIVE FILTER STRIPS SHELTERBELT

5. Manure management
Of three manure management
systems installed in the
pilot area, one, in the Negrea
comuna, is managed by the
Mayoralty, the other two, in
Carpineni and Lapusnia, by
private companies, on a
concession basis.
As much as 9,600 cub. m. have
been accumulated at communal
storage platforms in the pilot area.
Out of this 350 cub. m. were sold to
private companies and the other
amount was applied onto lands.
MANURE STORAGE PLATFORM
IN NEGREA
MANURE STORAGE PLATFORM
IN NEGREA FOR TRAINING PURPOSE

6. Promotion of environment-
friendly agricultural practices
Under the Project there are several Programs
intended to promote environment-friendly
agricultural practices:
- Program for testing/demonstrating environment-
friendly agricultural practices implemented in
collaboration with the Soil Institute in the pilot area;
- Program for demonstrating environment-friendly
agricultural practices implemented in collaboration
with the Agency for Consultancy and Schooling in
Agriculture (an extension service established under
RISP) at the national level;
- Publication of the Code of Good Agricultural Practices.

7. Promotion of environment-friendly
agricultural practices in the pilot
area
In the Project pilot area two villages,
Pascani and Negrea, were selected for
promotion of environment-friendly
agricultural practices.
Negrea– for testing/demonstration and
monitoring purposes, and Pascani, only
for testing/demonstration purpose.
This year 8 such practices were
established in Negrea and 4 in
Pascani.
s.Stolniceni
s.Ivanovca
s.Cotul-Morii
s.Leu[eni
s.C==lenis.Nemeni
s.Frasin
s.Coste[ti
s.Drojdieni
s.Bujor
s.L=pu[na
s.Corne[ti
s.Boghiceni
s.Chetro[eni
s.Pa[cani
s.Pereni
r.L=pu[na
r.L=pu[na
r.Lapusna
r.Lapusna
r.Prut
s.Tochile-R=ducani
s.S=rata-Reze[i
r.L=pu[na
s.Mingir
s.Cioara
s.Pog=ne[ti
s.Bratianovca
s.Horje[ti
s.C=rpineni
s.Negrea
r.L=pu[nia
r.L=pu[nia
s.B=lceana
s.Pervomaiscoe
s.Sofia
s.Crasnoarmeiscoe
s.One[ti
s.Obileni
s.Mire[ti 9
10
11
12
7
8
1
3
2
4
5
6
13
D
s.S=rata-Galben=
s.S=rata-Mare
Scale1:130000
ROM~NIA
(com.Negrea)
(com.Negrea)
(comNegrea)
practicicuscopdemonstrativ
practicicuscopdetestare/demonstrare1
(com.Tochile-R=ducan])
(com.Pa[cani)
(com.Negrea)
2
1
2
3
4
5
6
8
9
0
1
2
3
7
Lac1-lucr=riagrotehnicedeconservare
Lac2-lucr=riagrotehnicedeconservare]nvii
Rc1@Rr1-rotaiaculturilor@leguminoase]nrotaie
Ccf1-cultivareaculturilor]nf`[iipeversani
Mn1-managementulnutrienilor(com.Negrea)
Mn2-managementulnutrienilor(com.Negrea)
}cs1-]nierbareacanalelordescurgere(com.Negrea)
Bc1-benzidecentur=(com.Negrea)
Lac3-lucr=riagrotehnicedeconservare]nvii(com.Pa[cani)
Ccf2-cultivareaculturilor]nf`[iipeversani
}cs2-]nierbareacanalelordescurgere(com.Pa[cani)
Bc2-benzidecentur=(com.Pa[cani)
Mp1-managementulp=[unatului
PROJECTED
practiceswiththeaimoftesting/demonstration
practiceswiththeaimofdemonstration
Ct1(conservationtillage)
Ct2(conservationtillage)
Cr1@Lr1(croprotation@legumesrotation)
Sc1(stripcropping)
Nm1(nutrientsmanagement)
Nm2(nutrientsmanagement)
Gw1(grassedwaterways)
Bs1(bufferstrip)
Ct3(conservationtillage)
Sc2(stripcropping)
Gw2(grassedwaterways)
Bs2(bufferstrip)
Glm1(grazinglandmanagement)
1
2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
PROIECTATE
s.Voinescu
LEGEND
River
Lake
Existentforests
Village
NEGREA
PASCANI

8. Promotion of environment-friendly
agricultural practices in the pilot
area (cont.)
CROP ROTATION
STRIP CROPPING
CONTOUR
PLOWING
BUFFER STRIP AND
VINEYARD COVER CROPPING
VEGETATIVE BUFFER

9. Promotion of environment-friendly
agricultural practices in the pilot
area (cont.)
The monitoring and data analysis demonstrated that agronomic measures
applied on treated fields reduced soil erosion by 33-51% and run-offs
by 17-52% when compared with the control plots. Consequently,
these can decrease nitrogen losses by 11-53% and phosphorus by 20-
47%.
Additionally, nutrient losses
by run-offs are 1.6 - 2.8 times
less when sowing cover crops
between vine rows. Further
experiments showed that
using 80 t/ha of manure on
lands could increase corn yield
by 32.4%.

10. Promotion of environment-friendly
agricultural practices at the national
level
A train-the-trainer approach was used to train
360 service providers of the Agency for
Consultancy and Schooling in Agriculture
(ACSA) from around the country. For this
purpose three demonstration plots with
good agricultural practices were
established in the three regions of
Moldova. Under the same contract, a
handbook on environment-friendly
agricultural practices was published to be
disseminated among ACSA service
providers. Similarly, each ACSA service
provider received a Code of Good
Agricultural Practices and appropriate
information on the Code.

11. Promotion of environment-
friendly agricultural practices
These efforts resulted in:
8,250 farmers from both project pilot
area and other regions of Moldova that
adopted at least one environment-
friendly agricultural practice promoted by
the project implemented on as much as
14,028 ha of land in total.

12. Water Quality Monitoring
Program: approach used
The Project applies paired-
watersheds and upstream-downstream
water quality monitoring approaches.
As regards to surface water
quality monitoring, in total there are 8
water monitoring sites, 6 along the main
course of the river and 2 on tributaries.
Of the 6 located on the main course 3
are in the background zone and three in
the control and treated areas.
As to underground water
quality monitoring, 17 shallow wells
were chosen for water sampling, 9 in
the treated area and 8 in the control
area.
Background
zone
Control zone
Treated zone
Background
zone
Control zone
Treated zone
0
0-1
SB1
SC2
STC6
ST3
STT7
SD4

13. Water Quality Monitoring Program:
sampling frequency and parameters
Sampling frequency:
 monthly, bi-monthly, seasonal and by event for surface water; and,
 quarterly for underground water.
Parameters to be monitored:
 Primary variables (N-NH4, N-NO2, N-NO3, P-PO4, TKN, and TP) and
secondary variables (Coliform bacteria, Total Number of Microbes, TSS,
and BOD5) for surface water; and,
 Nitrogen compounds (N-NH4, N-NO2, N-NO3 and TKN), phosphorus
compounds (P-PO4 and TP) and bacteriology (Coliform bacteria, Total
Number of Microbes for underground water.
Additionally, for hydrology:
 water flow, water level, water velocity;
and meteorology:
 temperature, precipitation rate, winds,
heavy rainfalls.

14. Water Quality Monitoring Program:
Ptotal, reporting period 2004 - 2007
Dinamica concentraţiilor medii ale P-total a rîurilor Lapuşniţa, Belcianca, Negrea
pentru anii 2004-2007
0,00
0,50
1,00
1,50
2,00
2,50
2004 2005 2006 2007
mgP/dmc
O-1
O
STT7
STC6
SD4
ST3
SC2
SB1
Ptotal in the Lapusnita river and Balceana and Negrea tributaries, 2004- 2007
,

15. Water Quality Monitoring Program: N-N03,
reporting period 2004-2007
Dinamica concentraţiilor medii ale N-NO3 a rîurilor Lapuşniţa, Belcianca, Negrea
pentru anii 2004-2007
0,00
10,00
20,00
30,00
40,00
50,00
60,00
70,00
80,00
90,00
2004 2005 2006 2007
mgN/dmc
O-1
O
STT7
STC6
SD4
ST3
SC2
SB1
CMA=9mgN/dmc
N-NO3 in the Lapusnita river and Balceana and Negrea tributaries, 2004- 2007

16. Water Quality Monitoring Program:
CBO5, reporting period 2004-2007
0,00
1,00
2,00
3,00
4,00
5,00
6,00
mg/dmc
2004 2005 2006 2007
Dinamica concentraţiilor medii ale CBO5 a rîurilor Lapuşniţa, Belcianca, Neagra
pentru anii 2004-2007
SB1
SC2
ST3
SD4
STC6
STT7
O
O-1
CMA=3mg/dmc
CBO5 in the Lapusnita river and Balceana and Negrea tributaries, 2004- 2007

17. Strengthening of national policy and
regulation capacity in the field
Organic farming issue:
At the end of 2003, the Project conducted a study to serve as a starting point for promotion
of organic farming in Moldova.
As a follow up to this:
 the Law on Organic farming has been adopted followed by 4 normative acts;
 a Competent authority designated; and,
 a Certifying and Inspection body established.
Today, we have 150 enterprises registered as organic, including 27 in conversion, exporting
organic sunflower oil, honey, dried and frozen fruits, table grapes and wine.
The total area registered as organic is 15,500 ha of land, including 3,700 in conversion.
Code of Good Agricultural Practices
The CGAP was published in July 2007 in an edition of 500 copies and disseminated among
extension people, farmers and mayoralties.

18. Few key factors to be looked at
while implementing BMPs for
reducing nutrient pollution
- local communities should be involved at each stage of this exercise;
- when conducting public awareness campaigns the issue should be
approached through economic, health and environmental perspectives;
- such programs should provide a water quality simulation model as this
helps extend the findings to the other watersheds;
- by minimizing the loss of land we safeguard the environment and meet
the needs of the present generation, without compromising those of
the future generation;
We all are part of the problem, therefore we all must be part of solution
(Dr. Thomas W. Simpson).
-

19. WB/GEF Agricultural Pollution Control Project
9 Cosmonautilot Str., of. 520,
Chisinau, MD-2005,
Republic of Moldova
tel/fax: +373 22 224187, 221586
e-mail: alexjol@capmu.md; spana-carp@capmu.md
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!