Agrotechnology

Adaptation of Regenerative Agricultural Practices for Sustainable Future

Isaac Schalau^* Department of Agriculture and Development, Cornell University, New York, USA
^*Correspondence: Isaac Schalau, Department of Agriculture and Development, Cornell University, New York, USA, Email:

Received: 03-Jun-2022, Manuscript No. AGT-22-17157; Editor assigned: 06-Jun-2022, Pre QC No. AGT-22-17157 (PQ); Reviewed: 20-Jun-2022, QC No. AGT-22-17157; Revised: 27-Jun-2022, Manuscript No. AGT-22-17157 (R); Published: 04-Jul-2022, DOI: 10.35248/2168-9881.22.11.264

Description

Organic farming researchers at the Rodale Institute coined the term "regenerative agriculture" in the 1980s to describe holistic farming practices that aim to improve soil health and reverse climate change by increasing biodiversity, improving the water cycle, increasing organic matter in soil structure, and transferring carbon from the atmosphere to the soil. Regenerative agriculture advocates for practices such as crop rotation, livestock rotation, composting, no-till farming, agroecology, and agroforestry instead of chemical pesticides. Regenerative agriculture improves the quantity of fertile topsoil available for agriculture, resulting in a healthier and more sustainable food system.

No-till agriculture (where farmers avoid plowing soils and instead drill seeds into the soil) and cover crops (plants cultivated to cover the soil after the primary crop is harvested) are examples of regenerative agriculture practices. Diverse crop rotations, such as planting three or more crops in succession over several years, and rotating crops with animal grazing, are examples of other techniques. Regenerative agriculture is sometimes defined as any approach that uses less fertilizer or pesticides [1].

In reality, regenerative agriculture is built on a holistic strategy that puts the soil at the center of the system in order to produce effectively and sustainably: A triptych made up of the soil, animal world, and plant world that allows for the establishment of food chains connecting all three ecosystems. The restoration of soil health is ensured by the balance and diversity of species found within this triptych. Regenerative agriculture entails a full overhaul of the farming system, as well as a shift in the procedures and metrics used in traditional agriculture. The implementation of regenerative farming methods is founded on three essential principles: less tillage, greater balance, and continual soil nourishment through permanent plant cover. Adopting regenerative agriculture takes time, desire, and a necessary commitment that demands three to five years of coaching and training for the farmer.

Unlike conventional agriculture, which does not systematically plant cover crops between harvests, the presence of plant cover crops throughout the growing season helps the agricultural ecosystem produce the most biomass. This increases the organic content of the soil, allowing it to fertilize more efficiently. Permanent cover crops improve the soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties. This is part of the country's effort to reestablish its health capital. Plant diversity reduces the demand for insecticides and herbicides by lowering diseases, insects, and weed pressure. By altering the length of rooting zones, a diversified crop rotation improves soil structure and allows for improved water penetration. Different crops with different nutrient needs, as well as waste products, will aid in the creation of a more balanced and resilient soil ecosystem. These rotations normally last between 4 and 6 years [2].

Promote biodiversity: Before large-scale farming relied on specialized regions for the same crops year after year, places that cultivated a range of plants and crops naturally developed better soil. Crop rotation is essential for replicating the natural variety of native plant ecosystems. Crop rotations that increase the diversity of crops in the soil will increase the diversity of soil microorganisms, resulting in soils that ensure crop resilience and maximum production over time. Incorporating plant diversity also helps to build soil microbial diversity, which is important for soil health and regenerative farming methods.

Grazing that is holistically managed, often known as intense rotational grazing. An Indigenous method that resembles the way enormous herds of animals migrated through grasslands in herds. This grazing strategy alternates pastures on a regular basis to promote soil fertility and allow pasture grasses to regenerate.

Compositing: Compositing can help to speed up the breakdown of these materials, resulting in compost products that are more readily accessible to soil bacteria and plants. Bacteria, fungus, earthworms, nematodes, and other species can all play a role in composting. Composts give fertilizer value to your soils and crops in forms that are available for longer periods of time than traditional fertilizers, in addition to bringing carbon/organic matter back into soils.

Reduce or eliminate tillage: One of the main aims of the regenerative agriculture movement is to create healthy soil, and one of the most regenerative methods for enhancing soil is to reduce or eliminate tillage. Tilling promotes soil erosion while also releasing large volumes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Eliminating tillage helps to mitigate global warming by increasing carbon sequestration the process by which plants transport carbon from the air to the soil [3,4].

Reduce the usage of synthetic fertilizers: Synthetic fertilizer is incompatible with regenerative systems because it disrupts the natural mechanisms by which plants absorb nutrients by creating an imbalance of microorganisms in the soil. As a result, an agro ecosystem with weak plants that rely on chemical fertilizer emerges. Furthermore, artificial fertilizer exacerbates the climate catastrophe by releasing chemicals into water sources and the environment. A regenerative farming method, in general, strives to maintain a perfectly natural interaction between plants and soil organisms.

Hedgerows and riparian buffers are examples of conservation buffers, which are areas of land filled with diverse plants to aid in the management of certain environmental challenges. Hedgerows are windbreaks and habitat for beneficial species that grow along the edges of agriculture fields. Riparian buffers are vegetated areas adjacent to streams that provide habitat, maintain water quality, and reduce floods.

Traditional livestock feedlots result in increased water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and low nutritional fodder. Use regenerative grazing management for cattle. A regenerative grazing system, on the other hand, mimics animals' natural grazing habits. Time management grazing, for example, ensures that rangeland has enough time to recover between grazing seasons. As a result, soil carbon deposits, water retention, plant and insect biodiversity, and pasture conditions improve [5].

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