“The becks on our farm have suffered from overmanagement. We’ve got these elevated becks on some of our farm as well as some that have been cleaned up and cleaned out – it’s been a bit rubbish for ecology and for flood management,” he says now.

His family had run the farm for generations, but Robinson was already rethinking the way that things had been done, and had taken the farm organic 20 years earlier. And as flooding started to hit the farm more frequently, he began to wonder if changes could be made to the landscape that could make it more resilient.

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The post ‘the Wildlife That Has Come Is Phenomenal’: The Uk Farmers Holding Off Floods the Natural Way appeared first on Regeneration International.

The study surveyed 30 farms across the United States that are using no-till agriculture, which minimizes soil disturbance, and cover crops, where plants are used primarily to keep soil in place between growing seasons.

Across 29 of those farms, these practices increased net farm income by an average of $65 per acre annually. The study also found that these practices cost farmers on average $14 per acre less to grow corn and $7 per acre less to grow soybeans.

“This is a way that is not only more profitable, but these practices can really help them build that resilience to those more extreme weather events,” said Wayne Honeycutt, president and CEO of the Soil Health Institute.

A 2021 study by the same institute that focused on 100 farms across the Midwest also found that these practices saved money and increased net income.

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The post Cover Crops and No-till Aren’t Just Good for Soil — They Also Make Farmers More Money, Study Says appeared first on Regeneration International.

As climate change continues to present major challenges for agriculture in the coming decades, there is more need than ever for solutions that address key social, environmental, and economic issues. No-till practices have been implemented on millions of hectares worldwide, addressing historic agricultural issues of topsoil erosion, water infiltration, and diversification. However, these systems still present considerable environmental challenges as they rely heavily on herbicides and chemical fertilizers that are prone to off-farm contamination and leaching. Organic tillage-based systems have been able to exclude these products while providing considerable co-benefits. However, the ‘holy-grail’ of organic no-till farming has been slow to develop, with both adoption and research lagging far behind conventional systems in the United States.

This talk will explore the agroecological challenges facing organic no-till agriculture, with a particular focus on the distinct challenges of California organic vegetable systems. We will review the results of a three-year field trial conducted at the UCSC Farm with discussion about the role of formal research and extension in supporting agroecological innovations.

The post Hybrid – Research Findings on No-Till at the UCSC Farm appeared first on Regeneration International.

What is No Till Gardening?

Also known as no-dig or no-digging gardening, No Till (NT) Gardening is an organic method that emphasizes minimal disturbance to the soil ecosystem. Unlike traditional practices that involve tilling and turning the soil, NT Gardening aims to preserve the natural structure and fertility of the soil by avoiding mechanical interventions.

Benefits of NT Gardening

There are numerous benefits for both the gardener and the environment. By preserving the soil structure, it promotes healthier root development, improves soil fertility, and enhances water retention. Additionally, it reduces weed growth, minimizes erosion, and contributes to long-term sustainability.

Who Can Practice NT Gardening?

NT Gardening is suitable for gardeners of all experience levels, from beginners to seasoned enthusiasts. Whether you have a small backyard or a larger plot, anyone can adopt this method to create a thriving garden space.

When to Start NT Gardening?

The best time to start is during the early spring or fall when the soil is not frozen or waterlogged. However, you can implement this method at any time with some adjustments based on the season.

Tips for Getting Started with No Till Gardening

1 Selecting the Right Garden Bed

Choose a suitable location for your garden bed, ensuring it receives adequate sunlight. Raised beds or containers work well as they offer better control over soil quality and prevent compaction.

2 Preparing the Soil

Before starting, remove any existing vegetation and cover the soil with a thick layer of compost or organic matter. This helps improve soil structure and provides nutrients for the plants.

3 Choosing the Right Plants

Select plants that are well-suited for NT Gardening, such as perennial vegetables, herbs, and flowers. These plants adapt well to undisturbed soil environments and require less maintenance.

4 Mulching Techniques

Use organic mulch, such as straw, wood chips, or leaves, to cover the soil surface. Mulching helps suppress weeds, retain moisture, and regulate soil temperature.

5 Watering and Irrigation

Practice efficient watering techniques, such as drip irrigation or soaker hoses, to ensure that water reaches the roots without excessive evaporation.

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The post No Till Gardening: Cultivating a Thriving Garden with Minimal Disturbance appeared first on Regeneration International.

No-till systems are often introduced to accomplish goals around increasing soil biology and fungal networks, rotating cover crops with cash crops, and running less machinery across the land (lower diesel fuel costs). Some lightly tilled systems and strip-till systems also report the ability to grow biology, balance chemistry and build biodiverse ecosystems.

What is tillage?

Tillage is a centuries-old agriculture practice that farmers use to remove plant life from their fields, break up hardpan and crusty layers, and help incorporate fertilizers.

What is no-till, exactly?

It is exactly what it sounds like: a conservation-based farming system that leaves the soil undisturbed. Instead, successful no-till managers use living, biodiverse crops.

KEEP READING ON THINK REGENERATION

The post Regenerative Research: Tillage & No-Till Systems appeared first on Regeneration International.

Para llegar a todos los rincones donde no podemos estar presentes y que puedas adquirir las bases de esta genial forma de aprovechar al máximo el agua de lluvia y evitar la erosión.

Te ofrecemos una estudiada selección del contenido, para introducirte en cada uno de los temas que se practican en profundidad en el curso presencial

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The post Webinar: Manejo de malezas en sistemas orgánicos rotativos de labranza cero appeared first on Regeneration International.

The post Sin arados, ni químicos, un granjero sudafricano revoluciona sus métodos appeared first on Regeneration International.

En artículos anteriores hemos descrito cómo la agricultura regenerativa maximiza la fotosíntesis de las plantas para capturar el dióxido de carbono de la atmósfera y aumentar la materia orgánica del suelo. La materia orgánica del suelo es un buen indicador de la salud del suelo, ya que es importante para mejorar la fertilidad y la captura de agua en los suelos, mejorando así la productividad y la rentabilidad en la agricultura.

Muchos agricultores regenerativos siembran sus campos con mezclas de plantas solo para capturar dióxido de carbono y mejorar los niveles de materia orgánica del suelo. Estos se denominan cultivos de cobertura y son distintos de los cultivos comerciales. El cultivo de cobertura aumenta la fertilidad del suelo. El cultivo comercial genera ingresos.

Cultivo de pastos: el sistema “no matar, no labrar”

Australia tiene muchos agricultores regenerativos innovadores. Los dos agricultores que les presentamos a continuación son pioneros de un sistema de cultivo de cobertura llamado cultivo de pastos (CCPP) o pasture cropping. Bajo este método, el cultivo comercial se planta en pastos perennes en lugar de sobre el suelo desnudo. No es necesario arar las especies de pastos como las malezas o matarlas con herbicidas antes de plantar el cultivo comercial. El pasto perenne se convierte en un cultivo de cobertura.

Esta técnica fue desarrollada por primera vez por Colin Seis en Nueva Gales del Sur, Australia, y se basa en el sólido principio ecológico de que las plantas anuales crecen en sistemas perennes. La clave es adaptar este principio al sistema de gestión apropiado para los cultivos comerciales y el clima específicos.

Primero se pasta o se corta el pasto para asegurarse que esté  muy corto. Esto agrega materia orgánica en forma de estiércol, pasto cortado y raíces al suelo de manera que aumenta su fertilidad y se reduce la competencia de raíces del pasto. El cultivo comercial, por ejemplo la avena, se planta directamente en el pasto.

Aquí está la descripción del propio Colin Seis del cultivo en pastos:

Imagen cortesía de Colin Seis

“Una cosecha de avena de 20 hectáreas (50 acres) que se sembró y cosechó en 2003. . . El rendimiento de este cultivo fue de 4,3 toneladas / hectárea. Este rendimiento es al menos igual al promedio del distrito, donde se utilizan métodos de cultivo que alteran el suelo por completo”. 

“Este beneficio no incluye el valor del pastoreo adicional. En Winona, la granja de Colin Seis, cuesta entre 50 y 60 dólares por hectárea porque los pastos se pastan hasta el momento de la siembra. Cuando se usan prácticas de cultivo tradicionales en las que se utilizan métodos de preparación del suelo y control de malezas durante períodos de cuatro a hasta seis meses antes de sembrar el cultivo, no se puede lograr un pastoreo de calidad”.

“También se aprendió que sembrar un cultivo de esta manera estimulaba a las plántulas de pasto perenne a crecer en número y diversidad, de manera que se conseguía más toneladas / hectárea de crecimiento vegetal. Esto produce más alimento para ganado después de la cosecha y elimina totalmente la necesidad de volver a sembrar pastos en las áreas cultivadas. Los métodos de cultivo utilizados en el pasado requieren que se elimine toda la vegetación antes de sembrar el cultivo y mientras el cultivo está creciendo”.

Imagen cortesía de Colin Seis

“Desde el punto de vista económico de la granja, hay un enorme potencial de generar buenos ingresos porque el costo de cultivar de esta manera es una fracción del del cultivo convencional. El beneficio adicional en el caso de una granja mixta es que se logra hasta seis meses más de pastoreo con este método en comparación con la pérdida de pastoreo debido a la preparación del suelo y el control de malezas requerido en los métodos de cultivo tradicionales. Como regla general, un principio subyacente del éxito de este método es el 100% de cobertura del suelo el 100% del tiempo”.

Otros beneficios son más difíciles de cuantificar, como la gran mejora en el número de plantas perennes y la diversidad de los pastos después del cultivo. Esto significa que no hay necesidad de volver a sembrar pastos, que pueden costar más de 150 dólares por hectárea, y considerablemente más si se utilizan contratistas para el establecimiento de los pastos.

Estudios independientes en Winona sobre el cultivo de pastos realizados por el Departamento de Tierras y Agua han encontrado que el cultivo de pastos es un 27% más rentable que la agricultura convencional; esto va unido a grandes beneficios medioambientales que mejorarán el suelo y regenerarán nuestros paisajes.

El cultivo de pastos es una de las mejores formas de aumentar la materia orgánica del suelo. Los campos están cubiertos de hojas fotosintetizadoras durante todo el año, que capturan CO2, y que son enterradas profundamente en el suelo por las raíces de los cultivos de cobertura perennes. La Dra. Christine Jones ha realizado una investigación en la propiedad de Colin Seis que muestra que se secuestraron 168,5 toneladas de CO2 por hectárea (170.000 libras / acre) en el transcurso de diez años. La tasa de secuestro en 2009-2010 fue de 33 toneladas de CO2 por hectárea por año.

Esta gran adición de materia orgánica del suelo ha estimulado el microbioma del suelo para que libere los minerales encerrados en el material del suelo ya existente, aumentando drásticamente la fertilidad del suelo. Los siguientes aumentos en la fertilidad de los minerales del suelo se han producido en diez años con solo la adición de una pequeña cantidad de fósforo:

Una comparación de suelos entre la granja de Colin Seis (Winona) y una finca cercana muestra niveles de carbono del suelo significativamente mejores en áreas que han sido cultivadas con pastos. 10 cm = 4 pulgadas. Imagen cortesía de la Dra. Christine Jones.

Calcio 277%

Magnesio 138%

Potasio 146%

Azufre 157%

Fósforo 151%

Zinc 186%

Hierro 122%

Cobre 202%

Boro 156%

Molibdeno 151%

Cobalto 179%

Selenio 117%

El sistema Soil Kee 

Un excelente ejemplo del desarrollo del cultivo en pastos / “no matar, no labrar” es Soil Kee, diseñado por Neils Olsen.

Primero, la cobertura del suelo / pastos se pasta o se cubre con mantillo para reducir la competencia de raíces y luz. Luego, Soil Kee rompe la masa de raíces, levanta y airea el suelo, cubre la cubierta del suelo / pastos en franjas estrechas y planta semillas, todo con una alteración mínima del suelo. Las semillas de los cultivos de cobertura / comerciales se plantan y simultáneamente se alimentan con un nutriente orgánico como el guano. Cuanto más rápido germina y crece la semilla, mayor es el rendimiento. Es fundamental llevar la biología y la nutrición a la semilla en el momento de la germinación y eliminar la competencia de las raíces.

Un pastizal perenne unos días después del Soil Kee se usó para romper la masa de raíces y plantar las semillas del cultivo de cobertura.

Un pastizal perenne unos días después del Soil Kee se usó para romper la masa de raíces y plantar las semillas del cultivo de cobertura.

El cultivo de pastos es excelente para aumentar la materia orgánica del suelo / el carbono del suelo. A Neils Olsen le pagaron por secuestrar 11 toneladas de CO2 por hectárea (11.000 libras / acre) por año, bajo el Programa de Agricultura de Carbono del gobierno australiano en 2019. En 2020, le pagaron por 13 toneladas de CO2 por hectárea (13.000 por acre) por año. Es el primer agricultor del mundo al que se le paga por secuestrar carbono del suelo bajo un sistema regulado por el gobierno. 

Niels Olsen con un cultivo de cobertura multiespecie para el ganado a base de leguminosas, pastos y cereales. Esta mezcla crece con fuerza a mediados de invierno. Se pueden plantar cereales, legumbres y otros cultivos comerciales en los pastos y así producir cultivos comerciales de alto valor.

Los sistemas agrícolas regenerativos, como los cultivos de cobertura y los pastizales, están cambiando radicalmente el enfoque convencional del manejo de malezas. Han demostrado que la creencia de que cualquier planta que no sea nuestro cultivo comercial es una maleza y necesita ser destruida ya no es correcta. El hecho es que la diversidad vegetal genera resiliencia y aumenta los rendimientos, no al revés. La clave es desarrollar sistemas de manejo que cambien la competencia de otras plantas en mutualismo y simbiosis que beneficien al cultivo comercial.

Los cultivos de cobertura de múltiples especies producen más biomasa y nutrientes que los monocultivos de una sola especie. En el ejemplo del sistema Soil Kee, la cantidad de alimento para ganado que se consigue es más del doble de los pastos perennes o anuales habituales en el distrito.

Se están desarrollando variaciones de estos sistemas todo el tiempo y se están utilizando con mucho éxito en la horticultura, el pastoreo y la agricultura a gran escala. Para citar a Colin Seis, “como regla general, un principio subyacente del éxito de este método es el 100% de cobertura del suelo el 100% de las veces”.

Andre Leu es el Director Internacional de Regeneration International. 

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The post Cultivo en pastos: el innovador sistema “no matar, no labrar” desarrollado por agricultores australiano appeared first on Regeneration International.

Regenerative agriculture is a global farming revolution with rapid uptake and interest around the world. Five years ago hardly anyone had heard about it. It is in the news nearly everyday now. This  agricultural revolution has been led by innovative farmers rather than scientists, researchers and governments. It is being applied to all agricultural sectors including cropping, grazing and perennial horticulture.

In previous articles we have described how regenerative agriculture maximizes the photosynthesis of plants to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to increase soil organic matter. Soil organic matter is a good proxy for soil health, as it is important for improving fertility and water capture in soils, thus improving productivity and profitability in farming.

Many regenerative farmers sow their fields with mixtures of plants just to capture carbon dioxide to improve the levels of soil organic matter. These are called cover crops and are distinct from the cash crop. The cover crop builds soil fertility. The cash crop earns an income. 

Pasture Cropping—the No-kill, No-till System

Australia has many innovative regenerative farmers. The two farmers below are pioneers of a cover cropping system called pasture cropping. This is where the cash crop is planted into a perennial pasture instead of into bare soil. There is no need to plough out the pasture species as weeds or kill them with herbicides before planting the cash crop. The perennial pasture becomes the cover crop.

This was first developed by Colin Seis in New South Wales. The principle is based on the sound ecological fact that annual plants grow in perennial systems. The key is to adapt this principle to the appropriate management system for the specific cash crops and climate.

The pasture is first grazed or slashed to ensure that it is very short. This adds organic matter in the form of manure, cut grass, and shed roots into the soil to build soil fertility and to reduce root competition from the pasture. The cash crop such as oats is directly planted into the pasture.

Image courtesy of Colin Seis

Here’s Colin Seis’s own description of pasture cropping:      

 “A 20-hectare (50 acre) crop of echidna oats that was sown and harvested in 2003 . . . This crop’s yield was 4.3 tonnes/hectare (31 bushels/acre). This yield is at least equal to the district average, where full ground-disturbance cropping methods were used.” 

“This profit does not include the value of the extra grazing. On Winona, Colin Seis’s farm, it is between $50–60/hectare because the pasture is grazed up to the point of sowing. When using traditional cropping practices where ground preparation and weed control methods are utilized for periods of up to four to six months before the crop is sown, no quality grazing can be achieved.” 

“It was also learnt that sowing a crop in this manner stimulated perennial grass seedlings to grow in numbers and diversity, giving considerably more tonnes/hectare of plant growth. This produces more stock feed after the crop is harvested and totally eliminates the need to re-sow pastures into the cropped areas. Cropping methods used in the past require that all vegetation is killed prior to sowing the crop and while the crop is growing.” 

Image courtesy of Colin Seis

“From a farm economic point of view, the potential for good profit is excellent because the cost of growing crops in this manner is a fraction of conventional cropping. The added benefit in a mixed farm situation is that up to six months extra grazing is achieved with this method compared with the loss of grazing due to ground preparation and weed control required in traditional cropping methods. As a general rule, an underlying principle of the success of this method is 100 percent ground cover 100 percent of the time.” 

Other benefits are more difficult to quantify. These are the vast improvement in perennial plant numbers and diversity of the pasture following the crop. This means that there is no need to re-sow pastures, which can cost in excess of $150 per hectare, and considerably more should contractors be used for pasture establishment.

Independent studies at Winona on pasture cropping by the Department of Land and Water have found that pasture cropping is 27 percent more profitable than conventional agriculture; this is coupled with great environment benefits that will improve the soil and regenerate our landscapes.  

Pasture cropping is one of the best ways to increase soil organic matter. The fields are covered with photosynthesizing leaves all year, capturing CO2, which are deposited deep into the soil by the roots of perennial cover crops. Dr. Christine Jones has conducted research at Colin Sies’s property showing that 168.5 tons of CO2 per hectare (170,000 pounds/acre) were sequestered over the course of ten years. The sequestration rate in 2009–2010 was 33 tonnes of CO2 per hectare per year.

This huge addition of soil organic matter has stimulated the soil microbiome to release the minerals locked up in the parent material of the soil, dramatically increasing soil fertility. The following increases in soil mineral fertility have occurred in ten years with only the addition of a small amount of phosphorus:

A soil comparison between Colin Seis’s farm (Winona) and a nearby property shows significantly improved soil carbon levels in areas that have been pasture cropped. 10cm = 4 inches. Image courtesy of Dr. Christine Jones.

Calcium       277%

Magnesium 138%

Potassium   146%

Sulphur       157%

Phosphorus 151%

Zinc             186%

Iron              122%

Copper        202%

Boron          156%

Molybdenum   151%

Cobalt         179%

Selenium     117%

The Soil Kee System

An excellent example of the development of pasture cropping / no-till no-kill is the Soil Kee, which was designed by Neils Olsen.

First the ground cover/pasture is grazed or mulched to reduce root and light competition. Then the Soil Kee breaks up root mass, lifts and aerates the soil, top-dresses the ground cover/pasture in narrow strips, and plants seeds, all with minimal soil disturbance. The seeds of the cover/cash crops are planted and simultaneously fed an organic nutrient such as guano. The faster the seed germinates and grows, the greater the yield. It is critical to get the biology and nutrition to the seed at germination and to remove root competition.

A perennial pasture a few days after the Soil Kee was used to break up the root mass and plant the seeds of the cover crop.

Pasture cropping is excellent at increasing soil organic matter/soil carbon. Neils Olsen has been paid for sequestering 11 tonnes of CO2 per hectare (11,000 pounds/acre) per year, under the Australian government’s Carbon Farming Scheme in 2019. In 2020, he was paid for 13 tonnes of CO2 per hectare (13,000 per acre) per year. He is the first farmer in the world to be paid for sequestering soil carbon under a government regulated system.

Niels Olsen with a multispecies cover crop of legumes, grasses, and grains for livestock. This mix grows strongly in mid-winter. Cereals, pulses, and other cash crops can be planted into the pasture to produce high-value cash crops.

Regenerative agricultural systems such as cover cropping and pasture cropping are radically changing the conventional approach to weed management. They have shown that the belief that any plant that is not our cash crop is a weed and needs to be destroyed is no longer correct. The fact is that plant diversity builds resilience and increases yields, not the other way around. The key  is developing management systems that change competition from other plants into mutualism and symbiosis that benefit the cash crop.

 Multispecies cover crops produce more biomass and nutrients than single-species monocultures. In the example of the Soil Kee system, the amount of stock feed is more than double the usual perennial or annual pastures in the district.

Variations of these systems are being developed all the time and are being used very successfully in horticulture, grazing and broadacre agriculture. To quote Colin Seis, “as a general rule, an underlying principle of the success of this method is 100 percent ground cover 100 percent of the time.”

Andre Leu is the International Director for Regeneration International. To sign up for RI’s email newsletter, click here.

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