Farmers up and down the country are transforming their methods from conventional farming, into regenerative agriculture. They are adopting methods of farming that will help protect our environment for years to come.

What is Regenerative Agriculture?

Regenerative agriculture is a set of farming practices that help increase biodiversity and soil organic matter. It is a way to make a positive impact on the land, it does this by paying heavy attention to:

• Soil health
• Water management
• Fertilizer use

The main objective is to improve the resources it uses and ensure farming remains sustainable.

What does it involve?

The practices that are used largely depends on the land you’re working with. We are going to look at the two of the most common.

No-Till Farming

Soil is full of natural organisms that are helpful for plant growth. Unfortunately ploughing and tillage can result in bare or compacted soil that creates a more challenging environment for these important soil microbes. This means that plants rely on chemical fertilizer.  

No-till farming involves planting cover crops whose roots break up the soil and using a mulch to cover the soil. This mulch will break down over time, adding more nutrients to the soil. Over time this creates a more resilient environment for plants to thrive.

Regenerative Grazing

By implementing the right practices, in just a matter of years, the following can be achieved:

• Enormous amounts of CO2 can be sequestered into the ground
• Soil can be built
• Desertification can be reversed

Typically, the growth of grass starts off slow, accelerating and then slowing down again. When the growth is accelerating, this is when it is accruing the most biomass. If it is eaten before it is able to get to this point it drastically impacts on its overall speed of growth. This ultimately leads to overgrazing. The result of this being soil erosion and desertification.

To resolve this, cattle are kept in tight herds and rotated, giving the grass time to grow before being eaten again. The grass which doesn’t get eaten but instead trampled on or covered in manure, leaves the perfect environment for new topsoil to be built.

Overall, regenerative agriculture is hugely positive step towards to preservation and improvement of natural resources.

As a member of BASE UK, King Agriculture have been practicing regenerative agriculture for 10 years and are highly experienced in helping farmers transition from more conventional methods. If you would like to explore the options of how regenerative agricultural practices can help benefit you and your land, call us today.