Recently there has been an encouraging move towards adopting Regenerative Agricultural techniques. To learn why Regenerative Agriculture is important you can read our blog post here.

One of the biggest changes being made is how we treat our soil, including reducing tillage and chemical inputs.

To achieve this a group of farmers started a field lab where they investigated whether growing clover under cash crops could reduce chemical fertilisers and herbicides. It would achieve this by controlling weeds whilst also fixing nitrogen.

What is Living Mulch?

The system of living mulch is a combined effort of several common farming practices.

• Cover cropping
• Intercropping
• Undersowing
• Mulchine

It requires the establishment of a perennial forage legume which will provide a layer of protection for the soil. This system, however, generally relies of climatic conditions that generally are not experienced in the UK.  

Typically, for this method to be successful you would begin by establishing no-till farming and to also stop use insecticides. Then introduce the clover understory to help build fertility, building even more healthy soil biology.
This means you will no longer need to use fungicides or the nitrogen fertiliser.

The Benefits

• Weed suppression
• Nitrogen accumulation
• Enhanced soil physical characteristics
• Soil protection
• Catch cropping function
• Increased soil fertility
• Self-regulation of pests and disease
• Increased biological diversity

What exactly 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.

If you're looking to adopt more regernative techniques then King Agriculture can help. Contact us today.