Modern farming has damaged soil, reduced biodiversity, and gradually diminished the soil fertility to get enhanced food production. A better approach is regenerative agriculture. Working with nature is more important than merely using farming methods. Restoring the soil is the primary objective since it is essential to produce wholesome food, preserve the environment, and sustain farm productivity in the future.
What is Regenerative Agriculture?
Regenerative agriculture refers to an agricultural approach that focuses on conservation and restoration. The Rodale Research Center's director at the time, agronomist Richard Harwood, who is renowned for his work in global agricultural systems research, published an "International Overview" of regenerative agriculture.
An alternative farming practice called regenerative agriculture promotes ecologically sustainable farm-level operations. Its main goal is to enhance the land and long-term productivity by comprehending and utilizing natural cycles. Regenerative agriculture encourages methods including avoiding tillage, promoting on-farm biodiversity, planting cover crops to prevent bare soil, and lowering external inputs to enhance soil biology. These techniques are thought to reduce input costs while providing advantages like better soil development, water retention, carbon absorption, and natural insect management. Although regenerative agriculture is gaining popularity globally, several of these assertions have also been challenged and viewed with suspicion.
Why Focus on Soil Health?
More than simply dirt, soil is a living system made up of macro and micro-organisms that aid in water retention, nutrient cycling, and plant health. Healthy soils have numerous functions, such as:
- Enhances water retention and reduces drought stress.
- Supports microbial diversity.
- Improves crop yield.
- More carbon sequestration.
It restores these functions by encouraging practices that resemble natural systems.
Principles of Regenerative Agriculture
According to Gabe Brown, a farmer who practices regenerative agriculture understands five key principles that suggest the following:
Key Regenerative Practices
Reduced and Zero Tillage
Reducing tillage contributes to the growth of vegetation that protects soil from wind and rain-induced erosion. Additionally, it enhances the physical, chemical, and biological well-being of the soil and lowers greenhouse gas emissions. While regular tillage might disturb beneficial fungi that support plants by giving nutrients like phosphate and nitrogen as well as water, zero-till approaches have demonstrated potential for climate adaption.
Planting Legumes and Pulses
Pulses and legumes naturally increase the amount of nitrogen in the soil. Their use is increasing once more after being marginalized by synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, mostly due to the rising expense of ammonia-based inputs and growing interest in regenerative farming.
Perennial Cropping
Perennial crops in regenerative farming store moisture, protect soil from wind and water erosion by covering it and keeping it in place with their deep roots, and lower agricultural costs by requiring less tilling and weed control.
Crop Rotation and Poly-cultures
Crop rotation promotes soil biodiversity, balances nutrient demands, and interrupts insect pest cycles.
Benefits for Farmers
It offers numerous benefits to farmers such as:
- Higher soil fertility over time.
- Lowering irrigation costs due to better water management.
- Improved crop resilience to diseases, pests, and extreme weathers.
Case Study
Excessive tillage has been a major factor in Pakistan's declining biodiversity and degraded soil. Due to the depletion of certain soil nutrients caused by the annual cultivation of the same crops on the same land, farmers are now mostly dependent on artificial fertilizers to sustain crop yields. Additionally, repetitive cropping patterns give pests and diseases a steady food source and habitat, which increases reliance on pesticides. In addition to increasing production costs, this puts biodiversity and the overall health of nearby ecosystems at serious risk.
In contrast to the Punjab Agriculture Department's decades-old slogan:
“Dub Kay Waa Tay Raj Kay Kha” – (In Punjabi Language)
“Plough Deeply to Harvest Abundantly” – (Translated into English)
Contemporary agricultural research is clearly showing that intense plowing negatively impacts soil health and long-term productivity. Several practices that are still utilized in Pakistan as agricultural regenerative approaches.
Barriers to the Adoption of Regenerative Agriculture
There are several barriers to the adoption of regenerative agriculture which are given below:
- Lack of awareness.
- Insufficient resources.
- Limited access to technology.
Nonetheless, the growing expenses of electricity, fertilizer, pesticides, and gasoline might encourage farmers, particularly smallholders, to think about switching to regenerative agriculture (RA). The long-term advantages of adopting these eco-friendly activities increase with their early adoption. However, the availability of dedicated, skilled agricultural extension service personnel to guide and help farmers during the transition is essential to successful implementation.
Conclusion
In summary, regenerative agriculture focuses on long-term land care rather than immediate benefits. By restoring the health of the soil, farmers contribute to a more robust food system, a healthier world, and the long-term productivity of their crops.
Adopting even a few regenerative methods can lead you to a more sustainable and fulfilling future, regardless of your level of experience or devotion to sustainable farming.
References
- Alexanderson, M. S., Luke, H., and Lloyd, D. J. 2023. Regenerative farming as climate action. Journal of Environmental Management. 347:119063.
- Choudhary, A., Singh, K., Beniwal, R., Sarita, Parihar, O., Sharma, R. K., and Kumar, S. 2022. Regenerative agriculture: Introduction and practices for sustainable production. In Recent Innovative Approaches. pp.60-70.
- Cusworth, G., Garnett, T., and Lorimer, J. 2021. Agroecological break out: Legumes, crop diversification and the regenerative futures of UK agriculture. Journal of Rural Studies. 88:126-137.
- Giller, K. E., Hijbeek, R., Andersson, J. A., and Sumberg, J. 2021. Regenerative agriculture: an agronomic perspective. Outlook on agriculture. 50:13-25.
- Gordon, E., Davila, F., and Riedy, C. 2022. Transforming landscapes and mindscapes through regenerative agriculture. Agriculture and Human Values. 39:809-826.
- Wattoo, K. S., and Ahmad, W. 2024. Towards regenerative agriculture.
