Regenerative approaches to agriculture, such as no-till and diversified cropping, are not a short-term fix for more sustainable food production systems, according to new research.
Initial results from a large-scale crop rotation experiment at sites in Hertfordshire and Suffolk set up in 2017/18 are showing it will take time for the new approaches to restore the health of soils and the ecosystem.
“With so many variables in play, only a long-term, integrated approach will be able to tell us ‘what really works’ in regenerative farming,” said Professor Jon Storkey, who is leading the Rothamsted research.
The long-term experiments look at how varying approaches to crop rotation, tillage, nutrition and crop protection can reduce inputs of pesticides and fertilisers, as well as cut greenhouse gas emissions and support biodiversity. The aim is to collect extensive data on multiple indicators from each of the experiments.
Reduced tillage for example resulted in lower wheat yields but the effect varied depending on the rotation, the previous crop and the site. Adding organic matter significantly increased spring barley yield by 8% on average, though again there was variation between sites.
There is much interest in the role of regenerative agriculture in reducing emissions, restoring soil health and protecting biodiversity.
However, there is also fierce debate around what regenerative farming means, whether global corporates have fully bought into the concept, and who will pay to help farmers transition to these restorative (rather than extractive) approaches (all subjects covered in a report just published by Footprint Intelligence).
As inputs are reduced yields can fall, for example, which is concerning producers already working on tight margins.
Storkey said: “Inevitably trade-offs will need to be made between maximising crop yield and protecting the environment, but these experiments will help us better understand the system behaviour, and ultimately identify the optimal balance for multiple systems and approaches.”
A paper published in the journal Agronomy details the experimental set-up to help others conduct similar experiments worldwide.
