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The Vital Role of Cover Cropping: A Farming Practice That Maintains Soil Covered
Author: Dr. Evelyn Reed, PhD in Soil Science, Professor of Sustainable Agriculture at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Reed has over 20 years of experience researching and teaching sustainable agricultural practices, with a specific focus on soil health and cover cropping.
Publisher: Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE), a USDA-funded program dedicated to advancing sustainable agricultural practices.
Editor: Jane Doe, MSc in Agricultural Journalism, experienced editor specializing in sustainable agriculture publications.
Keywords: cover cropping, soil cover, no-till farming, soil health, erosion control, water conservation, nutrient cycling, biodiversity, sustainable agriculture, a farming practice that maintains soil covered, mulching, living mulch, agroforestry.
Introduction:
Maintaining soil cover is paramount to sustainable agriculture. A farming practice that maintains soil covered offers a multitude of benefits, impacting everything from soil erosion and water quality to nutrient cycling and crop yields. This article delves into the critical role of soil cover and explores various methodologies, focusing primarily on the increasingly popular practice of cover cropping, a farming practice that maintains soil covered effectively.
H1: Understanding the Importance of a Farming Practice That Maintains Soil Covered
Leaving soil bare exposes it to the damaging effects of wind and water erosion. This leads to the loss of fertile topsoil, reducing long-term productivity. A farming practice that maintains soil covered, such as cover cropping, acts as a protective shield, mitigating erosion and preserving this valuable resource. Beyond erosion control, a continuous soil cover improves soil structure, increases water infiltration, reduces runoff, and enhances biodiversity within the soil ecosystem.
H2: Cover Cropping: The Cornerstone of a Farming Practice That Maintains Soil Covered
Cover cropping involves planting specific crops, not for direct harvest, but to improve soil health and protect it from the elements. These "cover crops" are planted during fallow periods (between cash crops) or intercropped with main crops. A farming practice that maintains soil covered through cover cropping offers numerous benefits:
Erosion Control: Cover crop roots bind the soil together, preventing wind and water erosion. Their above-ground biomass acts as a physical barrier, slowing down the impact of rainfall and wind.
Water Infiltration and Retention: The extensive root systems of cover crops improve soil structure, creating channels that allow water to penetrate deeper into the soil. This enhances water retention, making it available to subsequent cash crops.
Nutrient Cycling: Cover crops absorb nutrients that might otherwise be lost through leaching. When they decompose, these nutrients are released back into the soil, fertilizing the next crop and reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers. Leguminous cover crops (like clover and vetch) further enhance nutrient availability by fixing atmospheric nitrogen.
Weed Suppression: A dense cover crop canopy can effectively suppress weed growth, reducing competition for resources and minimizing the need for herbicides.
Soil Structure Improvement: Cover crop roots improve soil aggregation, resulting in better aeration, drainage, and water holding capacity. The decaying organic matter from the cover crop also enhances soil structure and fertility.
Pest and Disease Management: Certain cover crops can help control pests and diseases by disrupting their life cycles or attracting beneficial insects.
Improved Biodiversity: Cover cropping encourages a more diverse soil ecosystem, promoting beneficial soil organisms that contribute to soil health.
H3: Methodologies for Implementing a Farming Practice That Maintains Soil Covered
Several approaches exist to effectively implement a farming practice that maintains soil covered using cover crops:
Winter Cover Crops: Planting cover crops in the fall, after the main cash crop has been harvested, protects the soil over winter. These crops are typically terminated (killed) in spring before planting the next cash crop. Examples include rye, wheat, and barley.
Summer Cover Crops: These are planted after early-season crops are harvested or interseeded with a main crop. They can help to suppress weeds, improve soil health, and prevent erosion during the summer months. Examples include sunn hemp, cowpeas, and sudangrass.
Living Mulches: This approach involves maintaining a permanent or semi-permanent cover crop alongside the main crop. These living mulches can be mowed regularly and left to decompose, providing a continuous layer of mulch and improving soil health. Examples include clover and creeping ryegrass.
No-Till Farming: No-till farming practices minimize soil disturbance, preserving soil structure and reducing erosion. This is often combined with cover cropping to maintain a continuous soil cover.
Agroforestry: Integrating trees and shrubs into agricultural systems provides additional soil cover, improves biodiversity, and can enhance overall farm productivity.
H4: Selecting Appropriate Cover Crops for Your Specific Needs
Choosing the right cover crop is crucial for success. Factors to consider include:
Climate: Select cover crops adapted to your region's climate and growing season.
Soil Type: Some cover crops thrive in specific soil types.
Pest and Disease Management Goals: Choose cover crops that can help control specific pests or diseases.
Nutrient Cycling Needs: Legumes are effective for nitrogen fixation, while other cover crops can improve other nutrient levels.
H5: Challenges and Considerations of a Farming Practice That Maintains Soil Covered
While cover cropping offers significant advantages, challenges include:
Cost: Seed costs and potential labor associated with planting and termination can be an initial investment.
Weed Management: In certain situations, careful planning and management are necessary to avoid competition with the cover crop.
Pest and Disease Potential: Selecting appropriate cover crops can minimize pest and disease risk, but some management strategies may still be needed.
Equipment Requirements: No-till planting equipment may be necessary for optimal implementation with some approaches.
Conclusion:
A farming practice that maintains soil covered, particularly through cover cropping, represents a cornerstone of sustainable agriculture. The numerous benefits of this approach—improved soil health, enhanced water management, reduced erosion, and increased biodiversity—contribute to more resilient and productive farming systems. By carefully selecting and implementing appropriate cover cropping strategies, farmers can significantly improve the long-term health and sustainability of their land.
FAQs:
1. What are the most common cover crops? Common cover crops include rye, wheat, barley, clover, vetch, sunn hemp, cowpeas, and sudangrass. The best choice depends on climate, soil type, and goals.
2. How do I terminate a cover crop? Termination methods vary, including mowing, rolling, or herbicide application. The best method depends on the cover crop species and the subsequent cash crop.
3. Does cover cropping increase yields? While not always a direct, immediate increase, cover cropping generally leads to improved soil health and long-term yield sustainability.
4. How much does cover cropping cost? Costs vary based on seed costs, planting methods, and labor. However, the long-term benefits often outweigh the initial investment.
5. Is cover cropping suitable for all climates? Yes, but the choice of cover crop needs to be adapted to the specific climate and growing season.
6. Can I intercrop cover crops with my main crops? Yes, this is a common practice called intercropping, particularly with living mulches.
7. How does cover cropping affect soil biodiversity? It significantly improves biodiversity by promoting beneficial soil organisms.
8. What are the environmental benefits of cover cropping? Reduced erosion, improved water quality, reduced reliance on synthetic fertilizers, and enhanced carbon sequestration are significant environmental benefits.
9. How can I learn more about cover cropping techniques suitable for my farm? Consult your local agricultural extension office, soil conservation district, or other relevant organizations for guidance.
Related Articles:
1. No-Till Farming and Soil Health: This article explores the synergistic relationship between no-till farming and cover cropping, highlighting their combined effects on soil health.
2. The Role of Legumes in Cover Cropping: A focused discussion on the benefits of using leguminous cover crops for nitrogen fixation and improved soil fertility.
3. Living Mulches: A Sustainable Approach to Soil Management: This article examines the specific practices and benefits of utilizing living mulches as a continuous soil cover.
4. Cover Cropping for Erosion Control: This article details the specific mechanisms by which cover crops reduce soil erosion through root systems and biomass.
5. Cover Cropping and Water Conservation: This article explores how cover crops improve water infiltration, retention, and reduce runoff.
6. The Economic Benefits of Cover Cropping: An analysis of the cost-benefit ratio of cover cropping, considering both immediate and long-term economic implications.
7. Cover Cropping for Pest and Disease Management: A review of specific cover crop species and their ability to control pests and diseases.
8. Integrating Cover Cropping into Organic Farming Systems: This article explores the specific considerations and benefits of cover cropping within the context of organic agriculture.
9. Case Studies on Successful Cover Cropping Implementation: Real-world examples of successful cover cropping practices from various regions and farming systems.
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Crop Rotation on Organic Farms Charles L. Mohler, Sue Ellen Johnson, 2009 |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Improving Water Management Recent OECD Experience OECD, 2003-02-21 This publication brings together the recent work of the OECD on water management issues. It identifies the main policy challenges addressed by that work for sustainable water management. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Managing Cover Crops Profitably (3rd Ed. ) Andy Clark, 2008-07 Cover crops slow erosion, improve soil, smother weeds, enhance nutrient and moisture availability, help control many pests and bring a host of other benefits to your farm. At the same time, they can reduce costs, increase profits and even create new sources of income. You¿ll reap dividends on your cover crop investments for years, since their benefits accumulate over the long term. This book will help you find which ones are right for you. Captures farmer and other research results from the past ten years. The authors verified the info. from the 2nd ed., added new results and updated farmer profiles and research data, and added 2 chap. Includes maps and charts, detailed narratives about individual cover crop species, and chap. about aspects of cover cropping. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: CONSERVATION TILLAGE Frank M. D'Itri, 1985-10 |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Advances in Organic Farming Vijay Singh Meena, Sunita Kumari Meena, Amitava Rakshit, Johnson Stanley, Srinivasa Rao, 2021-08-10 Advances in Organic Farming: Agronomic Soil Management Practices focuses on the integrated interactions between soil-plant-microbe-environment elements in a functioning ecosystem. It explains sustainable nutrient management under organic farming and agriculture, with chapters focusing on the role of nutrient management in sustaining global ecosystems, the remediation of polluted soils, conservation practices, degradation of pollutants, biofertilizers and biopesticides, critical biogeochemical cycles, potential responses for current and impending environmental change, and other critical factors. Organic farming is both challenging and exciting, as its practice of feeding the soil, not the plant provides opportunity to better understand why some growing methods are preferred over others. In the simplest terms, organic growing is based on maintaining a living soil with a diverse population of micro and macro soil organisms. Organic matter (OM) is maintained in the soil through the addition of compost, animal manure, green manures and the avoidance of excess mechanization. - Presents a comprehensive overview of recent advances and new developments in the field OF research within a relevant theoretical framework - Highlights the scope of the inexpensive and improved management practices - Focuses on the role of nutrient management in sustaining the ecosystems |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Soil Health and Intensification of Agroecosystems Mahdi M. Al-Kaisi, Birl Lowery, 2017-03-15 Soil Health and Intensification of Agroecosystems examines the climate, environmental, and human effects on agroecosystems and how the existing paradigms must be revised in order to establish sustainable production. The increased demand for food and fuel exerts tremendous stress on all aspects of natural resources and the environment to satisfy an ever increasing world population, which includes the use of agriculture products for energy and other uses in addition to human and animal food. The book presents options for ecological systems that mimic the natural diversity of the ecosystem and can have significant effect as the world faces a rapidly changing and volatile climate. The book explores the introduction of sustainable agroecosystems that promote biodiversity, sustain soil health, and enhance food production as ways to help mitigate some of these adverse effects. New agroecosystems will help define a resilient system that can potentially absorb some of the extreme shifts in climate. Changing the existing cropping system paradigm to utilize natural system attributes by promoting biodiversity within production agricultural systems, such as the integration of polycultures, will also enhance ecological resiliency and will likely increase carbon sequestration. - Focuses on the intensification and integration of agroecosystem and soil resiliency by presenting suggested modifications of the current cropping system paradigm - Examines climate, environment, and human effects on agroecosystems - Explores in depth the wide range of intercalated soil and plant interactions as they influence soil sustainability and, in particular, soil quality - Presents options for ecological systems that mimic the natural diversity of the ecosystem and can have significant effect as the world faces a rapidly changing and volatile climate |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Tillage Options for Conservation Farmers , 1989 |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Building Soils for Better Crops Fred Magdoff, Harold Van Es, 2009 'Published by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, with funding from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Sustainable Agriculture , 1999 |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Plowman's Folly Edward H. Faulkner, 2015-01-06 Mr. Faulkner’s masterpiece is recognized as the most important challenge to agricultural orthodoxy that has been advanced in this century. Its new philosophy of the soil, based on proven principles and completely opposed to age-old concepts, has had a strong impact upon theories of cultivation around the world. It was on July 5, 1943, when Plowman’s Folly was first issued, that the author startled a lethargic public, long bemused by the apparently insoluble problem of soil depletion, by saying, simply, “The fact is that no one has ever advanced a scientific reason for plowing.” With the key sentence, he opened a new era.For generations, our reasoning about the management of the soil has rested upon the use of the moldboard plow. Mr. Faulkner proved rather conclusively that soil impoverishment, erosion, decreasing crop yields, and many of the adverse effects following droughts or periods of excessive rainfall could be traced directly to the practice of plowing natural fertilizers deep into the soil. Through his own test-plot and field-scale experiments, in which he prepared the soil with a disk harrow, in emulation of nature’s way on the forest floor and in the natural meadow, by incorporating green manures into its surface, he transformed ordinary, even inferior, soils into extremely productive, high-yield croplands.Time magazine called this concept “one of the most revolutionary ideas in agriculture history.” The volume is being made available again not only because farmers, ranchers, gardeners, and agriculturists demanded it, but also because it details the kind of “revolution” which will aid those searching for the fruits of the earth in the emerging nations. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: The Future-Proof Farm Steve Groff, 2020-09-22 A SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR FARMERS! WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE EARTH IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS Steve Groff's message to his fellow farmers is profound and prophetic: they are in danger of becoming obsolete. Major market changes are forcing them to make difficult decisions. Farmers who adjust have an opportunity to thrive. Those who do not are likely to fade away. Consumers increasingly demand that the food they eat and the clothes they wear come from producers who observe responsible farming practices such as cover crops and reduced tillage. The major corporate players are positioning themselves for a profitable future. Farmers must do likewise to ensure they will have a continuing market for their goods. To future-proof their farms, they must heal the live-giving soil that sustains their livelihood. Steve Groff knows that what is good for the earth is good for business. He has taken his message across the nation and to the corners of the world, promoting a new mindset that could save the family farm from extinction. This book is his wake-up call. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Save and Grow Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations , 2018-06-22 The book offers a rich toolkit of relevant, adoptable ecosystem-based practices that can help the world's 500 million smallholder farm families achieve higher productivity, profitability and resource-use efficiency while enhancing natural capital. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Soil Basics, Management and Rhizosphere Engineering for Sustainable Agriculture Channarayappa C., D P Biradar, 2018-10-16 Increase in global population, drastic changes in the environment, soil degradation and decrease in quality and quantity of agricultural productivity warranted us to adapt sustainable farming practices. This book focuses on soil health management and creating biased rhizosphere that can effectively augment the needs of sustainable agriculture. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education in the Field National Research Council, Board on Agriculture, 1991-02-01 Interest is growing in sustainable agriculture, which involves the use of productive and profitable farming practices that take advantage of natural biological processes to conserve resources, reduce inputs, protect the environment, and enhance public health. Continuing research is helping to demonstrate the ways that many factorsâ€economics, biology, policy, and traditionâ€interact in sustainable agriculture systems. This book contains the proceedings of a workshop on the findings of a broad range of research projects funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The areas of study, such as integrated pest management, alternative cropping and tillage systems, and comparisons with more conventional approaches, are essential to developing and adopting profitable and sustainable farming systems. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Sustainable Soil Management Deirdre Rooney, 2013-03-22 Changing land-use practices and the role of soil biological diversity has been a major focus of soil science research over the past couple of decades—a trend that is likely to continue. The information presented in this book points to a holistic approach to soil management. The first part looks at the land use effects on soil carbon storage, and considers a range of factors including carbon sequestration in soils. The second part of the book presents research investigating the interactions between soil properties, plant species, and the soil biota. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Building Soils for Better Crops Fred Magdoff, Harold Van Es, 2000 |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Soil and Water Quality National Research Council, Board on Agriculture, Committee on Long-Range Soil and Water Conservation Policy, 1993-02-01 How can the United States meet demands for agricultural production while solving the broader range of environmental problems attributed to farming practices? National policymakers who try to answer this question confront difficult trade-offs. This book offers four specific strategies that can serve as the basis for a national policy to protect soil and water quality while maintaining U.S. agricultural productivity and competitiveness. Timely and comprehensive, the volume has important implications for the Clean Air Act and the 1995 farm bill. Advocating a systems approach, the committee recommends specific farm practices and new approaches to prevention of soil degradation and water pollution for environmental agencies. The volume details methods of evaluating soil management systems and offers a wealth of information on improved management of nitrogen, phosphorus, manure, pesticides, sediments, salt, and trace elements. Landscape analysis of nonpoint source pollution is also detailed. Drawing together research findings, survey results, and case examples, the volume will be of interest to federal, state, and local policymakers; state and local environmental and agricultural officials and other environmental and agricultural specialists; scientists involved in soil and water issues; researchers; and agricultural producers. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Soil Management Jerry L. Hatfield, Thomas J. Sauer, 2020-01-22 Degradation of soils continues at a pace that will eventually create a local, regional, or even global crisis when diminished soil resources collide with increasing climate variation. It's not too late to restore our soils to a more productive state by rediscovering the value of soil management, building on our well-established and ever-expanding scientific understanding of soils. Soil management concepts have been in place since the cultivation of crops, but we need to rediscover the principles that are linked together in effective soil management. This book is unique because of its treatment of soil management based on principles—the physical, chemical, and biological processes and how together they form the foundation for soil management processes that range from tillage to nutrient management. Whether new to soil science or needing a concise reference, readers will benefit from this book's ability to integrate the science of soils with management issues and long-term conservation efforts. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Sustainable Crop Production Mirza Hasanuzzaman, Masayuki Fujita, Marcelo Carvalho Minhoto Teixeira Filho, Thiago Assis Rodrigues Nogueira, Fernando Shintate Galindo, 2020-06-17 This book includes twenty-one comprehensive chapters addressing various soil and crop management issues, including modern techniques in enhancing crop production in the era of climate change. There are a few case studies and experimental evidence about these production systems in specific locations. Particular focus is provided on the state-of-the-art of biotechnology, nanotechnology, and precision agriculture, as well as many other recent approaches in ensuring sustainable crop production. This book is useful for undergraduate and graduate students, teachers, and researchers, particularly in the fields of crop science, soil science, and agronomy. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: A Soil Owner's Manual Jon Stika, 2016-04-29 There are many books that have been written about how to manipulate, amend, and control the soil to enable high-yield crop production. This is not one of those books. This book will empower you to restore the capacity of your soil to function to produce crops while reducing your dependency on expensive inputs. Soil health is about restoring the capacity of the soil to function. Currently, most agricultural and garden soils are essentially dysfunctional. This book will open your eyes to the truth about how soil is supposed to function and help you restore it to full health. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: The Carbon Farming Solution Eric Toensmeier, 2016-02-22 With carbon farming, agriculture ceases to be part of the climate problem and becomes a critical part of the solution This book is the toolkit for making the soil itself a sponge for carbon. It’s a powerful vision.—Bill McKibben The Carbon Farming Solution is a book we will look back upon decades from now and wonder why something so critically relevant could have been so overlooked until that time. . . . [It] describes the foundation of the future of civilization.—Paul Hawken In this groundbreaking book, Eric Toensmeier argues that agriculture—specifically, the subset of practices known as carbon farming—can, and should be, a linchpin of a global climate solutions platform. Carbon farming is a suite of agricultural practices and crops that sequester carbon in the soil and in above-ground biomass. Combined with a massive reduction in fossil fuel emissions—and in concert with adaptation strategies to our changing environment— carbon farming has the potential to bring us back from the brink of disaster and return our atmosphere to the magic number of 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide. Toensmeier’s book is the first to bring together these powerful strategies in one place. Includes in-depth analysis of the available research. Carbon farming can take many forms. The simplest practices involve modifications to annual crop production. Although many of these modifications have relatively low sequestration potential, they are widely applicable and easily adopted, and thus have excellent potential to mitigate climate change if practiced on a global scale. Likewise, grazing systems such as silvopasture are easily replicable, don’t require significant changes to human diet, and—given the amount of agricultural land worldwide that is devoted to pasture—can be important strategies in the carbon farming arsenal. But by far, agroforestry practices and perennial crops present the best opportunities for sequestration. While many of these systems are challenging to establish and manage, and would require us to change our diets to new and largely unfamiliar perennial crops, they also offer huge potential that has been almost entirely ignored by climate crusaders. Many of these carbon farming practices are already implemented globally on a scale of millions of hectares. These are not minor or marginal efforts, but win-win solutions that provide food, fodder, and feedstocks while fostering community self-reliance, creating jobs, protecting biodiversity, and repairing degraded land—all while sequestering carbon, reducing emissions, and ultimately contributing to a climate that will remain amenable to human civilization. Just as importantly to a livable future, these crops and practices can contribute to broader social goals such as women’s empowerment, food sovereignty, and climate justice. The Carbon Farming Solution is—at its root—a toolkit and the most complete collection of climate-friendly crops and practices currently available. With this toolkit, farmers, communities, and governments large and small, can successfully launch carbon farming projects with the most appropriate crops and practices to their climate, locale, and socioeconomic needs. Toensmeier’s ultimate goal is to place carbon farming firmly in the center of the climate solutions platform, alongside clean solar and wind energy. With The Carbon Farming Solution, Toensmeier wants to change the discussion, impact policy decisions, and steer mitigation funds to the research, projects, and people around the world who envision a future where agriculture becomes the protagonist in this fraught, urgent, and unprecedented drama of our time. Citizens, farmers, and funders will be inspired to use the tools presented in this important book to transform degraded lands around the world into productive carbon-storing landscapes. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Sustainable Market Farming Pam Dawling, 2013-02-01 Growing for 100 - the complete year-round guide for the small-scale market grower. Across North America, an agricultural renaissance is unfolding. A growing number of market gardeners are emerging to feed our appetite for organic, regional produce. But most of the available resources on food production are aimed at the backyard or hobby gardener who wants to supplement their family's diet with a few homegrown fruits and vegetables. Targeted at serious growers in every climate zone, Sustainable Market Farming is a comprehensive manual for small-scale farmers raising organic crops sustainably on a few acres. Informed by the author's extensive experience growing a wide variety of fresh, organic vegetables and fruit to feed the approximately one hundred members of Twin Oaks Community in central Virginia, this practical guide provides: Detailed profiles of a full range of crops, addressing sowing, cultivation, rotation, succession, common pests and diseases, and harvest and storage Information about new, efficient techniques, season extension, and disease resistant varieties Farm-specific business skills to help ensure a successful, profitable enterprise Whether you are a beginning market grower or an established enterprise seeking to improve your skills, Sustainable Market Farming is an invaluable resource and a timely book for the maturing local agriculture movement. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Brownlie's Principles of Public International Law James Crawford, Ian Brownlie, 2019 Serving as a single volume introduction to the field as a whole, this ninth edition of Brownlie's Principles of International Law seeks to present international law as a system that is based on, and helps structure, relations among states and other entities at the international level. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Dirt to Soil Gabe Brown, 2018-10-11 A regenerative no-till pioneer.—NBC News We need to reintegrate livestock and crops on our farms and ranches, and Gabe Brown shows us how to do it well.—Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation See Gabe Brown—author and farmer—in the Netflix documentary Kiss the Ground Gabe Brown didn’t set out to change the world when he first started working alongside his father-in-law on the family farm in North Dakota. But as a series of weather-related crop disasters put Brown and his wife, Shelly, in desperate financial straits, they started making bold changes to their farm. Brown—in an effort to simply survive—began experimenting with new practices he’d learned about from reading and talking with innovative researchers and ranchers. As he and his family struggled to keep the farm viable, they found themselves on an amazing journey into a new type of farming: regenerative agriculture. Brown dropped the use of most of the herbicides, insecticides, and synthetic fertilizers that are a standard part of conventional agriculture. He switched to no-till planting, started planting diverse cover crops mixes, and changed his grazing practices. In so doing Brown transformed a degraded farm ecosystem into one full of life—starting with the soil and working his way up, one plant and one animal at a time. In Dirt to Soil Gabe Brown tells the story of that amazing journey and offers a wealth of innovative solutions to restoring the soil by laying out and explaining his five principles of soil health, which are: Limited Disturbance Armor Diversity Living Roots Integrated Animals The Brown’s Ranch model, developed over twenty years of experimentation and refinement, focuses on regenerating resources by continuously enhancing the living biology in the soil. Using regenerative agricultural principles, Brown’s Ranch has grown several inches of new topsoil in only twenty years! The 5,000-acre ranch profitably produces a wide variety of cash crops and cover crops as well as grass-finished beef and lamb, pastured laying hens, broilers, and pastured pork, all marketed directly to consumers. The key is how we think, Brown says. In the industrial agricultural model, all thoughts are focused on killing things. But that mindset was also killing diversity, soil, and profit, Brown realized. Now he channels his creative thinking toward how he can get more life on the land—more plants, animals, and beneficial insects. “The greatest roadblock to solving a problem,” Brown says, “is the human mind.” |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: The New Organic Grower Eliot Coleman, 1995-10-01 With more than 45,000 sold since 1989, The New Organic Grower has become a modern classic. In this newly revised and expanded edition, master grower Eliot Coleman continues to present the simplest and most sustainable ways of growing top-quality organic vegetables. Coleman updates practical information on marketing the harvest, on small-scale equipment, and on farming and gardening for the long-term health of the soil. The new book is thoroughly updated, and includes all-new chapters such as: Farm-Generated Fertility—how to meet your soil-fertility needs from the resources of your own land, even if manure is not available. The Moveable Feast—how to construct home-garden and commercial-scale greenhouses that can be easily moved to benefit plants and avoid insect and disease build-up. The Winter Garden—how to plant, harvest, and sell hardy salad crops all winter long from unheated or minimally heated greenhouses. Pests—how to find plant-positive rather than pest-negative solutions by growing healthy, naturally resistant plants. The Information Resource—how and where to learn what you need to know to grow delicious organic vegetables, no matter where you live. Written for the serious gardener or small market farmer, The New Organic Grower proves that, in terms of both efficiency and profitability, smaller can be better. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: The Unsettling of America Wendell Berry, 1996-03-01 A critical inquiry into the ways Americans have exploited and continue to exploit the land that sustains them, tracing attitudes toward and methods of farming from the eighteenth century to the present |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Sustainable Intensification of Crop Production P. Parvatha Reddy, 2016-11-17 This book outlines a new paradigm, Sustainable Intensification of Crop Production (SICP), which aims to produce more from the same area of land by increasing efficiency, reducing waste, conserving resources, reducing negative impacts on the environment and enhancing the provision of ecosystem services. The use of ecologically based management strategies can increase the sustainability of agricultural production while reducing off-site consequences. The book also highlights the underlying principles and outlines some of the key management practices and technologies – such as minimum soil disturbance; permanent organic soil covers; species diversification; selection of suitable cultivars, planting time, age and spacing; balanced plant nutrition; agro-ecological pest management; efficient water management; careful management of farm machinery; and integrated crop-livestock production – required to implement SICP. The green revolution (by using high-yielding crop varieties, mono-cropping, fertilization, irrigation, and pesticides) has led to enormous gains in food production and improved world food security. In many countries, however, intensive crop production has had negative impacts on production, ecosystems and the larger environment, putting future productivity at risk. In order to meet the projected demands of a growing population expected to exceed 9 billion by 2050, farmers in the developing world must double food production, a challenge complicated by the effects of climate change and growing competition for land, water and energy. This book will be of immense value to all members of the scientific community involved in teaching, research and extension activities concerning sustainable intensification. The material can be used for teaching post-graduate courses, or as a useful reference guide for policy makers. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: No-tillage Seeding in Conservation Agriculture C. John Baker, Keith E. Saxton, 2007 This book is a much-expanded and updated edition of a previous volume, published in 1996 as No-tillage Seeding: Science and Practice. The base objective remains to describe, in lay terms, a range of international experiments designed to examine the causes of successes and failures in no-tillage. The book summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of no tillage and highlights the pros and cons of a range of features and options, without promoting any particular product. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: The Biological Farmer Gary F. Zimmer, Leilani Zimmer-Durand, 2017 Biological farmers work with nature, feeding soil life, balancing soil minerals and tilling soils with a purpose. The methods they apply involve a unique system of beliefs, observations and guidelines that result in increased production and profit. This practical how-to guide explains their methods and will help you make farming profitable and fun.--COVER. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Enhancing Soil Health to Mitigate Soil Degradation Douglas L. Karlen, Charles W. Rice, 2018-07-06 This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue Enhancing Soil Health to Mitigate Soil Degradation that was published in Sustainability |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Soil Survey of ... [various Counties, Etc.]. , 1974 |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Soil Survey of Logan County, Nebraska Merritt Alexander Plantz, Lester E. Sherfey, 1974 |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Soil Management for Sustainable Agriculture Nintu Mandal, Abir Dey, Rajiv Rakshit, 2022-06-02 Taking a sustainable approach, this volume explores the various soil management techniques. It begins with an overview of the elementary concepts of soil management and then delves into new research and novel soil management tools and techniques. Topics include: • Clays as a critical component in sustainable agriculture with respect to carbon sequestration in conjunction with its interaction with soil enzymes • The potential utilization of microbes to mitigate crop stress • Resource conservation technologies and prospective carbon management strategies • The use of smart tools for monitoring soils • Effective nutrient management approaches • Nanotechnological interventions for soil management • Techniques for the remediation of soils contaminated by metals and pesticides |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Organic Agriculture Acram Taji, John Reganold, 2006-06-20 With global revenue surpassing twenty-five billion dollars annually, organic agriculture is a highly visible and rapidly growing component of agricultural production. In Organic Agriculture: A Global Perspective, Paul Kristiansen, Acram Taji, and John Reganold, and their international group of contributors scientifically review key aspects of organic agriculture. At the intersection of research, education, and practice, the contributors look at the organic agricultural movement’s successes and limitations. The first half of this book critically evaluates the agricultural production of both plants and livestock in organic farming systems. All major aspects of organic agriculture are explored, including historical background and underlying principles, soil-fertility management, crop and animal production, breeding strategies, and crop protection. This global and comprehensive overview also addresses the economic, social, and political aspects of organic farming. These include economics and marketing; standards and certification; environmental impacts and social responsibility; and research, education, and extension. The book is a unique and timely science-based international work documenting current practices in organic agriculture and evaluating their strengths and weaknesses. For more than two decades, research into organic methods by mainstream scientists has generated a large body of information that can now be integrated and used for assessing the actual impacts of organic farming in a wide range of disciplines. The knowledge of selected international experts has been combined in one volume, providing a comprehensive review of organic farming globally. Researchers, teachers, extensionists, students, primary producers and others around the world who are interested in sustainable agriculture will find this book to be a valuable and reliable resource. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Agricultural Bacteriology Joseph Eames Greaves, 1922 |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Sustainable Intensification for Agroecosystem Services and Management Manoj Kumar Jhariya, Arnab Banerjee, Ram Swaroop Meena, Sandeep Kumar, Abhishek Raj, 2021-10-21 This edited book provides a comprehensive account of the sustainable intensification process through various forms of case studies and scientific approaches studied across the globe. It also focuses on the agroecosystem services and their subsequent management for ecological integrity. The book helps to understand the interconnection of food, nutrition, economic growth, and environmental security on the planet. It provides comprehensive information with photographic illustration and various other forms of scientific databases on sustainable intensification of agroecosystems. The book also supports decision-making, strategies, and policy formulation for effective implementation of sustainable intensification towards higher productivity along with maintenance and management of agroecosystem services. Proper sustainable intensification of agroecosystem services and their management by maintaining ecological harmony is the future prospect for sustainable development. High input agriculture gives rise to a high-energy footprint, agricultural pollution, resource depletion, loss of agro-biodiversity, and decline of human health. Through this connection, the sustainable intensification approach addresses the advanced food security, sustainability, and overall prosperity of humankind. The book is helpful for both undergraduate and postgraduate students, policymakers, the farming community, as well as the scientific community across the globe to understand the concept of sustainable intensification and its application in relevant fields for proper management of agroecosystems services. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Innovative Approaches for Sustainable Development Syed Sheraz Mahdi, Rajbir Singh, 2022-05-06 This book provides recent understanding about the sustainable development in agriculture. It includes information regarding new approaches for sustainable development in agriculture, horticulture and fisheries. It examines the effect of climate change and provides information on climate smart practices. In addition, some important aspects like quality seed production, role of bioinoculants, on-farm water harvesting, non-thermal processing of food, importance of water use in organic agriculture have also been discussed. It also presents in detail plant disease aspect and their management strategies. This book aims to provide an overall understanding of all aspects related to the study of environment resources, its protection for sustainable development. To meet the growing food demand of the over nine billion people who will exist by 2050 and the expected dietary changes, agriculture will need to produce 60 percent more food globally in the same period. The goal of sustainable agriculture is to meet society’s food and textile needs in the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Practitioners of sustainable agriculture seek to integrate three main objectives into their work: a healthy environment, economic profitability, and social and economic equity. Every person involved in the food system growers, food processors, distributors, retailers, consumers, and waste managers can play a role in ensuring a sustainable agricultural system. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Bacteria in Relation to Soil Fertility Joseph Eames Greaves, Ethelyn O. Greaves, 1925 |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Organic Farming in Plantation Crops Pallem Chowdappa, 2017 In order to popularize organic farming among the farmers, it is felt that such technologies without the use of any inorganic fertilizers and plant protection chemicals are made available to them. Though many technologies have been generated but, there continues to be considerable gap between the needs and availability. This book, Organic Farming in Plantation Crops written by experts in the field, covering organic farming practices of important plantation crops, tries to bridge this gap. As valuable source of information to all those involved in organic farming including scientists, developmental personnel, policy makers, NGOs and farmers, it is expected to stimulate and motivate more intensified R & D efforts, favourable policy initiatives to spread organic farming of plantation crops at the grass roots level for the production of safe food under healthy environmental conditions. |
| a farming practice that maintains soil covered: Farmers' Bulletin United States. Department of Agriculture, 1919 |
Official Website | Farming Simulator
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Official Website | Farming Simulator
Welcome to Farming Simulator! News, mods, tutorials, support & more: Get all important information about the popular simulation series by publisher & developer GIANTS Software.
Farming | Home - USDA
4 days ago · If you're new to farming and want to start a farm, start here. The New Farmers website offers a wealth of information and resources on how to start a farm, making a …
Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
Find your state/county's agriculture data and USDA resources on your farmers.gov Local Dashboard! New to farming? Want to learn how to start a farm? USDA offers dedicated help to …
Agriculture - Wikipedia
Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. [1] . Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, …
What is agriculture, What is Farming, Agriculture vs Farming
A farming system in agriculture refers to the combination of crops, livestock, and other agricultural practices within a specific farming operation. It involves the integration and management of …
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As a farmer, we define anyone who makes income by working in the primary sector, raising living organisms either for food or for raw materials (for instance cotton). Farmers are believed to be …
