Regenerative agriculture
A healthy soil is an amazingly complex ecosystem made up of countless billions of microscopic organisms, all working in their own little niches, feeding off each other and sugars secreted from the roots of growing plants. The whole system is ultimately fed by growing plants, while at the same time the system helps the plants grow.
Compare a spadeful of soil from a cultivated field to the undisturbed soil under the hedge. There you'll see lovely dark, crumbly, fragrant soil teeming with worms and life.
Back to the roots
In the past, we accepted that the soil deteriorated as we cultivated it. Now we know it doesn't have to. If we mimic a permanent pasture while growing annual crops, we can begin to reverse degradation. This gives us five principles to follow:
1. Don't disturb the soil.
The soil supports a complex network of wormholes, fungal hyphae and a maze of microscopic air pockets surrounded by aggregates of soil particles. If this is disrupted by plowing or large doses of fertilizers or pesticides, it will set the system back.
"Grow a wide variety of crops."
2. Keep the soil surface covered.
Raindrops, the sun's scorching rays or frost can all damage the soil. A blanket of growing crops or stubble residue will protect it.
3. Keep living roots in the soil.
In a crop rotation, there will be times when this is difficult to do, but living roots in the soil are essential for feeding the creatures at the bottom of the soil food web; the bacteria and fungi that feed protozoa, arthropods and higher creatures further up the chain. They also keep mycorrhizal fungi alive and thriving, and these symbionts are essential for the nutrition of most plants, providing a free fertilizer and irrigation service to crops.
4. Grow a wide variety of crops.
Preferably at the same time, like a meadow. Monocultures don't exist in nature and our soil animals thrive on variety. Companion cropping (two crops grown at the same time and separated after harvest) can be successful. Cover crops (growing a crop that isn't harvested but helps to protect and nourish the soil) will also have the welcome effect of capturing sunlight and providing energy to the underground world at a time when the soil would traditionally be bare.
5. Bring grazing animals back to the land.
This is more than a nod to the analogy of permanent pastures, it allows arable farmers to let their land rest for one, two or more years and then graze with multiple species. These pastures are inherently good for feeding the soil, and when you add the benefit of herd grazing livestock, it increases the impact on the soil.
(Quote: John Cherry, Groundswell Host Farmer)