Regenerative farming can help cut input costs, improve soil health
- January 19, 2023
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Regenerative farming can help cut input costs, improve soil health
Subject : Environment
Section : Agriculture
Concept :
- A project undertaken by Chennai-based food and agtech start-up WayCool through its model farm Outgrow Agriculture Research Station (OARS) in regenerative farming has shown that cultivation costs can be reduced, while enriching the soil organic carbon value.
- Findings suggest when regenerative farming approach is integrated with the right crop selection, know-how and resources, the improvement in soil organic carbon and reduction in the cost of cultivation is significant.
Regenerative Agriculture/farming
- Regenerative agriculture is a way of farming that focuses on soil health.
- When soil is healthy, it produces more food and nutrition, stores more carbon and increases biodiversity.
- It includes the use of natural inputs, minimum-till, mulching, multi-cropping and sowing of diverse and native varieties.
- Natural inputs help improve soil structure and its organic carbon content.
- Planting water-guzzling and water-efficient crops together or in alternating cycles reduces the frequency and intensity of irrigation.
- They conserve energy used by irrigation aids such as pumps.
- In India, the Union government is promoting regenerative agriculture with an aim to reduce the application of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and to lower input costs.
Potential Benefits of Regenerative Agriculture
- Multiple benefits: Regenerative farming can improve:
- Crop yields
- Volume of crops produced
- Health of soil
- Soil’s ability to retain water
- Reducing soil erosion.
- Feeding people: Improved yields will help feed the world as the global population grows.
- Environmental benefits: Regenerative farming can also reduce emissions from agriculture and turn the croplands and pastures, which cover up to 40% of Earth’s ice-free land area, into carbon sinks.
- These are environments that naturally absorb CO2 from the atmosphere.