{"id":18,"date":"2017-09-25T20:00:38","date_gmt":"2017-09-25T18:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/smart-agro.net\/?page_id=18"},"modified":"2019-02-18T19:30:47","modified_gmt":"2019-02-18T12:30:47","slug":"sustainable-farming","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/smart-agro.net\/?page_id=18","title":{"rendered":"Regenerative Farming"},"content":{"rendered":"

We promote an agricultural system that enhances soil fertility,
\nreduces production costs and increases yields and profits.<\/span><\/h2>\n

One of the biggest chal\u00adlenges in con\u00adtem\u00adpo\u00adrary agri\u00adcul\u00adture is a rapid\u00adly grow\u00ading world pop\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtion with fast declin\u00ading space for agri\u00adcul\u00adtur\u00adal pro\u00adduc\u00adtion as well as rapid soil degra\u00adda\u00adtion and ero\u00adsion through chang\u00ading weath\u00ader pat\u00adterns and plough-based pro\u00adduc\u00adtion. Pro\u00adjec\u00adtions of the UN\u2019s Food and Agri\u00adcul\u00adtur\u00adal Organ\u00adi\u00adsa\u00adtion show that feed\u00ading a world pop\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtion of 9.1 bil\u00adlion peo\u00adple in 2050<\/strong><\/span> would require rais\u00ading over\u00adall food pro\u00adduc\u00adtion by some 70 per\u00adcent. Pro\u00adduc\u00adtion in devel\u00adop\u00ading coun\u00adtries would need to almost dou\u00adble. Nine\u00adty per cent of the growth in crop pro\u00adduc\u00adtion glob\u00adal\u00adly is expect\u00aded to come from high\u00ader yields.<\/p>\n


\nSoil erosion, Cambodia. \u201cThe nation that destroys its soil destroys istelf.\u201d \u2014 Franklin D. Roosevelt<\/strong><\/h5>\n

In many parts of the world soil degra\u00adda\u00adtion<\/strong><\/span> due to tillage-based inten\u00adsive mono-crop\u00adping is pro\u00adgress\u00ading at a rapid pace with some\u00adtimes extreme envi\u00adron\u00admen\u00adtal con\u00adse\u00adquences. A third of the planet\u2019s land is severe\u00adly degrad\u00aded and fer\u00adtile soil is being lost at the rate of 24bn tonnes a year.<\/p>\n

This envi\u00adron\u00admen\u00adtal degra\u00adda\u00adtion is both a result and a dri\u00adver of social change that could be con\u00adtrolled by bet\u00adter agri\u00adcul\u00adtur\u00adal prac\u00adtices such as soil and water man\u00adage\u00adment, crop rota\u00adtion and diver\u00adsi\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtion. Such a sys\u00adtem is also more resilient against cli\u00admate change and fluc\u00adtu\u00ada\u00adtion of com\u00admod\u00adi\u00adty prices on the market.<\/p>\n

<\/h5>\n
Cherish your soil capital<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Win-Win<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Imple\u00adment\u00ading the tools of regen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtive farm\u00ading will ben\u00ade\u00adfit every\u00adone, farm\u00aders, agribusi\u00adness\u00ades, cus\u00adtomers, gov\u00adern\u00adments and of course the envi\u00adron\u00adment and the plan\u00adet as a whole. With com\u00adbined prac\u00adtices of no-till farm\u00ading, soil and water man\u00adage\u00adment, inte\u00adgra\u00adtion of cov\u00ader and relay crops, and chem\u00adi\u00adcal free inputs pro\u00adduc\u00adtion costs can be reduced by a sub\u00adstan\u00adtial amount. At the same time yields and prof\u00adits will increase.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Crop pro\u00adduc\u00aders will save mon\u00adey for<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • trac\u00adtors as small\u00ader trac\u00adtors are suf\u00adfi\u00adcient for no-till<\/li>\n
  • plough-based machin\u00adery<\/li>\n
  • petrol<\/li>\n
  • seeds\/seedlings<\/li>\n
  • labour for bed\u00adding out<\/li>\n
  • labour for thin\u00adning out<\/li>\n
  • labour for weeding<\/li>\n
  • labour for spraying<\/li>\n
  • chem\u00adi\u00adcal inputs such as her\u00adbi\u00adcides, pes\u00adti\u00adcides, insec\u00adti\u00adcides, fungicides<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    The eco\u00adnom\u00adic ben\u00ade\u00adfit at the cen\u00adter of this approach is the dri\u00adver for scal\u00ading up. In com\u00adbi\u00adna\u00adtion with the side effect of off\u00adset\u00adting GHG<\/span> emis\u00adsions<\/strong><\/span> this sys\u00adtems design prin\u00adci\u00adple gen\u00ader\u00adates a true win-win<\/span><\/strong> for all stake\u00adhold\u00aders involved.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

    SmartA\u00adgro<\/strong><\/span>\u2019s agron\u00ado\u00admists have been engi\u00adneer\u00ading and imple\u00adment\u00ading crop\u00adping sys\u00adtems in many coun\u00adtries around the world in a huge vari\u00adety of cli\u00admates and soil con\u00addi\u00adtions. We also have a refined toolk\u00adit avail\u00adable to detox and regen\u00ader\u00adate soils and green non-pro\u00adduc\u00adtive soils, even in the desert.<\/p>\n

    Our strat\u00ade\u00adgy is to restore and build a liv\u00ading soil.<\/strong><\/span> For this, a large diver\u00adsi\u00adty of plants are used over time and space opti\u00admiz\u00ading nutri\u00adent avail\u00adabil\u00adi\u00adty, max\u00adi\u00admiz\u00ading water reten\u00adtion and min\u00adi\u00admiz\u00ading nutri\u00adent leach\u00ading, enhanc\u00ading soil func\u00adtion\u00adal bio\u00addi\u00adver\u00adsi\u00adty, and enhanc\u00ading ben\u00ade\u00adfi\u00adcial bio\u00adlog\u00adi\u00adcal inter\u00adac\u00adtions and synergies.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    The intro\u00adduc\u00adtion of cov\u00ader-relay crops leads to bet\u00adter uti\u00adliza\u00adtion of avail\u00adable nat\u00adur\u00adal resources, max\u00adi\u00admiza\u00adtion of bio\u00admass pro\u00adduc\u00adtion and high\u00ader organ\u00adic input into the soil. More\u00adover, by har\u00advest\u00ading the cov\u00ader-relay crops addi\u00adtion\u00adal resources (fod\u00adder, grains, fibers) and incomes are gen\u00ader\u00adat\u00aded. Keep\u00ading the soil cov\u00adered at all times pro\u00adtects it against ero\u00adsion and sequesters CO<\/span>2 <\/sub>from the atmos\u00adphere stor\u00ading car\u00adbon in the soil.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Simul\u00adta\u00adne\u00adous rolling of cov\u00ader crop and direct plant\u00adi\u00adng of maize on the cov\u00ader. SmartA\u00adgro\u2019s cov\u00ader crop mix\u00ades pro\u00adduce a bio\u00admass up to 20t\/ha (dried) that is fed back into the soil very quick\u00adly. Cov\u00adered, the soil is always pro\u00adtect\u00aded against ero\u00adsion and retains more water and bioac\u00adtiv\u00adi\u00adty for nutri\u00adent uptake of crops.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Direct plant\u00adi\u00adng on the soil cov\u00ader sup\u00adpress\u00ades weeds. Ger\u00admi\u00adna\u00adtion rates do not suffer.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Soy\u00adbeans plant\u00aded on cov\u00ader residue. No weeds. Increased soil fer\u00adtil\u00adi\u00adty saves inputs and pro\u00adduces high\u00ader yields.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

     This maize was direct\u00adly plant\u00aded on green cov\u00ader while the cov\u00ader crop was rolled. Yield was 10t\/ha, which is top end for this region\/ type of soil in Cam\u00adbo\u00addia giv\u00aden the low lev\u00adel of inputs.<\/p>\n

    Knowledge transfer<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

    SmartA\u00adgro <\/strong><\/span>engages in con\u00adsul\u00adtan\u00adcies and capac\u00adi\u00adty build\u00ading of farm\u00aders, exten\u00adsion ser\u00advices, ser\u00advice providers and agribui\u00adness\u00ades. We are ded\u00adi\u00adcat\u00aded to rais\u00ading aware\u00adness of the val\u00adue of the soil cap\u00adi\u00adtal, the envi\u00adron\u00admen\u00adtal and eco\u00adnom\u00adic effi\u00adcien\u00adcy of regen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtive agri\u00adcul\u00adture. SmartA\u00adgro<\/strong><\/span> seeks to build the con\u00adnec\u00adtion of pub\u00adlic and pri\u00advate sec\u00adtor in order to dri\u00adve the change from farm\u00ading with high envi\u00adron\u00admen\u00adtal degra\u00adda\u00adtion to a regen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtive system.<\/p>\n

    Inter\u00adcrop\u00adping increas\u00ades both soil fer\u00adtil\u00adi\u00adty and rev\u00adenue and decreas\u00ades risk of crop fail\u00adure. Above, rub\u00adber, banana and soy\u00adbean. The sys\u00adtem is high\u00adly inten\u00adsi\u00adfied, diver\u00adsi\u00adfied and resilient to both cli\u00admate and mar\u00adket changes.<\/p>\n

    Machinery and CA<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

    By team\u00ading up with machin\u00adery dis\u00adtrib\u00adu\u00adtors and ser\u00advice providers SmartA\u00adgro<\/strong><\/span> pro\u00advides both access to no-till machin\u00adery and train\u00adings that demon\u00adstrate the effi\u00adcien\u00adcy of such equip\u00adment and regen\u00adra\u00adtive crop\u00adping systems.<\/p>\n


    \nNo-till machinery is key.<\/strong><\/h5>\n

    One-stop shop<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

    This way SmartA\u00adgro and part\u00adners are able to dri\u00adve the tran\u00adsi\u00adtion of con\u00adven\u00adtion\u00adal plough-based agri\u00adcul\u00adture to a regen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtive agri\u00adcul\u00adture by pro\u00advid\u00ading all nec\u00ades\u00adsary com\u00adpo\u00adnents of tech\u00adnol\u00ado\u00adgy, knowl\u00adedge and prac\u00adtices in order to over\u00adcome cur\u00adrent chal\u00adlenges of a strug\u00adgling sector.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Left: Con\u00adven\u00adtion\u00adal tillage, water can\u00adnot drain, machin\u00adery can\u00adnot be brought in, soil erosion.
    \nRight: No-till, good drainage, soil pro\u00adtect\u00aded from ero\u00adsion, good weed con\u00adtrol, good work\u00ading con\u00addi\u00adtions for machinery.<\/p>\n

    <\/p>\n

    Sil\u00advopas\u00adture, rota\u00adtion\u00adal graz\u00ading of cat\u00adtle in tim\u00adber plan\u00adta\u00adtion regen\u00ader\u00adates the soils and allows to stack sev\u00ader\u00adal dif\u00adfer\u00adent rev\u00adenue streams on top of each oth\u00ader. This holis\u00adtic man\u00adage\u00adment has the biggest draw\u00addown effect of off\u00adset\u00adting CO2<\/span> emis\u00adsions from the atmosphere.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    We pro\u00admote an agri\u00adcul\u00adtur\u00adal sys\u00adtem that enhances soil fer\u00adtil\u00adi\u00adty, reduces pro\u00adduc\u00adtion costs and increas\u00ades yields<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-18","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/smart-agro.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/smart-agro.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/smart-agro.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smart-agro.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smart-agro.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18"}],"version-history":[{"count":94,"href":"https:\/\/smart-agro.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":775,"href":"https:\/\/smart-agro.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18\/revisions\/775"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/smart-agro.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/36"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/smart-agro.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}