Regenerative Agriculture—A Literature Review on the Practices and Mechanisms Used to Improve Soil Health

Abstract

Conventional farming practices can lead to soil degradation and a decline in productivity. Regenerative agriculture (RA) is purported by advocates as a solution to these issues that focuses on soil health and carbon sequestration. The fundamental principles of RA are to keep the soil covered, minimise soil disturbance, preserve living roots in the soil year round, increase species diversity, integrate livestock, and limit or eliminate the use of synthetic compounds (such as herbicides and fertilisers). The overall objectives are to rejuvenate the soil and land and provide environmental, economic, and social benefits to the wider community. Despite the purported benefits of RA, a vast majority of growers are reluctant to adopt these practices due to a lack of empirical evidence on the claimed benefits and profitability. We examined the reported benefits and mechanisms associated with RA against available scientific data. The literature suggests that agricultural practices such as minimum tillage, residue retention, and cover cropping can improve soil carbon, crop yield, and soil health in certain climatic zones and soil types. Excessive use of synthetic chemicals can lead to biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. Combining livestock with cropping and agroforestry in the same landscape can increase soil carbon and provide several co-benefits. However, the benefits of RA practices can vary among different agroecosystems and may not necessarily be applicable across multiple agroecological regions. Our recommendation is to implement rigorous long-term farming system trials to compare conventional and RA practices in order to build knowledge on the benefits and mechanisms associated with RA on regional scales. This will provide growers and policy-makers with an evidence base from which to make informed decisions about adopting RA practices to realise their social and economic benefits and achieve resilience against climate change.

Driving factors of molybdenum (Mo) bioavailability in the Longitudinal Range-Gorge Region of Southwestern China

“…Whereas high Mo contents can cause bone arthropathy, damage blood cells, and lead to cardiovascular diseases (Thorndyke et al, 2023). The absorption of Mo by the human body is directly associated with the diet, which, in turn, is closely related to soil physicochemical properties (Khangura et al, 2023). Therefore, it is important to investigate the main factors in uencing Mo migration in soil-crop systems to ensure optimal agricultural production and human health.…”

Effect of a Fortified Biostimulant Extract on Tomato Plant Productivity, Physiology, and Growing Media Properties

“…The intensification of agricultural practices has led to a net loss of soil organic matter which undermines crop productivity and creates a dependency for synthetic fertilizer to increase crop productivity [3,4]. These concerns have highlighted the need to extend the 'do-no-harm' principle of sustainable agriculture towards regenerative-based agriculture [5]. Among the principles of regenerative agriculture are (i) the reduction or elimination of the use of synthetic chemicals such as herbicides and fertilizers and (ii) establishment of beneficial plant and Plants 2024, 13, 4 2 of 16 soil interactions, manifested by photosynthesis for plant growth and the production of root exudates, via liquid carbon pathway [5].…”

“…These concerns have highlighted the need to extend the ‘do-no-harm’ principle of sustainable agriculture towards regenerative-based agriculture [ 5 ]. Among the principles of regenerative agriculture are (i) the reduction or elimination of the use of synthetic chemicals such as herbicides and fertilizers and (ii) establishment of beneficial plant and soil interactions, manifested by photosynthesis for plant growth and the production of root exudates, via liquid carbon pathway [ 5 ].…”

Identification of High-yielding and Late Leaf Spot Disease-tolerant Families in Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.)

“…Seventeen potential candidate genes were predicted at ± 300 kbp of the stable/prominent SNP positions (Oteng et al 2023). To reduce the disease effective chemical control is mainly relied upon multiple fungicide applications Khangura et al [3], which are costly for resource-poor farmers and also raise environmental and health concerns. Therefore, the development of resistant cultivars to the diseases could be effective in decreasing production costs, improving production quality and reducing detrimental effects of chemicals and this is the only cost-effective and environmentally eco-friendly method to overcome the diseases.…”