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Diversifying rotations for climate change adaptation and mitigation

Agricultural Biodiversity

Bottom line: adding more crops to the current dominant rotation of wheat and maize increases yields and profits, sequesters more carbon in the soil and reduces overall greenhouse gas emissions. Sweet potato is a cash crop that increased farmers incomes by about 60%.

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Greens as a Secondary Income from your Cash Crop Plants

ATTRA

Okra Leaves Bush okra or jute mallows are thick, succulent leaves that yield a slimy sauce like okra pods. As farmers who work in unpredictable climates, we know the importance of growing a diverse range of foods and harvesting various parts to make up for times when cash crops are scarce.

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The Dirt on Cover Crops

Modern Farmer

They can also be added to crop rotations to improve soil health in fields that have been degraded from growing the same thing year after year. Cover cropping is a means of increasing soil fertility without chemicals. How do cover crops work? Many of these benefits become apparent within one year of using cover crops.

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Addressing Compaction During the Regenerative Transition: Part 2

UnderstandingAg

You will just keep experiencing the same symptoms – surface crusting, ruts, wet spots, stunted growth, lost yield, and many others – until you address the underlying cause of the problem, which is poor aggregate formation and the lack of living roots. We want a mix of both warm- and cool-season cash crops and cover crops in the rotation.

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Regenerative Agriculture: A Strategic Approach for Farming

Cropaia

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in regenerative agriculture, a holistic approach to farming that seeks to restore and revitalize the land while improving crop yields and overall farm profitability. This means increased crop yields and reduced inputs like fertilizers and pesticides.

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University of Idaho Extension Researchers Explore Raising Annual Alfalfa for Nitrogen

ATTRA

The non-dormant alfalfa planted as an annual can yield three cuttings as a cash crop and then winter-kill. Researchers have found that the annual alfalfa leaves enough nitrogen in the soil for a barley or corn crop the next year.

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From Symptoms to Solutions: Addressing the Underlying Causes of Water Quality Degradation – Part 4

UnderstandingAg

Overapplying readily available N can also interfere with the uptake of other nutrients and lead to yield drag and profit loss, just as underapplying can. Fall application of nutrients for a cash crop the following year makes no sense from a plant nutrition standpoint. Most N demand is in midsummer. This is nonsense.