Sustainable Food Trust

JANUARY 14, 2025

As news of weed killer resistant plants hits the headlines, Patrick Holden reflects on discussions at the latest Oxford Real Farming Conference, highlighting why the plough may not be the worst option when it comes to nature-friendly cultivation. The theme was how ploughing and cultivation can be good for soil health.

Ploughing 69

Ploughing Cultivation Pesticide Farming 69

Sustainable Food Trust

JUNE 14, 2023

But will the current trend away from ploughing towards direct drilling and the accompanying use of glyphosate bring the benefits advocates claim, or could this make matters even worse? Richard Young follows on from his article, Speed the plough or the direct drill and sprayer?

Ploughing 52

Ploughing Crop Yield Farming 52

Sustainable Food Trust

DECEMBER 4, 2023

In 2022, the UN warned that damage to land by humans is increasing and 40% of land is degraded , depleted of soil fertility, water, natural resources and biodiversity. The more fertile the soil is, the more organisms it has living in it. Pesticides are damaging to soil, killing a range of organisms that are vital to soil health.

Food 128

Food Ploughing Pesticide Fertilizer 128

Modern Farmer

AUGUST 24, 2023

But she maintains that “organic is still really important,” and that’s why USDA organic standards, food grown without most pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, is the minimum baseline for the ROC certification. Kerston, however, insists that bad practices such as using synthetic fertilizer consistently show up in the data. “If

Food 98

Food Ranching Ecology Fertilizer 98

Daily Yonder

APRIL 11, 2023

Winter cover crops could mean using less fertilizer and herbicide in the Spring. As a kid from rural Iowa, I have joked about growing up with herbicide for breakfast, pesticide for lunch, and fertilizer for supper. I was 10 years old when neighbors began using crop dusters to apply pesticides and herbicides.

Farming 52

Farming Farming Acre Seeding 52