Making Arable Land More Resilient: Emphasis Soil
Integrating Crop Production and Biodiversity
Trade-offs need to be made between taking from nature to improve yields and giving back.
AgREM-1: Uncropped areas Uncropped areas such as fallow areas, crop edges, strips and untreated areas help soil erosion avoidance, organic matter provision and water regulation. These areas also potentially support pollination and pest regulation through the flower plants that grow on them. When stubble are left on fields over winter, they provide habitat for farmland birds. However, this may contribute to soil erosion.
AgREM-2: Extensively cropped areas A barley field planted in wide rows (double-spaced rows) has been undersown with a mixture of different flowering plants and cover crops. The objective is to increase the organic matter content in the field (soil fertility) and the pollination potential in the landscape.
AgREM-3: Managed flower areas Flower areas, such as strips, patches or margins increase pollination in the landscape or in the crop. In wind-pollinated cereal crops as shown here, they do not contribute to pollination. However, phacelia, a cover crop, enhances soil structure and organic matter provision – a good example of a synergy benefiting production and biodiversity.
AgREM-4: Managed margins Managed margins are particularly suited for implementation along sensitive areas such as forests. These areas often lack water and nutrients as trees take them and are thus less productive. These margins have dual use: they serve the purpose of buffer strips and lay fallow less productive areas. They can be grassland verges and untreated areas supporting soil erosion regulation, organic matter provision and water regulation. Sometimes they can also be used for biomass production or provide grazing areas.
Since I’ve been using prairie strips, I feel like I’m really keeping the soil in the field.