The growing importance of healthy soils
Christian has conducted a research project at NEXAT to complete his final thesis and obtain his master’s degree in agricultural sciences from the University of Hohenheim. During his time, he investigated the aspects of soil health, current challenges in crop production and the potential of the NEXAT WS-CTF system. His work provided valuable insights into sustainable practices and potential solutions.
The agricultural sector is facing a major challenge: on the one hand, the demand for food will increase dramatically in the coming years due to the steadily growing world population and, on the other hand, the social and political framework conditions of food production are changing, which is reflected in a rising consumer awareness and the demand to limit the environmental impact of agricultural production.
From that arises the urgent need for a paradigm shift and an associated adaption of land management. The sole focus on maximizing yields, which has dominated agricultural production in recent years, no longer meets the diverse and increasing demands of various stakeholders in food production (e.g. NGOs, consumers, processing companies).
In order to remain competitive and successful as a farmer in the future, alongside the necessary increase in food production, a resource-efficient management approach becomes increasingly important (so called sustainable intensification).
Important components of healthy soils, such as the abundance of soil organisms and organic carbon content, can be significantly improved through agronomic measures, such as year-round soil cover using various cover crop mixtures in conjunction with reduced tillage.
Important components of healthy soils, such as the abundance of soil organisms and organic carbon content, can be significantly improved through agronomic measures, such as year-round soil cover using various cover crop mixtures in conjunction with reduced tillage. The ultimate goal must be to mimic natural ecosystems, thereby closing open material cycles, reducing the use of external inputs and the associated environmental impacts along with promoting soil organisms crucial for plant growth, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria and earthworms as well as improving the natural structure of the soil.
Widespan Controlled Traffic Farming offers great potential for successful implementation of promising agronomic measures (e.g. no-till) due to its extremely low share of field area that is driven over and the associated substantial reduction of soil compaction.
Minimizing soil compaction is therefore crucial for the establishment of healthy soils, which can ultimately lead to higher yields in the medium- and long-term as well as significantly reduce the environmental impact of food production1. Finally, this will be reflected in lower costs of production (e.g. reduced fertilizer costs due to increased nutrient use efficiency)2.
Overall, the combination of resource-efficient agronomic measures such as cover cropping and no-till (core principles of conservation agriculture) is an extremely promising approach for a sustainable increase of food production, while Widespan-Controlled Traffic Farming systems can be seen as the optimal technology for adapting land management. It can thus be considered as an important prerequisite for long-term successful transition, where conservative principles and controlled traffic farming can complement one another.
- D. L. Antille et al, “The Potential of Controlled Traffic Farming to Mitigate Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Enhance Carbon Sequestration in Arable Land: A Critical Review,” Transactions of the ASABE, June 22, 2015, 707-31, https://doi.org/10.13031/trans.58.11049.
- W.C. Chamen et al, “Mitigating Arable Soil Compaction: A Review and Analysis of Available Cost and Benefit Data,” Soil and Tillage Research 146 (March 2015): 10-25, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.still.2014.09.011.