Gentle Farming – Our path to natural farming

In our search for solutions, we came across farmers in Argentina and New Zealand who were working very successfully with no-till systems. The pressure for change was high there, as state subsidies were being withdrawn and new methods had to be found. We were impressed by the principle of no-till: no tillage, no turning of the soil, instead retaining crop residues on the surface and a wider crop rotation. We were particularly impressed by the fact that this method not only improved the soil structure, but also increased yields and profitability.

In 2008, we decided to follow this path consistently. We sold almost all of our machinery for conventional cultivation and switched completely to direct sowing. The first season was successful. But in the second year, we experienced what many no-till pioneers experience: the so-called ‘biological dip’. The soil first has to recover after years of intensive cultivation. The soil biology needs time to regenerate, which initially leads to a decline in yields. Factors like soil condition, weather, crop rotation, and residue cover influenced recovery time. The temptation to revert to shallow cultivation was strong, but we knew it would undermine soil regeneration

Our heaviest and most compacted soils presented us with enormous challenges, but also promised the greatest long term gains. Here in particular, the soil structure was so badly damaged that it was especially difficult to establish stable stands. Two major problems were particularly evident in wet years:

On the one hand, the random tracks of the machines led to massive compaction. These compacted areas made it difficult to sow evenly and hindered the development of the plants. The attempt to introduce a fixed tramline system (Controlled Traffic Farming) initially failed due to the different machine widths we were using.

In this transition phase and beyond, CTF can be a tremendous help. The soil is not yet regenerated and load-bearing, so any compaction has serious consequences. At the same time, however, the soil cannot be loosened again by tillage. This problem can be eliminated by dividing the field into fixed tracks and growth zones. This can break the cycle of soil loosening, creation of a loose seedbed and subsequent re-compaction of the soil.

Secondly, we realised how much the type of stubble management has an influence on the success of No-Till. Short-cut and finely chopped stubble meant that the soil surface did not dry out – ideal conditions for slugs. The solution was to switch to a stripper header, which leaves the stalks standing and thus keeps the soil open.

Despite all the caution, we realised that selective measures were necessary to help the soil, especially after very wet years. Our aim was to support the soil structure without destroying it again by ploughing. We developed special tools for this purpose: initially subsoil tines that loosen the soil slightly at depth without turning it over. Later, we added a 10 metre wide tool with specially shaped discs that only open and aerate the soil at the surface without destroying the soil aggregates.

We also had to break new ground when it came to sowing technology. The classic direct sowing machines, which are based on discs, caused major problems in our heavy and moist soils. They compressed the seed furrow too much and created a compacted zone in which the seed could hardly develop.

The solution was a new double disc system. A larger disc cuts open the soil, while a smaller disc forms a narrowly opened slit bed. The large disc is positioned vertically at an angle to the ground and thus draws itself into the soil without applying much pressure. The machine therefore requires little coulter pressure to penetrate the soil even in the most difficult conditions. The smaller disc does not cut through the soil, but is positioned at a small angle to the larger disc and thus lifts the soil minimally to place the seed underneath. The inclined position means that the seed is placed in a band next to the originally cut groove, giving the seed more room to grow and minimising hairpinning. This process protects the soil, ensures good soil contact and prevents crop or plant residues from being pushed into the seed furrow. This system, which we helped to develop, is now successfully used by Weaving Machinery (Europe) and K-Hart (North America, Australia and large working widths in Europe).

Networking and political work

Today, after many years of experience, we know: Regenerative agriculture is a path that does not end at one point. Although we now consistently use catch crops to keep the soil covered between the main crops, we believe that even more is possible.

Strip cropping could be an exciting next step: narrow strips of cultivated plants alternate with strips of permanent grasses and herb mixtures. This would allow us to give soil biology even more space and at the same time generate further yields. However, such systems require very precise cultivation, which could best be realised with robotics or so-called gantry systems such as NEXAT.

Our path shows that regenerative agriculture is much more than just doing without the plough. It is a fundamental rethink: away from short-term yields and purely mechanical solutions and towards an interplay between nature, technology and long-term thinking.

If you want to go down this path, you have to be prepared to constantly learn, admit mistakes and develop new solutions from them. It takes courage to question the status quo and openness to learn from others. But it’s worth it: for healthy soils, stable yields and sustainable agriculture that works in harmony with nature.

If you want to learn more about Thomas and Tonys path to regenerative agriculture, feel free to visit their website: Regenerative Farming | Gentle Farming | England