Items

• 

  Healthy Soils Incentives Program

  he HSP Incentives Program provides financial incentives to California growers and ranchers to implement conservation management practices that sequester carbon, reduce atmospheric greenhouse gases (GHGs), and improve soil health. GHGs benefits are estimated using quantification methodology and tools developed by California Air Resources Board (CARB), USDA-NRCS and CDFA and soil health improvement will be assessed by measuring soil organic matter content.
• 

  Soil organic carbon storage as a key function of soils - A review of drivers and indicators at various scales

  The capacity of soils to store organic carbon represents a key function of soils that is not only decisive for climate regulation but also affects other soil functions. Recent efforts to assess the impact of land management on soil functionality proposed that an indicator- or proxy-based approach is a promising alternative to quantify soil functions compared to time- and cost-intensive measurements, particularly when larger regions are targeted. The objective of this review is to identify measurable biotic or abiotic properties that control soil organic carbon (SOC) storage at different spatial scales and could serve as indicators for an efficient quantification of SOC. These indicators should enable both an estimation of actual SOC storage as well as a prediction of the SOC storage potential, which is an important aspect in land use and management planning. There are many environmental conditions that affect SOC storage at different spatial scales. We provide a thorough overview of factors from micro-scales (particles to pedons) to the global scale and discuss their suitability as indicators for SOC storage: clay mineralogy, specific surface area, metal oxides, Ca and Mg cations, microorganisms, soil fauna, aggregation, texture, soil type, natural vegetation, land use and management, topography, parent material and climate. As a result, we propose a set of indicators that allow for time- and cost-efficient estimates of actual and potential SOC storage from the local to the regional and subcontinental scale. As a key element, the fine mineral fraction was identified to determine SOC stabilization in most soils. The quantification of SOC can be further refined by including climatic proxies, particularly elevation, as well as information on land use, soil management and vegetation characteristics. To enhance its indicative power towards land management effects, further “functional soil characteristics”, particularly soil structural properties and changes in the soil microbial biomass pool should be included in this indicator system. The proposed system offers the potential to efficiently estimate the SOC storage capacity by means of simplified measures, such as soil fractionation procedures or infrared spectroscopic approaches.
• 

  Regenerative Agriculture: An agronomic perspective

  Agriculture is in crisis. Soil health is collapsing. Biodiversity faces the sixth mass extinction. Crop yields are plateauing. Against this crisis narrative swells a clarion call for Regenerative Agriculture. But what is Regenerative Agriculture, and why is it gaining such prominence? Which problems does it solve, and how? Here we address these questions from an agronomic perspective. The term Regenerative Agriculture has actually been in use for some time, but there has been a resurgence of interest over the past 5 years. It is supported from what are often considered opposite poles of the debate on agriculture and food. Regenerative Agriculture has been promoted strongly by civil society and NGOs as well as by many of the major multi-national food companies. Many practices promoted as regenerative, including crop residue retention, cover cropping and reduced tillage are central to the canon of ‘good agricultural practices’, while others are contested and at best niche (e.g. permaculture, holistic grazing). Worryingly, these practices are generally promoted with little regard to context. Practices most often encouraged (such as no tillage, no pesticides or no external nutrient inputs) are unlikely to lead to the benefits claimed in all places. We argue that the resurgence of interest in Regenerative Agriculture represents a re-framing of what have been considered to be two contrasting approaches to agricultural futures, namely agroecology and sustainable intensification, under the same banner. This is more likely to confuse than to clarify the public debate. More importantly, it draws attention away from more fundamental challenges. We conclude by providing guidance for research agronomists who want to engage with Regenerative Agriculture.
• 

  WEBINAR: Regional Dialogue on Regenerative Agriculture, Agroecology & Climate Smart Agriculture

  Regenerative Agriculture vs. Agroecology: nomenclature hype or principle divergence? (a) A decade of CSA: what are the achievements, the challenges and the bottlenecks? (b) What practical implications for smallholder farmers, agriculture and the environment? Ismahane Elouafi Chief Scientist – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Ken Giller Professor of Plant Production Systems – Wageningen University; Research. Professor Jacques Wery – Institute Agro France. Bruce Campbell - Director of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). Jean-Marc Faurès - Regional Programme Leader - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Regional Offce for the Near East and North Africa. Theresa Wong - Natural Resources Offcer - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Regional Offce for the Near East and North Africa. Melle Leenstra - Agricultural Counsellor to Egypt & Jordan – Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. Reuben Sessa - Programme Officer (Climate Change) SP2 Management Team – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
• 

  Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems

  Learn about all the resources available through the CSU, Chico Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems.