As we know there are many different ways to do agriculture and cultivate, not all however are respectful of nature and biodiversity. There are then methods that not only don’t impact negatively on the environment, but even promote soil fertility, biodiversity and improve the quality of the entire agro-ecosystem in the face of greater productivity and decreased costs. An example is represented by no-till bio-intensive agriculture.
Bio-intensive agriculture: more crops in small spaces
It’s based on the “double digging” method, preparing the soil to a depth of about 60 cm to make it more porous to water and air. In this way the plants to be cultivated can be closer together because they manage to reach more nutrients, retain more water and have more space to grow. The result is crops that yield 4 to 6 times more than traditional agriculture.
In the bio-intensive method monocultures don’t exist: plants are companion planted to attract beneficial insects, produce nitrogen in the soil, cover the soil, etc. creating as much biodiversity as possible and take advantage of the characteristics of each crop. Machinery isn’t used because it’s not possible to mechanically harvest such a variety of plants and vegetables that share the same soil. The saving therefore in terms of costs, energy and water is considerable. The advantages however are also for the soil, which improves its structure and becomes enriched with organic matter and nutrients.
No-till agriculture: agriculture without ploughing
The term derives from English “no-tillage”, namely “without ploughing”. The cardinal principle, in fact, is that ploughing destroys soil organic matter, and favours loss of fertility and erosion. In no-till agriculture the residues from the previous harvest are left on the soil with the dual function of cover (mulch) and fertiliser. One then proceeds to sowing with special seeders capable of burying the seeds. Over time a layer of compost will form capable of protecting the soil from erosion, wind and water, also maintaining a constant level of temperature and humidity. Finally it’s right to give importance to crop rotations between more than two species to guarantee the soil constant biodiversity and a supply of nutrients.
One of the greatest advantages of no-till agriculture is certainly the reduction of production costs (tractors, fuel, etc.) and consequently also a reduction in CO2 emissions, which makes it a precious ally in the fight against climate change.
The most suitable tools
But let’s now come to the tools that can help us in working the soil with the bio-intensive no-till method. All the items listed here are made by the American company Johnny’s Selected Seeds, which for more than 40 years has been producing high-quality fruit and vegetable seeds and tools for natural and no-till farming.
