Regenerative Agriculture Practices Should Balance Yields with Boosting Soil Carbon

Scientists in New York published a study in Nature Climate Change that reveals the importance of balancing the use of practices to build soil organic carbon with efforts to preserve crop yields. Researchers modeled the results of four different management practices: grass cover crops, legume cover crops, zero-tillage, and leaving crop residues in fields. They found that practices such as cover cropping and no-till production can reduce yields in some situations. This study highlights the need to match management plans with local conditions to optimize both crop yield and increases in soil organic carbon. For example, yield reductions were most likely in drier climates where cover crops compete for water. Meanwhile, in many locations, researchers found a synergy between cover crops and no-till that provided quicker increases in soil organic carbon.