The drought monitor report as of March 12 is showing a continued slight increase to abnormally dry by another three percent. Barton and the surrounding area is unchanged. The six to ten-day outlook (March 19 to 23) indicates a 40 to 50% chance of above normal temperatures and normal precipitation. The eight to 14-day outlook (March 21 to 27) indicates normal temperatures and a 33 to 40% chance of leaning to above normal precipitation.
The last two columns discussed what Regenerative Agriculture (RA) is and how it is implemented. In addition to helping restore the ecology while helping producers agronomically and economically, RA can help mitigate climate change for the producer and in general. Today, the last installment, let’s discuss in general terms how RA can mitigate climate change.
• The first thing to keep in mind is how the benefits agronomically and economically for producers from a RA system, also help mitigate climate change. And over time, helping to mitigate climate change will benefit producers.
• As with many systemic changes, the benefits aren’t all immediate but accumulate slowly over time and it can be tempting for many to abandon something like RA as it is adopted, lessons are learned, and strategies altered to improve each producer’s system.
• By improving soil ecology, as described in the last two columns, crops are better able to deal with temperature and moisture extremes. By improving soil structure/porosity and improving soil organic matter content, crops benefit. This also help mitigates the effects of the extreme of climate change by decreasing runoff, allowing the soil to hold and move more water into the profile which can help with flooding and help decrease chemical and soil particle erosion in surface waters.
• If producers can successfully transition to a RA system, they can decrease their use of fossil fuels. Not just in reduced trips across the field but in a decreased need for synthetic chemicals. Combined with more carbon sequestration in the soil this can significantly decrease carbon dioxide emissions from agriculture.
• A large part of this is to increase production as producers adapt to RA. If we can increase production while decreasing carbon emissions we can achieve two major goals. We can increase production using less marginal land and we can preserve farmland now and for future generations.
• This concept, if it is to be successful isn’t restricted to the United States. It’s important across the world. From decreasing/eliminating the destruction of rainforests worldwide to the degradation of lands in developing countries, it will ultimately only help feed the world and help with climate change is we can work together in the agricultural community to help all areas of production.
• Finally, this will require the investment of state and local governments to conduct the research needed to make RA successful. And we as a people will need to assist producer as they transition to RA and continue to cope with climate change and the extremes which are becoming more common.
Dr. Victor L. Martin is the agriculture instructor/coordinator for Barton Community College. He can be reached at 620-792-9207, ext. 207, ormartinv@bartonccc.edu.
