ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION WORKSHOP

Transcription

1 ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION WORKSHOP Rebuilding Degraded Soils Using Diversity AKA REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE Winnipeg March

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3 THE PROBLEMS IN AGRICULTURE 1. Profitability 2. High-Input Ag and Climate Change 3. Degraded Soil

4 High-input, high-emission, high-cost, low-net-farm-income agriculture

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6 The 100th Anniversary of Modern Agriculture GREEN REVOLUTION Tractors and horses on farms in Canada, 1910 to Darrin Qualman

7 Millions of tonnes of CO 2 and CO 2 equivalent fuel Emissions from MB agriculture NITROGEN FERTILIZER cattle Enteric emissions (methane fr. cattle, etc.) Manure management Farm heating fuels Farm use of gasoline Farm electricity Diesel fuel (machinery & field work) Energy embodied in machinery Lime, urea, & other carbon-containing fertilizers Field burning of residues Energy embodied in fertilizer prod. Ag. soils (direct & indirect emissions)

8 Soil science on the Canadian prairies Peering into the future from a century ago H. H. Janzen Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lethbridge Research Centre - August 2000 Site Date %N %OM Notes %C Lawes, J.B. and Gilbert, J.H. (1885) Portage la Prairie Saskatchewan District Fort Ellice Niverville Soils were uncultivated %C Brandon cultivated for only a few years. Sampling depth: surface %C Selkirk depth 1 to 12 inches %C Winnipeg %C Maple Creek (a) Shutt, F.T In Experimental Farms Reports for Maple Creek (b) Brown Chamberlain, Ottawa. p. 43. Uncultivated. Walsh Flats (a) Shutt, F.T in Experimental Farms Reports for 1890 Walsh Flats (b) Brown Chamberlain, Ottawa. p Tilley (a) Tilley (b) Vermillion Hills (a) Vermillion Hills (b) Yorkton Shutt, F.T. (1892). in Experimental Farms Reports Saltcoats S.E. Dawson, Ottawa Moosomin Calgary organic and volatile matter. Uncultivated. Brandon Yorkton Shutt, F.T. (1898). in Experimental Farms Reports Saltcoats S.E. Dawson, Ottawa. p Moosomin Calgary Tilley Vermillion Hills Red River Valley

9 LOCATION YEAR %OM YORKTON SALTCOATS RED RIVER VALLEY

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11 NEWDALE CLAY LOAM PROVINCIAL SOIL 2.2%

12 SOIL TO DIRT IN A CENTURY Loss of Diversity hundreds of species to monoculture Loss of Organic Matter loss of carbon Loss of Soil Structure no pore spaces for air and water Loss of Water Holding Capacity the sponge Loss of Resilience too wet, too dry, too hot

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14 DO WE NEED REGENERATIVE AG? DO WE HAVE A PROBLEM IN PRAIRIE AGRICULTURE?

15 DO WE NEED AN ECOLOGICAL INTERVENTION? What would the evidence suggest?

16 HOW CAN AG BE THE SOLUTION? Agriculture is a year old problem. Agriculture is broken (and always has been) The Land Institute How can the problem be the solution? Counter Intuitive Conservation is the natural reaction to the consequences of Prairie Agriculture (growing grains at scale and overgrazing). Right? We have Conservation Organizations (NCC, Ducks, MHHC) and our jobs because of landscape effects of Prairie Agriculture (loss of diversity, loss of habitat etc) Forces of High-input Agriculture too strong. Conservation success = Regenerative Agriculture

17 PRINCIPLES of REGENERATIVE AG Minimize Tillage tillage damages soil structure and biology Keep Ground Covered no bare soil, keep soil cool Grow Something Green maximize solar capture Diversity diversity equals resilience Integrate Livestock soil building tool MIMIC NATURE

18 TYPES OF DIVERSITY PLANTS ANIMALS INSECTS ecological armageddon SOIL BIOLOGY soil without biology is geology

19 A FARMER IS A MANAGER OF ECOSYSTEMS - Dwayne Beck (SDSU - Dakota Hills Research Farm)

20 Conservation Groups are Farmers Acres owned (degraded prairie farmland): NCC 65k Ducks 35k MHHC 15k Growing habitat and wildlife How best to grow habitat and wildlife? REGENERATIVE AG

21 MADE-IN-MANITOBA SOLUTIONS

22 RYAN BOYD FARM Capturing Early Spring Sunlight > Photosynthesis = > Yield

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25 2016 WINTER WHEAT CONVENTIONAL WINTER WHEAT INTERCROP YIELD 75 PRICE $5.50 WW - 30 bushels Peas - 22 bushels Vetch 900 lbs WW - $5.50 Peas - $8 Vetch - $0.75 No Nitrogen EXPENSES $173 $208 GROSS MARGIN $240 $800+ IS THIS THE FULL ACCOUNTING?

26 Regenerative Agriculture: Merging Farming and Natural Resource Conservation Profitably LaCanne and Lundgren CONCLUSIONS Farmers have devised an ecologically based production system comprised of multiple practices that are woven into a profitable farm that promotes ecosystem services. Regenerative farms fundamentally challenge the current food production paradigm that maximizes gross profits at the expense of net gains for the farmer. Key elements of this successful approach to farming include: 1. By promoting soil biology and organic matter and biodiversity on their farms, regenerative farmers required fewer costly inputs like insecticides and fertilizers, and managed their pest populations more effectively. 2. Soil organic matter was a more important driver of proximate farm profitability than yields were, in part because the regenerative farms marketed their products differently or had a diversified income stream from a single field.

27 BRIAN HARPER PASTURE PROJECT Results Ducks Unlimited Canada

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29 Carbon, Organic Matter starting at 3-4% OM Soil Biology bacteria and fungi (total living microbial biomass) Benchmark Soil Testing Nutrients

30 Soil Bacterial Diversity May 2o17 13 Phyla Nov Phyla

31 High Stock Density Short Grazing Period ADAPTIVE GRAZING Long Recovery Period Mimic Nature THIS IS REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE the future of prairie farming and conservation

32 High Stock Density Grazing Prior to 2014 stock density was 6500 lbs beef/acre Increased stock density to lbs beef/acre Comfortable with management Brian has increased stock density to almost lbs beef/acre Starting in 2014 with lbs beef/acre Increased stock density to lbs beef/acre

33 R E S U L T S Increased soil carbon 7.5 tons / acre / year Carbon Farming #1 Determinant of Profitability is SOIL CARBON

34 R E S U L T S Doubled pounds of beef produced per acre (profit) Increased wildlife habitat (2x species and 5x total numbers birds) WHY?

35 GRAZING MANAGEMENT TO ACCOMPLISH AGRICULTURAL AND ECOLGICAL GOALS Systems Thinking and Regenerative Philosophy Dr. Richard Teague

36 July 2014 Brian Harper

37 July 2017 Brian Harper

38 REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE FUTURE OF PRAIRIE AGRICULTURE AND PRAIRIE CONSERVATION (SOIL, WATER, WILDLIFE)