Research project on how regenerative agriculture can aid in soil restoration in Africa

[Frederik Muller]

Hi all!
I am currently doing my BSc (hons) in Agriculture at Hartpury University, where I am doing a research project on how regenerative agriculture can aid soil restoration in Sub-Saharan Africa.

If you have a spare moment of time, would you mind answering these short questions.

· What regenerative methods do you use on your farm?
· Was the start-up cost high?
· What challenges you’ve faced during the process?
· What results you have seen from using regenerative agriculture?
· Has it made your farm more profitable?

Please note that I will not be sharing any names or personal data, feel free to contact me by email using [email protected]

Thank you for your time.

 

[onesiedale]

@SteveHants

 

[SteveHants]

@SteveHants

Yes, I'm supervising this dissertation.

 

[topground]

How is Regenerative agriculture defined in the academic world?
(asking for a simple peasant cattle keeper friend)
@Frederik Muller

 

[SteveHants]

How is Regenerative agriculture defined in the academic world?
(asking for a simple peasant cattle keeper friend)
@Frederik Muller

I don't want to speak for him, but I think he's more interested in things that you do that you believe to be "regenerative", and then compare what the industry is actually doing with the literature on the subject, to identify which parts of the theory are useful in practice.
He will then look at opportunities in Africa based on this.

The type of dissertation he is doing is called a "vocationally relevant enquiry" which can look at all kinds of things.- in this case theory into practice, but I've had business reports etc in this category too.

 

[melted welly]

 

[Jungle Bill]

How is Regenerative agriculture defined in the academic world?
(asking for a simple peasant cattle keeper friend)
@Frederik Muller

Not an academic definition, but what a bunch of European farmers agreed on: https://www.climatefarmers.org/european-regenerative-agriculture-manifesto/

 

[sjt01]

We had a go at zero till in Malawi in 1980. We used Gramoxone, but we had too little ground cover as what we had could not support the appetite of the termites. With no rain from April to November there was no hope of growing a cover crop following maize harvest in March. Photo of planting maize at the start of the wet season with a rolling jab planter.

 

[Frederik Muller]

We had a go at zero till in Malawi in 1980. We used Gramoxone, but we had too little ground cover as what we had could not support the appetite of the termites. With no rain from April to November there was no hope of growing a cover crop following maize harvest in March. Photo of planting maize at the start of the wet season with a rolling jab planter.
View attachment 1098798

Thank you for very much for sharing your experience.
In regards to the establishment of the maize crop, do you find that by using the no-tillage method your initial input costs where lower than if you used conventional tillage methods? and was there any significant change in germination rates when using no-tillage?

 

[sjt01]

Thank you for very much for sharing your experience.
In regards to the establishment of the maize crop, do you find that by using the no-tillage method your initial input costs where lower than if you used conventional tillage methods? and was there any significant change in germination rates when using no-tillage?

Here is the full report from the trial workView attachment University of Malawi Bunda College Research Bulletin 198082.pdf attached, conclusions:-

 

[Lowland1]

The biggest threat to African agriculture is the disc plough. Convince people to chuck them away and we might have a chance.

 

[sjt01]

The biggest threat to African agriculture is the disc plough. Convince people to chuck them away and we might have a chance.

That and the disc harrow. After dry season ploughing in Malawi, most mechanised farmers would disc several times, every time failing to break down the lumps that passed between the discs. When the rain came, all the fine dust generated was washed down to plough pan level and set like concrete. I introduced the Cambridge roller which broke down the clods on top without generating the quantity of fine dust.