Regenerative Agriculture Insights for Barley Producers in Saskatchewan
By Mitchell Japp, Research & Extension Manager. In this article, we delve into the concept of regenerative agriculture and its potential for sustainable farming practices.
Key Takeaways
- Regenerative agriculture focuses on improving soil health, resilience, and profitability through five core principles.
- Saskatchewan barley farmers already practice sustainability with methods like zero tillage and crop rotations.
- Incremental changes in farming practices can yield significant improvements over time, adapting to local conditions is key.
- Farmers can document sustainable practices to meet buyer demands and potentially access premium markets.
- Sustainability needs to align with producer needs first to be effective.
Regenerativ-ish: The Quiet Sustainability of Western Canadian Barley
Barley producers in Saskatchewan, face a future where sustainability and profitability go hand in hand. Regenerative agriculture promises tools to achieve both, but it’s not clear what practices have the best fit in our growing environment. Saskatchewan barley farmers have a big head start in sustainability already – zero or minimum tillage partnered with crop rotations that include legumes make crop production sustainable. However, sustainability isn’t a fixed goal – it is a moving target. There may be improvements from practices that are currently considered niche. Building soil health, improving water retention, and setting the stage for long-term resilience without sacrificing yield or quality are reasonable goals for any farm.
Watch: Sustaining Barley Webinar Series | Regenerative Ag Practices: Exploring opportunities for barley
What is Regenerative Agriculture?
Regenerative agriculture is built on five core principles that work together to improve soil function, farm resilience, and long-term profitability.
- Keep the soil covered to protect it from erosion and extreme temperatures.
- Minimize soil disturbance by reducing tillage to preserve soil structure and microbial life.
- Maximize plant diversity through rotations and mixtures that support nutrient cycling and pest resilience.
- Maintain living roots as long as possible so soil organisms stay active and organic matter continues to build.
- Integrate livestock to recycle nutrients and stimulate plant growth through managed grazing.
Although there are no defined standards for regenerative agriculture, these five seem broadly accepted. Some additional principles are available, but are not as uniformly accepted.
Together, they focus on improving soil health over time.
Learn more about Regenerative Agriculture Practices on the Prairies | Government of Saskatchewan
Why Sustainable Practices Matter
Farmers, agronomists and scientists have built an agricultural system, driven by no-till that can help mitigate pressures from climate variability, reverse soil degradation, and meet market sustainability demands. These systems have been:
- Building soil organic matter
- Reducing input costs through better nutrient cycling
- Improving resilience against drought and extreme weather
- Creating wins for production, profitability and the environment
These benefits align closely with the five regenerative agriculture principles. While those practicing regenerative agriculture may be viewed as outside mainstream agriculture, zero-till was once obscure and the early adopters faced some skepticism. Looking into some of the regenerative practices used by farmers in Western Canada and nearby in North Dakota may generate ideas that could enhance current sustainability and productivity goals.
Key Insights for Saskatchewan Farms
Soil Health is the Foundation
Healthy soils drive crop performance. Practices like minimal tillage and diverse crop rotations help maintain structure and microbial activity. Dr. Brady Goettl, North Dakota State University Department of Soil Sciences, emphasizes that soil biology is critical for nutrient availability and water infiltration.
Generally, practices that improve organic matter and reduce compaction will lead to improvements in soil productivity.
Takeaway: Cover crops are challenging in Saskatchewan’s environment. Many areas are on the edge of drought at any time. Others have too short of growing season to accommodate cover crops. Ensuring a diverse crop rotation is a good start. Next steps may include fall seeded crops. Barley’s relatively short growing season could lead to opportunities for cover crops in areas with sufficient precipitation.
Explore cover cropping strategies in Cover Cropping on the Prairies – Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute, and learn more about winter barley production in Saskatchewan.
Measuring Sustainability
Buyers increasingly demand proof of sustainable practices. Tracking soil carbon, input use, and biodiversity can position your farm for premium markets as they emerge. These opportunities exist in other crops, like the push to buy oats grown under regenerative practices. While we are not currently aware of premiums in barley, the value chain is very interested in sustainable practices.
Documentation is easily overlooked, but there may be opportunities for farms that are practicing and growing in sustainability. Even basic documentation such as recording fertilizer rates and tillage practices can be a conversation starter with buyers interested in sustainability programs and incentives.
Learn more about sustainability in malt barley from the Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute.
Looking Ahead
Regenerative agriculture does not have to be an all-or-nothing approach. Incremental changes can deliver measurable benefits over time. In some cases, it will take time to generate research results on potential benefits from regenerative practices.
Saskatchewan’s short growing season and semi-arid environment mean we cannot copy-and-paste solutions from other regions. Adapting the intent of the regenerative practice to match local needs – with a keen eye on the productivity and profitability – will help us discover new levels of sustainable production for Saskatchewan farms. Sustainability, through any lens, has to work for producers, or it does not work at all.
Want more insights on regenerative barley production?
Read the Fall/Winter 2022 edition of the BarleyBin Magazine below.
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