Increasingly, sustainable farming practices have been inevitable with the change of impact expected of climate change and resource depletion. The practices balance productivity in agriculture with health in terms of the environment.
Crop Rotation and Cover Cropping
The difference comes in depending on the usage of the land, crop rotation, and cover. Crop rotation is the production of different crops in a series on a farm to increase soil fertility and break the cycles of pests and diseases. In contrast, a cover crop is a legume and grass cultivated to protect and enrich the soil during off-seasons [oai_citation:3,USDA Makes $1.5 Billion Available to Help Farmers Advance Conservation and Climate-Smart Agriculture as Part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda | Natural Resources Conservation Service](https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/rcpp-regional-conservation-partnership-program/news/usda-makes-15-billion).
Reduced Tillage
Reduced tillage minimizes the amount of or the level of disturbance to the soil, and thus can help preserve the soil structure and avoid erosion. The technique also enhances general water-holding capacity and fosters useful soil organisms.
Organic and Regenerative Agriculture
Organic agriculture rejects synthetic inputs and uses natural methods to enhance fertility in soils and manage pests and diseases. Regenerative agriculture goes a step further in restoring degraded soils by explicitly practicing composting, agroforestry, holistic grazing management, and so forth.
Conclusion
Sustainable farming practices underpin long-term agricultural productivity and environmental health. Hence, adopting these methods helps farmers toward a stronger, more sustainable food system.