Appreciate this science-based deep dive, Nolan! I’m curious though, if synthetic fertilizers are not the driving contributor of soil health loss, what would you reccomend as the “real” alternatives/solutions?
Alternatives do seem essential given that the development of “eco-friendly” of “climate-proof” synthetic fertilizer is impossible. What if AI-driven drones and technologies could help reduce the labor intensive nature of cover cropping planting? This could be a best of both worlds scenario, but obviously research/field trials would need to be conducted.
A systems-based approach that minimizes of eliminates tillage as a cultural practice , while operating within an organic system plan that eliminates use of other harmful substances, could be a powerful combination. One that emphasizes testing of microbial life and nutrient/mineral composition before fertilizers/chemicals (organic compliant) are applied could be a powerful solution.
Thank you again for this insightful piece and looking forward to dialogue on this! Climate-forward farming and land management advocates must rely on science, and this critical analysis is very valuable! We need to be creative in our solutions!
Absolutely! I plan on exploring this in a future post, but I have three broad points to addressing the problems that contemporary fertilizer practices bring to the landscape.
The first is improving efficient consumption by introducing slow release fertilizer technology and precisely targeting applications to reduce the amount of product applied (and subsequently reducing emissions). The second would be requiring farmers utilize conservation buffers of perennial plants to capture any runoff before it enters streams and rivers. The final piece would be decarbonizing fertilizer production by using renewables to produce green hydrogen, which would then be used to power the Haber Bosch process. Some of these methods are more shovel ready than others, but I do think in tandem they would ensure stable food production, reduce the amount of land devoted to farming, and remedying local and global ecosystems.
I'm also in favor of other practices, such as legume-based intercropping or manure crops, but scalability for them is a tad more difficult given machinery limitations and demands for land. These practices are more in the experimental realm, whereas the ones I outlined above I would say are either in the implementation or engineering phase.
Just as you said though, the ultimate solution is to transition from an input-intensive approach to one that centers cultural practices. Long term soil health is closely tied to the bread and butter methods of conservation tillage, cover cropping, and crop rotation. Inputs, should be secondary to these concerns.
Appreciate this science-based deep dive, Nolan! I’m curious though, if synthetic fertilizers are not the driving contributor of soil health loss, what would you reccomend as the “real” alternatives/solutions?
Alternatives do seem essential given that the development of “eco-friendly” of “climate-proof” synthetic fertilizer is impossible. What if AI-driven drones and technologies could help reduce the labor intensive nature of cover cropping planting? This could be a best of both worlds scenario, but obviously research/field trials would need to be conducted.
A systems-based approach that minimizes of eliminates tillage as a cultural practice , while operating within an organic system plan that eliminates use of other harmful substances, could be a powerful combination. One that emphasizes testing of microbial life and nutrient/mineral composition before fertilizers/chemicals (organic compliant) are applied could be a powerful solution.
Thank you again for this insightful piece and looking forward to dialogue on this! Climate-forward farming and land management advocates must rely on science, and this critical analysis is very valuable! We need to be creative in our solutions!
Absolutely! I plan on exploring this in a future post, but I have three broad points to addressing the problems that contemporary fertilizer practices bring to the landscape.
The first is improving efficient consumption by introducing slow release fertilizer technology and precisely targeting applications to reduce the amount of product applied (and subsequently reducing emissions). The second would be requiring farmers utilize conservation buffers of perennial plants to capture any runoff before it enters streams and rivers. The final piece would be decarbonizing fertilizer production by using renewables to produce green hydrogen, which would then be used to power the Haber Bosch process. Some of these methods are more shovel ready than others, but I do think in tandem they would ensure stable food production, reduce the amount of land devoted to farming, and remedying local and global ecosystems.
I'm also in favor of other practices, such as legume-based intercropping or manure crops, but scalability for them is a tad more difficult given machinery limitations and demands for land. These practices are more in the experimental realm, whereas the ones I outlined above I would say are either in the implementation or engineering phase.
Just as you said though, the ultimate solution is to transition from an input-intensive approach to one that centers cultural practices. Long term soil health is closely tied to the bread and butter methods of conservation tillage, cover cropping, and crop rotation. Inputs, should be secondary to these concerns.
Great piece of writing, properly referenced. This is what substack is for. Thank you.