How a new approach to farming could help restore soil and reduce effects of extreme weather

CLEMSON, S.C. (InvestigateTV) - A new approach to farming is changing the way researchers think about growing food.

Regenerative agriculture, or restorative agriculture, focuses not just on production, but also on restoring the soil, increasing biodiversity and reducing the effects of extreme weather events.

At Clemson University’s Restoration Agriculture Farm, everything from the insects to the plants to the soil is designed to work together in harmony.

“The Restoration Agriculture Farm isn’t just producing food, it’s also producing a community — it’s plant communities,” said Cole Scroggs, Restoration Agriculture farm manager.

Pine trees create acidic soil and the farm plants blueberries nearby because they thrive in that environment. Around that, they plant squash, which provides shade, controls weeds and also produces food.

The concept is often called a food forest, where each species plays a specific role in supporting the others.

Researchers are also experimenting with cover crops, which are plants that grow alongside crops to protect the soil and reduce weed growth. Instead of relying heavily on herbicides, they’re looking to natural solutions.

The same philosophy applies to pest control. Instead of using large-scale pesticides, they encourage the use of natural predators.

“Bluebirds are natural pest control, so we want them here, so again as a part of the holistic approach, and the systems approach, we’re encouraging wildlife and natural predators to pests that we have,” Scroggs said.

The farm also avoids traditional tilling. Rather than turning over the soil, they practice no-till farming, which helps preserve delicate underground ecosystems.

“Every time you put a metal implement and break up all those clumps, they have little tiny roots that are supporting little tiny microbes and also little tiny insects and bacteria and fungi and all sorts,” said Paula Agudelo, associate dean of research and experiment station director at Clemson University.

Keeping microbes alive improves soil health and reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers.

Most synthetic fertilizers in the U.S. are made in energy-intensive factories powered by natural gas, Agudelo said.

Regenerative agriculture aims to nourish the soil and apply compost or manure, using less energy overall.

The farm is also designed to address stormwater and flooding. Trees and shrubs are planted on elevated ground, with wildflowers growing in swales below to help manage water flow.

“We don’t want it to just take all the topsoil with it,” Scroggs said. “We want it to actually slow down, let the plants gather some water, let the trees take some water, but get it out of the field because we don’t want standing water in the field.”

Ultimately, the goal is not just to sustain farmland but also to heal it.

“The soil is alive, so it needs tending to, it needs live roots, it needs coverage, it needs respect,” Agudelo said.

See the full story by Kari Beal.

Iowa farm uses AI to reduce pesticide use

An Iowa farm has equipped its self-propelled sprayer with artificial intelligence cameras to reduce pesticide use while increasing efficiency.

The intelligent cameras detect weeds in real-time and apply chemicals only where needed, rather than spraying entire fields as farmers did before AI technology.

They said the targeted approach eliminates about half of the chemicals applied to land and the environment over the course of a year.

The upgraded system produces less waste and more productivity. The farm owners estimate the AI system will save more than $60,000 annually.

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