Planet-Friendly Farming Practices to Make a Difference!

Photo by Arindam Chowdhury from Pexels

The importance of our carbon footprint cannot be undersold in the modern-day. While there are a wide variety of individuals in residential properties doing their best to be self-sufficient, this is where rural communities and farmland owners need to step up their game. In order to be environmentally friendly, there's a lot to consider. So what are the best approaches for farmers to improve their approach to farming so it becomes a more environmentally friendly practice?

Alternative Power Sources

Consult any solar panel installer company, and they will highlight it as one of the most up-and-coming providers of alternative power. Running farmland means that you have a lot of control over your energy sources. You will always need a backup generator, but when you consider the utilities that can drain your finances, solar panels, as well as alternative methods of conserving water, are vital. When you think about the water shortages in countries like Africa, learning to conserve your water supplies becomes more important. Conserving your water supply can be about purchasing large rainwater containers. The next piece of the puzzle is to ensure that it is filtered. As we use rainwater for the farmland, we have to learn how to use filtered rainwater as our drinking water. Rainwater harvesting, as it is commonly known can be difficult to implement. But it is possible to purchase rainwater harvesting systems.

Reducing Farmland Expansion

By making the most of arable land you are keeping it local as it were. Expanding your land to incorporate other crops can prove detrimental in the long run if you are not able to maintain it properly. Improving your crop protection means you can become more biodiversity. Rather than expanding you can use your existing land and protect it better. As approximately 35% to 42% of the world's potential crop production is lost because of diseases, pests, and weeds, protecting the land, while also using crop protection products, will force us to use what we have.

Working to Reduce Greenhouse Gases

Using crop protection products can help farmers to cut greenhouse gas emissions. By reducing CO2 emissions, through practices like herbicide-tolerant crops, will leave any soil and disturbed and keep the carbon in the ground. In addition, using nitrogen fertilizers can help to grow more food on existing farmland.

Protecting the Soil

Soil erosion is still a big concern. Working towards sustainable farming practices like no-till farming will help to reduce erosion and preserve soil. It is possible to reduce soil erosion by over 80% by incorporating herbicide-tolerant planting techniques.

In addition to this, there's a lot that we can do as individuals. Our reliance on devices can contribute to our individual carbon footprint. It's always a good idea to check your own carbon footprint through one of the numerous calculators online. Being environmentally friendly on the farm is hard, especially for those people who talk about the impact of farm animals on methane emissions and carbon footprint, but to offset this, there are many practices that we can all undertake.