Embracing Agroecology to Redefine the Future of Crop Production

Introduction

How did this lifelong citrus grower come to the realization that we need to set aside self-imposed “rules” and follow the needs of the trees? It has been a long, but worthwhile process that has lasting implications for the agricultural industry as a whole.

A Journey from Conventional to Regenerative Practices

From a family with deep Florida roots, I have 50 years of experience in commercial citrus and cattle production. I learned the industry from the ground up by working in the family groves while studying citrus production at Florida Southern College. I have owned a citrus nursery, my own groves, and a citrus caretaking business. I have also worked in production for Lykes Citrus Management Division and most recently worked as ranch manager and production manager for Welcome Ranch and Groves. Due to the challenges of the conventional citrus production model, I was forced to walk away from citrus growing commercially. In February of 2017, I was standing in a dying citrus grove, looking at a beautiful, healthy orange tree just across the fence growing in the native forest. This began my passion to better understand soil biology, chemistry, and physics and how they affect plant nutrition. In December of that year, I purchased 5 acres of land in Lithia and planted multiple varieties of citrus, vegetables, and cover crops. This began my trials, experimentation, and research to better understand how “Agroecology” principles could be implemented into commercial agricultural production, and how those processes would benefit soil health, crop health, and grower profitability.

The Birth of Sand to Soil Services

Fast forward to today. Sand to Soil Services is a team of agronomists, consultants, a plant pathologist, and biochemist. We are also farmers, growers, and ranchers. We work with growers across the country helping them to grow better crops and increase their bottom line.

What is Agroecology?

So what are these “Agroecology” principles? Similar to what you may think, they combine Agronomy (the science of soil management and crop production) and Ecology (the study of relationships between organisms and their relationships with the environment.) Kibblewhite, Ritz, and Swift remind us in their 2007 paper, “Soil health in agricultural systems” that soil health is an “integrative property that reflects the capacity of soil to respond to agricultural intervention, so that it continues to support both agricultural production and the provision of other ecosystem services.” Some of the practices we focus on to promote the principles of Agroecology include soil/plant testing, cover cropping, composting/mulching, mineral balance, minimizing biological disturbances, and bioavailable carbon. You may hear many people touting methods, but when it comes to principles there are few.

The Importance of Principles Over Methods

The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble. -Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Traditional Farming Categories: Conventional, Organic, and Regenerative

Traditionally when we think of farming, we think of three major categories. Each with their own unique sets of rules and conventions. With conventional agriculture, we usually follow the methods recommended and prescribed to us from universities and experts. After World War II, this came to include more and more chemical fertilizers and pesticides due largely to the fact they became less expensive and more easily applied than the animal manures, cover crops, and mulches that had been used in the past. The reduction in the use of carbon in the system (animal manures, cover crops, and mulches) to feed the biological fraction of soil fertility resulted in challenges in the conventional growing model that continue today. It was at this time in history that agricultural fertility began to be focused almost entirely on chemistry to grow food.

The Shortcomings of Certified Organic Agriculture

Certified Organic agriculture regulates what you can’t do, instead of what you need to do. The focus is not on soil health or good plant nutrition. It is concerned with the non-use of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. There are certain forms of fertility these growers cannot legally utilize that are needed to grow healthy soil and healthy crops. Certified organic growers are allowed to use inputs like copper and sulfur as pesticides. The overuse of these types of pesticides can kill beneficial microbes on the plant and in the soil and disrupt the overall mineral balance in the plant and in the soil. These growers must also show on a soil test report that additional nutrients are needed before some fertilizer applications. Not all soil tests are created equal, some are not very accurate, while some may show inaccurate sufficiency levels for a particular crop. This method of farming does put less chemical residue in their product, but is not focused on the overall health of the plant which is needed to produce healthy, nutrient-dense food.

The Rise of Regenerative Agriculture

Regenerative agriculture (formerly referred to as Sustainable agriculture) is the latest buzzword for the method of farming that focuses on soil health and biology as the primary drivers for good plant nutrition. Some proponents of this form of agriculture like to tell growers they cannot use certain pesticides and fertilizers and still consider themselves regenerative growers. This is not realistic in commercial agriculture. There are no regulations or restrictions for growers practicing regenerative agriculture. Growers do need to understand that if they must use an input that is not beneficial for the soil, they then need to do something to buffer or offset that disturbance to the system. Soil health can be measured in various ways and as long as the health of the soil is moving in a positive direction annually, then that grower should be considered a regenerative grower.

The Future of Agroecology in Agriculture

In the work we do, there is a fourth category of farming, Agroecology. Agroecology is simply good, sound agronomy and can be implemented in any agricultural system. Based on soil and plant testing, the Agroecologist promotes ecosystem services while implementing balanced, well-timed fertility. This is the base concept for optimizing crop quality, yields, and profitability. By embracing this fourth category of farming and understanding that at times chemical intervention for a pest or disease problem may be needed or a fertilizer that is hard on the microbes may need to be applied, we also understand the repercussions to the biological, physical, and chemical balance of the system and how to mitigate these to ensure overall plant health and profitability.