Bavarian Farm Pioneers Sustainable Ploughless Farming
In northwestern Bavaria, the Hennig family has been pioneering sustainable farming practices for over two decades. They've been using ploughless farming and direct sowing for 8 years to enhance their soil's resilience to weather changes. Key to their approach is composting organic waste materials to create a soil supplement that replaces chemical fertilizers and builds humus.
The Hennigs' composting process takes 8 to 12 weeks, with daily monitoring of temperature, moisture, and CO2 content. They create their compost extract using a mix of straw, wood chips, dinkel groats, and other organic materials, applying about 140 litres per hectare at sowing, directly into the seed furrow, or with micronutrients. This extract is particularly useful for revitalizing poor field plots and enhancing field crops.
The family has successfully eliminated chemical seed treatments and relies on standard soil analysis, micronutrient examination, cation exchange capacity, and leaf analyses during vegetation to determine soil chemistry and fertilization needs. Their focus on soil biology is evident in their processing of organic fertilizers and composting, which they believe is crucial for healthy soil.
The Hennig family's commitment to ploughless farming, direct sowing, and composting has been instrumental in improving their soil's health and resistance to weather caprices. By producing their own compost-based soil supplement, they've been able to replace chemical fertilizers and build up more humus in their soil, demonstrating a sustainable and effective approach to farming.
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