The April 11, 2021 edition of the Globo Rural program presented the success story of the rural company Rizoma, located in Iaras, State of São Paulo. The property, an INDUTAR client, practices regenerative organic agriculture using the Katrina crimper roller in its production system.
The property that at first impression seems to be a typical grain production operation, with the cultivation of corn and soybeans in the summer and oats in the winter, has as a differential the destination of its production, which is organic animal production, activity that used to have difficult to find grains with the characteristics of origin they were looking for.
"Regenerative agriculture assumes that it is not enough to reduce the damage, but that it is also important to reverse the damage."
The work carried out to recover the degraded soil was through soil correction with lime and gypsum, use of biological products, production of organic matter, soil cover, crop rotations and consequent activation of the soil microbiot. This practice is beneficial to the farm's biodiversity, which positively impacts water availability, soil organic carbon and agricultural productivity. Through these techniques it was possible to benefit the system and build a better soil than it was before.
INDUTAR's Katrina Crimper Roller plays an important role in the system, which has as one of the main premises to keep the soil protected. The crimper roller rolls the green covering of the soil, knocking down the remains of the crops, preventing its regrowth. This cover, in addition to protection, is also a food source for the soil biota.
"Oats are planted on the rolled corn straw, maintaining an important plant cover throughout the year, to conserve the soil against the impact of raindrops and feed the biological part of the soil."
Similar techniques are also used in conventional agriculture, which increasingly works towards no-till and soil preservation, but in organic agriculture, biodiversity makes nature helps by working together with the farmer, resulting in increasing productivity throughout of years.
Source: Globo Rural: <https://globoplay.globo.com/v/9427635/programa/>