[Texas Tribune] High Plains farmers are experimenting with novel techniques to protect Texas’ future soil
[Texas Tribune] High Plains farmers are experimenting with novel techniques to protect Texas’ future soil
A minority of farmers in the Texas High Plains region are looking to organic and regenerative techniques to keep their soil healthy year round, despite a dry climate.
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Texas farmers see the impacts of climate change first-hand, as long droughts and merciless heat waves have made the state’s agriculture industry lose billions of dollars.
Katie Lewis, a soil scientist for Texas A&M AgriLife in Lubbock, said she saw an increase in farmers turning to regenerative practices last year when cotton crops failed.
In the last three years, Brown has given himself more space when he plants for most of his acres, which gives him room to establish a crop to cover and protect the soil from overheating and drying out.
Brown uses other techniques too, such as changing the kind of crops he plants on certain sections of land, not disturbing the soil through traditional tilling, and using livestock to graze and for natural fertilizer.
“During the summer when it’s extremely hot, I’ve got the ground covered by this organic matter so the sun is not making direct contact with the soil,” Simpson explained.
After getting incredible amounts of rain at the start of the summer, 200% of the normal rainfall in the Panhandle and 130% in the Lubbock area according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the ground has dried up once again.
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