Regenerative Almond Production Systems Improve Soil Health, Biodiversity, and Profit

Regenerative agriculture aims to improve soil health and promote biodiversity while producing nutritious food profitably. Almonds are the dominant crop in California terms of acreage revenue generated. We examined health, biodiversity, yield, profit regenerative conventional almond production systems that represented farmer-derived best management practices. practices included abandoning some or all synthetic agrichemicals, planting perennial ground covers, integrating livestock, maintaining non-crop habitat, using composts compost teas. Total carbon (TSC), organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TSN), phosphorous, calcium, sulfur, test scores were significantly greater soils. Water infiltrated soils six-fold faster than microbial biomass, bacterial Gram+ bacteria, Actinobacteria There was more plant species diversity, percent cover orchards. Invertebrate richness earthworm abundance biomass Pest populations, yields, nutrient density almonds similar two systems. Profit twice as high orchards relative their counterparts. No one practice responsible for success farms; result simultaneously combining multiple into a single, functional farm system. This style farming may assist combatting planetary scale problems (e.g., climate change, loss, agricultural pollution, chronic human problems, declining rural communities) making farms profitable resilient.