{"id":11497,"date":"2025-04-15T08:32:43","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T06:32:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nexat.de\/?p=11497"},"modified":"2025-04-15T08:32:48","modified_gmt":"2025-04-15T06:32:48","slug":"gentle-farming-our-path-to-natural-farming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nexat.de\/en\/gentle-farming-our-path-to-natural-farming\/","title":{"rendered":"Gentle Farming – Our path to natural farming"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Gentle Farming \u2013 Our path to natural farming<\/a><\/h1>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”rgba(236,236,236,0.5)” width=”100%” max_width=”1000px” custom_margin=”||30px||false|false” custom_padding=”30px|0px|30px|0px|true|true” border_radii=”on|2px|2px|2px|2px” border_radii_tablet=”on|0px|0px|0px|0px” border_radii_phone=”on|0px|0px|0px|0px” border_radii_last_edited=”on|desktop” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blurb image_icon_background_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” image=”https:\/\/www.nexat.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/thomas_gent.jpg” icon_placement=”left” image_icon_width=”140px” content_max_width=”100%” icon_placement_tablet=”left” icon_placement_phone=”top” icon_placement_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”4.27.3″ _module_preset=”default” body_font=”|300|on||||||” image_icon_custom_margin=”|15px|||false|false” image_icon_custom_margin_tablet=”|15px|||false|false” image_icon_custom_margin_phone=”|auto|||false|false” image_icon_custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” width=”90%” max_width=”800px” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”||||false|false” animation_style=”fade” animation=”off” border_radii_image=”on|50%|50%|50%|50%” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Thomas Gent from Gentle Farming<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Thomas Gent is a 4th generation farmer from the UK. He and his family have been practising regenerative farming\u00a0since 2008, 17 years. He now also works for Agreena, one of Europe\u2019s first certified soil carbon programs. He helps support farmers in the UK and the company’s Regenerative Farming Lead.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”rgba(236,236,236,0.5)” width=”100%” max_width=”1000px” custom_margin=”||30px||false|false” custom_padding=”30px|0px|30px|0px|true|true” border_radii=”on|2px|2px|2px|2px” border_radii_tablet=”on|0px|0px|0px|0px” border_radii_phone=”on|0px|0px|0px|0px” border_radii_last_edited=”on|desktop” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_blurb image_icon_background_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” image=”https:\/\/www.nexat.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Tony-Gent.jpg” icon_placement=”left” image_icon_width=”140px” content_max_width=”100%” icon_placement_tablet=”left” icon_placement_phone=”top” icon_placement_last_edited=”on|phone” _builder_version=”4.27.3″ _module_preset=”default” body_font=”|300|on||||||” image_icon_custom_margin=”|15px|||false|false” image_icon_custom_margin_tablet=”|15px|||false|false” image_icon_custom_margin_phone=”|auto|||false|false” image_icon_custom_margin_last_edited=”on|phone” width=”90%” max_width=”800px” module_alignment=”center” custom_margin=”||||false|false” animation_style=”fade” animation=”off” border_radii_image=”on|50%|50%|50%|50%” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Tony Gent from Gentle Farming<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Tony Gent has been a farmer for 60 years and is an experienced ambassador and inventor in the no-till industry. Developer of a world leading minimal disturbance undercut disc seeding system sold throughout Europe, North America and Australia. He has dedicated his life to promoting no-till long before it was widely recognized as the future of sustainable agriculture.<\/p>\n

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Our journey towards regenerative agriculture – from intensive tillage to no-till<\/b><\/h3>\n

At the turn of the century, we practised intensive arable farming on our farm with a tight crop rotation of winter wheat and winter oilseed rape. This system was geared towards high yields and high machine utilisation. It worked well for a few years, but the first clear problems soon became apparent: our soils became increasingly degraded, cultivation became more and more difficult and weeds developed resistance to herbicides. At the same time, the costs for operating resources and machinery rose steadily. We had to admit to ourselves that our previous system was neither economically nor ecologically sustainable in the long term. No-till farming can drastically reduce machinery costs, as less capital is required for machinery. As the humus content increases over the years, it is also possible to reduce the need for artificial fertilisers and thus save costs. Regenerative practices also encourage beneficial organisms, which also reduces expenditure on chemical plant protection.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.nexat.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Zwischenfrucht-in-Getreidestoppeln.jpg” title_text=”Intercropping in cereal stubble” _builder_version=”4.27.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.3″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|300|||||||” text_text_color=”#292929″ link_font=”||||||||” header_font=”|700|||||||” header_text_color=”#1D1D1D” header_font_size=”34px” header_2_font=”|700|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#1D1D1D” header_2_font_size=”34px” header_3_font=”|700|||||||” header_3_text_color=”#1D1D1D” header_3_font_size=”28px” min_height=”78px” height=”100px” max_height=”100px” custom_margin=”-38px||-14px||false|false” custom_padding=”21px||25px||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” link_text_color__hover=”rgba(181,44,36,0.8)” link_text_color__hover_enabled=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n

Figure 1: The journey to regenerative agriculture: catch crop sown with No-Till in cereal stubble<\/h6>\n

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The discovery of No-Till as an alternative<\/b><\/h3>\n
In our search for solutions, we came across farmers in Argentina and New Zealand who were working very successfully with no-till systems. The pressure for change was high there, as state subsidies were being withdrawn and new methods had to be found. We were impressed by the principle of no-till: no tillage, no turning of the soil, instead retaining crop residues on the surface and a wider crop rotation. We were particularly impressed by the fact that this method not only improved the soil structure, but also increased yields and profitability.<\/div>\n
In 2008, we decided to follow this path consistently. We sold almost all of our machinery for conventional cultivation and switched completely to direct sowing. The first season was successful. But in the second year, we experienced what many no-till pioneers experience: the so-called \u2018biological dip\u2019. The soil first has to recover after years of intensive cultivation. The soil biology needs time to regenerate, which initially leads to a decline in yields. Factors like soil condition, weather, crop rotation, and residue cover influenced recovery time. The temptation to revert to shallow cultivation was strong, but we knew it would undermine soil regeneration<\/div>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.nexat.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Veraenderung-des-Bodens-durch-die-Umstellung-auf-No-Till.jpg” title_text=”Change in the soil due to the switch to no-till” _builder_version=”4.27.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.3″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|300|||||||” text_text_color=”#292929″ link_font=”||||||||” header_font=”|700|||||||” header_text_color=”#1D1D1D” header_font_size=”34px” header_2_font=”|700|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#1D1D1D” header_2_font_size=”34px” header_3_font=”|700|||||||” header_3_text_color=”#1D1D1D” header_3_font_size=”28px” min_height=”78px” height=”100px” max_height=”100px” custom_margin=”-38px||-14px||false|false” custom_padding=”21px||25px||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” link_text_color__hover=”rgba(181,44,36,0.8)” link_text_color__hover_enabled=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n

Figure 2: Change in the soil due to the switch to no-till towards an open-pored and natural soil structure<\/h6>\n

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The biggest challenges in the first few years<\/b><\/h3>\n
Our heaviest and most compacted soils presented us with enormous challenges, but also promised the greatest long term gains. Here in particular, the soil structure was so badly damaged that it was especially difficult to establish stable stands. Two major problems were particularly evident in wet years:<\/div>\n
On the one hand, the random tracks of the machines led to massive compaction. These compacted areas made it difficult to sow evenly and hindered the development of the plants. The attempt to introduce a fixed tramline system (Controlled Traffic Farming) initially failed due to the different machine widths we were using.<\/div>\n
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In this transition phase and beyond, CTF can be a tremendous help. The soil is not yet regenerated and load-bearing, so any compaction has serious consequences. At the same time, however, the soil cannot be loosened again by tillage. This problem can be eliminated by dividing the field into fixed tracks and growth zones. This can break the cycle of soil loosening, creation of a loose seedbed and subsequent re-compaction of the soil.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Secondly, we realised how much the type of stubble management has an influence on the success of No-Till. Short-cut and finely chopped stubble meant that the soil surface did not dry out – ideal conditions for slugs. The solution was to switch to a stripper header, which leaves the stalks standing and thus keeps the soil open.<\/div>\n

[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” max_width=”1024px” custom_margin=”|auto|-11px|auto||” custom_padding=”41px|12px|41px|12px|true|true” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.nexat.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Tony-Gent-vor-einer-Maschine-mit-dem-Gent-Undercut-Schar.jpg” title_text=”Tony Gent in front of a machine with the Gent Undercut coulter” _builder_version=”4.27.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.3″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|300|||||||” text_text_color=”#292929″ link_font=”||||||||” header_font=”|700|||||||” header_text_color=”#1D1D1D” header_font_size=”34px” header_2_font=”|700|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#1D1D1D” header_2_font_size=”34px” header_3_font=”|700|||||||” header_3_text_color=”#1D1D1D” header_3_font_size=”28px” min_height=”78px” height=”100px” max_height=”100px” custom_margin=”-38px||-14px||false|false” custom_padding=”21px||25px||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” link_text_color__hover=”rgba(181,44,36,0.8)” link_text_color__hover_enabled=”on|desktop”]<\/p>\n

Figure 3: Tony Gent in front of a machine with the Gent Undercut coulter<\/h6>\n

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Technical innovations to support No-Till<\/b><\/h3>\n
Despite all the caution, we realised that selective measures were necessary to help the soil, especially after very wet years. Our aim was to support the soil structure without destroying it again by ploughing. We developed special tools for this purpose: initially subsoil tines that loosen the soil slightly at depth without turning it over. Later, we added a 10 metre wide tool with specially shaped discs that only open and aerate the soil at the surface without destroying the soil aggregates.<\/div>\n
We also had to break new ground when it came to sowing technology. The classic direct sowing machines, which are based on discs, caused major problems in our heavy and moist soils. They compressed the seed furrow too much and created a compacted zone in which the seed could hardly develop.<\/div>\n
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The solution was a new double disc system. A larger disc cuts open the soil, while a smaller disc forms a narrowly opened slit bed. The large disc is positioned vertically at an angle to the ground and thus draws itself into the soil without applying much pressure. The machine therefore requires little coulter pressure to penetrate the soil even in the most difficult conditions. The smaller disc does not cut through the soil, but is positioned at a small angle to the larger disc and thus lifts the soil minimally to place the seed underneath. The inclined position means that the seed is placed in a band next to the originally cut groove, giving the seed more room to grow and minimising hairpinning. This process protects the soil, ensures good soil contact and prevents crop or plant residues from being pushed into the seed furrow. This system, which we helped to develop, is now successfully used by Weaving Machinery (Europe) and K-Hart (North America, Australia and large working widths in Europe).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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How K-Hart and NEXAT combine sustainability and efficiency<\/a><\/h2>\n

In the previous blog article, we reported on our collaboration with K-Hart.<\/p>\n

Click here to read the article. <\/a><\/p>\n

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Networking and political work<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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We realised early on that we didn’t want to go down this path alone. Through farmer friends, we got to know the European Conservation Agriculture Federation (ECAF), which campaigns for soil-conserving agriculture throughout Europe. Together with Amir Kassam, we founded UK Conservation Agriculture (UK-CA) and took part in numerous events in Europe.<\/div>\n
This commitment ultimately gave rise to the well-known Groundswell <\/b>event, which is now recognised as a platform for regenerative agriculture in the UK and beyond. From the very beginning, it was particularly important for us to involve the political level. In this way, we were able to help make the value of conservation agriculture visible in the political debate and ensure that financial support was also made possible.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Looking to the future – strip cultivation and robotics<\/b><\/h3>\n
Today, after many years of experience, we know: Regenerative agriculture is a path that does not end at one point. Although we now consistently use catch crops to keep the soil covered between the main crops, we believe that even more is possible.<\/div>\n
Strip cropping<\/b> could be an exciting next step: narrow strips of cultivated plants alternate with strips of permanent grasses and herb mixtures. This would allow us to give soil biology even more space and at the same time generate further yields. However, such systems require very precise cultivation, which could best be realised with robotics or so-called gantry systems such as NEXAT.<\/div>\n
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Regenerative agriculture as a holistic approach<\/b><\/h2>\n
Our path shows that regenerative agriculture is much more than just doing without the plough. It is a fundamental rethink: away from short-term yields and purely mechanical solutions and towards an interplay between nature, technology and long-term thinking.<\/div>\n
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If you want to go down this path, you have to be prepared to constantly learn, admit mistakes and develop new solutions from them. It takes courage to question the status quo and openness to learn from others. But it’s worth it: for healthy soils, stable yields and sustainable agriculture that works in harmony with nature.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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If you want to learn more about Thomas and Tonys path to regenerative agriculture, feel free to visit their website: Regenerative Farming | Gentle Farming | England<\/a><\/div>\n

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Kees Huizinga on the first use of the K-Hart direct seed drill<\/b><\/h2>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_video src=”https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5TaJJgWTSZQ&list=PLgIzFel-1Xng6x9sDO_nh-fmkXOXo1ruq&index=14″ _builder_version=”4.27.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_video][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.3″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|300|||||||” text_text_color=”#292929″ text_font_size=”18px” link_font=”||||||||” header_font=”|700|||||||” header_text_color=”#1D1D1D” header_font_size=”34px” header_2_font=”|700|||||||” header_2_text_color=”#1D1D1D” header_2_font_size=”34px” header_3_font=”|700|||||||” header_3_text_color=”#1D1D1D” header_3_font_size=”28px” custom_margin=”||30px||false|false” custom_padding=”||30px||false|false” border_width_bottom=”1px” border_color_bottom=”#ECECEC” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” link_text_color__hover=”rgba(181,44,36,0.8)” link_text_color__hover_enabled=”on|desktop”][\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9saW5rX3VybF9wYWdlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsicG9zdF9pZCI6Ijc0MTEiLCJlbmFibGVfaHRtbCI6Im9mZiJ9fQ==@” button_text=”Back to the overview” module_id=”pressebilder” module_class=”scroll-to-section” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _dynamic_attributes=”button_url” _module_preset=”default” custom_button=”on” button_text_size=”18px” button_text_color=”#1D1D1D” button_bg_color=”RGBA(0,0,0,0)” button_border_width=”0px” button_border_radius=”0px” button_font=”||||||||” button_icon=”||fa||900″ button_icon_color=”#1D1D1D” button_icon_placement=”left” button_on_hover=”off” custom_margin=”0px|20px|0px|0px|true|false” custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|25px|true|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”on|desktop” button_bg_color__hover=”RGBA(0,0,0,0)” button_bg_enable_color__hover=”on” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”on|desktop” button_text_color__hover=”#B52C24″][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Agriculture is on the brink of change. With no-till and innovative sowing technology, pioneers such as Tony Gent and NEXAT are showing how to keep soil healthy and secure yields. Their approach combines technology, experience and nature – for sustainable agriculture. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11455,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[53,51],"tags":[110,157,158,159,160,161,130,162,113,163,112,111,164,73,165,145],"class_list":["post-11497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog-en","category-blog","tag-agrarinnovation","tag-agricultural-innovation-en","tag-agriculture-4-0-en","tag-direct-seeding-technology-en","tag-eco-friendly-cultivation-methods-en","tag-efficiency-in-agriculture-en","tag-future-of-agrotechnology","tag-future-of-agrotechnology-en","tag-k-hart-industries","tag-nexat-partnership-en","tag-no-till-farming","tag-precision-farming","tag-soil-health-en","tag-sustainable-agriculture","tag-yield-increase-en","tag-yield-increase-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexat.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11497","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexat.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexat.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexat.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexat.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11497"}],"version-history":[{"count":19,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexat.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11497\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11596,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexat.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11497\/revisions\/11596"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexat.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11455"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexat.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11497"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexat.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11497"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexat.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11497"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}