by PressWhy you need to increase the cultivation of legumes: research scientists
How cultivation of legumes improves the environment
European experts conducted a study in the field of farming and agricultural development. They concluded that the best approach would be to grow legumes in large quantities. This will bring more sustainable results and increase the nutritional component in the formation of the farming plan. Another benefit of increasing legume crop rotation is the ability to reduce the use of pesticides and fertilizers. This, in turn, will lead to fewer emissions, as well as promote the consumption of more natural foods and the health of the world’s population.
Scientists have asked the European Union government to increase the amount of peas, lentils and beans grown. Such an approach, they said, would create a more complete and healthy food system. The study showed a number of positive characteristics if you expand the standard crop rotation with beans and other leguminous crops.
The initiative of scientists was supported by the Green Deal Farm to Fork organization, which conducts activities aimed at reducing the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. It was created in the European Union and its goal is to reduce the use of these substances in agriculture in order to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that cause serious damage to the environment.
The experiment with increasing the amount of legumes in growing crops has already been conducted on several farms in Scotland. As a result, experts saw that when changing crop rotation, the need for nitrogen to enhance crop quality and growth decreased by almost 50%. At the same time the human diet has not changed, the amount of food in the standard set remained the same. The fact is that the production of legume crops does not require fertilizers — the plant itself takes the necessary amount of nitrogen from the air, the process is carried out thanks to special bacteria.
At the same time, the world is experiencing an increase in the consumption of mineral fertilizers, which have a negative impact on both the condition of land and the environment. These substances deplete the soil and also cause huge emissions of greenhouse gases, especially nitrous oxide. The latter gas is 300 times more harmful than carbon dioxide.
According to studies conducted in the past, the increased use of nitrogen-rich fertilizers to further the production of food and animal feed stimulated a 20% increase in nitrous oxide emissions. This situation has led to serious climate change.
At the same time, legume crops have a beneficial effect on the soil by feeding it large amounts of nitrogen. This in turn reduces the need to increase the use of the substance when growing other plants. In addition, legumes contain masses of beneficial nutrients necessary for human health.