More than 2 million farms dot the United States, covering about 40% of the land in America. The National Center for Appropriate Technology’s ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture program supports farmers, ranchers, agriculture educators, and land managers at every stage of their agricultural journey.
ATTRA, or Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas, is a trusted source of sustainable agriculture information and maintains a knowledge base of practical multimedia resources for farmers, ranchers, and educators. NCAT’s agriculture specialists work directly with farmers, ranchers, land managers, and others across the country to provide individualized technical assistance, offer practical learning opportunities, and facilitate meaningful connections among producers, experts, researchers, and industry professionals.
From the basics of starting a farm to marketing locally grown products, and from organic specialty crop production to regenerative livestock management, our sustainable agriculture specialists provide trusted, practical multimedia resources to nearly 35,000 farmers each year.
ATTRA was created in 1987 through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development program.
4 Issues in this Publication (Showing 1 - 4)
Butterfly Pea: A Cover Crop for Hot and Humid Areas
Butterfly Pea: A Cover Crop for Hot and Humid Areas – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture
Butterfly peas (Clitoria ternatea) are known for their showy flowers, but their twining, delicate-stemmed growth habit also makes them a great cover crop candidate. They have pinnate leaves with five to seven delicate leaflets. Their seed pods are relatively flat and narrow, with papery shells that shatter easily and can eject seeds with some force. The butterfly pea is a perennial vine that is intolerant of freezing weather, so it needs to be protected in the subtropics or treated as an annual.
Butterfly peas originated in Africa but have spread through cultivation through much of both the tropical and subtropical regions. There are several synonyms for Clitoria ternatea, such as Clitoria albiflora, C. bracteata, C. mearnsii, C. tanganicensis, and C. zanzibarensis, but the literature has mostly settled on the first term. There has been little in the way of cultivar development but, luckily, butterfly pea is already naturally widely adapted (Staples, 1992).
Cover Crop Options for Hot and Humid Areas
- Also available in:
- Español (es)
- English (en)
Cover Crop Options for Hot and Humid Areas – ATTRA – Sustainable Agriculture
Cover crops can be better adapted to some regions better than others. This publication discusses the characteristics of cover crops that are better suited for areas with hot, humid summers, like the southern portions of Texas and Florida and along the Gulf Coast, the Caribbean, Hawaii, and points beyond with similar climatic conditions. It includes a table that will allow you to make the best decision for your situation about which cover crops may suit your individual needs. It also includes a general inoculant guide for legume crops.
Biochar and Sustainable Agriculture
- Also available in:
- Español (es)
- English (en)
https://attra.ncat.org/publication/biochar-and-sustainable-agriculture/
Biochar is a potentially valuable soil amendment produced from biomass, through pyrolysis. Biochar improves soil aggregation, enhances nutrient- and water-holding capacity, provides habitat for soil organisms, modulates microbial activity and biodiversity, and may stabilize soil organic carbon (SOC). Pyrolysis also yields biofuels in the form of combustible gases or oils. Biochar is thought to mitigate climate change by providing both renewable energy and a soil amendment that may significantly enhance net soil carbon (C) sequestration. However, additional research is needed before biochar applications to fields and grazing lands can be validated as a carbon offset and a potential source of income for farmers and ranchers.
This publication reviews the current research and issues surrounding the production and use of this biomass energy technology and explores how biochar can contribute to sustainable agriculture. It focuses on the use of sustainable biochar with the intention of adding it to crop production systems and possible benefits for climate change mitigation.
Companion Planting and Botanical Pesticides: Concepts and Resources - 2016-01-20
- Also available in:
- Español (es)
- English (en)
https://attra.ncat.org/publication/companion-planting-resources/
Certain plants can benefit others when planted in close proximity or used as botanical pesticides. This publication discusses the scientific and traditional basis for companion planting associations including trap cropping, weed suppression, physical-spatial interactions, and other relationships. It provides a companion planting chart for common herbs, vegetables, and flowers, as well as a listing of literature resources. An appendix provides information on the Three Sisters, a traditional Native American companion planting practice.
