Bayer degrades pesticide wastewater on farms to reduce pollution and carbon

 Recently, Bayer and local professional Cooperative launched a regenerative agricultural practice in Pudong New Area of Shanghai. In September 2020, China clearly put forward the goals of "carbon peak" by 2030 and "carbon neutrality" by 2060. In the context of the increasingly severe global climate crisis and the general trend of "carbon neutrality", the concept of regenerative agriculture frequently appears in the important operational planning of large agricultural and consumer enterprises.

 Li Baoguo, dean of the College of Land Science and Technology at China Agricultural University, said in a previous interview with the media: "Overuse of land will inevitably lead to land degradation, and the more intensive the use, the more intense the degradation, this trend is irreversible, but the implementation of regenerative agriculture can make the soil closer to the natural state, the protective and efficient use." In general, "regenerative agriculture" points to an agricultural model that is conducive to reducing pollution and carbon and restoring ecology.

 Although there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and in many cases a tailored approach is required, many large multinational companies have begun to adapt their industry practices to local conditions.

Since its launch in 2015, Bayer has cooperated with nearly 30 independent farms around the world to practice the concept of regenerative agriculture. This time, Bayer will introduce two major technologies to practice regenerative agriculture, including the direct rice test that takes into account the benefits of water saving, soil improvement and emission reduction, and the soil microbial degradation pesticide waste treatment device.

 Bayer pesticide waste liquid treatment equipment mainly solves the problem of point source pollution of pesticide wastewater, adopts the method of biodegradation of pesticides and their metabolites, the main principle is to use soil microorganisms in natural conditions to degrade pesticides, control environmental release and special industrial waste, and has been demonstrated in Guangxi, Shandong and Heilongjiang.

In May this year, Bayer Cropscience, jointly implemented a rice regenerative agriculture project with other companies  in Zhaoyuan County, Daqing City, Heilongjiang province. The first phase of the project covers a total rice planting area of 5,000 mu. By maintaining crop cover on the soil surface and applying the "soil vitality + root power" program, soil fertility is restored, water-saving irrigation technologies such as drip irrigation are introduced to reduce water waste and reduce greenhouse gas emissions such as methane.

 Qin Xiaobo, a researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Environment and Sustainable Development of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said that the multi-in-one framework of the development of regenerative agriculture has been completed, and the golden age of rapid development has arrived. To promote the further development of renewable agriculture in China, we can start from the aspects of giving full play to the company's technical strength, carrying out in-depth cooperation with academic institutions, building demonstration projects, and using financial means to help green and low-carbon quality transformation.

Guo Jingping, business development Director of Bayer Cropscience China, said that as an important practice of Bayer's regenerative agriculture, its Farm has contributed considerable regenerative agriculture benefits and effectively promoted the development of the industry. During the 2019-2023 partnership, the farm (Argentina Agricola Testa) achieved a 13% increase in production, a 22% increase in economic efficiency, an overall carbon reduction of 65%, and a 40% increase in soil biomass content. Taking Asia Pacific's first Farm and Beijing Yinhuang Green Agricultural Ecological Park as an example, during the 2021-2023 cooperation period, farmers' annual income will be increased by 10%, cost savings will be 20%, and pesticide waste liquid will be treated by about 4,000 liters, and Bayer has reached a willingness to continue cooperation.