Belgian farmer hasn’t irrigated crops in 26 years

Belgian farmer Diederik Steyaert has gone 26 years without irrigating his crops, relying instead on rainfall and soil management techniques. West-Flemish farmer Steyaert's unusual approach to soil management has caught attention online, with Belgian content creator Louis De Jaeger sharing a post about it on Instagram, which garnered over 30,000 likes and hundreds of comments.

The striking feature of Steyaert's practice is the moisture that can be found just a few centimeters below the surface of his dry-looking soil. Instead of plowing his fields, Steyaert avoids disturbing the soil structure which aids in water absorption and minimizes erosion. He also adds organic material to his fields, which can enhance soil structure and retain moisture.

Another peculiar aspect of Steyaert's method is allowing grass to decompose for years, turning it into a low-nitrogen, high-carbon material that can be returned to the soil. The Instagram post estimates that his 11-hectare farm could store approximately 11 million liters of water.

Steyaert also treats weeds not as a nuisance, but as a storage capacity for water. This approach, combined with his regenerative farming techniques, emphasizes the soil's ability to retain water after rainfall, providing a buffer for plants during periods of drought. While irrigation may still be necessary in very dry regions, Steyaert's farm suggests that healthy soil can significantly reduce reliance on external water sources.