Regenerative Agriculture Enhances Soil Health, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Services Across Diverse Agroecological Zones: A Field-Based Experimental Study

Abstract

We conducted a field-based experimental study across 20 agricultural research farms representing diverse agroecological zones to evaluate the effectiveness of regenerative agriculture practices in restoring soil health and enhancing ecosystem services. The study employed a Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications over three consecutive cropping seasons, assessing ten regenerative practices including conservation tillage, cover cropping, crop rotation, organic amendments, biochar, agroforestry, rotational grazing, green manuring, integrated nutrient management, and crop residue retention. A total of 360 experimental plots were established, and data were collected on soil organic carbon, microbial biomass, biodiversity indices, crop yield, carbon sequestration rates, and ecosystem service indicators. Statistical analyses included ANOVA, Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression, and Principal Component Analysis. Our results demonstrated that regenerative agriculture practices significantly outperformed conventional farming systems, yielding a 34.1% increase in soil organic carbon, a 29.7% improvement in soil microbial biomass, a 26.8% increase in water-use efficiency, and a 24.5% increase in crop yield. Multiple linear regression identified soil organic carbon (standardized β = 0.49, p < 0.001) and microbial biomass carbon (standardized β = 0.42, p < 0.001) as the strongest predictors of ecosystem service enhancement, with the model explaining 78.6% of the variance (R² = 0.786). Principal Component Analysis further revealed three major components explaining 85.3% of total variance, highlighting soil restoration, biodiversity enhancement, and crop productivity as key dimensions. A strong positive correlation between the Soil Health Index and the Ecosystem Services Index (r = 0.87, p < 0.001) confirmed the synergistic benefits of these practices.