Global crop yields are at their highest in recorded history, but to prioritize higher yields farmers are incentivized to use chemical fertilizers and pesticides. These can disrupt the crop’s ability to extract micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and amino acids from the soil, which ultimately produces a less nutritional crop. A solution developed in recent years has been regenerative farming - a collection of sustainable practices whose primary focus is revitalizing farm soil while maintaining yield. This review will explore the long-term decline in iron, zinc, and copper concentrations for many crops, its implications for the human immune system, and how regenerative farming can alleviate these trends.

Boreal forests are warming faster than the rest of the globe, leading to more frequent and severe wildfires. A main component of boreal forest recovery is mycorrhizal fungi, which establish mutualistic symbioses with host plants within the roots and soil. However, this symbiosis may be threatened by high severity fires, which burn the canopy of trees and the soil. This review will evaluate the current literature on high severity wildfire and mycorrhizal fungi in boreal forests.

Investigating replacements for inorganic chemical controls of pests and pathogens is essential to preserve the productivity and longevity of our agricultural lands. One solution is vermicomposting, a safe, scalable, and regenerative method of managing organic waste that involves the use of worms to convert organic matter into compost. This literature review examines the effects that vermicompost and vermicompost teas have on harmful accumulations of pests, pathogens, and toxins found within our agricultural systems.