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  • From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lflj@bellsouth.net>
  • To: permaculture <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [permaculture] Fwd: Re: pasture cropping
  • Date: Mon, 04 Mar 2013 17:05:02 -0500




-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [SANET-MG] pasture cropping
Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2013 08:56:44 +1100
From: Dennis Argall <dennisargall@GMAIL.COM>
To: SANET-MG@LISTS.IFAS.UFL.EDU


I write from Australia, former organic farm, permaculture design, now in country town with house disappearing in jungle.

The interesting project reported at The Solution's Journal seems an excellent local adaptation for continuing established purpose with a no-till system (vastly better than spray-kill no-till practices). But its parameters are still pretty tight. In that relatively dry depleted soil environment it would require a greater revolution to do as Steve Lawton has demonstrated in the middle east:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sohI6vnWZmk

On those Australian farms engaged in 'pasture cropping' placement of the annual grain crop is by direct drill of major machine. Vegetables would fail in that environment and probably an environment consistent with good vegetable growing would be bad for sheep, risking fly-strike and footrot. Massed poultry would be more valuable in the latter, moveable electric fences are available. I have used this product happily:
http://www.allsun.com.au/Electranets.html

I don't know what vegetables you had in mind, broad leafy types may tend to smother and reduce perennial grasses.

Fukuoka made small scale coated seeds in clay pellets to broadcast into previous crop, clay protecting the seed from pests before rain arrived.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4-bwW8PWI0
see also
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ft0ylk4sU5M n.b. around 24 minutes and 29 minutes

In One Straw Revolution
ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/ID/technical/one_straw_revolution.pdf
see especially pages 118-9

Also see Mollison's Permaculture Designers Manual (not the skinny books)
https://www.tagari.com/store/12

'Stacking' of plants is an alternative to rotation, enabling 'no-till'. In permaculture teaching in the past I have suggested soil biota might be compared usefully with Manhattan, very lively especially if not turned upside down. I am trying to find the right geriatric's garden weapon to chop weeds and grasses low, rather than pull them out. Carefully cycling ducks and chickens through can achieve this - when I've gotten the vulnerables all up in raised beds! In my small jungle I am concerned about production per cubic metre, not per plant.

regards

Dennis
http://aplaceof.info/




  • [permaculture] Fwd: Re: pasture cropping, Lawrence F. London, Jr., 03/04/2013

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