permaculture

["Marsha Hanzi" <hanzibra@svn.com.br>]

Bom dia!
Some time ago I asked about sheet-composting in dry conditions, with some
very useful feeback from the list.

I would just like to give you the feedback that I came to the conclusion
that the best way to kick-start restortion of really degraded land in
drylands is planting Opuntia ( a cactus used for animal forrage here) one
per meter. You could feel immediately that the field had gained life, with
miniture wind-braks as well as a reserve of humidity. Now with the first
rains we planted castor with each opuntia  , 3 cowpeas between each on the
line, a cassava in the center ( one per meter), and  a cocktail of
catch-crops ( sesame, amaranth, radishes, and a native legume) every 50cm,
filling up the rest of the space with jackbeans.  In spite of very little
rain, things have come up marvellously, and received enough rain, in a
second downpour, to develop well.  These are occasional summer
thundershowers, not dependable as are our rains of April-May, so we are
playing in the lottery, so to speak...But even if the crops fail, a good
amount of organic material is being  created onsite.

Of course the areas ( a small portion) where I actually did manage to spread
the sawdust compost are reacting a bit better than the others-- one can see
a result , but the area I actually managed to cover is only about one-tenth
of the whole,  after days and days of effort, whereas I needed a team of six
workers for one day to plant the whole area with opuntia, and can myself
 with a manual planter) do all the rest in two days time--

The advantage of opuntia is that you can ( and should) plant before the
rains come.  Another advantage is that it has a very high market value as
emergency forrage for cattle during droughts, so the investment will return
in a years time ( I dont plan to have animals for the next two or three
years...)

Though you might be interested in this update..

Marsha Hanzi
Bahia, Brazil
www.permacultura-bahia.org.br