permaculture

[Steve Diver <steved@ncat.org>]

Most people in alternative agriculture have read
Plowman's Folly.

No-till has really good applications, but it doesn't
fit every situation. It doesn't address the needs of
every farm and cropping system.  Improperly
employed with inadequate tools and timing, no-till
can result in a crop disaster via weed competition.

Green manures and tillage are valueable tools in the
farmer's and gardener's toolbox, and play a key role
in organic soil management.

Go back and re-read the article, and the bulletin, and think
about microbes and rock minerals, organic acids, enzymes,
mineralization, and mineral cycling that you get from
integrating green manuring with rock phosphates, using
local plant biomass sources combined with local microflora.

Add the tithonia article to the "permaculture in Africa"
virtual library.

Steve Diver
Northwest Arkansas, Zone 6b



>I would strongly suggest reading "The Plowman's
>Folly" by Edward H. Faulkner published in 1943.  His
>ideas are quite interesting and most helpful.
>Especially his statement about disking in green manure
>crops, his experiments and results.
>
>This is available from www.soilandhealth.org at no
>charge.
>
>Leon