permaculture

[peter chama <chappsy2003@yahoo.co.uk>]

it is good to read something from someone here in zambia please keep 
cmmunicating at protoquette@yahoo.co.uk. i am at the zambia institute of 
natural medicine and research

Adrian Bignell <bignell@zamtel.zm> wrote:  Hi All

I've only just subscribed to this service and am looking for some help in 
developing a permaculture system. I'm a commercial farmer in Zambia who has 
converted to zero tillage over the last 5 years and am amazed at the 
difference it has made. I have a 200ha block of land that has been cleared 
and need to develop it but want to minimise the environmental impact as well 
as reaching the full potential of the land.

My very basic plan, which mainly revolves around the use of acacia albida, 
is. 

1. Leave 20ha to develop as a natural woodlands. This will hopefully provide 
refuge for bees, birds etc.
2. Plant acacia albida every 20m in offset lines. The reason I have chose 
acacia albida is that it is a legume tree which occurs here naturally. Its 
common name is winter thorn because it flowers , pods and has leaves in the 
winter. This is quiet important in my plan as we have summer rainfall so will 
be able to inter crop with maize, soya etc during the summer as the trees 
will not shade out the crop. The nitrogen fixed by the trees will also be 
utilised by the crops. The pods of the tree drop in Sept, Oct when we have 
our biggest shortage of stockfeed, cattle/sheep love these pods and they are 
a good source of protien. I'll also be planting pasture in 1/4 of the land 
and this will be strip/control grazed in the summer months and then reaped 
for hay at the end of summer. 
3. I have done some work on interrow cropping corn with cowpeas, dolichos 
bean, crotelaria and velvet bean with some success but unfortunatly I still 
rely on herbicides so am strugling to find a broad leaf herbicide that can be 
used on maize and the above mentioned legumes.
4. Any bee keepers out there who can help with regards apiculture. The reason 
I ask is that we'll have a fulsh of pollen etc in the summer and then another 
in May, june, july when the acacias flower. I feel this would be a perfect 
opportunity to try and utilise the acaciacs further.

I look forward to hearing experienced comments. PS this is my first step 
towards permaculture so you'll have to excuse my ignorance in some matters.

Cheers
Adrian Bignell
Bignell Ranching
Mazabuka
Zambia
Central Africa
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