permaculture

[Neil Bertrando <neilbertrando@gmail.com>]

Quick thought on this.

Keyline Design's effectiveness is partially associated with it's application
as a whole system design at a 'landscape' scale.  I encourage you to
consider how you design your study plots' size and spatial relationships
based on this info.  In my opinion, pilot scale plots are insufficient for
assessment and analysis of Keyline Design (and probably for Keyline pattern
cultivation effects as well).  If possible, whole farm plots would be ideal.
 In either case, please consider the role of scale and how it may affect
your results.

I would love to see all the variables you mentioned tested.

Another aspect to consider is the role of adaptive management and monitoring
in the success of systems such as Keyline and Holistic planned grazing.
 This makes it difficult to design an experiment with 'scientific rigor'
since rotation is based on monitoring and response to changing environmental
conditions and is not a set number of days that can be repeated from plot to
plot throughout one year or on the same plot from year to year.  Not to say
it cannot be done, just that it will be imagination intensive.

If you haven't heard the interview with Dan Daggett on the Agroinnovations
podcast, I suggest you check it out.  The discussion touches on the
relationship between science and management, but not really Keyline.  I
think that they hit the nail on the head with respect to the difficulty in
assessing Permaculture and Holistic Management systems scientifically.  I
hope you find the info useful with respect to your project design.

here's a link,
http://agroinnovations.com/index.php/en_us/multimedia/blogs/podcast/2010/10/episode-109-the-gardeners-of-eden/

Perhaps the Resilience Science framework for studying Socio-Ecological
systems could also provide some insights with regards to study design.

This site may be helpful:
http://rs.resalliance.org/

cheers,
Neil



On Tue, Mar 15, 2011 at 12:15 PM, Rich Blaha <rich@mossbackfarm.com> wrote:

> Hi Mike
>
> These guys http://soilcarboncoalition.org/ have started the process
> measuring pasture carbon sequestration...their sidebar link on monitoring
> gives some good comprehensive methods for what you're trying to measure.
>
> Good luck.  We're looking at doing some similar trials...I look forward to
> hearing how yours go
>
> Cheers
>
> Rich
> www.mossbackfarm.com
>
>
>
> On 3/14/2011 10:24 AM, permaculture-request@lists.ibiblio.org wrote:
>
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>> Today's Topics:
>>
>>    1. salmon-nettle soup with all native ingredients (paul wheaton)
>>    2. Variables for Keyline System Trials (Michael Snow)
>>    3. Bleeding Heartland:: ISU professor sounds alarm about future
>>       of Leopold Center (Lawrence F. London, Jr.)
>>
>>
>>
>> Message: 2
>> Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2011 14:12:30 -0700
>> From: Michael Snow<msnow@valley.net>
>> To: permaculture<permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
>> Subject: [permaculture] Variables for Keyline System Trials
>> Message-ID:<7CA24431-FA79-4061-B0CE-BDCB593B0297@valley.net>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>>
>>
>> Keyliners and Statisticians,
>>
>> As part of a grazers network in Maryland, we've acquired a yeoman's plow,
>> with three shanks, coulters, standard toolbar, roller, seedboxes.  We are 
>> in
>> a sensitive watershed, the Chesapeake Bay watershed, and work in part to
>> encourage grass-based systems.
>>
>> We're designing a plan for evaluating it's use and effectiveness in
>> improving soil quality, productivity, and environmental quality.  This is 
>> an
>> initial trial - not intended to be a rigorous, long-term experiment in
>> itself, but we do expect it to be used to make initial observations which
>> might translate into more formal research.  That said, we'd like our trial
>> to be tight and this is my request for assistance.
>>
>> This year, four farms are involved, and University extension will
>> collaborate.  Two of these farms are organic dairies, one entirely
>> grass-based and utilizing mob grazing, the other largely grass-based with
>> some feed-crop production.  Of the other two sites, one is on Extension
>> land, the other is a beef grazing operation.
>>
>> Although we have some funding and that collaboration, we are interested in
>> monitoring perhaps 4-8 variables over three years, samples and tests 
>> largely
>> pulled by farmers.  Have any of you been involved in formal research of
>> keyline as a system?  Regardless, do you have any suggestions for building 
>> a
>> protocol for this project?  A tentative list we are trying to whittle down
>> so far includes:
>>
>>        Bulk density, porosity, aggregate stability, penetration resistance
>>        Infiltration rate
>>        N, P measurements and sediment load (to compare to Bay Program
>> baselines)
>>        Soil testing: biological (eg, soil food web, though expensive),
>> chemical; Organic Matter; evaluating changes in the A horizon (depth,
>> transition to B horizon)
>>        Forage productivity: forage testing, both biomass and quality
>> through fecal samples; percent cover and species diversity; brix
>>        Milk production
>>        Field moisture
>>        The ever popular how'd-it-do test, subjective qualitative analysis
>>
>> Fields are divided to two, keeping soil class, texture, slope, and
>> management consistent.  They'll be evaluated side by side.
>>
>> We do hope to develop this protocol in fairly short order.  Your
>> suggestions are most welcome,
>>
>> Mike
>>
>> ------------------------------
>>
>> ******************************
>>
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