Transcript Conserving the Environment with Conservation Agriculture

From Permagarden
to Farmers Field
Peter Jensen
Permaculture Specialist
Peace Corps Tanzania
Control
Accomplishment
Hope
Overall Goal: To help people improve
the quality of their own lives
Livelihood Security through
improved ecosystems, greater
availability and access to food,
health promotion, disease
prevention and overall
empowerment to develop
greater family and individual
resiliency in the face of
mounting global challenges of
market and climate instabilities.
Enabling the base to develop
and grow sustainably.
Poor Yields in the Lowlands =
Ruined Hillsides
Higher Sustainable Yields =
Protected Hillsides
From Slash and Burn to
Cover and Protect
Livelihood and
Food Security
Ecosystem
Protection
Watershed
Management
Family Resiliency
Empowerment
It starts in the garden – the family
Classroom for Food Security
Before – no control of
erosion or yield
After – control and better
yield in just 2 hours
The Permagarden close to home
After two days of work –
digging and planting
After three weeks of
management
Key Elements: close; small; local seeds and tools; double
digging; compost; cover crops; green manures; ash and char;
spacing; weeds; water; permanent; doable; sustainable.
Soil Quality
Before Conservation
Agriculture
After Conservation
Agriculture
Density, OM, CEC/fertility, Temperature, Porosity
ALL IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY IN JUST 4 MONTHS
Then brought to the field
Land clearing and saving
of residue to hold moisture
Planting vetiver grass to
improve erosion control
The initial double dig with
better seed spacing
After 3 months – harvest
and residue return
Double digging breaks subsoil
compaction allowing closer spacing,
higher plant density, higher moisture.
Residue return after harvest to add organic
matter, nutrients and keep weeds away.
Let Growth and Yield speak for itself
Maize with Lablab bean
Yield from 2 stalks of maize
comparison between two 1x5m beds
Double Dug with Manure and
Compost
Single Dug with Manure Only
Seeds = 45
Seeds = 40
1 seed/35 cm
4 seeds/meter
Producing Plants = 40
Producing Plants = 20
Ears/Plant = 2
Ears/Plant = 1
Total Ears = 80
Total Ears = 20
Kernels/Ear = 500
Kernels/Ear = 250
Total Yield = 40,000
Total Yield = 5000
or
or
8 times the yield
per unit area!
20 kg
2.5 kg
What this means to the family
 Maize Yield = 4kg/sqm and 1.5kg/sqm dry cob
 10m x 12 m plot = 120 square meters



120 x 4kg = 480 kg maize grain
120 x 1.5kg = 180 kg dry cob (= 50 kg biochar)
25-30 kg cowpea plus green leaves throughout

Second crop using 3 month maize varieties allows the
family to grow an additional 480kg on the same space.

TOTAL: 960 kg maize, 60kg cowpea + 100 kg biochar

Family Food Security = 1000kg maize/year
Biochar…so what??
CEC, porosity, carbon, air and water dynamics,
microbes
Improve the agriculture to protect
the environment
Higher yield on less land means more land for others…
And less need to farm within fragile ecosystems.
Healthy Plants = Healthy People
June 2009
March 2010
Creates Healthy Communities
Protects and stabilizes Landscapes
Watersheds
and ecosystems
Take Home Lessons
 Local Tools
 Local People
 Local Needs
 Maize as the “hook” to inspire further adoption
 Small Doable Actions with Immediate Visible Results
Easy to learn, easy to do… easy to teach
Conclusion:
Improved Livelihood Security and Environmental
Conservation happens via Conservation Agriculture
Permagardening
Conservation Agriculture
Nutrition Education
Harvest and Storage
IGA Small Enterprise Development
Health Promotion
Disease Prevention
Environmental Conservation
Family Resiliency and
Empowerment
Inawezikana
PermaGardens
They’re not just for kitchens anymore
For Further Information
Peter Jensen
Permaculture Specialist
Peace Corps Tanzania
[email protected]
[email protected]
Healthy Soils = Healthy Plants =
Healthy People = Strong
Communities