growing food organically on hard rocky terrainpresentation+for+farmer+t… · growing food...
TRANSCRIPT
Growing food organically on hard rocky terrain
Green Essentials at the
International Centre Goa
PANJIM, GOA, INDIA
We started with building raised beds on what was virtually hard rock
2011
2011
Shallow rooted crops begin growing on heavily composted beds
First round of crops had some pest and disease but were otherwise healthy
2011
2012
Growing required regular addition of compost
2012
Companion plants like marigolds were added to deal with insect problems
2013
Introduced mulch with magical effect on soil health and moisture retention
2014
Modifying layout to enable shade, vertical growing space and more mulch production
2014
Soaking glyricidia stakes in panchagavya to improve survival and growth rates
2014
Glyricidia established creating shade and ample mulching material for the beds
2014
Change in layouts (more curves) and denser mixed planting confuses most insects
2014
Taller perennials create a cooler microclimate that allows leafy vegetables to thrive
2014
Plants continue to grow well with virtually NO regular addition of compost
2015
Plant yields increase with virtually no problems with insects, soil's water retention is enhanced
2015
By year 4, what started as just 8 inches of soil is supporting a small food forest
Summary points
• Mulch to maintain soil fertility and humidity
• Grow companion plants to help build soil
• Plant diverse varieties to prevent insects –perennials AND seasonal crops
• Use compost/cowdung, etc. sparingly
• Adapt the microclimate depending on what you want to grow
• Stack plants vertically and horizontally for greater production from the same plot
Before vs After
