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Any questions or comments you have about Natural Sequence Farming processes. These could include general questions or ones about your personal problems.

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wayne pech
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principles

Post by wayne pech » Thu Sep 10, 2009 6:55 pm

Can someone please explain what vegetation etc should exist in the 3 slopes in a farming system. Hill, midslope and valley's. What enterprises can exist in each of the 3 sections. Thank you.

Ian James
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Post by Ian James » Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:37 pm

Your question is too broad.

But a broad answer might do.

Topslope.... this would be the source of any water system in the land below. As such vegitation here should be permenant, deep rooted, and covering to inhibit runoff.

Mid slope, this area should be productive vegetation, may be seasonal but should be also covering to prevent run off and control surface runoff that may intrude from the topslope.

Lowslope... this area has the potential to be your most productive land as the health and moisture from the slopes above feed any crops that you may produce here.

This area can suffer from waterlogging if the upper slopes have been unable to control sufficient soil moisture. This area is where you plant your cash crop and should be covered with vegetation to minimise evaporation during summer.

Grass crops will grow well here and if excess biomatter or crop stubbles are produced it should be considered to mow it and transport the mulch to the upper slopes where it can be fed to stock and decomposed while assisting to control any surface runoff that may adversly affect the lower slopes.

This is my understanding.

duane
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Post by duane » Thu Sep 24, 2009 9:09 pm

Under the forces of gravity, all landscapes operate from top to bottom.

Generally, landscapes run from forestry (at the top) to aquaculture (at the bottom).

So, at the top you want course leafed, broad leafed plants. These could be trees or agroforestry where harvesting was selective and planned. Understorey plantings of productive plantings such as coffee, fruit trees etc. would complement the understorey and make up the 'lower forest'. This is your fertility zone.

Mid level could be your broad acre plants....wheat, sorghum, canola, peanuts, potatoes, bananas etc etc etc., for example. This is the productivity zone.

The Lower level is your accumulation zone where grasses are used to filter and trap nutrients brought down by gravity from the upper two zones. This grass can be harvested and feed to animals at the top zone to complete the cycle. Aquaculture can occur here as well, where grasses take the form of reed beds to filter and process the products from above and fish etc can feed on the products produced.

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