permaculture advocate in Zimbabwe - too little/too much rain

We added chicken soup on the maize that was turning yellow. I think the termite mount is working also, because it is already getting healthier slowly.  The left side of the image is the sandy soil and the maize looks really good this year. We are putting manure on areas that look a little strained this season as opposed to just putting manure in the whole field because of limited time and the manure itself. We did not see a need to outsource compost making material this time because our soil is looking rich and most areas are proving us right. We did make another compost as well as Russian comfrey fertiliser, which we will apply as soon after maturity.

I found an article online commenting on this year's rain and it is not good. They are actually advising cloud seeding I took an extract from the document.

"“We expected a drought, but didn’t think it would be this serious, this early,” said Wonder Chabikwa, the president of the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers’ Union. While it’s too early to estimate the effects on harvests, the government should start cloud seeding to “save the situation,” he said."

the link is:

http://www.msn.com/en-xl/middleeast/middleeast-top-stories/zimbabwes-farmers-urge-cloud-seeding-as-drought-withers-crops/ar-BBS0261?ocid=spartandhp

It has been very interesting following your story. Thank you posting this.

We received a good amount of rain. The field had no runoff water which means most of it percolated. Water would collect on top of the soil like in the other image and most of it would just flow out of the field, now even with the slight slope, as much water sinks.  

So, our filter has not been opening, for cleaning, in the past weeks, since after Christmas. We are supposed to clean it weekly and about a week and a half ago we could barely pass water through it because it was clogged. I was worried about the emitters, and the fact that we could  not use the drip. All people around, that I thought were strong tried opening the filter, but failed and there was no big enough tool we could use to assist. We had asked a man who helped with the pipe work to come and help, and he came yesterday. He opened with his bare hands in less than five minutes. It still puzzles me because we literally got the strongest men and they failed to open it. We are no longer closing the filter tightly.
Now we can plan properly the pump use. Since it rained, the vegetables are not being watered. This means that the pump is completely available for the maize. The field is divided into three sections and we can safely water all the three sections alternately without damaging the pump. That way we can maintain the soil moisture at a high level since our job now is to replace the evaporated water. We are also able to utilize the harvested water and avoid any overflow (by the way we have not had any overflow from the water harvesting tanks this year, one, because of the low rainfall so far and secondly, we would pump the water to the drip system tank, and water even if it rained, so as to channel all excess water to the field).  When the rain goes, we can then share the pump between the vegetable beds and the maize field, without worrying too much about the inadequacy of water available for the maize.

Fine looking field so far. I put Russian comfrey liquid on some of the plants on the sandy part and we treated the maize, from a worm. This is the first year we have had to spray our maize, the spray also seems to have gotten rid of some insects that were eating the bean leaves.  

Thanks for your updates.
What did you spray?
In West Africa I met people who sprayed papaya leaves and neem against insect pests. They were mashing the leaves and let them soak overnight in water before straining and spraying them. Some added a few drops of dish washing liquid.
It is way cheaper and safer than commercial pesticides.

Do you know of the push-pull method?
Here is a link to a newspaper article.
http://www.push-pull.net/nation_media_2018.pdf
Wikipedia also has quite a complete article about it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Push%E2%80%93pull_agricultural_pest_management

If you cannot open the link and have a question do not hesitate to ask.

Regrettably I have had to use the conventional chemicals. I used some chemical which I found from our stored items. I can say I was "fortunate" as pest control was way out of my budget this season, even the natural way of going about it. I have no clue as to how to manage crop pests the natural way. Hopefully I will be in a position to work on this in the coming season.

Hi Rufaro,

One of the first ways to control pests is to rotate crops. If you've been growing corn on the same plot for a few years then it's no surprise you have to treat for pests.

Try something different next year: beans, watermelon, okra, roselle, cucumbers and egusi melon, sesame seeds and bambura nuts or peanuts are all great African crops you could put in there instead of corn. I would stay away from corn for a few years now that you have a pest infestation.

Peace, Nathanael

Also diversity helps a lot. If you grow many different things, it protects you in a few ways, and makes it easier to go forward without poisons or conventional chemicals.

1) In a diverse planted area, pests don't find a monocrop to multiply on. Monocrops are much more vulnerable to pest infestations.

2) If you are growing many different things, you can accept damage to one crop this year, because next year that crop might do well, and a different crop may have trouble. But you'll always have plenty of things to harvest. Leaving the pests on the damaged plant seems like it could cause MORE of that pest the next year, and in some cases it does, but in many cases the ecosystem seems to balance out. Maybe predators rise to eat that pest, and the next year that particular pest drops back to its normal low levels. Pesticides (including some natural or organic ones) risk killing the predators along with the pests, so the ecosystem can't deal with it. In my experience, many years I have seen a new and unique pest causing a problem on just one or two types of plants, but the next year it recedes to the background.

3) I think I remember from your previous posts, that you discovered that the monocropped maize was actually costing your family money to produce. It was being sold for less than the cost of production. Instead of growing a lot of maize for sale, a diverse variety of crops could replace more of your family's food purchases, not only cheaper but healthier because you know how you produced it. You might even be able to grow some items that someone in your family loves but finds too expensive to buy often.

We have been talking about my mum joining the conversation on this forum, which will help in the continual adoption of permaculture even without my presence. I think this is the best opportunity for her as she is the one who has the final say as to what is to be planted, and through this forum she might get exposure that she wouldn't get anywhere else.  It will also help me as I can learn more about our progress, from discussions of her and other people who are interested in permaculture principles.

I am crossing my fingers this works and she will enjoy sharing ideas.

I got to experience some of my wishes, sooner than I thought I would. Last night I smiled to myself as I watched my mother put nail polish on her hands. Who would have ever thought this would ever happen in this lifetime. I saw beyond nail polish application. Here was my mother, with enough time and peace of mind, to do something not because it is a necessity, but for the fun of it.

Hi everyone, I am now doing secretarial work, but the words are my mother's  in response to the crop rotation and diversity:

I am familiar with crop rotation and practiced it in my younger days (I grew up in a rural set up). Maize is a staple grain and I feel I have to grow maize for our consumption and my father in law's who still stays in the rural area who does not have the capacity to grow enough of his own food.

I have added beans and some pumpkins within the field this year. With the limited land I am planning on growing different plants after the rainy season ( thanks to the drip system), for example putting onions soon after harvesting maize and if there is still time I will grow beans after the onions, which will take us right into the next farming season and we will grow maize again.

I do not see how I can avoid the loss in growing maize, as I need the maize especially now that we have a large number of chickens. Also maize is a crop that we are used to growing.

I do intend to try buying maize when it is still cheaper and assess the feasibility of growing something else apart from maize.

Sounds like a plan Rufaro; progress is in baby steps.

Hi Rufaro's Mum!
Welcome to Permies!
That sounds like good plans. Please keep us updated on how your project is going. It's so interesting to hear about a completely different climate, but some related issues, problems and solutions. And Rufaro writes about it so well, I am enjoying reading about it.
Best regards,
Rebecca

Well done Rufaro and Co. !

Very tense with the drought threatening your project and saved by the new drip system and rains !

I  have to say that it is very impressive how you set goals and work and work and then achieve them !  Your crops look great and you are a great example to people everywhere who have the ideas but don't seem able to make them happen. Also how you are setting things up so that your family and others will learn and prosper from your project.

What really sets you and your project apart is that you go right to it and DO IT !  

This is even more impressive when taken into consideration that you are operating in a very challenging economic and political climate as well !

Many of us in the first world can learn a great deal from you and your example !  

Hats off , and thank you for sharing and teaching !