Database
Soil Sponge
Finca Argayall
A hole 60cm deep by 2-3m in diameter is filled with compost and wood waste. Fast-growing species with easily-degradable Organic Matter are planted: banana, squash, yam, tomatoes, ginger, etc.
6 months to a year later, the soil created is dug up and can be applied to the field.
Biochar amendment
Finca Argayall and Mbacke Kadior
Create your own biochar to integrate it into your soil. One application serves for decades , improves water and nutrient retention, reduces acidity and stores atmospheric carbon.
For a DIY tutorial, follow this link .
The queen of permaculture
Finca Argayall
Tithonia diversifolia, also called Mexican sunflower is a plant with many uses .
In Argayall it is used as mulch material. After a few months of growth and preferably before fructification, it is completely cut and shredded then spread out in the field. This layer protects from the heat, the beating of the rain and, while degrading, provides a natural amendment. The characteristics of the organic composition of Tithonia make it the perfect plant to nourish a soil.
Mulching
Mbacke Kadior
Covering the soil with organic matter helps protect it from bad weather, heat, cold and drought, but also provides a slow but constant input of fertility. The microclimate created by the straw increases the efficiency of watering and promotes the development of life. You wouldn't go out in the desert or the tundra without covering up, why force the ground to remain bare?
liquid fertilizer
Mbacke Kadior
It's hard to fertilize with natural fertilizers once crops are established. Liquid fertilizer is simply added to the irrigation water and can revive a culture in deficiency or simply serve as a substitute for chemical fertilizers.
The best part? By adding leaves of particular species, you can add an insecticidal or fungicidal effect to the solution!
The test bed
Mbacke Kadior
A farm plot has a wide variety of production conditions. A micro difference in soil acidity or wind strength can have an effect on the good growth of its crops. How to take advantage of this heterogeneity? The test board is simple and effective: you split your plot into zones to install a cultivation bed with a variety of speculations. What grows well on the board can be extended to the rest of the area!
Association of cultures
Mbacke Kadior
To create resilience, what could be more natural than to draw inspiration from how life organizes itself? Create diversity in gardening systems to offer the benefits of one species to the other and vice versa!
Pyrethrum powder
Mbacke Kadior
An insect repellent - an insect repellent that does not kill and does not affect auxiliaries. Extracted from a flower, how wonderful ! Pyrethrum powder, made from the Dalmatian Chrysanthemum can be bought or made by yourself.
Kadd's fruit powder
Mbacke Kadior
The fruit of Kadd (Faidherbia albidia) can be used as animal fodder but also as a soil amendment! Crushed into a powder, it can be applied in agriculture as a source of nitrogen and organic matter. A new source of organic fertilizer for those sub-Sahelian regions where this tree grows in abundance, even in arid environments.
Diatomaceous earth
Mbacke Kadior
A fossil land with multiple uses. It is a floral revitalizer, useful for reviving a fruit crop after its first harvest or for strengthening a speculation with fragile inflorescences. It is also used as a foliar fertilizer. A natural source of vigor.