Sebastian Scott has few problems in his crop fields…He advises:
Sebastian Scott has few problems in his crop fields…He advises:
Sebastian Scott has few problems in his crop fields…He advises:
Sebastian Scott, with his friend and co-founder of the Grassroots Trust in Zambia, Rolf Shenton. The aim of the trust is to protect and develop traditional farming systems that help small-scale farmers to farm profitably and sustainably with minimal input costs.
“Farmers, these long dry spells have always been there and will always be there.
Share your management plans to reduce the negative impact on your yields and profits.
We have a few.
1. Add organic matter to the soil using manure/compost. We apply this every year to our maize only, what remains the following season, goes to the legumes. Manure works for many years in the soil.
2. Add organic matter to the soil using green manure. We plant trees and shrubs in the field, we grow our crops between the rows of trees/shrubs. The leaves are cut back and applied to the soil as fertilizer for the maize. When they rot, they release nutrients to the crop and add organic matter to the soil.
3. We make fire breaks around the field to avoid burning of crop residues. Crop residues decompose and make organic matter in the soil.
Organic matter helps hold moisture and allows your crops to cope with long dry spells.
4. We use drought tolerant maize varieties, such as, Pan 53, SC719, Pioneer 30G19, K2 601 and others.
(Pictures taken on the same day, same area, same rain, same soil, same climate -different farming practices!)” _ Rolf Shenton Thursday 8th February, 2024
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