Kamandalagundi, a remote village in central Karnataka is dry and thirsty. On an average, if the monsoon is good, the area receives around 350 mm rainfall in one year. This year the farmers say, they are prepared. The hope is that the monsoon is bountiful, but if not then they say they can sustain themselves and save their crops which mean gold to them. In a mission to recharge defunct borewells, the farmers dig a pit around the bore well first. Boulders are then filled into the pit. A huge perforated pipe is fit into the bore well.
The Phillipines For more information: www.worldagroforestry.org
Rainwater harvesting is one component of the sustainable agriculture that can also help smallholder farmers cope with climate change. The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) in the Philippines is working with smallholder farmers in the rural uplands to promote sustainable agriculture through integrating trees on farms.
25.02.2020 The Paani Foundation – how one village built CCTs, farm pond and boulder check dams in 45 days
Hindi language only. The aim of watershed management is to prevent rainwater from flowing away and help it to instead percolate into the soil. The watershed treatment known as Continuous Contour Trenches (CCT) performs the function of a speed breaker on flowing water. Dug along contour lines, these trenches work efficiently if created scientifically with the help of the right tools. In this step-by-step instructional video you will see how CCTs are to be made using the help of a hydromarker. This training video has been created by Paani Foundation founded by Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao. This technique has successfully been implemented in hundreds of villages in Maharashtra with proven results. वाहत्या पाण्याला आणि गाळाला थांबवून मातीचा ओलावा आणि गावातल्या पाण्याची पातळी वाढवणारे सी.सी.टी. कसे बनवतात, हे गावकऱ्यांच्या मदतीने आपल्याला समजावून सांगत आहेत चतुरराव.
ZZ2 is a South African agricultural group that grows fruits and vegetables. They began working with Netafim almost 25 years ago, and have seen yields increase by more than 20 tons per hectare. Today ZZ2 farms over 3800 hectares of tomatoes, avocados, mangos and onions – all with drip irrigation.
Low quality water and soil are constant challenges for today’s sugarcane farmers. Netafim’s know-how and proper treatment can solve many of these problems by installing an irrigation room and sub-surface drippers. This combination will ensure controlled water pressure and the flow rate, so your sugarcane crops will receive what they need, exactly where they need it – directly to the root zone. Our systems are flexible and provide different amounts of water and nutrients according to the crop’s growing stages. Another advantage of Netafim’s drip system is its sustainability – during harvest the system is undamaged, which means it is already prepared for the next growing cycle, so setup costs in labor and equipment are drastically reduced. Read more: http://www.netafim.com/crop/sugarcane
Sub-surface Drip Irrigation (SDI) – Your best long term irrigation system Used in Fields, orchards and vegetable crops, SDI is having an enormous and positive impact on the industry. SDI brings environmental, technical and commercial advantages by increasing yields and reducing resources over the long term. From the planning stage, through the growing stage – for multiple crops, water quality, climate and topography – SDI is a proven solution for modern farmers. See how SDI is used in corn fields – in every stage of its growth – again and again.
Sand dams are a key technology to improve water supply in semi-arid regions. A sand dam is a reinforced concrete wall built across seasonal river beds – 2 to 4 metres high and up to 90 metres across. Over one to three seasons, the dam fills up with water, then sand, which filters water clean and protects it from evaporation and parasites. About 40% of the volume behind the dam is water, meaning that sand dams can hold an incredible 2 to 10 million litres of water!
Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger – Stone lines or (“bunds”) slow down runoff, incerease water infiltration and for the basis for improved production in semi-arid areas. At the same time, sediment is captured behind these semi-permeable barriers. Stone lines were originally a traditional technique in the Sahel, but have been improved by careful construction, and through alingning on the contour.
Al Baydah project, Saudi Arabia: The local Bedou community building stone lines
“A swale is a water harvesting ditch on contour with a soft mound on the lower side, designed to slow water down to a standstill, eliminate erosion, infiltrate the surrounding area with water, and recharge the groundwater table.” Geoff Lawton “Slow it, spread it, sink it”
The basic concept of a swale on contour is to catch water as it drains and hold it in place until it absorbs into the ground. It looks a bit like a massive ditch with closed ends, trapping all of the water as opposed to having it flow anywhere. Other swales systems, also known as diversion ditches or soil conservation swales, are meant slow down the movement of water in order to allow it to partially absorb, catch sediment, and/or prevent erosion while slowly ushering it elsewhere, like a reservoir. However, a swale on contour aims to keep all the water in place until it is absorbed.
Lebanon: This documentary serves as a training tool to all reforestation practitioners who are willing to implement successful planting activities.
– Australia
Is “natural sequence farming” the secret to restoring our water-starved continent? For more than a decade, two farmers have shown that parched landscapes can be revived. And finally, Canberra’s listening. Australian Story explores the potential solution to Australia’s drought crisis.
17.04.2014 The Philippines. In this video, you will see nursery practices before planting a seedling. The video was shot at Haribon’s Buhay Punlaan Nursery in Brgy. Lewin, Lumban, Laguna.
http://www.deeplivingproject.com.au Yandoit Farm in Victoria, Australia is going through some farm re-designs. The work is happening on three tiers- the Whole Farm Design is being led by Darren Doherty a regenerative agriculture expert with years of experience in keyline farm design. The Homestead design of 3.5 hectares of Permaculture style zoning, food forests and gardens and they are using Holistic Management to allow the decision makers behind Yandoit Farm to articulate their vision.
David Marsh speaks about his change moment from industrial agriculture to a more holistic approach that has seen his property have plentiful grass coverage even during drought. Follow David at www.arlash.com/blog a leader in regenerative agriculture.
Outside Bismarck, ND is a ranch that exemplifies a quiet revolution in commercial agriculture. While more and more consumers learn about the overwhelming benefits of eating healthfully (preferably local, organic food), a growing number of farmers and ranchers are weaning themselves from the grip of a small cartel of extremely powerful chemical “pharming” corporations. They are returning to a style of farming that had always existed before. Gabe & Paul Brown are a father and son who are not shy about showing off their beautiful land and visibly happy livestock. They practice what they call “Regenerative Farming” – a set of practices that encourage biodiversity and the natural enrichment of untilled soils. Improving soil health is a priority and no-till farming has been practiced since 1993. A diverse cropping strategy, which includes cover and companion crops are used. They have elimnated the use of synthetic fertilizers, fungicides, and pesticides and use no GMO crops. The result? Incredibly good food they produce for less than half the cost of chemical farming. Yep. Better food for less money with less damage to us and the planet. Win, win and win.
How to adopt a landscape watershed approach to sustainable land and water management
Tamera, Portugal: Sepp Holzer and Bernd Mueller explain the construction, the effect and the basic ideas for the construction of a water retention landscape: a local and natural solution to the global problem of disturbed water balance.
Using sand dams to turn once arid soil into fertile farmland (Eastern Kenya)
Agroforestry can transform lives and landscapes. Trees and shrubs grown on farms provide fruit, timber, resins, fuelwood and livestock fodder. They also improve soil fertility, regulate water supplies and help farmers adapt to changing climatic conditions. (Ethiopia)
