Inga alley cropping: an alternative to slash and burn agriculture. The Inga tree is a nitrogen-fixing legume, apparently very fast-growing. Growing crops in between rows of Inga means the tree roots hold onto the soil, the nitrogen-fixing bacteria and the chopped leaves enrich the soil, and so farmers can stay on the same land year after year instead of cutting down a new swath of forest every year and leaving their old fields to erode away. At the beginning of every growing season the Inga is cut down to chest height and pruned as necessary, the leaves are put on the soil to mulch and decompose and the wood is used for firewood, crops are planted, and at the end of the growing season the Inga is allowed to grow up once again. youtu.be/Vtu8MF5WoSo
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 19:42:27 +0000
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