A well watered garden !

The beauty of the mountain kingdom, Lesotho, never ceases to amaze us. It is a study in contrasts.The invigorating mountain air, spectacular panoramas of rocky crags, deep valleys and fields of alpine flowers, and the warm welcome of the Basotho people, set Lesotho apart. The country has a minimum altitude of 1400 meters (4500 ft). The approx 2 million people are still predominantly rural (75%) and depend on farming as a primary livelihood . 

Due to a number of factors land erosion is high and one could say that the biggest export out of Lesotho is its soil. This has increased exponentially in the last decade due to continuing historic land management practices (including road construction and farming practices introduced during the colonial era) as well as population pressure on the land and sustained drought. This makes it all the more critical to reassess land management and develop strategies for restoring the soil to a state where it can once again become fertile and productive.

At Maphutseng one of the oldest mission headquarters has been turned into a training centre for a variation of conservation agriculture called 'Farming God's Way'.  The approach has been designed to encourage farmers to incorporate spiritual dimensions into farming practice as well as shift from conventional plough farming to no tillage farming. The week long seminar I attended brought together 21 people from Lesotho, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Zambia.


Theory and practice filled the days as well as meditations and reflections.Understanding the implications of tillage practices that collapse soil structure and reduce water retention leading to significant soil erosion were a starting point. Graphic examples were offered to illustrate the point. Then began the discussions on how to farm sustainably and productively.






Introducing no tillage practices, rebuilding soil structure and content through mulching, creating
compost piles, learning how to establish contour lines occupied many hours of discussion and practical lessons.

The whiteboard signage to the left was a good reminder to the facilitators that engaging the participants in actual work/practice is the best learning methodology.



One of the amazing results of working with this farming methodology is that productivity can be increased from 30-100%. The heavy mulch cover retains moisture as does the restored soil structure. With very specific addition of manure, mulch and/or fertilizer the plants maximize nutrient uptake. The whole process is based on  key management principles: 

1) Being on time. The best time to plant in the region is 22nd November assuming there have been adequate rains.

2) Preparing and planting to high standards. This relates to ideal width between planting holes, depth of soil coverage, appropriate nutrient addition, effective contour planning, appropriate mulch coverage, etc. All of these things together maximize potential crop output.

3) The third principle is 'minimum wastage'. This references not planting more than 3 seeds per hole (which will be thinned to two upon germination), putting only the right amount of fertilizer in the soil (natural or artificial), and ensuring the seeds are in the ground right after the first effective rains. Crops are rotated annually.

A 6m x 6m demonstration plot utilizing these techniques is called a 'well-watered garden'.  Each workshop participant had to demonstrate their ability to present these concepts in the field on the last day of the seminar. With 5 groups operational we heard the message and got involved in the demonstration 5 times. So we did and we understood!!!