Page 113 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 10

GREEN HANDS

a decline in soil fertility. Rotations
are a significant part of the delivery
of the “sustainable profitability”
mandate of Farming God's Way
Relay Cropping
Mixed cropping is a common
African practice, especially with
beans between maize rows, however
neither of these crops reach their
yield potentials with this system. We
do not encourage a mixed cropping
for manageability and best crop
performance reasons. However, we
do encourage relay cropping if the
climate allows for this or there is
enough residual moisture towards
the end of the season. When run-
ning a relay race you pass the baton
from one runner to the next. In the
same way relay cropping is planting
the second crop when the first one
is tiring and dying back.
Relay crops are different to double their dry non rainy winter season for a second crop.
crops which get planted after har-
vesting the first crop. Be careful not Green Manure Cover Crops
to plant the relay crop too early as Green manure cover crops are also an amazing part of God’s all sufficiency and
then you will cause your first crop given the right climates and management, can become integrated into the crop-
yield to suffer drastically when the ping cycles. Green manure cover crops would be well suited to the climates of
grain fill stage is happening. Relay Central and West Africa, as well as where there are extended rainy seasons like
crops can be planted in holes in the western Kenya and Uganda. A suggestion is to grow green manure cover crops
row or broadcast under the dying in the short rain periods in order to recondition the soil for the main cropping
canopy. season.
An example is how A farmer in Green manure cover crops have been used commercially for many years to build
Zambia, Dixon Shuwali plants up the percentage cover of God’s Blanket, fix nitrogen, improve soil fertility,
Pigeon Peas when the maize plant control weeds, prevent erosion, provide high protein animal fodder, additional in-
leaves start to die back, usually at the come and human food. They are just like growing compost in the fields and their
end of February or March. In April, advantages over compost are they don’t need watering and are far less labour
he harvests his maize and knocks intensive. Some excellent legume varieties include dolichos lablab, mucuna/vel-
down the stalks. Then in September vet bean, cowpeas, alfalfa, peas and hairy vetch. Examples of suitable monocots
he harvests the relay crop of Pigeon include wheat, rye and oats. Some species of cover crops such as cowpeas, peas
Peas. The benefits of this system and wheat are also well suited to relay cropping and can be broadcast under the
include 2 crops in a climate with maize canopy before the last weeding at leaf die back, serving as the second cash
one rainy season, fixing of nitrogen crop and as the green manure cover crop.
because Pigeon Peas are a legume,
increase in mulch blanket cover, Source material:
good weed control through shade Farming God’s Way Trainer’s Reference Guide. Dryden, G.W., 2009.
effect, as well as giving him the right
to protect his mulch blanket from
burning by rat hunters and grazing
by animals. In the past 3 years his
Pigeon Pea average harvest has been
750 kilograms or just under 2 tons
per hectare, which is incredible in

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