Page 59 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 8

HEALTH & WELLNESS

changing the mentality of our farm- for consumption and establishing a root systems, leaching nutrients,
ers and citizens by reminding them natural control for them. deconstructing soil structure, weak-
that farmers are curators of life. ening the immunity of crops and
Pest Control making them susceptible to disease.
Their responsibility is to nurture Pests and parasites can be managed
living soils that support healthy, sustainably by reintroducing natural It’s a plant super food consisting
nutritious crops and livestock in a predators of common or exotic of bird dung, broken eggs and
thriving ecosystem that produces pests. These may come in the form urine that’s rich in the major NKP:
quality food and drink to foster a of wasps, ladybirds, mice, mosqui- nitrogen, phosphorus and potas-
healthy and prosperous nation. tos, rats, snails, millipedes, worms sium elements which are found in
Farmers need to be reminded that and other such insects. synthetic fertilizers.
they are the doctors, pharmacy and This is why it’s critical for farmers These major elements aid in stem,
economic engine of any nation. not to fumigate ponds or fields flower, root, fruit and yield develop-
holding mosquitos, insects and rats ment and are accompanied by the
Once good farming practices are that are natural predators to many trace elements calcium, zinc, mag-
employed, we have a thriving pests and parasites. nesium, copper and manganese.
environment that supports healthy With that it’s important to promote Which aid in the absorption and
crops, animals and minds that can the development of colonies and processing of the major elements to
build prosperous and sustainable hives of insects naturally found make plants strong and immune to
economies. in the region to develop a natural parasites.
ecosystem for balance. In it are also microbes that feed on
Nature Has All The Solutions We parasites, pests and bad bacteria in
Need Bigger creatures like guinea fowl, the soil. They also diet on the bird
From this follows the elimination pigeons and chickens should be al- droppings, digesting it and releasing
of synthetic fertilizers, chemicals, lowed to free range on the property their own excretion which provides
plastics, hybrids and GMOs from as they eat weeds and make good the mineral salts required by plants.
the farming cycle. To a reliance on predators of parasites and insects In the process increasing soil life,
open variety [OPV or heirloom] that normally feed on crops. improving structure, water retention
seeds; healthy living soils; organic and fertility.
manure and a stable ecosystem. Organic Fertilizer
It’s important to create natural Bird Manure Not Toxic
Weed Control sources of fertilizer on the farm by Unlike synthetic fertilizers, bird
Weeds must be managed by natural building composts upon which or- droppings are not toxic and do not
methods like mulching with grass or ganic material and kitchen waste are burn plants like the petrol chem-
intercropping with ground cover- thrown to decompose over time. icals found in synthetic fertilizers
ing crops like the world renowned Thus developing rich manure for that are associated with ever increas-
threesome of maize, pumpkin and fertilizing smaller gardens. ing health issues in humans and
beans. Animal urines and bird droppings animals.
In some cases we have seen mulch- are some of the most effective Even when too much droppings are
ing done by plastic, however, I’m forms of organic fertilizers and pes- applied on crops. The manure is
doubtful that non-biodegradable ticides suited for large scale farming degraded slowly by microbes that
plastics made from synthetic petrol projects. ingest them and excrete mineral
chemicals form part of a natural or salts in quantities that can be ab-
organic farming cycle. Note that animal manure can only sorbed by the plant.
It’s also important to note that be organic when the animals are not This makes bird droppings a slow
many plants that we consider as inoculated, given steroids and only release nutrition mechanism that
weeds today are actually very nutri- when fed organic feed. benefits the crop with just enough
tious traditional spices and herbs minerals without overdosing the
which need to be rediscovered and Bird Droppings plant.
reintroduced into our diet. Inherent in bird droppings are
greater benefits than synthetic fertil- As a result the natural benefits of
This way we can improve our diet izers which are infamous for killing organic fertilizer produces healthy,
and health by cultivating these herbs insects and soil microbes, burning wholesome crops, and when cou-

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