From CtopherP@aol.com Mon Oct 11 22:34:45 1999 Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 13:13:00 EDT From: CtopherP@aol.com Reply-To: permaculture To: permaculture Subject: one-duck revolution In current issue of The Ecologist (Vol. 29, No.6, October 1999), is a very interesting article on low-input, high-yield rice growing in Japan. ------------------------------------------------ Summarised.... Based around the role of duck as pest control in paddies. Developed by Mr and Mrs Furuno. Called "Aigamo method" after Japanese name for the duck. Method now spreading rapidly - 10,000 farmers have taken it up across SE Asia. Yields increased 20-50percent. One farmer increased income 3x. Also called "one-bird revolution" (some Masanobu Fukuoka inspiration I guess). Furunos have made v.good video (inc English) apparently. The duck is key to the sucess: -Key is to release ducklings into paddies soon after rice seeds planted. -Ducks don't eat the seedlings - silica content too high. -Ducks readily take to paddies. -About 20 ducklings per 1/10 ha. Ducks are good because: -Paddling makes stems stronger and thicker (has been demonstrated in experiments). -Eat insect pests and golden snails which attack rice plants. -Also eat seeds and seedlings of weeds. -Feet oxygenate water and stimulate roots as they pull up the weeds (again demostrated). -Ducks so good at weeding that 3rd world farmers can rest instead of 240 hrs weeding p.a. -Ducks of course are fed on weeds/pests. -Ducks left in fields 24hrs p.d. -When rice forms ears of grains, ducks rounded up (would eat the grains). -Then returned to shed and fed on waste grain. -They mature, lay eggs and get ready for market. Ducks not only inhabitant of paddies: -Azolla, "duckweed" aquatic fern (which harbours blue-green algae as symbiont), is also grown. -Azolla efficient nitrogen fixer. -Azolla eaten by ducks and attracts insects which are eaten by ducks. -Plant doubles every 3 days - can be harvested as cattle feed. -Duckweed spreads out to cover surface of water, providing cover for roach. -Roach feed on duck faeces, daphnia and other worms, which in turn feed on plankton. -Fish and ducks provide fertiliser for rice throughout growing season. -Rice provides cover for ducks. Aigamo paddy fields is balanced, self-maintaining, self-propagating. Only external input is waste grain fed to ducks (+ some labour of course). Furuno farm is 2ha. 1.4 is paddy, rest is organic vegetables. Output p.a. = 7tons rice, 300 ducks, 4,000 ducklings and enough organic veg for 100 people. Aigamo method, like that other Japanese method of M.Fukuoka shows that high-yield organic is not labour intensive. Author is Mae-Wan Ho, head of Electro-biodynamics at Open University, UK.>> [ Part 2: "Included Message" ] Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 23:33:57 +0100 From: K.H. von Kaufmann Reply-To: general@lists.holisticmanagement.org To: general@lists.holisticmanagement.org Subject: one-duck revolution CHM-general, In current issue of The Ecologist (Vol. 29, No.6, October 1999), is a very interesting article on low-input, high-yield rice growing in Japan. ------------------------------------------------ Summarised.... Based around the role of duck as pest control in paddies. Developed by Mr and Mrs Furuno. Called "Aigamo method" after Japanese name for the duck. Method now spreading rapidly - 10,000 farmers have taken it up across SE Asia. Yields increased 20-50percent. One farmer increased income 3x. Also called "one-bird revolution" (some Masanobu Fukuoka inspiration I guess). Furunos have made v.good video (inc English) apparently. The duck is key to the sucess: -Key is to release ducklings into paddies soon after rice seeds planted. -Ducks don't eat the seedlings - silica content too high. -Ducks readily take to paddies. -About 20 ducklings per 1/10 ha. Ducks are good because: -Paddling makes stems stronger and thicker (has been demonstrated in experiments). -Eat insect pests and golden snails which attack rice plants. -Also eat seeds and seedlings of weeds. -Feet oxygenate water and stimulate roots as they pull up the weeds (again demostrated). -Ducks so good at weeding that 3rd world farmers can rest instead of 240 hrs weeding p.a. -Ducks of course are fed on weeds/pests. -Ducks left in fields 24hrs p.d. -When rice forms ears of grains, ducks rounded up (would eat the grains). -Then returned to shed and fed on waste grain. -They mature, lay eggs and get ready for market. Ducks not only inhabitant of paddies: -Azolla, "duckweed" aquatic fern (which harbours blue-green algae as symbiont), is also grown. -Azolla efficient nitrogen fixer. -Azolla eaten by ducks and attracts insects which are eaten by ducks. -Plant doubles every 3 days - can be harvested as cattle feed. -Duckweed spreads out to cover surface of water, providing cover for roach. -Roach feed on duck faeces, daphnia and other worms, which in turn feed on plankton. -Fish and ducks provide fertiliser for rice throughout growing season. -Rice provides cover for ducks. Aigamo paddy fields is balanced, self-maintaining, self-propagating. Only external input is waste grain fed to ducks (+ some labour of course). Furuno farm is 2ha. 1.4 is paddy, rest is organic vegetables. Output p.a. = 7tons rice, 300 ducks, 4,000 ducklings and enough organic veg for 100 people. Aigamo method, like that other Japanese method of M.Fukuoka shows that high-yield organic is not labour intensive. Author is Mae-Wan Ho, head of Electro-biodynamics at Open University, UK. ------------------------------------------------ Kenn --------------------------------------------------------------------- To subscribe to general@lists.holisticmanagement.org, send email to: general-subscribe@lists.holisticmanagement.org To unsubscribe to general@lists.holisticmanagement.org, send email to: general-unsubscribe@lists.holisticmanagement.org For more help, send mail to: general-help@lists.holisticmanagement.org The Allan Savory Center for Holistic Management 1010 Tijeras Ave NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102 USA 505.842.5252-ph, 505.843.7900-fax SavoryCenter@HolisticManagement.org www.HolisticManagement.org