How a diagnosis can boost crop production

 

Topics

   Climate smart agriculture,
Company development

   Win-win system

Situation

1999 - 2005. Village of Dom Retiro, Santa Catarina state, southern Brazil.

The company Jung Consult do Brazil cultivates 6 ha of aloe vera and processes it to create juices and cosmetics.

The production respected organic standards from the beginning (6 years) and was certified by a Brazilian certification body. This certification was not recognised in the USA or Europe.

Problem

During my first visit of control (for certification by a European certification body), I found the soil unusually hard. The land was weedy and showed weak plants.

The crop manager attested that:

• Plants were growing with difficulties.
• Weeding was a time-consuming activity.
• Ploughing before planting young aloe vera plants was very hard to manage.
• Fertilization was done with compost made up of crop residues and poultry manure.

Implemented solutions

• Stop using poultry manure; I supposed it contains antibiotic residues killing the living organisms in the soil.
• Purchase of 6 cows and implementation of a ranching system with vegetable bedding.
• New compost was composed of cow manure mixed with crop residues.
• Use of green manures (cereals and leguminous) between the lines of aloe vera.
• Mowing green manures to feed the cattle.
• Planting young aloe vera straight after mowing the green manure, without ploughing.

Results

• The soil became soft.
• Aloe vera harvests were tripled in 5 years.
• The company increased its activities and profits.
• The technical staff was content to stop the strenuous work of weeding and ploughing. Furthermore, they now cultivated beans and corn for green manures, but were able to harvest the grain for their families.
• The crop manager became a national contact person for growing organic aloe vera.