Going Organic On Monocropped, Poor Sandy Isaan Soil

[DixiePig]

The Pig loves a challenge. That's why he plans to organically farm 10 rai near Maha Sarakham in a year.

Description of the land: Two chemically intensive rice crops every year, no rotation, for many, many years. Sandy soil, paddy land, no trees, no livestock. Plenty of groundwater. Road access. Have not yet tested the soil.

What I have done: Not much. Stopped the rice crop, land will lie fallow for one year. Neighbor invited to start grazing his cows

on the land.

What I plan to do soon: get a soil test.

What I want to do: sustainably interplant, grow fruit trees and bamboo, don't grow rice.

I live in Chaing Mai and currently don't get up that way very often.

I am interested in the experiences, thoughts, and suggestions of current Isaan farmers.

[mike123ca]

My Father in law gave us some land outside of Ubon. The way you described the quality of the land sounds like the same condition as our land. After speaking with the wife, she feels we would be better off planting fruit trees. After reading the above, I just wanted to ask why you want to include bamboo? What benefits does it have to offer?

[IsaanAussie]

The King of Thailand laid out a strategy for land useage as 30% water (read fish and irrigation) 30% rice cropping, 30% alternate crops and 10% people and animals. Solid advise in my book. Use the overburden from the pond to create the pond dyke system and the balance as is for rice. If you can grow a second rice crop currently you may wish to grow something else instead on that part that is nitrogen fixing.

Rice paddies are flooded creating anaerobic soil conditions. What ever else you want to grow, first you must get the soil improved.

[cyber_cynic]

Hi

I am not a farmer, but we produce a soil conditioning organic liquid fertilizer that breaks down chemicals from previous fertilization and reduces it to usable nutrients.

We also have an NPK organic liquid fertilizer that works in conjuction with the soild conditioner.

Both are in concentrated form to be diluted with water and sprayed. Soil conditioner could be "poured" onto soil.

Send me a PM if u have any interest.

[nickgonewalkabout]

Looks like we're in a similar situation. I'm near Mahasarakham. The soil here mostly impossible for the sand. Recommendation: bag it, sell it, use it with concrete. I'm digging a well and will brick it with cement mixed with my own sand. I was charged a fortune by a local supplier for sand, though I'm standing right on top of it! As for growing in this soil, well it needs serious composting. Certainly I hope you're using you're toilet for the soil, and not having nitrogen and plant nutrients sucked out by the old blue truck and taken away? If you careful with mixing, then there's little health risk as long as you're using it away from drinking water of course. I was able to download a leaflet put out by Mahasarakham University in association with an NGO on outdoor hyrdrophonic farming. Found it via a net search, and imagine it's the best way to make use of abundant sunlight and rainfall. You can use your compost to make compost tea, simply done, and add this to the water of your plants. With care, you'll have fine results. Build the hydrophonic trays according to the report, and use stored water (do you have a good supply?). This is the direction I'm heading. No water here even though we're next to a water reservoir (rainfed). Lake has dried to half, though the fields are wet in the lower paddies around Nacheuak.