Legume Inoculant and Hoophouse

[Buddy58]

A twofer--

 

I had a 27 acre  organic farm in the US. I find half of my experiential knowledge useful here as I set up my 11 rai organic farm in Maha Sarakham . Two questions.

 

1. Best way to build/buy a hoophouse. Input from hoophouse owners solicited.

 

2. Legume inoculant. Farmer friends told me it is available at every Land Office. Perhaps they meant their Land Office. Not at Maha Sarakham. If you use it, where do you get it?

 

I have lived in Thailand for 7 years. I am not a greenhorn, but I need specific suggestions in these two areas now.There will be more inquiries to follow.

[drtreelove]

Don't know the answers, but here's what may be some useful information.

 

There was a discussion here a couple of years ago on legume inoculants.  

 

I believe that a lot of people waste time and money on these because they don't understand that the Rhizobia bacterial inoculant needs to be species-specific to the crop, and a live culture.  Be sure you get what you are expecting.

 

 http://extension.psu.edu/plants/crops/forages/successful-forage-establishment/inoculation-of-legumes-for-maximum-nitrogen-fixation

 

Hoop house: I've never built one, but here's a DIY article. 

 

http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/hoop-houses.aspx

[drtreelove]

A lot of legumes sold for crops or cover crops are pre-inoculated. Check with the Land Dept.

The Chiang Mai Land Dept was very helpful when I was there, free seeds, and had an English speaking PhD scientist available for questions.

And check out this e-book:

Fertilizer for Free: How to make the most from biological nitrogen fixation by Wojciech Majda

[drtreelove]

Here is the website of the author for ordering the e-book Fertilizer For Free: $10

http://designerecosystems.com/

 

I had only skimmed it just after purchasing, but just read it in entirety and I highly recommend it. Here are a couple of excerpts: 

 

Fertilizer for Free: How to make the most from biological nitrogen fixation

by Wojciech Majda

 

The rules for successful inoculation with commercial products:

 

-Use fresh inoculant from the proper (cross-inoculation) group.

-Inoculate if there is doubt whether bacteria of a proper strain is already present in soil.

Please note that if peanuts or soybeans were cultivated in the given area for a

considerable period of time, the response to inoculants will be lesser in extent.

-In the case of powder inoculants put a sticking compound on the seed first, then add

inoculant and mix all well together. When planting apply granular inoculants.

-Inoculated seed can not contact caustic lime or soluble fertilizers (some chemical seed

protecting products are incompatible with legume bacteria). In soils, which were not

limed to the optimum pH level, molybdenum can help in nodule formation; however, it

should be added just before planting and not pre-mixed with inoculant.

-If you plan to use inoculant and molybdenum at the same time you should not use

sodium molybdate as it is toxic to Rhizobium bacteria. Use molybdenum trioxide or

ammonium molybdate.

-Plant inoculated seeds quickly after mixing them with inoculant. Choose the moment

when soil is enough warm and moist for quick germination of legumes (and the

development of Rhizobia).

 

Another successful example of the use of nitrogen fixing plants in alley farming is

the case of inga trees and inga alley cropping/farming. In tropical climate areas the ‘slash and burn’ method is still very popular: a patch of forest is cut down and burnt in order to create fertile soil. Such fertility, however, does not last long; if soil is cleared from trees and exposed to tropical climate, it will rapidly loose almost all nutrient elements (in third year of such farming method crops often fail completely). Because of it farmers are literally forced to keep on slash and burn new areas in order to survive. Inga alley cropping may be one of solutions in this case. It has the ability to maintain soil fertility and good crops for years, breaking the cycle of slash and burn. In inga alley cropping system, inga trees (a genus of small tropical trees or shrubs, fixing nitrogen) are planted as seedlings in hedgerows, forming alleys along the contours of farming area. The aim of this method is to recreate the conditions of rain forest, one of the most productive natural systems in the world. At the beginning, dropping their leaves, inga trees create a thick layer of mulch on the surface of the soil. In first two years inga has to dominate the area in order to capture it, when shading weeds or grasses; during this time the trees rebuild the soil, fixing nitrogen and recycling phosphorus. When developed, the trees must be pruned, while the pruned branches can be used as mulch which protects the soil and prevents the further weed expansion. Through the mulch a crop is planted within the alleys; as it grows, inga trees also recover and grow after pruning, giving shade and protection from sun to the crop. Once the mature crop is harvested, inga trees are normally left in peace until the next season, when the whole cycle of production is repeated. The evident benefits of this method are a reliable harvest each year from the same area and minimum of invested labor. The biological weed control and nitrogen fixing abilities of inga trees allows farmers to achieve great results from the same field, not be forced to be moved to another place as in the case of ‘slash and burn’ system. The Inga alley faming technique was invented and tried out by ecologist Mike Hands in Costa Rica in late 1980s. Another benefit of this system is that farmers are enabled to not only to grow their basic crops (e.g., maize and beans), but also cash crops (e.g., bananas, pineapples, coffee), which previously was not possible because of the need for intensified attention in order to grow them. Mulch, in which crops are planted, ensures both improved yields and the retention of soil fertility.