One Perfect Love Idren
@IPXninja
The I said a couple things about crop rotation and pesticides.
When it comes to crop rotation a person doesn't require more land. What is needed is a different approach. Rather than growing one crop and having to rotate other crops in to keep soil nutrients from getting depleted; InI can plant and grow multiple crops, polycultures, plant guilds. By planting a diversity of plants, crop rotation becomes unnecessary, as each plant is taking and adding different nutrients to the soil. Every plant has a variety of functions, attributes and nutrients. People can select the plants they grow based on their qualities and the needs of the land/wild life and people. For example:
InI in the Americas have grown squash, corn, and beans together for a long time now. Some know it as "The Three Sisters". The Three Sistren plants work together helping one another. Squash will shade and cool the soil, with its big broad leaves, helping with water retention. Those leaves also help keep weeds from popping up. The leaves can be used for mulch, which will build soil and also help with water retention, plus it will add nutrients like nitrogen back into the soil, fertilizing it.
Corn grows tall and doesn't get shaded out by Squash's leaves. Bean will grow up along the stalks of Corn, so neither plant gets shaded out, and Bean will help stabilize Corn against wind and other elements. Bean is also a nitrogen fixer, another function of Bean that helps the other two plants.
Fruit and nut tree orchards would also benefit from poly-cropping. InI can grow a variety of edible and medicinal ground covers, shrubs, and vines that would all work together in a variety of ways and will produce a diverse and abundant harvest.
Now when is comes to pesticides, InI don't have to use pesticides to protect the plants InI grow, as pesticides will ultimately kill the plants by poisoning beneficial living organisms in the soil and environment. Again, diversity and each plants individual characteristics and functions is key, and they go along way in controlling pests in the garden and farm. For example:
InI can plant edible flowers and medicinal herbs throughout InI homes, gardens and farms. These plants will attract beneficial insects that will attack unwanted pests. Some plants are also natural pest-repellents to such as onion, garlic, mint. Planting a diverse variety of plants will also confuse unwanted pests, keeping them from finding the plants they are after.
InI can also raise chickens, ducks or setup homes in trees for birds, owls, to have them help deal with pests. There are many natural alternatives to pesticides and plenty of information and resources for people to grow organic produce without all the chemicals.
Looking at all the functions of each plant and animal, InI can grow food in harmony with nature, everything working together, diverse, interdependent and multi-functional.
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