[permaculture-oceania] feeding pigs and nutrient runnoff

[davidarnold at iinet.net.au]

Hi Kerry,

> 
>the pasture is used intensively, but every effort is made to
> rest and rotate. 
Sounds good.

Given these factors I think your suggestion of filter
> strips of nutrient rich soil between the pasture and the creek seems
> the most likely to be useful. 
Filter strips of vegetation [that will develop humus rich soil] which will be able to take 
up and use any free nutrient being washed down from the pig areas.

Since the property stretches from the
> high point at the road, down to the creek, with undulating higher and
> lower points along the way, I wonder if the best place for such
> filters is in the lower parts, with plants that can make good use of
> high nutrient soil.
Applying the principle of Catch and Store Energy [at its highest possible level], trap the 
nutrient as high in the landscape as possible.  If the paddock has clear drainage lines 
which lead to the creek, keep the pigs out of these and use them as filter strips.  
Obviously where the pig areas drain directly to the creek the filter strips need to be 
between the two.

 It would be great if such plants could be fodder
> plants. What do you think? 
Absolutely.  They might just be grass, only ever grazed very briefly and generally kept 
thickly vegetated enough to physically filter surface flow, and then take up any trapped 
nutrients.
If there is enough moisture in the drainage lines to support them, willows would be an 
ideal species to plant.  Or River and Swamp she-oaks, [casuarina], being drought 
hardy and suited to wet conditions as well, giving you a needle mulch yield and some 
moderately palatable fodder.  

It would be best to combine any tree or shrub planting with a grass filter strip on the 
uphill side for the physical filtering effect.

Regards,

David


>     From: permaculture-oceania-bounces at lists.cat.org.au
>     [mailto:permaculture-oceania- bounces at lists.cat.org.au] On Behalf
>     Of davidarnold at iinet.net.au Sent: Sunday, 18 June 2006 10:43 PM
>     To: permaculture-oceania at lists.cat.org.au Subject:
>     [permaculture-oceania] feeding pigs and nutrient runnoff
> 
> 
>     Hi Kerry,
> 
>     In a relatively intensive permaculture garden pigs might always be
>     penned in the same few areas, and some nutrient runoff from those
>     pens during wet weather tolerated because it is easily caught by
>     gardens downstream of the nutrient flow.
> 
>     I think the first and most important strategy regarding nutrient
>     runoff from pigs farmed fairly extensively is rotational grazing.
>     Even if you want the pigs to completely plough an area, and
>     perhaps root out all Jerusalem Artichoke tubers in the area, it is
>     far better to fence them into a small enough area so they can do
>     that quickly, and be moved on. How small an area and how quickly
>     depends on the number of pigs and how often you can move them.
>     Every day or two would be ideal, but for moving pigs most likely
>     impractical. Broadly, say no more than a week in any one position,
>     with the size of the area [pigs per square metre] varied to
>     achieve the desired level of cultivation.
> 
>     If the pigs are left in one area too long the walked on soil
>     becomes compacted, and the ploughed soil has its humus burnt in
>     the sun. Either event causes loss or deterioration of humus. Not
>     only are you trying to build up your humus to increase your
>     topsoil and fertility, but you need to protect your humus so it
>     can act as a sponge and absorb any excess nutrients washed into
>     the soil from the soil surface [from manure]. 
> 
>     The humus can become overloaded with nutrient, then nutrient
>     runoff occurs. A deep humus rich topsoil will be more resilient,
>     more capable of absorbing free soluble nutrient, than a soil with
>     low organic matter. So be careful when you are starting out.
> 
>     The other strategy to protect against nutrient running into creeks
>     is to maintain filter strips of vegetation / humus rich soil
>     between the pens and the creek to catch whatever nutrient runoff
>     does occur. If nutrient runoff is unavoidable, plan to harvest
>     material [nutrients] from these filter strips to be returned
>     uphill to the pens or wherever useful.
> 
>     Regards,
> 
> 
>     David Arnolddavidarnold at iinet.net.au
> 
>     4446 Murchison Rd, Violet Town VIC 3669
>     03 5798 16790428 981 679
> 
> 
>     > 
>     > Thanks to everyone for your suggestions on pig fodder and forage
>     and >general feeding ideas. Looking forward to more thoughts on
>     this too! >No replies yet on dealing with nutrient runoff œ which
>     is a big thing > we need to deal with. To remind you of the
>     question it is included >again below! > >Cheers all, > > Kerry
>     Dawborn > > >3)Nutrient runoff from paddocks into creek: we are
>     concerned about >the nutrient load going into our creek from
>     animal manure. It >seems likely that the most sensible way to view
>     this is that >really, the nutrients are something we want to keep
>     and use rather >than allow to pollute the creek, so perhaps the
>     thing to do is >grow more stuff that can soak it up. Any
>     suggestions re useful >fodder (especially) or human food plants or
>     other plants, and ways >to lay things out in order to best catch
>     the runoff? As I write >I¢m thinking swale-type arrangements with
>     appropriate plantings >could work, but we are talking paddocks
>     with pigs so for stock >management and other reasons, am not sure
>     whether this might >create problems. > > >Any thoughts and
>     suggestions would be most welcome¦ > > > > > > >
>     >_______________________________________________
>     >permaculture-oceania mailing list
>     >permaculture-oceania at lists.cat.org.au
>     >http://lists.cat.org.au/mailman/listinfo/permaculture-oceania > >
>     
> 
> 
> 


David Arnold			davidarnold at iinet.net.au

4446 Murchison Rd, Violet Town  VIC  3669
03 5798 1679		0428 981 679



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