Conservation Tillage

This is an area of our new farm which we hope will become a model for what we call conservation/sustainable farming
Here we have dug a series of basins 250mm deep, 250mm wide and 350 mm long. They are spaced at 700 mm along and 900mm apart. Looks difficult but a few lines and sticks at 900 apart. The lines have bottle tops attached at spacings of 700. We use hands, feet and fingers for the rest.
Mary Mwanza is adding lime and later some manure (two coke cans full) to give the nutrients required.
We then fill-in to 50mm from top and wait for the rains to plant 4 maize seeds in each basin, which is then almost filled. The same basins will be used next year giving minimum tillage. The residues are left on the ground and keep in moisture and improve the soil.
Increased yields and soil improvement is the aim, while rotating maize, soya, groundnuts and others and filling-in with various ground covers