Living tunnel greenhouses for food production

 

 

Building living tunnel greenhouses for rural people in the drylands

Originally published at:

https://wordpress.com/post/desertification.wordpress.com/28530

By Prof. Dr. Willem VAN COTTHEM

University of Ghent, Belgium

One of the biggest problems for sustainably constructing greenhouses in the drylands is that of the strong winds.  Most of the existing greenhouse constructions in developing countries do not resist these winds and the recurrent need to invest in reparations discourages those who see greenhouses as a valuable tool for sustainable economic development of the local people.

It is my sincere conviction that a good solution for this problem can be found in switching from man-made constructions with greenhouse frames (metal or bamboo) to “living greenhouses” with poles (stems) of growing trees.

In every single region on earth one can find (or introduce) easily rooting tree species.  For some of them it suffices to directly planting cuttings in the local soil to get these cuttings rooting and developing after a while.  One of these trees species is the Chinese willow (Salix matsudana) of which a number of varieties are grown all over the world, even in the desert, e.g. the Navajo willow (Salix matsudana var. Navajo), growing in Arizona.

Having in my garden in Belgium a couple of these willows, I developed the idea that with some cuttings I could “construct” a long living, sustainable “teepee”.  Within a very short period such a shady little tent (a greenhouse) was grown:

Some branches of the Navajo willow planted in the form of a teepee (Photo WVC 2011-02 – P1050821)

The 3 meter long branches, used as teepee poles, soon developed numerous lateral branches, some of which were cut off and planted nearby to produce new poles for a second, a third, a fourth, … teepee in the future.

Only 4 months later the teepee became a shady place to hide for the burning sun (Photo WVC 2011-06 – P1060817)

It goes without saying that cuttings of this Chinese willow can also be planted in two lines, e.g. over a distance of 50 meter with a cutting every 50 cm, to form a tunnel greenhouse.  One can easily let these willow cuttings quickly grow into a young tree, pruning them into vertical poles.

Once these poles in the two parallel lines are high enough, one can bend them towards each other and bind their tops to form a “living tunnel”.  Lateral branches, reaching a length of e.g. 30 cm, are pruned, except those in the plane of the tunnel walls.  One can even “weave” these lateral branches into a strong network.

The canopy of the tunnel is filtering the heavy sunlight and air humidity inside the tunnel is higher, due to the transpiration of the leaves. These natural conditions (shade and humidity) are most profitable for growing plants, e.g. vegetables and/or herbs inside the tunnel.

A young willow tunnel – Photo Avantgardens – 483952_622321094448322_553292267_n.jpg

Inside a willow tunnel – Photo Avantgardens – 575749_621090494571382_833796101_n.jpg

Living tunnels can be used as a nursery for the production of hundreds (if not thousands) of saplings from cuttings. But they can also be used as a shady kitchen garden in which numerous food crops can be grown in containers, e.g. in bottle towers (see<http://youtu.be/-uDbjZ9roEQ&gt;) with less water than the volume of irrigation water normally used on open fields, with irrigation in the morning and the evening.  

Once a single living tunnel greenhouse exists in a location the construction of new tunnels is unlimited.  It suffices to make the right choice of a tree species that is adapted to the local environmental conditions, easily rooting and developing relatively quickly.

The Chinese willow (Salix matsudana) is one of those species easily adapting to different types of climate.  I got mine from the drylands in Arizona and it is growing remarkably well in Belgium.  My 2 cuttings (30 cm in 2003) are now in 2016 12-14 meter high !   I would recommend to use the Navajo variety of this Chinese willow (Salix matsudana var. Navajo), a drought-tolerant variety growing in desert-like circumstances, only needing a minimum of water.

Anyway, whatever the tree species chosen (preferably an easily rooting local one), I am quite sure that it must be feasible for all the rural people on earth, to set up their own “living teepee” or their “living tunnel greenhouse”. The choice is theirs.

It would be a fantastic tool to combat malnutrition or hunger.

Please have a look at my video: https://youtu.be/DV23c6neIGg

“No more plastic greenhouses or tunnels needed : grow your own live greenhouse (a tipi/teepee or a tunnel) with branches of the drought-tolerant Navajo willow, also globe willow, or the Chinese willow (Salix matsudana). One can grow these willows with a minimum of water in the drylands, even in the desert.

Such a live greenhouse offers remarkable advantages : natural shade and higher air humidity inside because of the transpiration by the leaves.

In drylands or deserts people can easily grow plants, e.g. young fruit trees and vegetables, inside the greenhouse, which can also offer shelter against the sun heat.

Outgrowing branches of the willow can be pruned to construct progressively new greenhouses.”

Recommended: Use spineless Opuntia for soil erosion

Photo credit: Confraria do Figo da Índia

Opuntias in Somalia!:

https://www.facebook.com/ConfrariaDoFigoDaIndia/posts/935545829866698

I have created a Facebook group called “OPUNTIA AMBASSADORS” :

“Any person, young and old, wanting to contribute to the improvement of our environment and to the production of edible plants by planting pads of edible spineless cacti is hereby invited to become a member of the OPUNTIA AMBASSADORS group.  We want to promote the growing of the spineless variety of the prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica var. inermis).“

Planting the spineless Opuntia ficus-indica var. inermis – 12715399_935545763200038_8914140578767221907_n.jpg

Recently I received a message from Nelson Ventura who shared a Confraria do Figo da Índia‘s post, showing people in Somalia planting the prickly pear cactus on sand dunes, thus protecting the dunes from wind erosion.

This cactus is not only halting wind erosion, but produces edible pads (nopales) and pads that can be used as fodder, but also juicy fruits -12670270_935545789866702_728932352443869154_n

We know that the spiny variety of the prickly pear can be a real nuisance, an invasive species, difficult to destroy.  But that negative aspect is not valid for the spineless variety (var. inermis).  Thousands of hectares of these spineless cacti are grown in huge plantations in Central- and South America, where people enjoy very much the “nopales” (see Google).  Why should people in Africa or Asia not enjoy the same “edible” plants?

Easy planting on a sand dune – 12717187_935545746533373_1181291879201400306_n

 

It looks like a fantastic technique to protect the soil.  I am tempted to recommend this method to all the countries suffering from this global erosion problem.

Local scientists could maximise their impacts in food production worldwide

Photo credit: SciDevNet

Copyright: Flickr/IITA

Local scientists creating global impacts in agriculture

Nina Dudnik

Speed read

• Scientists in developing nations are using new tools to spur food production
• Partnerships and funding are key to helping local scientists to make impacts
• Investing in the R&D of such scientists could maximise their impacts

Local scientists could maximise their impacts in food production worldwide if supported, argues Nina Dudnik.

In a three-room lab outside Nairobi, Kenya, cutting-edge science is meeting time-honoured farming practices. Steven Runo, a senior lecturer with a specialisation in molecular biology, and his colleagues at Kenyatta University are using the tools of modern molecular biology to overcome constraints of growing maize, sorghum and rice.

In particular, Runo is using a broad range of genomics and molecular biology strategies to fight parasites such as Striga, which strangle the crops.

The type of research being conducted by Runo, his team in Kenya and other scientists in developing countries is key to food security in the world.

Read the full article: SciDevNet

Forests and food

Photo credit: Treehugger

© Margaret Badore. Two men harvest ramón nuts from the forest floor in Guatemala.

How forests can help to feed the world

by Margaret Badore

A new report shows how forests around the world can help eliminate malnutrition while fighting climate change.

Often, feeding the world’s growing population and protecting natural landscapes are pitted against one another. We know that much of the world’s deforestation, particularly in the tropics, is associated with the expansion of crops like palm oil and soy, as well as cattle and cocoa.

Yet a new report from the International Union of Forest Research Organizations shows that forests can play an important role in eliminating hunger and creating more food security. This is important, because protecting forests has been identified as a key and cost-effective means of fighting climate change. So, a better understanding of how forests help feed people may be another tool in the arsenal of their defense.

Over a billion people around the world experience chronic hunger, and twice as many suffer from periods of food insecurity. “Unfortunately, there is little current appreciation of the diverse ways in which these tree-based landscapes can supplement agricultural production systems in achieving global food security,” the authors write.

The report examines the nutritional benefits of both natural forests and agro-forests, where food trees are cultivated among other species of trees and are still part of a functioning ecosystem. They find that tree foods can help create more nutritionally balanced diets, particularly for developing areas in the tropics. Seeds, nuts and fruit can be important sources of vitamins and minerals, particularly for communities that are otherwise dependent on starchier staples. Non-tree foods can also add to a wider food portfolio, such as insects, edible greens, fungi and bushmeat.

Read the full article: Treehugger