This section describes the step by step procedure that you should follow in order to successfully implement Farming God’s Way techniques on your land.

1) Tools Required

• Hoes – sharpened with handles in good condition

• 60cm Stick for making 60cm measuring rope

• Measuring ropes - used to ensure high standards of plant population density and canopy closure. Select a long non-stretch, hardy rope, up to 50m long, which can be made out of nylon, cable, material tape, braided grass or even stiff wire in segments. Tie loops in each end of the measuring rope, peg it in on one side, pull the rope tight and peg it in again on the other end. Use your 60 cm stick to measure the marker positions on the rope. Markers can be made using soft wire or plastic strips at exactly 60 cm intervals on the rope. Soft wire – wind 10 turns onto the rope. Plastic strips - first loosen the rope so you can thread all the strips into the rope at approximately 60cm intervals with the 60cm stick; then reattach the rope, and slide the plastic strips exactly into the 60cm positions and tie them off.

• Downslope rope – either blank or preferably with 75cm markers

• Large sheet of paper or book to get a right angle

• 2 × 75cm sticks

• 30 × Permanent pegs 20cm long to be placed after every 10 rows

• 2 × 500ml tins or cups – advised for most soils in poor condition where no top dressing is done.

Alternatively use 2 × 350ml containers if using a top dressing

• 2 × teaspoons or 5ml cups

• 2 × tablespoons or 12ml cups

• Manure, compost, anthill soil or fertiliser

• Seed – 25kg/ha

2) Land Preparation

Start approximately 2 months prior to your planting season.

Start small and do everything to a high standard. Let your available inputs determine the land area to prepare.

Collect large amounts of God’s blanket/mulch to add to your field.

Do not plough or burn God’s Blanket or work it into the soil.

20

If using new unused land, destump, level and clear.

If lands are full of weeds, simply hoe them down at ground level and leave as God’s Blanket.

3) Establishing the Permanent Baseline, Downslope Rope, 3 Portions

Start at the top of the field and place the 60cm measuring rope across the slope, on the contour with corner pegs 1 and 2.

Where possible square off an existing boundary or pathway.

Hammer in permanent pegs, on the upslope side at the first and last measuring rope markers, leaving just 5cm above the ground.

Establish the perfect right angle with a sheet of paper, run a downslope rope off this and hammer in corner 3.

On the downslope rope divide the field into 3 equal portions – the 1st 2 portions for the staple grain and the 3rd portion for the rotation crop.

4a) Preparing Portion 1 and 2 - Staple Grain e.g. Maize:

Allocate the 1st two portions to your staple grain - example maize

Spacing: 60cm in rows and 75cm rows

Width of hole: Hoe width 12cm

Organic Input Depth: 15cm for compost, manure, and anthill soil.

Inorganic Input Depth: 8cm for DAP, NPK fertiliser.

Soil heap goes down slope

Move the 60cm measuring rope down to the second 75cm row using the two 75cm sticks on either side. Hole out row 2 as described above then continue to move down row by row until the two maize portions are completed.

Place permanent pegs after every 10 rows at the 1st and last marker on the measuring rope, to establish permanence.

4b) Preparing Portion 3 - Rotation Crops Preferably a Legume

The 3rd Portion should be a rotation crop – beans, soya or cowpeas.

The in row spacing of many rotation crops are very narrow, so plant in a continuous furrow on the contour, instead of using a hole.

Place a rope across the 75cm row as above and dig a 10 cm deep furrow right across the rope length on the contour. Repeat this every 75cm for beans until the 3rd portion is complete with furrows.

See table in alternative crop section for preparation and planting.

5) Correcting Acidic Soils

Soils that have been ploughed for many years or in high rainfall areas are often acidic. Acid soils bind nutrients which are necessary for plant growth. Woodash and agricultural lime correct acidic soils which allow for nutrients to be more easily absorbed by the roots. Do applications for at least 3 years, then do test rows with and without woodash or lime.

Place a heaped tablespoon of woodash (15ml) in the base of each planting station, or a flat teaspoon (5ml) of agricultural lime.

For furrow crops evenly spread a heaped tablespoon (15ml) of woodash every 60cm in the furrow or a flat teaspoon (5ml) of lime.

6) Inputs - Organic and Inorganic Basal Dressing

• Organic Basal Dressing

Use a 500ml cup or tin for compost, fresh manure or anthill soil.

Most soils are depleted and farmers don’t topdress their fields, so we advocate that farmers increase their organic basal dressing from 350ml to 500ml. Place equal volumes evenly in each hole.

Maize trials with 500ml basal dressing and with no topdressing showed yield potentials of 7-8 tons/ha with 500ml manure; 8-9 tons/ha with 500ml compost; and 2-3 tons/ha with anthill soil.

If topdressing is an option, then you can reduce basal dressings to 350ml.

For crops planted in furrows, like dry beans, soyabeans, cowpeas or groundnuts, place 500ml/m in the furrow if planted in depleted soils. When the soils have improved, you can reduce to 350ml/m. See the Alternative Crops table.

• Inorganic Basal Dressing

Basal types include DAP or NPK in varying ratio’s and get placed in the bottom of the holes. Place a flat tablespoon (12ml) of NPK or DAP in a narrow band across the bottom of each planting station. For furrow crops such as beans or soyabeans, simply spread a heaped teaspoon (8ml) every meter in the furrow.

7) Seed Separation layer and Plant Readiness

Immediately after applying the basal inputs, cover with a 3cm soil separation layer until the correct seed planting depth remains - 5cm for maize and 3cm for beans. Fields should be ready for planting at least 3 weeks before optimal planting time in your region. Southern African countries plant readiness date is the 31st October, however you must wait for sufficient rains before planting, as we do not encourage dry planting.

8) Planting

Prepare to plant only after sufficient rains have fallen and with good probability of more rains to come. Maize seed should be presoaked for 6 hours before planting out. Plant “Open Pollinated Variety” (OPV) seed as this can be replanted for many years.

Maize: Planting depth for Maize – 5cm or a matchbox length. Plant 3 seeds in a straight line - on the left, middle and right hand side.

Beans: Planting depth for beans – 3cm or a matchbox width. Plant the bean seed at 10cm intervals along the furrow.

Cover with fine, loose soil from the soil heap, until it is level with the surrounding soil surface. Ensure no stones or hard clods are used when covering as these can prevent germination.

With maize cover the entire surface of the field with God’s blanket and 2.5cm thick. For all other crops leave a 5cm gap to allow for germination to take place.

9) Weed Control

Weeds significantly lower crop yields because they compete with the plants for water, nutrients, light and space. Weeding is best done by smother mulching with supplementary blanket cover at 100% cover and 2,5cm thick.

If the blanket is not sufficient, then weed when 1 inch tall – 1 ha can be weeded in 7 days; but 14 days to weed when weeds are 1 foot tall. The weed cycle is 10 days. This gives 3 rest days when weeding at one inch tall; whereas you never catch up if weeds are left to 1 foot tall before starting to weed. Weed by walking backwards, simply cutting them off at the soil surface. Remove creeping grasses by pulling them up and carrying right out of your field. Don’t let weeds set seed in your field as 1 year of bad weeding leads to 7 years of problems.

25

10) Maize Thinning

Thin maize at 2-3 weeks after emergence when seedlings are around 20 to 30cm tall. Thin to an average of 2 plants/hole. Look at 3 holes at a time, not 1, and thin to 6 seedlings per 3 holes. See examples below:

11) Top Dress Fertiliser (Maize)

If farmers apply a 500ml basal dressing, then top dressing is not necessary. If farmers have access to topdressing of Ammonium Nitrate (AN) or Urea, they can do 2 topdressings.

The 1st at 2-3 weeks after emergence - a heaped teaspoonful or 8ml. Measure one handwidth on the upslope side of each planting station, press a 3cm deep hole with a stick, place the teaspoonful of Urea topdressing and use your foot to cover the small hole with soil.

The 2nd at piping which is just before tassling - a flat teaspoonful or 5ml, one handwidth from each planting station on the upslope side, in a 3cm deep hole and covered.

12) Pre-harvest - Cover Cropping, Relay Cropping or Late Weeding

As the maize leaves start dying back, light penetrates through the canopy which is the ideal time to sow a cover crop or a relay crop (See later section). Alternatively, doing one last weeding at this stage will keep your lands weed free for most of the off season.

13) Topping

Once the maize is fully mature you can break off the tops of the stalks above the cobs to encourage quicker drying off. Leave the toppings in the field as God’s blanket.

14) Harvest

Harvest when your maize is physiologically mature, usually 2 months after tassling. The stalks will look very dry and the cobs will most probably be hanging down. At this stage the maize is at about 30% moisture content. Dry cobs further in a suitable place until about 13% moisture content, before storing in bags.

15) Post Harvest Stalk Lodging

Stand on the base of stem pushing the stalk down between the rows at a 30 degree angle. Stalk lodging improves blanket cover, reduces weeds and breaks the life cycle of maize stalk borer.

Step by Step Procedure