Yams

The guys in Lusangazi work a half day on Saturdays.
Today they were on yams, which grow very well at this time of year in the wet.

Harisen wrote:

It was a very nice day. No rains, no sunshine, was not hot and good for working. I think it was like in Ireland (Joke).
The guys were busy weeding and women were harvesting maize. Velvet beans are doing very well.


Vevet Bean
The velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens) can grow to 25 metres in length.
In the depleted soil we work with (on a new 5 hectare site we have recently bought) we are researching this old, magic plant
Mucuna can fix into the soil 150 kilograms of nitrogen per hectare annually: free, natural fertilizer.
For every hectare it also produces annually 50-100 tonnes of biomass, plant material that is allowed to fall on the soil as a green manure, suppressing weeds and helping to build the soil.
It can grow in poor soil, doesn't need much rain and it grows like a weed!!!
There are many question marks as its suitability as a food for humans, so we will use it solely for soil improvement.
The research goes on in Lusangazi!!