RE: Permaculture - manure and liquid manure (lesson1)
How long does the manure have to be stored on a manure plate before using it?
"Store everything for at least one year."
How often should we use manure on the field?
"Fertilization should be performed on heavy soils every 4 years, preferably in autumn [(but can happen in the spring if fully composted)], before planting vegetables, and on light soils, every 2-3 years at the same time of the year."
What weather is the best to distribute the manure on the field?
"It is best to use manure on a windless, cloudy, slightly rainy day."
What is stronger: manure or liquid manure?
Not liquid manure.
What is liquid manure mixed with when used to soak the roots of plants in it before planting?
Water!
I wasn't going to answer your challenge questions to let others win, but this is a subject that I am familiar with - I've forked enough in my lifetime. While we had a dairy farm, I also spread our neighbour's manure, who raised chickens. You really didn't want a windy day on those occasions.
Not all soils are the same. In Canada, certain nutrients are missing from the soil. An important one is Selenium which was included in rations for calves. We had salt and mineral licks for the cattle. Since we fed the cattle the crops grown on our property and then fertilized the fields with their manure, it established a loop that enriched the soil with these other nutrients.
In North America, most cropping is a monoculture, and one must question how poor the nutrient value of those crops is after depleting the soil.
It's so great to know that you was working on a dairy farm! I'm sure I could learn a lot from you!
Yes, monocultures may be more efficient in a short term but the degradation of soil is enormous, not to mention about the negative impact it has for the biodiversity.
Of course, not every soil is the same. That's also why I have started with manure as quite universal subject to describe. I have plenty of notes about some things which are valid in one or two Koppel climates while I would like to make my lessons more universal. I am thinking how to adapt it to the readers from around the world :)
I haven't been in North America yet. I am migrating between Europe and South America, once visited Asia. Some WWOOF or Workaway in Canada could be a good post pandemic plan to see how does permaculture world look like there.
Thank you for participating in the contest. I will publish the correct answers and winners list in two days.
I don't know if this is the right program to look at if you want to visit and work in Canada, but it is more or less in the right area. https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/work-canada/iec.html
If you are close to a Canadian Embassy, they might give you better advice.