Subject: one-duck revolution

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 13:13:00 EDT

In current issue of The Ecologist (Vol. 29, No.6, October 1999), is a very
interesting article on low-input, high-yield rice growing in Japan.  

------------------------------------------------
Summarised....
Based around the role of duck as pest control in paddies.
Developed by Mr and Mrs Furuno.  Called "Aigamo method" after Japanese name
for the duck.
Method now spreading rapidly - 10,000 farmers have taken it up across SE Asia.
Yields increased 20-50percent.  One farmer increased income 3x.
Also called "one-bird revolution" (some Masanobu Fukuoka inspiration I guess).
Furunos have made v.good video (inc English) apparently.

The duck is key to the sucess:
-Key is to release ducklings into paddies soon after rice seeds planted.
-Ducks don't eat the seedlings - silica content too high.
-Ducks readily take to paddies.
-About 20 ducklings per 1/10 ha.

Ducks are good because:
-Paddling makes stems stronger and thicker (has been demonstrated in
experiments).
-Eat insect pests and golden snails which attack rice plants.
-Also eat seeds and seedlings of weeds.
-Feet oxygenate water and stimulate roots as they pull up the weeds (again
demostrated).
-Ducks so good at weeding that 3rd world farmers can rest instead of 240
hrs weeding p.a.
-Ducks of course are fed on weeds/pests.
-Ducks left in fields 24hrs p.d.
-When rice forms ears of grains, ducks rounded up (would eat the grains).
-Then returned to shed and fed on waste grain.
-They mature, lay eggs and get ready for market.

Ducks not only inhabitant of paddies:
-Azolla, "duckweed" aquatic fern (which harbours blue-green algae as
symbiont), is also grown.
-Azolla efficient nitrogen fixer.
-Azolla eaten by ducks and attracts insects which are eaten by ducks.
-Plant doubles every 3 days - can be harvested as cattle feed.
-Duckweed spreads out to cover surface of water, providing cover for roach.
-Roach feed on duck faeces, daphnia and other worms, which in turn feed on
plankton.
-Fish and ducks provide fertiliser for rice throughout growing season.
-Rice provides cover for ducks.

Aigamo paddy fields is balanced, self-maintaining, self-propagating.
Only external input is waste grain fed to ducks (+ some labour of course).
Furuno farm is 2ha.  1.4 is paddy, rest is organic vegetables.
Output p.a. = 7tons rice, 300 ducks, 4,000 ducklings and enough organic veg
for 100 people.

Aigamo method, like that other Japanese method of M.Fukuoka shows that
high-yield organic is not labour intensive.  Author is Mae-Wan Ho, head of
Electro-biodynamics at Open University, UK.>>

Subject: one-duck revolution
From: "K.H. von Kaufmann" <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Sun, 10 Oct 1999 23:33:57 +0100

CHM-general,

In current issue of The Ecologist (Vol. 29, No.6, October 1999), is a very
interesting article on low-input, high-yield rice growing in Japan.  

------------------------------------------------
Summarised....
Based around the role of duck as pest control in paddies.
Developed by Mr and Mrs Furuno.  Called "Aigamo method" after Japanese name
for the duck.
Method now spreading rapidly - 10,000 farmers have taken it up across SE Asia.
Yields increased 20-50percent.  One farmer increased income 3x.
Also called "one-bird revolution" (some Masanobu Fukuoka inspiration I guess).
Furunos have made v.good video (inc English) apparently.

The duck is key to the sucess:
-Key is to release ducklings into paddies soon after rice seeds planted.
-Ducks don't eat the seedlings - silica content too high.
-Ducks readily take to paddies.
-About 20 ducklings per 1/10 ha.

Ducks are good because:
-Paddling makes stems stronger and thicker (has been demonstrated in
experiments).
-Eat insect pests and golden snails which attack rice plants.
-Also eat seeds and seedlings of weeds.
-Feet oxygenate water and stimulate roots as they pull up the weeds (again
demostrated).
-Ducks so good at weeding that 3rd world farmers can rest instead of 240
hrs weeding p.a.
-Ducks of course are fed on weeds/pests.
-Ducks left in fields 24hrs p.d.
-When rice forms ears of grains, ducks rounded up (would eat the grains).
-Then returned to shed and fed on waste grain.
-They mature, lay eggs and get ready for market.

Ducks not only inhabitant of paddies:
-Azolla, "duckweed" aquatic fern (which harbours blue-green algae as
symbiont), is also grown.
-Azolla efficient nitrogen fixer.
-Azolla eaten by ducks and attracts insects which are eaten by ducks.
-Plant doubles every 3 days - can be harvested as cattle feed.
-Duckweed spreads out to cover surface of water, providing cover for roach.
-Roach feed on duck faeces, daphnia and other worms, which in turn feed on
plankton.
-Fish and ducks provide fertiliser for rice throughout growing season.
-Rice provides cover for ducks.

Aigamo paddy fields is balanced, self-maintaining, self-propagating.
Only external input is waste grain fed to ducks (+ some labour of course).
Furuno farm is 2ha.  1.4 is paddy, rest is organic vegetables.
Output p.a. = 7tons rice, 300 ducks, 4,000 ducklings and enough organic veg
for 100 people.

Aigamo method, like that other Japanese method of M.Fukuoka shows that
high-yield organic is not labour intensive.  Author is Mae-Wan Ho, head of
Electro-biodynamics at Open University, UK.
------------------------------------------------

Kenn

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