The Local Irrigation System

Plantation

At first a hole will be dug and filled with humus (leafs, leftover vegetation…). It will be irrigated regularly. After about 5 weeks the plant will be pricked in. Together with the rootstock, bones will be put in the pit. It´s most suitable to have some leftover meat on the bones. That initially may sound curious, but it is for a quite simple biologic reason.
Ants, being carnivores, are attracted and will decompose the bones. The idea to locate carnivores, means automatically that vegetarian, in that case termites, stay away, because they will avoid the risk to get eaten by the ants. So the rootstock of the plant will be protected by the termites.

Irrigation

Instead of watering the plant two times a day (in the morning and in the evening),the inhabitants of Gando devised an innovative system which can be imitated of each compound. Beside the plants (mangotrees) the local clay potteries will be placed, full of water. Through the hole, previously bashed in the bottom of the pot, a continuous irrigation of the plant will be assured. Just as much as the plant needs. The water goes directly in the ground and can´t evaporate. The human being just has to take care, to fill the clay pot with water once a week. In anticipation of the fruits this job will be done by the pupils and teachers.

This simple idea already attracts people from neighboring villages, which want to see what the people from Gando devised. So far, none would have permitted to hit holes in the clay potteries, painfully handmade by the women of the village. Unbelievable how the mangotrees in the sweltering heat can have such green leafs. And just so many seedlings at once.

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