Forest Hydroponic Organic Argiculture

Forest Hydroponic Organic Argiculture, Method for Food Production Dedicated to Deal Deforestation,Water Scarcity,. Jaime Lagunez Otero Centro Internacional de Ciencias Cuernavaca Morelos. [email protected], [email protected] Due to excessive use of forest land, water and fertilizers, present agricultural practices have become a true risk not only to the well-being of the human population but to the biosphere, in general. Agriculture accounts for nearly 80% of water consumption and 80% of deforestation. It is urgent that we look for alternatives to traditional farm practices. Some good ideas have come from organic, hydroponic and agro-forestry research communities. I believe that growing in the same physical space different varieties of plants WITHOUT water run-off and PERMITTING the presence of trees by cutting only lower branches rather than tilling. This would save important amounts of vital resources. Though the optimal combination of varieties of plants has yet to be determined, I succeeded in maintaining healthy Z. mays plantules and seedlings, growing along with semi-aquatic ornamental plants such as Caladium (Oxalate crystals in leaves, to my knowledge, or even absorbed by Z. mays or other staple crops) in impermeable containers. It is evident that these types of plants are better equipped to stand microbial stress found in non-flowing water. In the early stages of growth, I have found that using moist soil with a moss covering suffices for fertility. With respect to the trees allowed to be in the same cultivation field, the height can be simply determined by the point where a previously determined amount of lumens is allowed to reach the plants. It should be noted that the sale of the ornamental plants and the cut branches, can represent additional income to the producer. I termed this methodology as: ''forest hydroponic organic argiculture'' or ''hidroponica organica agroforestal'' in Spanish. In summary the proposal: 1. Rejects water run-off because it is a cause of water scarcity (and pollution

related to the production of synthetic fertilizers), 2. In an adamant way rejects deforestation, and 3. Suggests the cultivation of several varieties of plants in the same physical space in order to take advantages of microecologies offering cooperative advantages to the plants. The idea exposed can also be considered as part of a global call to the application of new methods of production that preclude deforestation, water scarcity and unnatural desertification.