Thondwe, Malawi … Traditionally farm crops are seldom grown in the dry season in Malawi. There are basically only two seasons; one the dry season that runs from April to October, and the other the rainy season, running from November to the end of March. During the dry season there is almost no rain at all, and during the rainy season it comes down “in buckets and barrels.”
Because of the heavy run off from the rains from October to March most family farmers protect their growing crops through a program of raised mounds, so the run off will be slowed, and keep from washing dirt and crops away in large run-off flooding. However, during the dry season this is not a problem so flat bed farming is a possibility especially on flat farm lands.
A test plot is currently growing crops at the Namikango Mission near Thondwe, Malawi. With the use of drip irrigation units, supplied by Chapin Watermatics and the Malawi Project, the crops are reaching toward the skies, and it is all being done with flat earth farming.
By doing it this way it allows opportunity for the V-Tractors and Walk Behind units to cultivate fields and help with weed control, without disrupting the traditional raised mounds that are used during the rainy season. Because of the drip irrigation program far less water is being used to irrigate the field. Having the water in just the right places insures the success of the crops with a minium amout of labor.
Every inch skyward that the plants go gives added testimony as to the value and importance of the drip systems.