Bio-dynamic Management
of a Cotton Crop
by Peter Proctor
Here
are a few ideas on the growing of Biodynamic Cotton that I have gained from my
biodynamic work in
Land Preparation
Preparing
the land for the cotton is most important.
The structure, fertility and the availability of plant nutrients in the soil
is essential. All the basic principles
of organic soil management must be addressed.
These include applying good quality compost, crop rotation, and the
growing of soil sustaining green manure crops.
Various liquid manures will be helpful.
Compost
made using the biodynamic preparation 502-507 should be applied at the rate of
5 tonnes per acre.
This compost should have a cow dung component and if there is a need for
phosphate in the soil, rock phosphate should be added to the compost. Up to 100kgs per 5m3 (5 tonnes) of phosphate rock can be added. The compost can be incorporated into the soil
before sowing the green crop.
Crop
rotation is essential. Never grow cotton
after cotton as this encourages problems with insects and fungus. Always grow another crop in between. Work out a suitable rotation.
Always
grow a green manure crop before growing cotton.
Grow a legume such as dolichus lab lab, vetch, sunhemp or various
pulses which do well in your district.
Also incorporate a grain in the sowing mixture. Dig into the soil three weeks before sowing.
Preparation BD500 and Soil Structure
Apply
biodynamic preparation 500 at least four times a year. Twice in Autumn and
twice in Spring.
Use
25gms of preparation BD500 in 13 litres of clean
water per acre or 62.5gms in 30 litres of water per
hectare and stirred for 1 hour, applied in the afternoon on a descending period
of the moon.
This
will very quickly improve soil structure, increase humus levels, as well as
water penetrability, water holding capacity and improve the tilth
of the soil.
CPP
can be added to the stirring of the BD500 20 minutes before the end of
stirring.
Horn Silica BD501
The
use of preparation horn silica BD501 will strengthen the plant to withstand
insect attack and will also add quality to the cotton fibre. Always apply BD501 early in the morning at
sunrise to avoid burning of the plants. One
way to apply this silica, is using the sequence of
BD500, CPP and BD501.
In
the evening before the Moon opposite Sature, apply
preparation BD500 into which CPP has been added to the stirring (100gms per
acre or 250gm CPP per hectare to BD500).
Then the next morning early, apply the BD501 as a mist over the plants.
BD501
is used at the rate of 1gm in 12.5 litres of water
per acre or 2.5gm in 30 litres per hectare.
Sowing Seed
Sow
cotton seed when the Moon and Saturn are in opposition. This planetary configuration occurs every 28
days. Consult the BD Planting Calendar
for these dates. It has been found that sowing at this time will give a very
strong germination, and the subsequent plants are strong and will perform well. There will also be a tendency for the plants
to be resistant to pest attack.
Liquid Manures
CPP
Make
CPP. When the plants are about 100mm
high, apply CPP at the rate of 2kg in 40 litres of
water per acre. This can be applied
weekly or once a fortnight. Apply in thel ate afternoon.
It will keep the plants growing strongly.
Seaweed
Make
seaweed liquid manure. Apply once a
month.
Stinging
Nettle and Cow Urine
Make
up a stinging nettle liquid manure and ferment with BD
preps 502-507. Add 5% cow urine to the
liquid and apply 1 part to 10 parts to the foliage. This will do two things. Act as a foliar feed for the cotton and
discourage the cotton boll worm. Apply
every 14 days or when the boll worm is active.
It can be combined with the CPP.
Insect Control
Use
the Nettle/Cow Urine mixture as above.
A
mixture of crushed garlic, chilli pepper powder and
ginger powder.
100gms of each to 10 litres
of water.
Soak
the crushed garlic overnight in some vegetable oil.
Simmer
chilli powder for 10 minutes.
Simmer
the ginger for 10 minutes.
Add
50gms of soft soap to the garlic.
Make
up to 10 litres stir well, strain and spray.
Use
Neem oil.
Compost
Tea
Made
from compost where the biodynamic preparations 502-507 have been used. It has been sprayed on plants to reduce incidence
of boll worm.
Soak
1kg of matured compost in 40 litres clean water for
24 hours.
Give
frequent stirrings of this mixture to aerate this water to increase the spore
forming antagonistic bacteria.
Then
spray.