Quote from: whizz94 on April 06, 2016, 05:54:14 PM

Having read the book, I'm rather more skeptical. Whilst it does give a nice exposition of how to properly apply mulched green twigs, I don't think you'll find the required materials anywhere near to the exploitively irrigated desert farms pictured in Jordan and Arabia. It presents methods for wooded areas comparable to Quebec. In the middle east, I fear that it is either desert or irrigate, and this book does not, in my opinion, present a viable alternative waterless farming method for use in waterless regions such as Palmira, Syria. If it did, then I'd be advocating translation efforts and distribution in the Jordanian and Turkish border camps. Instead, I call on any agricultural planning group in any university worldwide to propose desalination from the eastern Mediterranean and freshwater canals or pipelines into Syria to provide sufficient (not exuberant) freshwater to grow crops within Syria to feed all Syrians presently at border camps or in horrid queues which won't get them into Europe. Lets get some feasible plans up, which are not limited by the availability of fresh green twigs near Palmira, and find out how many bitcoins it would cost to get that built.

F.F. do you disagree ?

Yes, I partly disagree with your skepticism.

You are right when you say the techniques I describe work best in wooded areas and in already productive agricultural land. This is true and it's clearly stated in my book. Anyway, I think this alone would be a great innovation and improvement in farming. Just imagine what it would mean if every farmer in already productive areas like most of the U.S.A., Europe, Canada, Brazil, etc. could grow any crop without water, for ever!
So this would be a great result, anyway.

Regarding your main concern, i.e. to grow crops in desert areas, I clearly state that it would be more difficult and the technique would take up to 2 years to be properly implemented. However this is not impossible, as you say; it's just more difficult ( maybe much more difficult ) , but absolutely not impossible.

Why?

For 2 main reasons:

1. I clearly said that green 'fresh' twigs should be preferred; anyway, I also wrote dried twigs could be used as well, although they are a little bit less effective and take more time to give their benefits to soils.

2. ( The most important reason ) Almost every country which has a desert, has wooded areas too. In other words, in the whole world there are few countries which are completely desert: some Arab countries and some African ones ( like Mauritania ) . Even Syria, one of the most desert countries in the world, has a thin strip of wooded land near the Turkish border. Anyway, even if you live in a desert country, the twigs could be imported. I know it could be more expensive, but with a quick shipping ( 1-2 days ) the benefits would be the same.

So, to resume, the techniques I explained in my book, work best in already high productive areas. If you want to use these methods in desert lands, you can, but it would take much more time and effort.

What I can suggest to you "whizz94" is to think for a long period of time, acting this way:
1. Implement these techinques in already agricultural lands, such as near the coast, or the rivers.
2. Little by little move to more arid lands, using these techniques.

I know this a quite slow path to walk, but it's the only one I know having little money at your disposal. Your desalination method is far too expensive and so cannot be implemented without a massive amount of donations.