Dayana AndradeIn this video exclusive to members, Ernst shows how to select and plant the cassava correctly, and also discuss its role in the system.
Cassava is part of almost every consortia of plants in the tropics. In Syntropic Farming, we classify it as canopy layer of a placenta III cycle. It can stay in the system up to two years, time enough to nurture the young trees that grow under its protection. For that reason Ernst Götsch consider it a sacred plant, as it protects and nurtures the young trees below, working as a living nursery.
When planted correctly, cassava improves the soil rather than exhaust it. The area where the video was filmed is a good example of that. Previously dominated by Pteridium aquilinum – a hated fern considered to have allelopathic properties – the area hosted very well a highly diversified design.
Contradicting the established ideas, Ernst regenerates the area using plants only and their capacity to bring fertility to the soil. We accompained the development of this plot for years and the growth was incredible.
We submitted a paper with the detailed description of the area to a scientific congress in 2014. You can find the pdf here.
Although cassava is being used by humans for millennia, some of its benefits are slowly being forgotten. In the video below (that we launched some years ago), Ernst shows a recipe of fermented cassava that could easily replace wheat and other grain-based diets.
Felipe Pasini
