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Plasticulture
isn’t a new type of technology. It’s been around for decades and
when it’s used, it’s usually successful.
Paris
said plasticulture uses a different form of irrigation and it has done
wonders for some farmers who use it.
"What
we’re dealing with is a black plastic top with a drip irrigation
system underneath," he said. "What it does is get water to
plant roots and, usually, you don’t have a lot of evaporation like
with overhead irrigation systems."
Plasticulture
provides the area being cultivated with a "cool and damp"
atmosphere, said Paris, who added it also cuts down on insect problems
and various types of agricultural diseases.
"It
also uses half the amount of water used with overhead irrigation
systems," Paris said. "That can save money as well as the
plants being grown."
As
with any type of farm crop, it takes hard work and perseverance to
succeed. Paris said good management is important because an important
aspect of plasticulture is making sure the water is turned on and off at
the proper time "and making sure there are no leaks in the
irrigation system."
Once
the plants and the plastic are in their proper place, the next step is
adding fertilizer, "but not much else," said Paris.
"Some
farmers hook up their plasticulture irrigation lines to wells," he
said. "Here at Knox, it’s hooked up to the city of Selma’s
water system."
McLemore
said the area used to plant the collards at the elementary school is
only a fraction of an acre, but big enough to place 900 collard plants
in 10 long rows near the cafeteria.
"You’ll
need 24 gallons a minute for one acre, but, here at the school, we use a
small water system providing about 10 gallons a minute," said
McLemore who added while the initial cost of plasticulture may be more,
"production is more, too."
McLemore
used squash as an example of how effective plasticulture can be when
done properly.
"If
all goes right the traditional way, you’ll produce about 250 bushels
of squash an acre," he said. "With plasticulture, you can make
800 to 900 bushels an acre. So, at, say $10 a bushel, you can see how
profitable it can be with this particular type of planting."
The
two men said Alabama’s produce production is "way down" when
compared with other states, especially those neighboring or nearby.
McLemore
said Alabama only has between 2-3,000 plasticulture acres while Georgia
has 35,000 acres. Florida leads the region with 80,000 acres.
Then,
there’s California, the granddaddy of all states when it comes to
produce because, McLemore said, it produces about half of all the
produce consumed in the country.
He
sees a ray of hope, nevertheless, because with the high price of fuel
these days and transportation rates skyrocketing to get produce across
the country, Alabama could benefit by producing more produce.
McLemore
said he’s often asked about how many years are involved in using a
plasticulture method. He said that’s not the way to judge it.
"We
don’t work by years when it comes to plasticulture," he said.
"We work by crop. In this case, we’ll probably get two, maybe
three crops in this area at the school."
Once
one crop is planted and picked over a particular period, he said a new
crop will follow until it’s time to plow up the field again. McLemore
and Paris indicated strawberries and watermelons may be next for Knox
Elementary School before the field is treated again.
The
Knox students didn’t just plant the collards, they also had a chance
to eat the finished product.
In
late May, the children were treated to collards as part of a side dish
at lunch. One 4-year-old boy quickly ate a slice of pizza and two other
side dishes, but just stared at the collards.
When
Pickett began to feed him some of the green vegetable, his eyes lit up
and it wasn’t long before it was gone. He loved it.
"Having
this garden was a vision and dream of mine," said Pickett.
"When I came back, I revisited my dream."
She
became the catalyst for the project and with the help of Principal
Joselyn Reddick, it got under way earlier this year when the first
sheets of black plastic were placed and the green plants were positioned
underneath.
Pickett
convinced the children they had no reason to "fear the dirt, bugs
or worms" and it wasn’t long before they happily tilled the soil.
As
it is with any enterprise, the "bottom line" usually dictates
whether a project continues.
McLemore
pretty much ended any concerns over that when he explained just how much
could be made by selling plasticulture produce.
"The
crop here at Knox cost about $250 to produce, but it would expect to
make a $1,000 profit," he said, indicating the rate of return
should convince any doubters to keep going at the school.
Not
long after the children had their fill of collards, the school put the
rest of the crop up for sale and they didn’t last long.
People
began lining up to buy collards that looked far superior to what’s
available at local supermarkets.
The
size, alone, was a clear illustration of how successful plasticulture
can be. The collards were huge and provided plenty of nutritious side
dishes for Selma families.
In
the end, Carolyn Pickett’s dream not only came true, but it appears it’ll
become part of Knox Elementary School’s future for a long time.
Alvin
Benn is a freelance writer from Selma. |
