aaa Adgingbongs + Waterholes for Tree Crops integrated with Grazing Animals

This currently an INFORMATION PAGE ONLY Being UPDATED

Parts 1-6 describes the making of of an Open Forest of English Oak + Bunya + Hoop Pine integrated with grazing animals within a constructed network of waterholes (also known as adgingbongs). Over 100 photos details earthworks and management objective of establishing long lived trees with ultra deep tap roots (integrated with grazing animals). Within 2 hectares of adgingbong there is now an extra 30 million litres of water stored in the soil to 5 metres depth.   

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Earthworks were initiated 2007 with additions and modifications completed over several years. Original plan to grow tree crops has been revised to include the integration of grazing animals as integral to ongoing management of groundcovers. To grow tree crops here grazing animals are required. OBJECTIVE: Establish Rainfed Tree Crops integrated with Grazing Sheep and Cattle.

MAX. SURFACE WATER CAPACITY: Less than 3 million litres of water determined by limitations in accordance with Water Resource Legislation in The State of Queensland. Surface water may be stored in a single waterhole or multiple shallow waterholes and adgingbongs. NO IRRIGATION LICENCE is applicable in this situation. All Tree Crops rely upon stored inground moisture. NO MACHINERY: All groundcovers and maintained and managed with grazing animals. TREE CROP SELECTIONS: (1) Deciduous Trees with tap roots to 5 metres are preferred. Long lived. (3) Able to be pruned above grazing height of small cattle. (4) Able to withstand grazing when green or protected until above grazing. GRAZING ANIMALS: Selectively bred for meat and milk. Small cattle to 1.1 metre at shoulder. Docile and hardy. TREE CROPS to date: Date Palms + Macadamia + English Oak + Apples + Citrus + Fruiting Figs + Pecans + Chesnuts + Bunya Pines + Olives. 

MULTIPLE SHAPES: Adgingbongs and Waterholes have been constructed and shaped to maximise soakage and to absorb trampling from grazing animals without adverse effects upon groundcovers or adgingbong shapes.   

Earth works are relatively simple to implement with the best machinery selected to perform the work. It is important to understand key attributes of soil and catchment area sizes to develop constructs that will provide adequate soak and storage. It is the establishment and management of tree crops that is the great unknown. Once water is captured to soak you will see all types of grasses and ground covers grow and prosper so well that they are an impediment to establishing and managing trees. Our ground cover management is based entirely on grazing animals. Recent above average rains have grown extraordinary volumes of tall grasses that are now being consumed and worked into the topsoil with grazing management to transform from tall tussock grasses to swathes of nardoo + selected short creeping groundcovers.   

Adgingbongs and Waterholes includes new improved construction methods and configurations.        

Relevant to this Section  Trees for Inland Australia Read ALSO:  Adgingbongs and Water Holes Photo Journal  and you will gain an insight some of the work completed since 2006. 

PHOTO 1: This 20 metre long Adgingbong is about 20 metres wide (second section not visible) was cut with a Bulldozer in August 2019. This is its first fill with about 40,000 litres of visible surface water.  One big rainfall event will soak and fill the adgingbong. So over a 6 week period of recent regular rainfall events – maybe 500,000 litres of water was soaked here. DATE of PHOTO: March 2020

PHOTO 2:  This is The Wilga Tree associated the Adgingbong from Photo 1 Above. Recently planted here is a Avocado with a few companion leucaena seedling. DATE of PHOTO: March ’19.

PHOTO 4: Old Man Saltbush on waters edge. Sheep have shaped this plant. DATE of PHOTO: March 2019.

Inspiration for Gardening and Grazing has come from many faces. Allan Savory. Masanobu Fukuoka. Buckminster Fuller. Bill Mollison. Professor Eileen Ingham. Paul Stamets. All were born last century. Some are deceased, but never die. The ongoing influence of what these people created and achieved is substantial to say the least, and will benefit millions of people for thousands of years. All are genuine pioneers in in their chosen fields of endeavor. Add to this list, Temple Grandin….it keeps growing…it is worth noting however…all of these people have been influenced by the accumulated knowledge of thousands of people before them…

PHOTO 4A:  Panoramic View from 2018 of The Adgingbongs. Blackwater in the dam is from decaying plant material that grew when the dam was recently dry for 4 months. All around the blackwater is dry bulrush. Within this 1.5 Hectare Paddock there is 1.5 km’s of waters edge holding 3 million litres of surface water and now maybe an extra 10 million litres of sub-soil moisture that was not present 10 years ago The bean shaped component to the right of the dam is Duck Island. DATE of PHOTO: Jan 2018.

PHOTO 5: Part of Duck Island. A series of weirs hold water to soak. DATE of PHOTO: Circa 2017.

PHOTO 6: This is Part of Duck Island. It is now being intensively developed with a broad range of experimental units – especially biochar hydroponics. DATE of PHOTO: March 2019.

PHOTO 6A:  Duck Island after being reshaped with a flat top and channel to better soak rainfall. Date of Photo: March 2018 

PHOTO 7: Bunya Pine – Part of the Fossil Record for over 100 Million Years – a well made plant. DATE of PHOTO: March 2019.