Miyawaki Plantation

Miyawaki Method of Afforestation

Taking the “concrete” out of “concrete jungles”

The Miyawaki Method is a system of afforestation pioneered by the Japanese scientist, Akira Miyawaki, in the 1970s, which essentially restored the natural vegetation of degraded land. The method involves planting a large number of tree species native to a region, close to each other, in an effort to turn barren pieces of land into mini-forests that can sustain itself in a span of one or two years; effectively mimicking the dense cover of a natural forest. The Miyawaki Method is ideally carried out in cities or urban environments that have a dearth of trees, effective lungspaces or plentiful land for the reconstitution of — what used to be — indigenous forests with indigenous trees. The method can be effected as a means of afforestation on barren or unused pieces of land, in an urban scale.

Where can you carry out the Miyawaki method? Why?
Unused or vacant plots of land in urban areas (cities, metros) Afforestation
Barren land in rural areas or outskirts (small towns, villages) Afforestation
A small piece of land next to your home, office, or commercial space Lung spaces

Miyawaki Plantation Process

Identification of Plant Species

Native trees are carefully selected based on the soil conditions, availability of water, type of land and preferences of the plot owner.

Procurement of Materials
  • Coco peat helps retain soil moisture
  • Rice husk helps improve perforation and allow the roots to grow at a quick pace
  • Hay insulates and protects the soil, preventing sunlight from falling directly on the soil. The mulch also reduces the evaporation of water.
  • Vermicompost is a form of organic fertilizer required for the plant’s nourishment. Various materials can be used depending on the region and its availability; cow manure, goat manure or vermicompost.
  • Saplings of trees native to the region with an average height are handpicked.
Preparation of Land
  • Upon surveying the site, we divide the plot into smaller portions and finalize the layout of trees. We then dig two to three-feet-deep patches of soil and thoroughly mix it with the procured materials (coco peat, vermicompost or manure, and rice husk).
  • The mixed soil to be levelled back into the land. In the case of public land, it is important to fence the area to prevent the land from being accessed by humans or cattle.
  • The patches of land are topped with mulch (hay) to reduce the amount of sunlight falling on the ground, resulting in less evaporation of water, which in turn increases water retention, for use by the plants.

Maintenance & Growth Monitoring

Regular watering and weeding is carried out for two years after which it becomes a self-sustaining forest.
Studying the Land Site Survey
Land, soil and water analysis
Excavation
Preparing the Land Mixing (coco peat, soil, vermicompost)
Layering of mixture
Fencing and water outlet
Planning and Planting Selection of tree species
Planning the layout
Planting the seeds or saplings
Post-planting Mulching
Scattering organic fertiliser
Regular watering and weeding

Agroforestry

A fine interplay between food crops and trees.

As world population increases, the need for more productive and sustainable use of the land becomes more urgent. To meet the demand for food by 2050, production will have to increase by well over 60%. This massive demand, coupled with current problems borne out of past and existing non-sustainable land use practices, provide the case for changing the way we manage lands and our production of agricultural and tree goods.

Agroforestry is a collective name for efficient land-use systems involving trees combined with crops and/or animals on the same unit of land. The systems place an emphasis on the use of multiple indigenous trees and shrubs, particularly suitable for low-input conditions and fragile environments. Agroforestry is crucial to rural, small scale farmers because it can enhance their food supply, income, and health. They are essentially multifunctional systems that can provide a wide range of environmental, economic, and sociocultural benefits.

  • More efficient recycling of nutrients by deep rooted trees on the site
  • Reduction of surface run-off, nutrient-leeching, and soil erosion
  • Improvement of microclimate, such as lowering of soil surface temperature and reduction of evaporation of soil moisture
  • Improvement in soil structure and soil nutrients through the addition and decomposition of litter-fall
  • Increment in the output of food, fuel wood, fodder, fertilizer, and timber
  • Reduction in incidence of total crop failure
  • Increase in levels of farm income due to improved and sustained productivity
  • Improvement in rural living standards from sustained employment and higher income or wages
  • Stabilization of communities through the elimination of shifts in farm activity
  • Improvement in overall nutrition and health due to the increased quality and diversity of food output