P A Yeomans-Keyline at Rugby Run: Twenty Questions & Answers (John Sweet) 1993
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What is the origin and definition of the name Keyline?
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The name given by P A Yeomans to a contour starting from the Keypoint extending in two directions. The Keypoint is a definite spot on the floor of a Primary Valley where the slope changes from steep to flat, i.e. it flattens out. See page 30 of P A Yeomans’ final book* of four, published in 1971: The City Forest - Chapter Four: The Landscape Design of Nature (2)
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What is Keyline Cultivation?
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Cultivation parallel to the Keyline, preferably with a chisel plough or similar tined implement. (NB The vibrating ‘Bunyip Slipper Imp with Shakaerator’ was designed specifically for this job and won the Prince Philip Prize for Australian Design in 1974). Keyline cultivation is parallel to the Keyline both above and below it - as it progresses in either direction it drifts slightly off the true contour and has the effect of moving water from the valley onto the ridges, i.e. it disperses the concentration of water.
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What is the fundamental ‘Golden Rule’ of Keyline?
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Do what the land tells you - e.g. design for the climate and topography. Increase production by increasing soil fertility and enhancing the environment. Salinity, pests & diseases and weeds mean things are not right with the soil. Someone has done something wrong.
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What is the basic requirement of Keyline Surveying?
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Total accuracy - near enough is not good enough.
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Can Keyline be classed as Regenerative Agriculture?
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Absolutely - the use of Keyline in its entirety can change poor, eroded soil into fertile, rich organic soil in 3 to 5 years and sustain or improve upon this, without artificial fertilisers or chemicals thereafter. The only outside input needed is ground rock for remineralisation, soil activators, earthworms and trees where necessary and, for some crops & trees certain kinds of fungi.
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Apart from Design, Aeration and Water, name four major factors used in the Keyline soil improvement technique?
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1. 2. 3. 4.
Remineralisation. Companion Legumes - all crops and pastures. Grass Shock. Trees.
OCR scanned and converted in 2014 to a document by Geoffrey Booth for Keyline Archive. www.youtube.com/channel/UCUPgPJZAlkxt207sxcdp4DQ/about Rugby Run (Functional Plan-Keyline Design only) 1981. www.issuu.com/gboothy/docs/27._rugby_run__functional_plan-clea P A Yeomans-Keyline at Rugby Run (12 min) 1986. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GIpzckaCLE © Sweet, J.W. (1993). Uploaded with permission. Page 1 of 5
P A Yeomans-Keyline at Rugby Run: Twenty Questions & Answers (John Sweet) 1993
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What is Grass Shock?
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Grass Shock is a management technique, whereby crops or pastures are grazed or cut just before going to seed (at the point of maximum nutrition). The grass goes into ‘shock’, i.e. the roots die and it then sends out new ones. The dying roots are the best source of ‘microbial food’ there is. Following aeration and irrigation the cycle can repeat itself quickly. Each time the new roots get a little deeper, fertile soil is quickly developed.
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Does Keyline use fertilisers?
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Depending on the original soil, a ‘once only’ starter application of neutralised super phosphate (50% super, 50% lime) may be used to get the legumes going in the first year. Neutralised super is used so the soil does not become more acidic and so microbial inoculation of the legume seed is not adversely affected. Artificial nitrogen is never used.
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Does a Keyline designed farm need to use toxic pesticides and herbicides?
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No - they are not necessary, injurious to the health of soil and people and a waste of money.
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There are two types of Keyline Irrigation - what are they and what is their application?
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Hillside Pattern Irrigation - for steeper slopes - generally for trees and pastures. The water flows in a sloping excavated Keyline Irrigation Channel (a gradient of 1 in 300) and is stopped at intervals so it spills over and is spread by Keyline Pattern Cultivation.
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Flood-Flow Irrigation - for flatter lands - can be used for trees, crops and pastures. The water flows in a ground level Keyline Contour Bank Channel and is released through gates into bays of about 10 to 12 acres (4.0 to 4.9 ha). Each bay is bounded on two sides by steering banks surveyed precisely down the maximum slope of the land. Cultivation is parallel to the steering banks i.e. up & down the slope. In each case large volumes of water are used - ranging from 300,000 - 1,500,000 imp. gallons per hour (1.4 - 6.8 ML/h) on average.
OCR scanned and converted in 2014 to a document by Geoffrey Booth for Keyline Archive. www.youtube.com/channel/UCUPgPJZAlkxt207sxcdp4DQ/about Rugby Run (Functional Plan-Keyline Design only) 1981. www.issuu.com/gboothy/docs/27._rugby_run__functional_plan-clea P A Yeomans-Keyline at Rugby Run (12 min) 1986. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GIpzckaCLE © Sweet, J.W. (1993). Uploaded with permission. Page 2 of 5
P A Yeomans-Keyline at Rugby Run: Twenty Questions & Answers (John Sweet) 1993
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Why are Large Volumes of Water used for Keyline Irrigation?
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Two reasons: 1. 2.
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For economy of time (up to 20 acres/hour or 8.1 ha/h). So that water is only in contact with the soil for a short time.
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What Form of Power is used in Keyline?
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Gravity. In some special circumstances large flood lifters may be used to lift water a few feet or metres.
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Keyline Irrigation is designed so Water is Only in Contact with the Soil for a Short Time - Why? (Time: 1 - 2 hours).
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To avoid water logging - research worldwide shows the ‘desert will bloom for awhile’ no matter how it is watered, but continued low volume irrigation, where the soil is watered for long periods eventually leads to salinity and the 'locking up' of available plant nutrients. NB The design of Keyline also prevents this problem - by providing perfect drainage on irrigation land.
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Does Keyline Control Erosion - if so, how?
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Yes - almost totally by three means: 1. 2.
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Design, which spreads and disperses water instead of concentrating it on cultivation and pasture land. Water Harvesting by Keyline Diversion Channels up to six miles (9.7 km) long or possibly even longer. This water is stored in large dams (from 500 - 5,000 acre feet or 617 - 6,167 ML) and takes a lot of water off the land very safely for later use. By improving soil fertility so that it is rich in humus - such soil absorbs water like a sponge; very quickly in large amounts. This fertile soil also is very resistant to erosion in its own right.
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Keyline uses long Keyline Diversion Channels for Water Harvesting would the Large Flow Rates of Water in these Channels erode them and deposit Silt in the Storage Dams?
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No - the gradient of the channels varies from 1: 800 to 1: 5,000 - this gradient, combined with selected grass cover of the water transport areas ensure there is no erosion.
OCR scanned and converted in 2014 to a document by Geoffrey Booth for Keyline Archive. www.youtube.com/channel/UCUPgPJZAlkxt207sxcdp4DQ/about Rugby Run (Functional Plan-Keyline Design only) 1981. www.issuu.com/gboothy/docs/27._rugby_run__functional_plan-clea P A Yeomans-Keyline at Rugby Run (12 min) 1986. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GIpzckaCLE © Sweet, J.W. (1993). Uploaded with permission. Page 3 of 5
P A Yeomans-Keyline at Rugby Run: Twenty Questions & Answers (John Sweet) 1993
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Can Mistakes be Made with Keyline?
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Yes, they can - mainly by failing to observe the Golden Rule ‘Do What the Land Tells You’. It takes experience, a feeling for the land and intuition to interpret this. The main thing is to learn from mistakes and not repeat them.
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What are the Benefits of Keyline?
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Production increases from a more fertile soil, i.e. increased yields or carrying capacities. Health enhancement of soil producing healthy produce leading to less illness in people; again resulting in more production. Elimination of chemical use and residues in produce resulting in larger exports in money terms. Reversal of land degradation in 3 to 5 years. Control over floods and droughts. Diversification for rural producers into fish, timber and horticulture by the provision of water in large quantities at low cost. Stability resulting in rural communities which would flow onto national wide. Appreciation of real estate values. Elimination of polluted run-off water into rivers and the sea. Lastly, but not least: Environmental enhancement for people’s surroundings - healthy soil, luxuriant tree & plant growth and abundant fresh water; especially refreshing in cities and in the harsher, lower rainfall rural areas.
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Is Keyline Applicable to Anything Else, besides the Rural Industry?
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Yes, it is a total design for cities and sub-divisions, incorporating the treatment of sewage and other waste effluent by ‘City Forests’.
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Is Keyline more Expensive to Establish and Maintain compared to other forms of Land Use and Irrigation?
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No - quite the contrary. Keyline is a fully integrated plan, resulting in lower capital outlay and maintenance, with lower inputs eg use of little or no fertilisers and no use of pesticides or herbicides. On the irrigation side there are virtually no power costs as gravity alone is the source of power. On reasonably uniform slopes, the design eliminates the need for costly land preparation such as land planeing. Maintenance is very low - limited to 'topping up’ channels and steering banks with earth once every two or three years.
OCR scanned and converted in 2014 to a document by Geoffrey Booth for Keyline Archive. www.youtube.com/channel/UCUPgPJZAlkxt207sxcdp4DQ/about Rugby Run (Functional Plan-Keyline Design only) 1981. www.issuu.com/gboothy/docs/27._rugby_run__functional_plan-clea P A Yeomans-Keyline at Rugby Run (12 min) 1986. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GIpzckaCLE © Sweet, J.W. (1993). Uploaded with permission. Page 4 of 5
P A Yeomans-Keyline at Rugby Run: Twenty Questions & Answers (John Sweet) 1993
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Can Keyline be combined with any Other Land Use/Production Systems?
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Certainly, for example: 1. 2. 3.
Ponded Pasture - Keyline Water Harvesting would be a great benefit to this system. Fodder Trees - eg Tree Lucerne, Mulberry and Leucaena. 'Harvestore' Green Chop Feed Lotting for cattle and other animals - in this system fodder is cut at maximum nutrition level just before seeding. This corresponds with Keyline ‘Grass Shock’. Such a combination would have a twofold effect maximum production and improvement of the soil. Such a combination would also have the potential to fatten in excess of five head of cattle per acre per year (12 head of cattle per hectare per year). This would be ‘healthy beef’, as opposed to grain fed beef.
OCR scanned and converted in 2014 to a document by Geoffrey Booth for Keyline Archive. www.youtube.com/channel/UCUPgPJZAlkxt207sxcdp4DQ/about Rugby Run (Functional Plan-Keyline Design only) 1981. www.issuu.com/gboothy/docs/27._rugby_run__functional_plan-clea P A Yeomans-Keyline at Rugby Run (12 min) 1986. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GIpzckaCLE © Sweet, J.W. (1993). Uploaded with permission. Page 5 of 5