What Can You Grow in a Water Terrace or Paddy?

#permaculture #aquaculture #watergarden
A paddy doesn't have to mean rice. Geoff explores the range of plants and aquatic species that can be grown in controlled water terraces — from lotus, taro and water chestnut to forage crops, fish and crustaceans.

This question was answered during Geoff Lawton’s weekly student Q&A inside the Online Permaculture Design Course. Learn the complete approach to water, earthworks, aquaculture and productive landscape design: https://www.discoverpermaculture.com

Key takeaways:

A paddy is essentially a controllable shallow body of water.
Lowering the water level allows crops to be planted before the system is flooded again.
Lotus, taro, water chestnut, kangkong, watercress and other aquatic crops can fit these systems.
Water terraces can produce human food, animal forage and aquatic protein.
Productive aquatic systems can stack several useful species into the same space.