“Soil is one of the most important components in our profession,” explains Patrick Aubery, who has been managing and testing agroforestry on the Capote family home in Basse-Pointe, Martinique. Passionate about ecology, Patrick Aubery turned to renewable energies and, upon completing his engineering studies, he decided to follow in his father's footsteps, who had already shifted the focus to soil.
“Developing the fertility of your soil and taking care of your soil is like developing your capital.” His farm is now a “locomotive”, which opens the way for other producers of the island. An innovative production method in the banana plantations of Guadeloupe and Martinique.
Patrick Aubery
On his farm of 60 hectares, Patrick Aubery practices agroforestry on approximately 10 hectares. As a forerunner in stopping the use of insecticides thanks to permanent grassing, his goal is to succeed in improving the soil while growing bananas. “The main challenge is to find the right balance by adding plants while maintaining our production of quality bananas. Because the more plants there are, the more resilient the systems become to weather hazards.” No less than 5 varieties have been combined on the same plot: banana (the main crop), grass, cover plants such as desmodium, cocoa and eucalyptus.
