Gladian agriculture

**Gladian Agriculture** refers to the practices applied in the Velkarichka river basin, and latter the diverse domains of the Gladian Empire. Agriculture is deeply interwoven with Gladian culture, and religion. With a central tenant in the Worship of the Six being that of agriculture being given to humanity as a gift from the gods, with the Gladians believing that all humans were made from maize dough.

Gladian Agriculture relies extensively on Agroforestry, raised fields, companion planting, intercropping, crop rotation, forest gardening, although most prominently is the use of Kamal. It is recognized for its flexibility, and yields which are some of the best in the world. Its influence is unrivaled, and Gladians are considered the best farmers in the world.

Staple crops include Maize, Potatoes, Yuca, Camote, Black Beans, Acai, Squash, Tomatoes, various edible mushroomsChili peppers, Avocado, among others. They're usually grown in conjunction with one another. Domesticated animals of importance include Llama, Alpaca, Horse, Jageh, Radif, Honofa, Neturi, Girafo, Leafcutter ants, among others.

The great majority of people in the Gladian Empire are engaged in agriculture. Highly fertile and productive fields around the Velkarichka were exploited to allow the creation of urban centers which expanded the land utilized for agriculture. A wide array of techniques and crops allowed agriculture to thrive in the wide environments and conditions of the river basin.

## Environment

Gladian Civilization began in the Velkarichka river basin, which is noted for its diverse set of environments, and conditions. The location is a moist broadleaf Tropical rainforest. Other areas of the river basin feature Tropical Savannah, to the Patse Mountains. The region is prone to flooding which creates a highly productive Floodplain.

Main issues facing agriculture include the poor quality soils found in the river basin as a result of leaching, which refers to the natural process of how soil can lose its nutrients over time. This is due to competition, and excess rainfall. The first reduces the amount of nutrients available to soils to grow crops, due to increased pressure from other lifeforms. The latter refers to how nutrients may be washed out by rain. Due to this, soil can only be used for a few crop cycles after the rainforest has been cleared by fire before it is depleted of nutrients. In the savannah, flooding would kill any vegetation, as some parts of the savannah can be inundated for months on end. While areas in the Patse Mountains struggle with a lack of space in the cliffs of the mountains, along with a lack of water, requiring systems to retain rainfall.

## Farming practices

Due to after mentioned issues, Gladian agriculture was forced to create work around issues and problems that are a result of their environment. The most prominent of this is the use of Kamal however, and its creation and application is commonly referenced in Gladian culture as being of divine origin.

### Kamal

Main article: Kamal
Kamal is the most widespread practice of Gladian culture, and a cornerstone of their society. Kamal refers to the preparation of soil for cultivation, and its upkeep, and is divided into 3 stages: clearing, preparation, and maintaining. Kamal is also practiced for the creation of urban gardens and parks, along with rituals.

Kamal is made from burning the underbrush of the rainforest to create charcoal, which is then deposited into the earth. Usually, a plot of land is allocated to a family from a newly cleared section of cleared forest, and the family proceeds to improve the fertility of the soil by discarding household waste on the plot. Along with preparing the soil by adding ritual offerings to the gods in the form of smashed pottery and artifacts. During this time the soil would be purposefully colonized by Atme, which would improve its fertility. Individual provinces, villages, and families have differing traditions in regards to improving their soil. After one or two years of soil preparation, the soil may be planted on. To upkeep the soil, Gladians continue depositing household waste and adding charcoal to the soil.

Kamal is so potent, that fields that were established hundreds of years prior are still being used in the modern day without any loss of fertility. Kamal is not always made for the purpose of agriculture, and most Worship of the Six temples are built upon Kamal soil, which the Gladians consider sacred. The Gladians gain their knowledge of agriculture from Xelman a human turned god figure in the religion, who is said to have discovered or been enlightened to develop the technique and thus allow Gladian success. Creating Kamal is seen as a purifying act, and is one of the pillars of the religion.

### Raised fields and terraces

Due to the nature of flooding in the river basin and savannah, the Gladians construct raised fields, which allow for irrigation. These raised fields dot the landscape of the Velkarichka, allowing cultivation to happen year round.

It consists of parallel canals alternated by raised planting beds, which would be strategically located on floodplains or near a water source so that the fields could be properly irrigated. These flooded fields were composed of soil that was rich in nutrients due to the use of Kamal, along with other agricultural techniques. Through the process of mounding up this soil to create planting beds, natural, recyclable fertilizer from aquatic organisms in the canal could be obtained. By trapping solar radiation during the day, this raised field agricultural method also protected crops from freezing overnight, which was particularly problematic in the Patse mountains. These raised planting beds were irrigated very efficiently by the adjacent canals, which extended the growing season year round.