P. A. Yeomans

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P. A. Yeomans developed the keyline design to increase land fertility.

Percival Alfred Yeomans (1905 - November 1984) was an Australian inventor known for the keyline design for the development of land and increasing the fertility of that land. As a mining engineer and gold assayer, Yeomans had developed a keen sense of hydrology and equipment design. Upon his brother-in-law's death in a grass fire, Yeomans assumed management of a large tract of land he later named Nevallan in New South Wales. Here he developed improved methods and equipment for cultivation. His designs won him The Prince Philip Design Award in 1974.

His keyline principles have been adopted by farms in almost every country in the world. Yeomans' concepts are now part of the curriculum of many sustainable agriculture courses across the world and have been a key factor in the development of permaculture.

Yeomans wrote four books; The Keyline Plan, The Challenge of Landscape, Water For Every Farm, and The City Forest.