An e-publication by the World Agroforestry Centre
CONSERVATION FARMING ON SLOPING LANDS:
Summary and Highlights from a Roving Workshop
(Misamis oriental Province, Mindanao, philippines)
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An e-publication by the World Agroforestry Centre |
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CONSERVATION FARMING ON SLOPING LANDS: |
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Annex. 4: Summaries of Vietnamese Papers THE ROLE OF LEGUMES IN SUSTAINABLE LAND USE IN THE NORTHWEST OF VIETNAM Mr. Dinh Thanh Giang Soils in the northwest suffer serious degradation because most areas are comprised mostly of high steep mountains with very low forest cover. However, these lands are advantageous to legume development because soil acidity is low, soil types is red limestone, ferralite above gabbro, and pH level of water is from 5.5 - 6.5. Under these conditions, legumes play an important role in soil rehabilitation and protection. Specifically, legumes do the following:
Experimentation with ten introduced legume species in four plots in Hao Binh and Son La, and analysis of established species and models lead to the following assessment::
The trees mentioned above can be used for any of the following models:
Conclusion It was established that legumes should be seen as a most important type of tree in long-term sustainable sloping land use strategies in the northwest. Likewise, incorporation of several legume species into some upland development projects in the northwest is highly recommended.
Mr. Pham Xuan Hoan Van Yen is one of the upland districts of Yen Bai province, Northern Vietnam, where the main crops are hill rice, sweet potato, maize, manioc and some vegetables and beans. Minority groups from this area such as the Dzao and H'mong intercrop Cinnamon cassia Blume with other agriculture crops. Intercropping Cinnamon casia Blume with agriculture crops started from the fact that Dzao's farming sites are on high slopes of 20-30 degrees. Minimum tillage was practiced for growth of agriculture crops and cinnamon. This restricted the destruction of topsoil structure in the first year, which is significant because Yen Bai is with heavy and concentrated rainfall. Likewise, agriculture crops get support from the cinnamon and rice straws annually left from harvesting and these help maintain moisture for seedlings in dry seasons and prevent weed growth. Two possibilities happen during the stage when the cinnamon is able to stand under direct sunlight. First is the formation of a homogeneous cinnamon stand. The first way in restoring the stand after harvesting is to clear cut by harvesting cinnamon barks, after which, the site is slashed, burnt, and grown with hill rice and cinnamon seedlings are planted in the second rotation. The second way is to clear cut by harvesting cinnamon barks then the site is slashed and burned, grown with hill rice, and prepared for cinnamon coppicing. Another method is complete fallow, in which cinnamon trees are grown together with forest tree species originating from the secondary forest. The stand will be clear-cut, burnt, sown with hill rice and cinnamon is planted in the second rotation.
From 1990 up to now, the Dzao people were allocated with land and forest for management, while the government is managing part of the forest for watershed forest management. This policy gave direct impact to the Dzao people's traditional farming customs and the changes of their farming system was brought by to two factors, where:
Conclusion Changes of the farming custom resulted in the changing habit of using food and foodstuff, another big constraint in the Dzao culture. Further studies comparing the three different treatments for the second rotation of the cinnamon forest, to find solutions to replace the slash and bum practice is recommended.
Dr. Nguyen Tang Ton In the southern part of Vietnam, from Hai Van pass to the peninsula of Ca Mau, where there is about 10 million hectares of sloping lands covering 62.7% of natural land area. In recent years, there had been increasing demand for cultivated lands from people migrating from densely populated areas, while the slash-and-bum practices of ethnic communities brought about rapid deforestation and unsound management of marginal lands. These caused severe soil erosion and depleted soil nutrients after several years of cropping, especially in annual crop-based farming system. In this regard, two technologies in conservation farming were suggested. The first of which is on agricultural technologies. Appropriate technologies for a specified location must be: suitable to ecological and socioeconomic conditions; suitable to tradition; suitable to the technical knowledge of farmers and their resources; helpful for farmers to achieve their objectives; profitable to individual farmers and the community; and, environmentally sound. The second technology is the application of the conservation farming practice in South Vietnam, which includes: contour farming; alley cropping; hedgerow cropping; shading trees in coffee plantations; intercropping of annual crops in young perennial crop gardens; and, cover crops and pastures under trees. Furthermore, IAS presented another methodology for technology transfer on conservation farming, where technology transferees came first. Second is technology transferees and technology transfer channels. Third is to tie up with international collaborators in technology transfer. Fourth step is technology transfer, which includes the selection of target area and farming diagnostics; planning and identification of appropriate technology; on-farm trials and verification; and, adaptation and transfer of technology into production. The fifth step of the methodology suggested for successful technology transfer on conservation farming is contact or linkage with individuals, groups engaged with the practice and with the mass media. Sixth requirement is to give focus on: specific and appropriate technologies; sufficient farm resources; provision of credit to farmers from different sources; adequate supply of inputs; good market and marketing systems; and right policies of central and local governments.
IAS has found eight key measures for technology transfer on conservation farming through the cooperation of other institutions. The eight key measures are learning, trials, training, demonstration, visits, information dissemination, competition, and final evaluation and awards.
(Case Study. KaDo Commune, Don Duong District, Lam Dong Province) Mr. Vo Van Thoan KaDo commune belongs to Don Duong district, Lam Dong Province, located about 320 km from Ho Chi Minh City and 15 km from the district center. The total land area of the commune is approximately 8,100 ha, which includes forestland allocated to the Don Duong Forest Enterprise. The main issues of concern of this typical upland commune are its risk-prone and unsustainable production system, its high dependency on forest resource, its water shortage, soil erosion, and diversity in ethnic composition, and poverty in communities. This is because most Chil households heavily depend on slash and bum systems as their means of livelihood. Tools and methods of RRA and tropical PRA have been used to document and analyze the indigenous knowledge in conservation farming on the hill slides of the Chil people. Elders called "Gia lang" were interviewed, as well as legal and illegal migrators. Findings of the case study were on: sustainability of swidden agriculture cultivation of Chils; sustainable use of existing swidden agriculture area; local selection of crops and varieties; forest/hill gardens; food crops based hill gardens; coffee-fruit trees based hill gardens; and, home garden. Helping local people to intensively use their homesteads could lead to the reduction of pressure on shifting cultivation lands. Furthermore, in some fallow areas in the forest where the issues of land tenure are not clear, hill/forest gardens seem to be a good option. Encouraging farmers in improving the miir in planting fruit trees and combining them with annual food crops and industrial crops can help enhance protection values of the sites.
Ms. Bui My Binh In light of the government of Vietnam's effort to salvage their forests, promote sustainable development and biodiversity conservation, it has established the 5 million ha reforestation programme. This 12-year programme hopes to increase the forest cover of Vietnam to 43%, create employment opportunities for local people and create a source of raw materials for forest industries' domestic and export needs. Such undertakings will contribute greatly in protecting the country's soil and water resources and conserve its biodiversity. Also, these efforts will bring about better social, political and socioeconomic conditions for the people and for the country. In order to achieve these, strict protection of the 9 million ha of existing forests, establishment of a 2 million ha of protection forest and a 3 million ha of production forests will have to be implemented. From the 2 million ha of protection forest, 1 million ha is devoted to natural regeneration and enrichment planting and the other half, to plantation in relation to Conservation Farming System. The 3 million ha of production forest, likewise, will be divided into a 2 million ha forest for timber and raw material and a million ha for perennial cash crops and fruit trees. In the establishment of the special use and protection forests, the concept of silviculture will be applied. On the other hand, tree species of high economic value will be selected for the production forests. Improvement of land policy and enhancing land allocation to the real end users will also be given priority. Under this context, the conservation farming approach is addressed in all 5 million ha of production forest. Conservation farming's important role will help the program achieve three (3) main end results. These results are to create short and long ten-n income for farmers and end users by agroforestry technology, mobilize the farmer's available forces to establish man-made plantation while helping the government save capital to support farming in terms of transfer and market development and to immediately secure the environment. This program approach will hopefully achieve its objectives while still making our farmers enjoy the long-term benefits of their farm-forest, the natural landscape and genetic resources. May all these remain and be continually enriched.
Dr. Ly Van Trong & Mr. Pham Xuan Hoan Recently, Vietnam's Central Government and decision-makers have realized the direct relationship between rural poverty and environmental degradation. Such realization has prompted acts and regulation on rural development and conservation policies to serve as the basis for integrated programmes aimed at alleviating rural poverty while conserving the natural resources. The call for local people involvement in forest land and resource management has been answered by approaches like People-centered Agroforestry and Participatory Rural Resource Management. Such approaches may ensure long term productive benefits while conserving vital ecosystem function, species and habitats. Essentially, the development process or approach should be, as aptly phrased in Vietnam's national slogan 'for the people and by the people.'
Vietnam's strategy for its socioeconomic development since "Renovation Do Moi" has been generally changed from a centrally planned to market-oriented. Policy and decision making is re-oriented based on this direction, In mountainous rural areas, the reality is that social forestry farmers are gradually taking over much of the responsibility for management of the forests and forest land from State organizations. This will require a different set of skills, knowledge and attitudes to properly deal with the demands of the farmers. As a result, a number of project or programme were developed, focusing on training, research and extension to build up or promote the capacity in sustainable farming development. The demand for training and education for millions of odd farmers is now the greatest challenge of Vietnam's Social forestry. Agroforestry system is currently advancing in Vietnam. In fact, thousands have now received training in agroforestry both in country and abroad. These opportunities for involvement in AF project implementation have facilitated experimental learning process. Such involvement has realized the importance of human resource development and institutional linkages, whether government or non-government.
However, Vietnam lacks a sizeable and well-informed corps of people needed to facilitate integrated conservation and development. The need to develop an integrated and multidisciplinary set of skills for collaborative planning and participatory extension of appropriate and cost effective method now arises. Such skills would ensure flexible and adaptive project implementation. The limited appreciation of farmer practices, especially with respect to traditional forest management and shifting cultivation, continues to hinder the possibility of facilitating appropriate modification, culture and objectives. Farmers are often seen as ignorant and passive recipients of technologies. Extension personnel tend to work for rather than work with rural people. Such practice tends to put a gap between policy formulation and implementation. The basket of appropriate AF technologies available to Vietnamese farmers needs to be expanded and refined based on the experience and information flows among farmers. Ultimately, meeting the needs of the farmers at the grassroots level and a harmonious working relationship between them and the government is the key for human resource development.
Mr. Ha Dinh Tuan Although forest destruction is currently threatening much of Vietnam, the living standards of the people in many intensive localities have greatly improved. Even production has almost achieved its potential ceiling. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the people in mountainous area, where the living standards, not to mention, agricultural and rural development continue to lag behind. Because of this, the two agro-ecological zones in the mountain regions of North and Central Highland must be given priority. The northern highlands and midlands are hilly and mountainous, occupying about 10 million ha with a population of about 12.5 million. Soil erosion is the most important constraint to agricultural development in this zone. About 60 % of the total land in this region suffer from it as a result of deforestation and shifting cultivation. Suitable form of resource management must be identified not only to facilitate the development of the two zones but also more importantly for stable development of the main agricultural produce in the lowlands of the country. The suggested approach would be integrated watershed management involving agro-forestry production, animal husbandry, forage and cover crops, various soil erosion control and soil recuperation technologies. Primarily, our long-term goal is to make farmers in the highlands earn their living mainly from forest products. To do so, working with them in searching for sustainable methods of conservation is vital. In other words, looking for alternatives to slash and bum to produce enough food in permanent fields. The land use patterns may vary according to concrete conditions of each localities. The following technologies of land use could be a solution:
In trying to achieve such goal, VACB conservation farming networking with various institution in Vietnam and abroad is equally important. Likewise, activities like the VACB roving workshop in the Philippines would also contribute a lot to this endeavor. Subjects to be discussed in this workshop include indigenous knowledge on conservation farming, government development program and agroforestry and examples of successful and unsuccessful programs. Indigenous knowledge on conservation farming would include topics on intercropping, terrace construction, building stonewall, using grasses, crops and local legumes for hedgerows, using site specific and locally available species and in-row tillage. Government program would include Vietnam FARM Program, Program 327, coffee production program in Tay Nguyen and sugarcane planting. Successful programs like monoculture of eucalyptus and large-scale plantations of coffee in the central highlands among others would also be discussed. Technology transfer methods will also be tackled.
Dr. Nguyen Thi Nuong In March of 1998, the Vietnam Agricultural Science Institute (VASI), cooperated with the Cao Bang Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the District's People Committees and the Agriculture and Rural Development Departments of Thong Nong and Trung Khanh districts to conduct two preliminary survey of Traditional Indigenous Agroforestry Knowledge (Tiak) of local Tay, Nung, H'mong and Dao communities in Cao Bang province. The following shows a part of the findings.
To improve soil fertility, farmers often put back plant residues (straws, stables, stem, leaves, culms, etc.) have harvested crops into the field for disintegration. Only small portions of rice straws and corn leaves or stems are used for feeds. For them this method can increase land fertility and at the same time avoid environmental pollution. Also, Cao Bang farmers do not bum plant residues for they find synthetic fertilizers as expensive. For them, this method can increase land fertility and at the same time avoid environmental pollution.
A local legume plant known as Dau nho nhe or Cao Bang bean, is popularly cultivated in the province both as food and green manure cover crop. This crop can be cultivated in all the northern mountainous regions but appeared to be best adopted to Cao Bang ecological conditions. The bean has a variety of uses which include feed for cows and water buffaloes for green manure production, as vegetable and its bean is cooked as food. Despite this, the price for the bean is low and its demand is quite unstable. By improving its market and solving some technical aspect of its cultivation, it can increase the people's income. Combined Household Economy involving gardening, fish raising animal husbandry (Models of VA C, garden +fish pond + animal house) There are good VAC models developed in Tay and Nung communities mainly because of its advantages. Such are (1) manure of animals can be fruitfully used, (2) low labor input is required and benefits can arise all year round. Combined Household Economy involving gardening, fish raising, animal husbandry and forestry (models of VACR, garden +fishpond + Animal house + forest) In forest gardens of the mountainous area of Cao Bang, various tree are planted with local forest plants. This method doesn't only maintain ecological balance and biodiversity but also decreases the risk of harvest failure. It also contributes greatly to the local people's production and protect lands from soil erosion.
Forest in the Cao Bang province has been recovered and developed using the following approaches: the regeneration of natural forest and the plantation of new single plant species. It is observed that the first approach is preferred because of its following advantages:
Indigenous knowledge on developing mixed forest gardens Different models of mixed forest gardens have been observed in Cao Bang by growing and developing numerous species of plants. This has contributed largely to ecological balance maintenance, land protection and biodiversity preservation.
Such production system is often developed in hill lands where forest plants are grown on natural regenerated forest on hill tops, food crops and vegetables are developed at the hill bottoms'and fruit and other forest trees are planted in between.
Water transmission systems made of bamboo are often observed in high-altitude districts of Cao Bang. This doesn't only reduce labor force for living water collection and crop irrigation but also it reduces land erosion.
Nguyen Xuan Thanh Seventy-five percent of the total land area in Vietnam is sloping lands. For many years, highland farmers used traditional methods of shifting cultivation like deforestation, burning of vegetable covers and cultivating crops without applying mineral fertilizers or manure. These processes rapidly degrade the soil, thereby decreasing the viability of the land. The reasons for sloping land degradation are the sloping relief and strong diversification. Water erosion also occurs in two forms: sheet erosion and gully erosion. In barren lands, soil lost due to erosion amounts to 200 tons per hectare annually; in plantation areas covered by green manure trees or crops along the contour line, 100 tons per hectare annually are lost. Surface runoff starts when rainfall intensity exceeds 0.3-mm./ minute. Observations revealed that one ton of lost soil contain 1.2- 1.5 kg. N, 1.0- 1.5 kg. P205, 15-30 kg. K20 and large amounts of alkaline elements causing the top soil to be thin, acidic and poor in nutrients. Measures are being done to conserve and improve the fertility of soil in sloping lands. First is by protecting the soil by preventing soil erosion. For controlling gully erosion, masonry method is introduced where rock blocks are used to construct a small dam at the end of the erosion gully. This method is very simple, cheap and could be done by the farmers themselves. While, plowing, tilling and sowing along contour lines are done to control sheet erosion. Second are the-sloping land farming systems like: sloping gardens; rice terraces; intercropping; and, multiple cropping. Other measures include, intercropping grain legumes, mulching and planting green manure trees along contour lines. Moreover, in Lang Son province, different agroforestry models to protect and irnprove the soil can be found where the main plants being used are: Chinese anise tree, Coffee, Tea, Japanese persimmon, Plum, Apricot and Mandarin citrus. The Rational Models used are:
Generally after 4-5 years, the soils in these models have improved and nutrients have increased especially OC, total nitrogen and available potassium. To protect and improve the soil nutrients, especially in sloping lands, the following methods should be implemented:
SOME FINDINGS ON FARMING SYSTEMS IN THE UPLAND REGION OF NORTH VIETNAM: The Case of Chieng Pan Commune Le Quoc Doanh While indigenous uplanders have practiced shifting cultivation in a sustainable manner for centuries and they know multiple cropping, immigrants on the other hand, lack knowledge and skills in sustainable farming, and the increase in population has made both groups exploit more natural resources. Eight provinces with total area of 7.65 million hectares consist the northern upland of Vietnam, which was before, covered with dense forest, but now the area was cleared in order to expand agricultural lands. There are different land use systems in this region and these are: forest; pasture; shifting cultivation; permanent cultivation: a. monoculture, b. rotated; hill gardens; home gardens; and, paddy rice. However, the changing of land use systems in upland regions tends to decrease the forestry land area and increase the terrace area. The traditional shifting cultivation gradually transfers to nontraditional and with this, permanent cultivation areas expand and bare hills area increases. Although agriculture in the area is self-sufficient and characterized mainly by food crop monoculture, cropping systems are still unstable eventhough improved technologies have been introduced in the area. This is because of poor cropping patterns, technology packages introduced are not strictly followed, and low input and poor management of the farm lands, which brings about degradation of natural resources characterized mainly by increase in deforestation and soil degradation. Farming systems continue in the context of poor infrastructure, backward cultural and social condition; worsening conditions in transportation and irrigation systems, energy supply for agriculture, daily life and communication. In addition, the low level of farmer's knowledge, health care and social services are extremely in difficult situation, and these further contributes to the degradation of the already degraded agricultural resources. To decrease deforestation and expand upland cultivation areas, there is a need to intensify rice on paddy field and terraced hillsides, which in doing so will improve soil fertility. Moreover, attention should also be focused on the construction of small irrigation systems and using suitable HYV's and balanced fertilization in order to further improve the farming systems in the region. Rice production should also be reduced to give way to the increase in production of upland crops such as tea, coffee and fruit trees so that food security will be provided through food crop production and cash crop production. Farming systems based on agroforestry combinations with diverse forms should also be further developed to prevent soil erosion and promote multi-plant cultivation. Expansion of models for home gardens, hill gardens and forest farms should also be developed and strengthened. Lastly, the use of optimum mineral fertilizers, lime and green manure to prolong the cultivate time in upland soil should be promoted to improve the fertility of denuded lands.
Le Quang Minh In Vietnam, many areas have been exploited and plants 85 animals destroyed as in, Xuan Loc, which is a mountainous commune in Phu Lac district, located at the Southwest of Thua Thien province with a complicated topography, where the average elevation is 3040 in. and with topographical slope ranging from 5-15 degrees. Mountains and hills making narrow valleys separate it. Seven percent of natural flat lands are concentrated along springs, creeks and the rest of the lands are sloping lands. The two spring systems in Xuan Loc commune are part of the Nong and Huong rivers. These water sources supply water to Xuan Loc and to the downstream area. They influence the vegetation distribution and the distribution of residents as well. A part of Xuan Loc is in the upstream/ watershed area of the two rivers and it is also a buffer area of Bach ma National Park. Animals and vegetation are abundant in this commune. The total natural land area in Xuan Loc is 3,636 ha. ; forests occupy 3,074 ha ( 84.54 % ) while agricultural lands occupy 142 ha. (3.90 % ). Before 1959, the whole Xuan Loc was dense forest. Human activities made the primitive forest disappear and replaced by secondary forests and bare hilly lands. During development, people have a great role in changing the environment specifically the natural forest ecology. The mountainous and hilly zones of Xuan Loc commune have changed so fast and in a short time. Forest degradation resulted from the loss of the ecological system to adjust itself and exploitation has not only affected the local people but also the adjacent zones. This study was done to: 1) assess the impact of community on forest resources; 2) analyze the causes of forest sources degradation and 3) identify solutions to renovate the area and forest cover. The Participatory Rural Appraisal and Rapid Rural Appraisal methods were used for the study. Results revealed that the causes of forest degradation are:
Programs such as the Policy Analysis Matrix (PAM), government project 327, settlement, reforestation, Sindhy Cross Breeding Program and feed program for animals (SAREC) are just some of the methods to renovate the area and forest cover. Forest degradation has caused decrease in plant and animal species and other environmental consequences, not only affecting Xuan Loc but other adjacent zones as well. Eventhough there are reforestation programs, cutting trees and exploitation of forests still continue. However, its being a part of watershed of the Huong River, Xuan Loc commune still has the potential on land and biological resources.
NGUYEN VAN BO Conservation farming (CF) is a farming system consisting of suitable combination of crops (forest, agricultural, medicinal and pastural) in order to use natural resources (land, water, climatic advantages) more efficiently and with appropriate technologies, while increasing income of farmers and protecting the environment. Vietnam is in great need of conservation farming because of its limited land resources, which is mostly comprised of sloping lands. Moreover, other reasons including: environment destruction; backward knowledge on land use technologies; population pressure; and, food accessibility in remote areas adds up to the need for conservation farming in Vietnam. Conservation farming in Vietnam was analyzed through its strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. In the analysis, it showed that the following are the factors that may promote CF in Vietnam: enthusiastic scientist; cooperation between institutions engaged in CF; long-term experience of people engaged in CF; and, the regular publication of CF materials. The weaknesses however, were the following: unstandardized methodologies among regions; limitation in knowledge about the field and language barrier; weak linkage between scientists and extension workers; and, management issue at the ministry level. Opportunities for CF include international support, more programmes related to CF, and food security among others. The threats on the other hand that might be posed against the program include fund limitation, CF is of low priority in the national level, agroforestry is not attractive therefore, fewer people are willing to be involved and many more. However, with the use of appropriate approaches, technologies and cooperation with people, CF in Vietnam may prosper and bring about changes in the environment that will be beneficial to everybody. |
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