Innovative agricultural systems
A landscape approach to agricultural innovations
In sloping areas, agricultural issues, challenges and constraints are different according to landscape units.
Existing eco-friendly technical innovations were therefore classified and documented according to the different landscape units found in northern Lao Uplands.
EFICAS project supports village communities in managing their on-farm experiments and building their capacity through a reflexive learning by-doing and by-assessing process.
Experiments and activity dimensioning are co-defined with villagers based on agricultural problem census and ranking, land use plans and budget (limited in 2015 to 30 millions LAK per village).
In 2015,on-farm experiments were related to 5 main agricultural activities:
1. Agriculturalland zoning
- Engaging villagers in defining and protecting (fencing, hedgerows making) production and riparian areas
2. Improvement of livestock systems
2.1 Animalhealth
- Sensitizing and demonstrating the interest of investing in animal health
- Training of village veterinary workers
- Set up of an animal health revolving fund
2.2 Animal feeding systems
- Improving animal feeding systems by incorporating forage technologies
- Processing forages (e.g. hay, silage) to respond to dry season needs
- Production of locally-made feed blocks
2.3 Animal housing
- Improving animal stall and water tank to improve animal health and manure collection
2.4 Animal genetic
3. Improvement of upland annual cropping systems
3.1 Crop diversification
- Testing intercropping system with pigeon pea and rice bean
- Promoting crop (soybean, ground nut) and cultivar diversification (rice)
3.2 Labor productivity improvement
- Testing locally-made hand jab seeders
3.3 Pest control improvement
- Engaging villagers into ecologically-based rodent management (EBRM)
- Testing various mice trap cages
3.4 Income diversification
- Stick lak production on pigeon pea used as improved fallow
4. Improvement of perennial crop cropping systems
4.1 Crop diversification
- Improved temperate fruit seedlings (peach, plum); cardamom; tree nursery
4.2 Weed control improvement
- Testing the performance of brush cutter as an alternative to manual and/or herbicide spraying in plantations
4.3 Crop nutrition and health management
- Engaging villagers into compost and biorepellent production
5. Improvement of lowland production systems
5.1 System of Rice Intensification (SRI)
- Training
5.2 Fertility improvement of newly built paddy terraces
- Producing green manure using cover crops
5.3 Genetic diversification
- Lowland rice collection
5.4 Dry season lowland production
- Vegetable
5.5 Greenhouse for vegetable production
- Green house set-up for rainy season production improvement
5.6 Land use certificates
- Temporary land use certificate issuance