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