Developing Conservation Agriculture With Trees for Integrated Sloping Land Management in the Philippines.

Developing Conservation Agriculture With Trees for Integrated Sloping Land Management in the Philippines

Degraded sloping landscapes are expanding rapidly in the Philippines because of severe soil erosion caused by intense rainfall associated with more frequent typhoons as a consequence of changing climate. Decreased agricultural productivity heightens food insecurity and exacerbates poverty particularly on the sloping acid uplands which have inherently low-nutrient soils and resource-poor farmers. Conservation agriculture with trees (CAT) revolves around minimal soil disturbance, continuous ground cover, diverse crop species, integrated nutrient and pest management  and deliberate integration of trees. This approach may constitute the best ‘tool box’ to create productive and resilient cropping systems under wet tropical conditions. These practices reverse soil degradation, increase and stabilize crop yield and profits, and reduce the labor burden on farmers. 

In Mindanao, conservation agriculture production systems (CAPS) have been evaluated in long-term on-farm and on-station. This research allowed us to identify the best combinations of trees, crops, and fertility management strategies. Promising CAPS included cropping systems with cassava + Stylosanthes guianensis, maize + cowpea/upland rice, maize + Arachis pintoi and maize + rice beans.  Promising varieties of maize, upland rice, cowpea, forage grasses and legumes, sweet potato, adlai (i.e., Croix lacryma-jobi, a native perennial grass) and sorghum were identified. CAT best practices that may increase the productivity and resilience of cropping systems in Mindanao include natural vegetative filter strips , cash perennial crops, improved cropping patterns, timber- and fruit-tree based agroforestry, agroforestry with vegetable crops, livestock integration, rainwater harvesting, organic fertilizer, bio-pesticide production. CAT on slopes provides erosion control, slope stabilization as well as economic, social and environmental benefits. These research results and experiences can be extrapolated to other upland areas in the Philippines as well as other areas in Southeast Asia through integrated sustainable land management approach espousing strong technical, institutional and partnerships building among local stakeholders.

 

Keywords: Agroforestry, conservation agriculture with trees, integrated sustainable land management.