Figure 8. Farmers are trained on mulching techniques. Young coconuts which are mulched with the bagged soils around the base showed better growth performance. This same area had already resulted in the harvest of bananas, sweet sorghum and some vegetables. A very important impact of the project is the capacity building of some 20 farmers, half of whom have already adopted the technologies. They were trained in contour farming and the use of bagged soil as contour barricades in slope cultivation and around plants such as coconuts as an SWC measure. Lessons Learned One of the major lessons of the experience was that restoring the productive and ecological services of the land requires more than just technical and material inputs. Hard work and a genuine, internalized interest in environmental conservation must be there to sustain the effort. There is also a need for resourcefulness when confronted with problems that demand swift decisions and actions. It is never too late to rehabilitate degraded hilly grasslands. Involving the community at the incipient stage of land rehabilitation and restoration is important to ensure a concerted effort, faster spread of the technology and multiple learning. 16 THE ASIA REGIONAL FORUM ON BIODIVERSITY There is still much to be learned about crop-site compatibility and adaptability in the HERM farm site conditions. Moving Forward Some 13 hectares of the area still need to be developed and rehabilitated. The more immediate concerns are the arrest or reduction of erosion on steep slopes through combined vegetative and structural methods; and ring-weeding, fertilization and watering of newly planted timber and fruit tree seedlings including some coconuts. These have to be done immediately and periodically until the plants are big enough to withstand growing space and light competition as well as moisture stress. Dying and barely surviving seedlings are best replaced with healthy vigorous ones. Tree planting needs to be intensified but should also consider species priority and adaptability. Host species and food sources for birds, bats, butterflies and other wildlife species should be planted. Better area preparation such as providing bigger and deeper holes for planting needs to be practiced. Planting holes should be prepared with organic fertilizer and good soil. The contour lines need to be properly relocated across slopes and hedgerows need to be improved and better managed, such as controlling the height of the Gliricidia sepium and other contour plants. New water harvesting holes need to be strategically located near tree and horticultural nurseries and vegetable plots. There is also a need to improve moisture supply of newly planted seedlings through mulching. More composting structures need to be constructed to produce more compost in strategic locations, especially with new planting areas. More farmers can also be encouraged to try and adopt SWC methods in farming. Further research on SWC applications and their impact on growth, yield of plants, and land productivity can help propagate the practice and improve methods. Periodic collection of data and record keeping on growth and yield performance of crops, trees, pests and disease incidence, soil improvement, and biodiversity will help refine SWC methods.
In Celebration of His Majesty the King of Thailand’s 84th Birthday Anniversary
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