Diversity
Traditional agroecosystem is generally diverse and contain of variable population. The genetic diversity deliberate partical resistance to diseases that are spesific to particular cropand its allow famers to exploit different micoclimate and other uses within spesific genetic variation.
In Sout-East Asia countries, farmers maintain a diversity of rice varietie in their field that are adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions. It appears the traditional system of agriculture often achieve higher degree of diversificatiobn by taking advantage of local resources and it gives the benefits for stable sustainable agriculture as well as highly productive yield.
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3 - 7written by Miguel A. AltieriA striking feature of traditional farming systems is their degree of plant diversity in time and space in the form of polyculture and/or agroforestry patterns. The development of such agro-ecosystems is not random, but in many cases is based on a deep understanding of the elements and interactions of the vegetation.
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8 - 9written by Paul Richards (Prof. Dr.)In the seasonal tropics it is common to find distinct soil types linked together in a regular sequence from valley floor to hill crest. Typically, the sequence might comprise a free-draining gravely soil on the hill crest and valley sides, a silty river-terrace soil further down slope and a waterlogged valley-bottom soil. The term 'soil catena' refers to such a regularly recurring sequence. Designing cultivation and planting strategies to get the best out of the different soils in a catenary sequence is something at which many small-scale farmers in the tropics are especially adept. In particular, matching crops to the different soil catena is a way of coping with two major hazards: rainfall irregularities and seasonal labour shortages.
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10 - 12written by Anita R. Linnemann , Gerard H. de BruijnAlthough in developing countries traditional seed supply systems, in which seed is produced locally by farmers themselves, is much more important than seed supply by the so-called 'modern seed industry', literature on traditional systems is scare. Also, statistical information on the relative significance of traditional versus 'modern' seed supply is very limited. The attention paid to traditional seed supply systems is growing. At the Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT) a special seed unit is engaged in the subject. In The Netherlands the Department of Tropical Crop Science of the Wageningen Agricultural University recently started a project to study seeds supply in developing countries with an emphasis on traditional methods. In this article some aspects of traditional seed supply systems are discussed.
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13 - 13written by Shawn R. TaylorAs a concept for ameliorating soil erosion and maintaining soil fertility, alley cropping using leguminous trees pruned monthly is worthy of the vast amount of time and financial resources presently being spent. As pointed out in the ILEIA-Newsletter Vol.3 No.1 by Dieter Prinz, the main focus of research has been on Leucaena leucocephala. This rather innocuous tree is targeted for use in alley cropping because of its high leaf-protein content (used as fodder, soil conditioner), fast growth and good coppicing ability. Varieties have been developed that are acid soil tolerant, fast growing at high or low altitudes and other attributes which has contributed to the increased use of Leucaena throughout the tropical world. Fortunately, work is being carried out on other leguminous tree crops, in particular by the Nitrogen Fixing Tree Association (NFTA) in Hawaii, USA and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in Ibadan, Nigeria.
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14 - 15written by Berry van GelderTrees and shrubs, or rather woody biomass, do play an important role in the farming systems in developing countries. They provide the necessary wood and wood by-products to the farms to build houses and fences, to supply wood fuel and charcoal and to produce fodder for the animals. The woody biomass is also important to protect the soil against erosion and environmental degradation.
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16 - 17written by Tineke van BergenTo meet the demand for fodder, firewood and organic fertilizers on a farm, a diversified biomass production is required. The farm of Joseph Mogaka and his wife Ashnat in Kisii can serve as an example of a small farmer\'s strategy for biomass production.
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18 - 20written by Andrew MillingtonFactors determining success in the adoption of technical solutions to soil management are dealt with in the second part of this article: access of farmers to institutions and the specific strategies adopted by Sierra Leonean farmers. The first part examined the political economy of soil erosion in shifting cultivation systems (land, capital and labour) and was published in the previous issue.
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