Forest farming
Main sources: "Sustainable Agriculture and the Environment
in the Humid Tropics" (National REsearch Council) and "Race to save
the tropics" edited by Robert Goodland.
We have to build a model of a sustainable
and economically viable farm which could be used by the small farmers of
the Amazon providing that their rights for land are respected (need of
agrarian reform). Planning agroforestry means determining which regions
can yield good crops, which trees have the right cycle, which plants can
be grown on which soil, need of fertilizers or, better of ecological alternatives
to fertilizers (like nitrogen-fixing trees). It is clear that this means
a strong cooperation with the land and flora group
theory
agroforestry: wide range of options
which boil down to the idea that woody or herbaceous perennials are grown
ooon land that also supports agricultural crops, animals or both. If well
devised, such systems have many agronomic, environmental and socioeconomic
benefits for resource-poor small-scale farmers. Enhanced nutrient cycling,
fixing of nitrogen, efficient distribution of water and light (multistory
canopy and differnd depth of roots), conservation of soil, natural suppression
of weeds (by production of allelopathic compounds by perennials) and diversification
of farm products.
silvopasture: same but with livestock
plus trees.
perennial tree crop plantations:
harvest of timber or tree products + cycling of nutrients through roots
+ conservation of soil + long-term investment on land (encourages more
stability in the settlements)
in forest farming, one cultivates
high-value specialty crops under the protection of a forest overstory that
has been modified to provide the appropriate microclimate conditions.
list of things to be considered
when planning a forest farming model:
-
availibility of market for the products
considered (possibility to develop processing industry)
-
what is the microclimate conditions
for each of the products? Are they compatible?
-
what is the land use, the zoning, the
cost share program, the regulations regarding the land?
-
need of riparian buffer? (riparian
buffer: land next to streams, lakes and wetlands that is managed for perennial
vegetation to enhance and protect aquatic resources from adverse impacts
of agricultural practices. it stabilizes eroding banks, filters sediment,
nutrients, pesticides and animal waste from agricultural runoff, provides
for shade shelter and food for aquatic organisms and habitat for wildlife)
-
choice of trees: fast-growing, valuable
product (hardwood veneer, luber species, nut or other specialty crop, softwood
species for wood fiber production), appropriate shade for companion crop
(way to reduce shade: pruning), roots that do not compete too much with
roots of crops (either minimal roots or deep roots)
-
alley cropping: which trees and crops
will be grown together, what spacing?
-
possible companion crops for alley
cropping: row: cereal crops, forage crops, specialty
crops or biomass crops. The choice of species must take into account size
of farming equipment, desirable/undesirable wildlife populations, sun,
shade, chemical interactions between crops and trees.
-
pest management: apply ecological and
entomological science to pest control to maintain a pest under threshold
level (this level has first to be determined). The techniques include pest
resistant crops, crop rotation, crop hygiene and controlled used of pesticides.
Dense planting, year-round cropping, short crop rotations with less fallow,
use of high yielding varieties through extensive monoclutures increase
vulnerability to pests. Need to do specific research for the species I
will choose in my system
-
Harmony of growth periods of different
crops
-
microorganism inolucation when
dealing with depleted soils: some microorganisms in the soil help the plants
to absorb the nutrients. Failure to incorporate the microorganisms in soil
which has lost them will lead to unfaivorable growth. I need to find out
more about these organisms from land group
-
creation of sufficient amount of mulch
end of Mission update:
Since then, I have done so much more research, and I
know a whole lot more on agroforestry and possible agricultural practices
for the tropics.
All this newly acquired knowledge has been used to devise
an experimental farm. The main idea is to completely integrate it to the
ecosystem so as to use in the most effective way the resources of the environment
while being in harmony with it. This farm contains a lot of native perennials
which maintain the local ecosystem, regenerate the soil and yield interesting
non-timber porducts. Annual staple crops adapted to the tropical climate
are grown in small fields surrounded by buffer zones and rows of trees
to protect the environment and to allow a quick recovery of the forest
when the land is abandoned or left in fallows. The various practices which
allows for this organization are inspired from the most successful adaptive
responses shown by indigenous populations. It is important to realize that
the Amazon is an unwelcoming place for settlers. Classical agriculture
does not work. one must be much more ingenious to survive. This is why
the experience of the indigenous people (centuries of trial and error)
is so valuable. They will be key players in the preservation and development
of the forest.
experimental
farm
The farm is located in the state of Para along the tributary
you can see on this GIS image provided by Embrapa. A description of
the site (soil composition, surroundings...) is provided in the experimental
farm document. location
of the farm