Poverty Dimensions of Public Governance and Forest Management ...

Annex 2: 10
In the parkland settlements in which yam farming is the major activity, short fallows are rare . Only 5 percent of Nsawkaw ,
10 percent of Weila and 14 percent of Mansie farm plots were previously fallowed for periods of 1-2 years (see figure 2.7).
There also seems to be some evidence of matching crops to land and to fallow intervals on the land. This is reflected in the
high percentages of monocrop cassava grown on short fallows and the high percentages of yam (usually intercropped with
cassava) grown on medium-long fallows (see table 2.6). However, there is no direct correlation between specific cropping
system, nutrient needs of crops, and fallow system, since many farmers have sufficient land to allow for fallows of between
3-6 years with all crops, and factors other than soil restoration are important in fallowing, including build up of pests and
weeds in the soil.
Table 2.5 Fallowing intervals on farm plots
Settlement
No of years land last fallowed
Weila
Mansie
Subinso
Nsawkaw-
Kokoago
Buoko
Tanoso-
Njau
Total
(%)
(%)
(%)
(%)
(%)
(%)
(%)
Continuous cropping 4.8 1.9 1.2
1-2 years fallow 10.0 14.3 22.9 5.2 39.3 36.7 21.1
3-6 years fallow 34.3 42.9 59.0 41.8 45.8 50.6 46.2
7-10 years fallow 42.9 35.7 8.6 29.9 10.3 5.1 21.1
more than 10 years fallow 12.9 7.1 4.8 23.1 2.8 7.6 10.4
No of farm plots 70 70 105 134 107 79 565
Figure 2.2 Fallow intervals
70
60
50
40
30
fallow duration
continuous cropping
20
1-2 years fallow
3-6 years fallow
10
7-10 years fallow
n
o
0
Weila
Mansie
Subinso
Nsawkaw-Tanoso-Njau
Kokoago
Buoko
more than 10 years
fallow