soil-conservation-people-religion-and-land.pdf - South West NRM

farm plan or major changes in physical layout, provided the
basic requirements of land capability are met in determining
suitable land for cultivation.
Intearation of Physical. Economic and Manaqement Plans
If farm planning is to materially contribute to land care, it
will need to fonn a working basis for dynamic market-driven
decision making. Computerized decision models have allowed
the rapid comparison of enterprize mixes. Much more attention
must now be given to using simple procedures to assist land
managers to engage their resources in financially efficient
sustainable production methods.
Additional Considerations
It will become apparent to all advisors that landholders are
calling for research to be commenced on issues for which
research-based recommendations are already available. This
reflects a shortcoming of extension rather than a lack of
knowledge by landholders. It will also be found that Land
Care Committees want to initiate projects on a range of
aspects of land management which, although not strictly part
of property planning, can increase knowledge and awareness of
many aspects of management within the plan. Such initiatives
should be encouraged in the fields of land use policy
recommendations (eg clearing guidelines), community awareness
and demonstration of land care techniques (trees, tillage,
erosion control). In this way the parallel developments of
plans and techniques can progress together. It would be a
mistake (apart from a physical impossibility) to concentrate
advisory services solely on property planning in the initial
stages of Land Care Committee activity. Table 1 indicates the
building blocks of sustainable production and interested
subgroups or individuals should be encouraged to commence
their own trials or studies of any or all of these fundamental
matters listed in the table.
Another matter which needs attention is the encouragement of
bankers and other financie rs to take part in planning and
managemem seminars so that credit may be given (literally) to
property holders who are making effective use of th eir
producti-on potential within a stable and secure system wh ich
can be appreciated by financ iers.