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5 SOLUTIONS TO FARMERS’ PROBLEMS AND FOR SUSTAINABLE LAND USE The study revealed that farmers’ agricultural production system is subject to number of constraints ranging from socio-economic to agronomic, and that the sustainability of the system is becoming questionable as a consequence of shortening of fallow length, which lead to soil degradation and decreasing productivity. A number of strategic actions or solutions are presented in this chapter which may contribute to alleviating agronomic production constraints and to achieving sustainable land use. 5.1 SOLUTIONS TO FARMERS’ SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND AGRONOMIC CONSTRAINTS The actions and solutions to production constraints identified during the study were discussed and formulated conjointly by farmers, researchers and extension agents. The results of the discussion are given in Table 5.1. 5.2 THE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE PRESENT SHIFTING CULTIVATION SYSTEM Shifting cultivation is an agricultural practice where a short period of mixed cropping alternates with a long period of natural fallow. The role of the natural fallow in the system is to recycle nutrient elements for soil fertility restoration and to suppress weeds, pests and diseases (Nye and Greenland, 1960). As long as there is enough land and the population pressure is low, this shifting cultivation will remain an efficient system of soil management, but only for subsistence farming. Soil can recover its optimum equilibrium under natural fallow only if this fallow is left undisturbed for at least 10 years after cropping (Yemefack and Nounamo, 1999). The shifting cultivation system to be applied is a ‘rotational fallow system’ in which a farmer comes back to a piece of fallow land only after 10 years. But the actual practice in the area is that farmers are more and more shortening the fallow length, because of uncertain land tenure rights, market driven production and the soil chemical gains from burned vegetation. Most farmers (64%) are clearing Chromolaena fallow (3-5 years), or bush fallow (7-9 years) for food crop production. Under these conditions, the cycle of weed, pests and diseases control, and nutrient replenishment is broken. Physical and organic soil fertility are drastically reduced, and the vigour of the forest re-growth also. This renders the shifting cultivation practices unsustainable. The sustainability of shifting cultivation is a dilemma. On one hand, farmers must produce more for consumption and revenue gain in order to move from poverty subsistence farming to food security and poverty alleviation. This means shortening the fallow by cropping the same piece of land frequently with the risk of soil degradation. On the other hand, shifting cultivation involving the clearing of long fallow land must be practised to efficiently restore soil fertility after cropping. For a sustainable management of the forest zone of southern Cameroon, solutions to two main problems must thus be found: - The shortening of fallow length leading to soil degradation; soil conservation may be the solution; and - The sustainable but non-prosperous subsistence farming practice destroying the forest ecosystem. Income generating farming may be the solution. 50
Table 5.1. Indigenous and exogenous solutions to identified production constraints Species Constraints Farmers’ solution Technicians’ solution Action 1. Cassava *Root rot *Curly leaves *Early harvest, crop rotation, planting of many varieties *none *Resistant varieties *Resistant varieties *On station research *On station 2. Groundnut *Stunted plant and curly leaves *Empty pods 3. Cocoa *Drying and sudden tree death (‘die-back’) *Pods brawn rot (Phytophtora megacaria) 4. Cocoyam *Tuber rot *Yellowing of 5. Bananaplantain 6.Cucumber (Cucumeropsis mannii) leaves *Rhizome and root rot *Yellowing of leaves *Low yield, fruit rot, predation 7. Maize *Stem borer attacks *Weevil attacks on stored grains *none * none *Pruning or replacement of dead tree *Use of fungicides *none *none *Use of ash and methyl on planting bulb *none *none *Use of ash and methyl insecticide * Methyl parathion *Disease-free cuttings *Early and dense planting *Early varieties, calcium and phosphorus fertiliser *None *Sanitary harvest and treatment *Resistant varieties *Resistant varieties *Nematicide and insecticide treatment of stock bulb before planting *Tolerant varieties *Mastery of farmers cultural practices *Biological control *Insecticide treatment research *Extension message *On farm research *In depth diagnosis by research *Extension message *On station research *Extension message *On station research *In depth diagnostic survey *On station research *Extension 8. Yam *Tuber rot *none *Tolerant varieties *On station research 9. Soil *Short length natural fallow and decrease fertility *none *Improved fallow and agroforestry, combined application of mineral and *On station and on farm research 10. Crop produce *Poor sale and deterioration 11. Land *Too little farm land available 12. Investment *Absence of capital 13. Seeds *Poor quality; absence of seed policy *none *Shortening of fallow length *’Tontine’ groups *Seeds from preceding harvest, neighbours or market organic fertilisers *Improved processing and conservation techniques, creation of farmers organisation *Revision of land tenure law *Community groups, Government credit scheme *Agricultural seed producers, seed legislation and policy *On farm research, extension support service *Government *Extension *Extension message, Government Soil conservation: studies have to be carried out on possibilities to intensify crop production within this rotational system. This intensification can be achieved by prolonging the cropping period without complete degradation of soil fertility or by shortening the fallow period applying improved fallow technologies. To extend the cropping phase, a solution can be found in the 51
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Farming systems in the evergreen fo
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ABSTRACT Nounamo, L. and Yemefack,
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4.3.4 Relationship between commerci
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PREFACE This report presents the fi
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stability and structure, and the de
Page 12 and 13: (calcium), le pourcentage de satura
Page 14 and 15: Figure 1.1. Location map of the TCP
Page 16 and 17: 600 28 500 27 Rainfall (mm) 400 300
Page 18 and 19: low pH (3.8 to 5) and a high clay c
Page 20 and 21: Characteristics of the four sub-sit
Page 22 and 23: 2.2.7 Household labour study The st
Page 24 and 25: Roads may temporarily be closed, du
Page 26 and 27: swamps and valley bottoms are also
Page 28 and 29: Table 2.6. cont’d Species Ewondo
Page 30 and 31: dispose of land near the village, o
Page 32 and 33: The heat may, however, reduce the g
Page 34 and 35: is an activity practised by nearly
Page 36 and 37: The crop production activity takes
Page 38 and 39: Table 2.17. Priority socio-economic
Page 40 and 41: 3 ASPECTS OF SOIL DEGRADATION UNDER
Page 42 and 43: 3.2.3 Laboratory soil analyses Soil
Page 44 and 45: The magnitudes of changes are inver
Page 46 and 47: as it is practised in shifting cult
Page 48 and 49: 15 years. The vegetation evolves th
Page 50 and 51: Organic matter. Organic carbon incr
Page 52 and 53: Microbial Biomass Carbon C (ugC/g s
Page 54 and 55: processes on soil chemical properti
Page 56 and 57: soil, result in loss of soil aggreg
Page 58 and 59: 4 TRENDS IN FIELD EXPANSION AND SOI
Page 60 and 61: Greenland, 1960; Sanchez, 1976; Vol
Page 64 and 65: Integrated Nutrient Management meth
Page 66 and 67: REFERENCES Almy, S.W., Besong, M.T.
Page 68 and 69: Prat, C. (1990). Relation entre ér
Page 70 and 71: ANNEX 2: CHECKLIST FOR THE EXPLORAT
Page 72 and 73: ANNEX 4: AGRICULTURAL LAND EXPANSIO
Page 74: ANNEX 6: AGRICULTURAL LAND EXPANSIO
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