multipurpose tree species research for small farms: strategies ... - part

The strength of the concept is that the physical
environment is comprehensively described,
discussing more than soils or land units. It places
the researcher in atposition to examine integral
aspects of the environment and how they influence
farmers' decisions. The researcher isable to
model the interactions between the environment,
the farming practice and the impact of the
technology. Agroecosystems are units of broad
agroecosystem zones that use soils, climate,
geomorphology and topography to identify and
delineate subcomponents. The agroecosystem
approach allows the researcher to identify specific
technologies for the subcomponents of the
agroecosystem zone.
Farming Systems Research and Development
FSRD involves the detailed examination of the
farm. The concept is best summarized by Shaner
et al. (1982:13),
as an approach to agricultural research and
development that views the whole farm as a
system; and focuses on the interdependencics
between the components under the control of
members of the farm household and how these
components interact with the physical,
biological, and socioeconomic factors not under
the household's control. Farming systems are
defined by their physical, biological, and
socioeconomic setting and by t]e farm families'
goals and other attributes, access to resources,
choices of productive activities (enterprises)
and management practices.
Comprehensive reviews on FSRD
methodologies provide the foundation for
understanding the technique (Shaner et al. 1982;
Remenyi 1985; Hildebrand 1986; Collinson 1987;
CIMMYT !988). The system provides a sound
basis for analyzing the economic rationale to
explain why a farmer makes a particular decision,
The detailed economic analyses that accompany
FSRD allow researchers to identify areas where
research could be directed through er-ante
analysis. The economic studies coupled with a
familiarity of the biological components of the
system can quickly allow researchers to develop
practical research programs. An important aspect
of FSRD is that it is multidisciplinary where
scientists operate as a team. This allows the group
to examine the wide range of components that
make up the average farming system.
Diagnosis and Design
D & D orients the research program towards
fully understanding where MPTS can be
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incbrporated into the farming system. D & D
arose out of the International Council for
Research in Agroforestry's (ICRAF) necd to
focus on the potential of agroforestry in the
farming system. Raintree (1987a; 1987b)
discusses the methodology in detail as "a
methodology for the diagnosis of land
management problems and design of
agroforestry solutions." The key features of D &
D are flexibility, speed and repetition.
The main advantage islinking agroforestry
to the farming system. Care isneeded to avoid a
bias towards tree crops in the system, compared
to other options the farmer may pursue. The
er-anteapproach isintended to ensure that
researchers place all options in their proper
perspective.
Farmer First and Last
The end user must be consulted throughout
the whole research and development (R & D)
process. Without consulting the farmer the
above methodologies will lead to researcher
bias. Chambers (1983) and Chambers and
Ghildyal (1985) have made researchers aware of
the need to involve farmers in the R & D
process. Resource rich farmers may be more
responsive to the researcher's program but the
needs of the small-scale, resource poor farmers
must be the focus of the research.
Farmers involved in the research program
will provide essential feedback to the researcher
about the interaction of the introduced
technology with the farmer's other activities,
and what unforeseen benefits the system may be
providing. In the initial stages of a research
program to evaluate the use of tree legumes to
icrease soil fertility and animal production in
NTT, farmers advised the researchers that the
greatest benefit they saw in the system was the
reduced weed buildup. This was more
important to them than the need to increase soil
fetility,which was not immediately apparent.
This resulted in a redirection of the research
program to use the tree crops to reduce weed
competition in the garden.
Case Studv
Incorporating MPTS into the Farming Systems
in NTT
NTT islocated in the Lesser Sunda Islands
of eastern Indonesia. The province consists of
the islands of Flores, Sumba, Alor and the