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

crops will result in less land being cropped to
maize and oier essential food. Perennial crops
will displace annual crops for space and compete
for critical resources. The tradeoff between
producing food now and increasing income in tie
future is a difficult decision for a farmer, especi dly
if sufficient land is not available. If land is
available, farmers who plant tree crops may have to
divert limited resources (labor and capital) away
from annual crop production. The tree crop at
establishment may have to be watered and
protected from pests and diseases.
In areas wlere population densities exc .ed
100 people/kin-, energy for cooking is scarce. A
considerable amount of time ;an be spent
gathering fuelwood. When farmers have to
purchase fuelwood it can become a significanit
ousehold expenditure. As forests are replaced by
grasslands, farmers have to resort to materials that
are less combustible and use greater quantiies to
produce the same amount of energy.
MPTS Based Farming Systems in NTT
-- Sikka, Amarasi and Roti
In NTT, several innovative farming systems
have been developed by farmers to overcome the
above constraints and assist in stabilizing
production. Examination of these systems is
necessary to identify possible approaches to
resolve the many problems farmers have to
confront. In some systems MPTS have played an
important role in improving the farming system.
Three such systems are briefly discussed -- the
integrated crop and livestock system of Amarasi,
the conservation farming system of Sikka, and the
perennial tree crop system of Roti.
The Amarasi system involves the planting of
tree legumes (originally Leucaena leucocephala)in
the cropping areas. The system was developed in
the 1930s by the Raja of Amarasi to control erosion
and assist in eradicating the weed Lantanacainara.
Over time, the district was forested by L.
lucocephala. Farmers realized that the tree
legume forest mimicked the tiaditional swidden
system. The legume improved soil fertility,
reduced the fallow period, reduced weed buildup
and decreased the time required to prepare a
garden. Crop yields improved. Farmers required
ess land for annual crops and began to plant
bananas to complement production. Cattle were
tethered and fed L. le'ucocephalawhich reduced
the need to fence and protect crops. Farmers
fattened up to three animals per year. Farmers
became less dependent on annual crops as income
increased and planted perennial tree crops in the
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cropping areas. The increased diversity of the
farming system stabilized production. Jones
(1983), Metzner (1981; 1983), and Piggen and
Parera (1984) discuss the system in detail.
Unfortunately, in 1986, the pest Heteropsylla
cubanadescended on Indonesia. Although L.
leucocephala has been decimated, the system
needs to be considered as an approach that
integrates MPTS into the farmin system. The
legume did not disrupt the traditional system
but acted as a catalyst to allow farmers to move
out of the annual cropping cycle into a more
diverse farming system. It iust be stressed that
the system depended on one crop, and with the
loss of this major input, the system collapse,'
Several tree legumes are needed to insure
against the loss of an integral component.
The Sikka system is widely used throughout
the tropics as a method to control soil erosion.
This involves the planting of L. leucocephala
along :he contour. The tree forms a barrier,
which holds back the soil and over time
produces a terrace. This systc m stabilizes yields
by reducing soil losses while the legume adds
nitrogen to the system. Farmers are able to
continuously crop the same area, Ieducing the
need to shift to a new cropping site. Excess
wood i sold for firewood, significantly
improving farm income. Livestock are fed
fodder from the tree. Less dependence on
annual crops resulted in farmer,; planting a few
perennial crops, further stabilizing production.
fMetzner (1976; 1982), Piggen and Parcra
(1984), Parcra (1980; 1982a; 1982b) and Cunha
(1982) discuss the system in detail. H cubana
decimated L. leucocphalain 1986 and has
resulted in the dcstru,:tion of the terraces as the
trees died out. Farmers are planting a range of
alternative tree legumes to replace L.
leucocephala.
The island of Roti is located near Timor.
Rainfall is highly variable, ranging between
5aX)- i s high la r e orghu m,
500-1,000mm. Annual crops are sorghum,
mungbeans and pigeon peas. Lontar (B.
flabellier),a palm, is the focal point of the
farming system on the island. Farmers harvest a
sugary juice during the dry season. The palm
can produce up to 600 liters per year (Fox
1977). The juice is a major component of the
diet and can be stored as a syrup for over a year.
The juice is also fed to livestock. The palm is
neither planted nor nurtured, as it easily
propagates itself. Fox (1977) discusses the
system in detail. The major aspect of the system
is that tree crops supplied with zero inputs can
significantly increase on-farm income.