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

present practices.
Identification and evaluation of existing
agroforestry systems and NIPTS in the area
In addition to identifying major production
systems, the team should pay special attention to
existing ag.oforcstry practices and MPTS. This is
vital for two reasons. First, because very few
agroforcstry systems have been tested by specific
CENRO offices. Second, most of the agroforestry
systems in use were developed by the farmers
themselves. The research team must therefore be
on the lookout for indigenous agroforcstry
practices.
Design of appropriate NIPTS-based
agroforestry systems
Based on the primary information gathered
from the area and secondary data available in
research institutions, the team will design the most
promising MPTS agroforestry system(s) for the
area. In most parts of the Philippines, this will
likely be some form of alley cropping and/or
multistorcy systems. The major responsibility of
the group will be to determine the most
appropriate combination of hedgerows and
agricultural crops in the alleys. For multistorey
systems, the main problem is dctcrmining the
appropriate combination of upper storey and
understorey plants.
On-farm trials and research
Participant farmers will be identified. The exact
details of the particular agroforestry system to be
implemcnted on each farm will be planned with the
farmer. Experience in the agricultural sector
reveals that farmers contribute immensely to the
research process. They often suggest
modifications which may lead to the improvement
of the technology (Rhoades e al. 1985).
To ensure that the research methodology is not
filled with unnecessary details, key variables and
simple methods of measuring them will be
identified by the team. At a minimum, these will
include erosion rates, yield of agricultural crops,
biomass production of hedgerows, and financial
costs and returns. Most of these variables can be
easily monitored by simple farm record-kecping.
Erosion rates can be measured with simple
techniques, such as the use of metal rods to
monitor changes in soil levels. The fresh weight of
biomass can be determined right on the farm. The
important idea is to keep the data gathering
methods simple. Scientific accuracy may not be on
a par with traditional research approaches, but for
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.comparative purposes the results generated will
be good enough.
For the day to day management of the onfarm
experiments, the participant farmers are
expected to do the majority of the work with
regular assistance from the social forestry
officer. Other members of the team will visit the
farm once in a while and hold regular team
meetings to assess the progress of the work.
They will be available for consultation as the
need arises.
Dissemination of technology
Tcchnologics that have passed the testing
stage will be disseminated by CENRO
extensionists. The trial farm would then
become the demonstration farm. If the
technology is obviously successful, nearby
farmers will be likely to imitate it on their own.
Feedback mechanism
Technology generation should allow for
continuous fcedback and refinement as new
information becomes available. The team
members should be sensitive to feedback from
farmers whethcr it is verbal or involves
modifications to the tcffnology. The work of
the team could extond beyond agroforestry
dissemination. Technology development is a
never-ending process. Agroforestry
establishment is the first step. New agricultural
technoloics are constantly being dcvcloped by
research institutions and these should be
utilized to further improve the lives of upland
farmers.
Conclusion
The methodology presented in this paper
contains both old and new elements. The
research method draws on recent approaches
such as Farming Systems Research and the
International Council for Rescarch in
Agroforestry (ICRAF) Diagnosis and Design
methodology. However, it is also new in that the
method has been specifically designed to meet
the challenges posed by upland development in
the Philippines.
This paper presents a feasible alternative to
meet the urgent needs of the Philippines in the
short term. Much work must still be done to
make this proposal a reality. The authors
believe it is important to start somewhere. If
this paper stimulates others to think about the