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

findings from different agroecosystems. As a
result, they are often irrelevant to the farmers
(Makarabhirom 1988).
Extension Research at Klong Mark Nut
Village
Research undertaken in May of 1988 aimed to
promote efficient land use practices emphasizing
increasing production and divepsification per unit
area through agroforestry. Italso studied
techniques to transfer agroforestry technology to
small-scale farmers by farmer to farmer extension
strategies.
Before the field trials, researchers interviewed
the farmers to analyz~e their problems and needs
together. Field trials and testing of appropriate
technology for tree planting in agroforestry systems
were then conducted at the RFD field station,
Species tes:..cd hicluded Leucaena, Eucalyptus,
neem (Azaairachtaindica), kapok (Ceiba
pentand,a, mangos (Mangiferaindica),jack fruit
(Artocarpusheterophylla), and passion fruit
Passifloraedulis) in conjunction with field crops.
Related activities included training in beekeeping,
plant propagation techniques and silviculture. The
-escarch was designed to emphasize self-sufficient
family and village production before marketing the
surplus.
Case Studies
Additional ir'formation on the farmers is
presented in Table ' The number and species of
trees they plaicd is summarized in Table 2.
Table 1. Background of farmers.
Item B. Patangkam
Family 7
Income (Baht) 16,000
Crops cassavii,
maize, rice
Animals
buffalo 2
chickens 2
fish 2,500
90
Boonserm Patangkam, 36 years old, moved to
the village in 1976 due to a lack of available land
in his previous village. At first he cultivated 30
rai of land and then sold it. Before, participating
in the Royal Hillside Developmenit Project, he
worked in his mother-in-law's cassava field.
When his mother-in-law gave him land of his
own, he planted rice. The first year he
harvested 2,900kg of rice from his seven rai.
The following year, he couldn't plant anything
because he had no money, so he started to work
as a laborer in other villages. He used wood
from his field and the forest for tilelwood. In
1988 2,400 he Baht made (US$1 charcoal = 25 Baht). and sold Boonserm 30 sacks
then
for
participated in the Hillside Projeci and was
given a plot of 0.5 rai to live on, and two plots
for planting -- seven rat of irrigated land for
rice, and another seven rai of rainfed land for
field crops.
Trees Plnted
Plot I Boonserm planted the following trees on
the 0.5 rai plot: three mango trees, 13 of jack
fruit, two lemon trees, one durian tree, three of
bamboo (Dendrocalamnusasper), 20 of papaya,
three Sesbania, four cassod (Cassiasialnea)
trees, and ten banana plants.
Plot 2 Two hundred Eucalyptus and
1. mango trees were planted along the ridges of
the paddy fields from east to west.
Plot 3 The seven rai of rainfed land is divided
into two sections of four and three rai. On the
four rai section he planted 36 jack fruit trees at
a 5pacing of 6x6m, 30 rambutan (Nephelium
B. Sansakorn N. Dewa
5 6
15,000 30,000
cassava, cassava
maize, rice
5 1
9 8