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A iazrin j~item ior farm system or whole-farm
syst.em) -is not. smpI'y a7c-.±ection o crops an3 aniLmals to
ore c.. ... p.) it~hs_ inpit.-or__that and_ expect-immediate._
results, Rather t is a complicated interwoven mesh of
soilis, plants, an.imals, implements, wotkers, other inputs
and envi.ronmentdl influen.ces wth the strands held and
manipulated by a person called the farmer who, given his
preference and-!.'pirati.on6. attempts to develop output from
the in-p'LE and technology avai.ab.le to him. it is the
farmer'z unique understanding of his .immediate environment,
both natural and .. o econom"c, tnat results in his farming
system
F'arming systems may be broken down into component
act.4vitie. or sub-systems. Since the subsistence rice-based
crvp production aspects oft a1,mprc.duction generally are of
cen..ral importa.nt'e in ra.nfed a'reas of Northeast Thailand,
the NERAD Project has class . ed its agzicultural technology
t
activities aczo'ding .owhether they involve (a) cropping
systems mod.[iications, or (b) other.farming system modifications.
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For NERAD purposesf cropping systems modifications
refer to those technological innovations which directly
affect any of the iet or annual crop- systems making up the
cropping activi,ies ot a farmm system, An annual
stem
comprises all ccmponents requized for the ofa aproduction
par'ticu.ar annual. crop and the interrelationsbips between
.
them and the env. rcnment, Theie components include all the
neces-.ary physical ani biolcgW .'. factor...,- as well as
technology, labor, and managem,.nt1
For NERAD pu.,poes, other f6'rming system
modi ficati ons.include rc,,hnc IoyT no,-7o ati.ons directly
afecting non-cropp.,ng Eystem components of Lhe farming
system, including a farm's 1ivesto k sysPtem, fishery
-
system, tree cLzstem, forest production sy. em, or
serac,lture sZtem"i
The mcd: ficat.ic.ns1 of £arming pcactices suggested
in this Project are based on the best information available
to the design teaam from :reseaxi'.h results, demonstration
trials, pi.Lit projects, etc, Proposed modifi.cationE are
discussed in some d.etfa.1l7n-Annex V and the, uppliemental
Annexes.
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