OverviewOver the past 15-20 years, rapid clearing of rainforest in north-western Cambodia has led to the establishment of around 220.000 hectares of upland cropping. Excessive burning and ploughing has resulted in a rapid decline in soil fertility, declining crop yields and declining incomes for smallholder farmers. Labour out-migration and the rising cost of farm labour has exacerbated the problem. This project aimed to shift the focus from exploitive practices to sustainable diversification of crop-livestock enterprises. A key focus is on Conservation Agriculture to reduce soil disturbance, maintain crop residues on the soil surface and to diversify crop rotations for sustainable soil management and reduction of climate risks.

ResearchThe objectives of the project are to:

1. Identify and explore potential for intensification, processing and marketing opportunities in NW Cambodia through an understanding of the livelihood and operating environment of current and alternative whole-farm crop-cattle production systems.

2. Review current soil status with regard to degradation under the range of existing farming systems and identify crop-cattle management options that meet economic, social and environmental goals in NW Cambodia.

3. Evaluate opportunities and technologies for Cambodian crop-cattle production systems in the context of declining soil fertility.

4. Assess and develop options for adaptation to climate variability and climate change for crop-cattle farming systems in NW Cambodia and in CW & NW NSW, Australia.

Market-focused integrated crop and livestock enterprises for NW Cambodia

ACIAR project number

ASEM/2010/049

Start date and duration (years)

1 January 2012, 5 years

Location Cambodia

Budget $2,200,000

Project leader(s) and Commissioned OrganisationAssociate Professor Ian Patrick, University of New England

Partner country project leaders and their institutionsDr Sorn San, Department of Animal Health and Production

ACIAR Research Program ManagerDr Jayne Curnow

NOVEMBER 2016

Ms Sao Reaksa is a machinery contractor servicing upland crop farmers in remote Kampong Lpou commune in southern Samlout. These farmers are more than 50 km from the nearest government agriculture office and depend on each other and trusted people like Reaksa for advice. Photo: ACIAR

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Achievements » Market chain descriptions have been completed

for cattle, cassava, maize, peanut and soybean. Economic analyses have been completed for the main potential enterprises on smallholder farms: annual cropping, livestock production and fruit tree. The Integrated Analysis tool (IAT) has been adapted to local systems to identify the most profitable enterprise mix.

» The project, in partnership with Stephanie Montgomery’s PhD studies, has shown that alternative cropping systems can make more efficient use of rainfall through altered planting dates, preservation of crop residues and rotations to restore soil fertility.

» Research found that maintaining crop residues on the soil surface gave yield increases of up to 800 kg/ha for maize and reduced the risk of crop failure due to drought. Planting no-till into crop residues allows crops such as maize, sorghum and sunflower to be grown into the dry season using residual soil water from the wet season.

» Van Touch’s PhD studies on climate change adaptation, aligned with the project, showed with APSIM modelling that the current practice of planting crops in February-March results in a crop failure rate of 60%. Delaying planting of the first crop until May reduced the risk of crop failure to <1%.

» The major soil groups in Samlout and Pailin have been identified and physical and chemical properties analysed and described. Soil and land use capability maps for Samlout and Pailin have been produced and management options for the major soil groups have been completed. A draft soil workshop manual has been produced.

» Crop residues were found to be of low quality as cattle feed and research showed that residues were best left on the soil surface for improved crop production and soil improvement.

» Production of quality maize silage was found to be feasible but unlikely to be economic. An alternative is grazing or haymaking of dual purpose crops in the early dry season.

» The region is a major producer of maize and cassava but even at times of low prices, concentrates are not used for cattle feeding. Cassava, maize bran and Stylo 184 are the best energy sources. Grasses and rice bran are medium source of energy and CP. Tree-legumes are good sources of CP but limit energy use.

» The feasibility for integrating crop-cattle enterprises on smallholder farms in the region is limited. Cropping is the primary income generating enterprise and cattle are kept at a loss for financial security. Intensification of cattle production on small holdings is limited primarily by availability of labour.

Impact storyA significant part of this project is to develop improved cropping and livestock systems in NW Cambodia. Recent research has identified that changing climatic conditions are beginning to shift the optimal planting times for most crops. Farmers who are maintaining existing sowing practices are suffering yield losses and being discouraged from growing alternative crops. The project has developed a ‘Climate Smart’ cropping program which includes a number of important messages. » Sunflower can be grown successfully as a

dry season crop in North-West Cambodia when planted no-tillage on residual soil water remaining after the maize harvest in October and November.

» The results from both modelling and on-farm research of a two month shift in sowing time resulted in higher crop yields compared with traditional practices and a low probability of crop failure. Crops of maize, sunflower and sorghum grew well from an early October sowing date into the post monsoon season and produced good yields on stored soil water.

» A two year trial identified the maize-sunflower rotation as having the highest gross margin. It returned $514/ha per annum more than the typical planting of continuous maize, and $1,100/ha per year higher than the other maize-legume and maize-sorghum rotations.

Initially 50 farmers were trained to include sunflowers in their crop sequence, with these training programs since taken up by the private sector (Uni-Mart and UCA). In 2014, 30 ha of sunflowers were sown with minimum tillage. In 2015, the project provided technical support to Uni-Mart and UCA to scale up to >500ha dry season, no-till sunflower. These messages continue to be disseminated through traditional private and government extension services and through an innovative radio program managed by the project called ‘Agriculture Today’. The project will run 12x50 minute farmer talk-back shows on Khamara FM 91 MHz radio station to test radio as a medium for communication and dissemination of project outputs. This series will be completed in January 2017 when its success will be evaluated via farmer interviews.