session 2 - crops and varieties€¦ · session 2: crops and varieties information from baseline...
TRANSCRIPT
Session 2: Crops and VarietiesSession 2: Crops and VarietiesInformation from Baseline Survey
Outline of PresentationOutline of Presentation
• Cropping Patterns• Cropping Patterns– Selection of Crops
C Di it– Crop Diversity
– Pest / Biodiversity management
• Crop Rotations
• Gaps in information
Cropping PatternsCropping Patterns
Selection of crops (1 of 2)Selection of crops (1 of 2)
• In all countries crops selection based on anIn all countries, crops selection based on an understanding of soil type and nutrient status
• Trees used as borders between plots and as• Trees used as borders between plots and as windbreaks
F i i d i h h• Fruit trees intercropped with short‐term crops e.g. pumpkin and squash
• Antigua & Barbuda: carrots and beets grown in sandy loam soils, best suited to those crops
Selection of crops (2 of 2)Selection of crops (2 of 2)
• Grenada: On sloping land ‐ large plants (fruitGrenada: On sloping land large plants (fruit trees) used on steeper areas, and a good mix of annuals and perennials (different familiesof annuals and perennials (different families, root depths etc.) planted for good coverage
• Dominica: within/outside of Carib Territory• Dominica: within/outside of Carib Territory, planting of crops on specific areas based on their ability to reduce erosion maintain soiltheir ability to reduce erosion, maintain soil nutrient balance and keep soil intact
Grenada: Crop mix to achieve d dgood ground cover
Crop diversity (1 of 2)Crop diversity (1 of 2)
V f f i th t d h d• Very few farmers in the study had monocultures
• On most farms: bees, butterflies, wasps observed
• Around and beyond farms: endemic mix of plants and weeds
Crop diversity (2 of 2)Crop diversity (2 of 2)
S f th di it d lib t l• Some of the diversity was deliberately organized to explore synergies:– A pineapple farm with >20 different fruits trees and a range of crops, including sorrel, cucurbits and beansand beans
– That farm also had bee hives /pollinators, which were sometimes rented to other farmerswere sometimes rented to other farmers
Pest/biodiversity ManagementPest/biodiversity Management(1 of 2)
• Intercropping, together with crop rotation andIntercropping, together with crop rotation and diversity and other cultural practices, used to manage pestsmanage pests– One farm with banana as main crop, intercropped with cassava; additionally rows of corn and sweet ; ypotato, interspersed with pineapple and yams
Pest/biodiversity ManagementPest/biodiversity Management
• Many farmers used biological insecticidesMany farmers used biological insecticides
• Some used limited organophosphates only at plantingplanting
• Dominica: pest management, based on farm‐l d l f i igrown plant extracts and low use of inorganic
pesticides, led to abundant beneficial insects d lliand pollinators
Crop Rotation (1 of 5)Crop Rotation (1 of 5)
• ‘Textbook’ crop rotations in several cases withTextbook crop rotations in several cases with choices reflecting: – different nutrient uptake regimes– different nutrient uptake regimes
– differing feeding depths, dissimilar pest profiles
S il bl i d d t f tilit• Soil measurably improved due to fertility increases, lowered pest loads and improved f i bilit (l f il)friability (looseness of soil)
Crop rotation (2of 5)Crop rotation (2of 5)
Crops/Sequence in DominicaCrops/Sequence in Dominica
• Carrots → String Beans → Cabbageg g
• Dasheen → Ginger→ Yam
• Bananas → Tannia→ Bananas
• Ginger→ Passion Fruit→ Pineapple• Ginger → Passion Fruit → Pineapple
Crop rotation (3of 5)Crop rotation (3of 5)
Crops/Sequence in St Vincent & theCrops/Sequence in St. Vincent & the Grenadines
• Melons → Peanuts → Ochroes
• Carrots→ String Beans→ CabbageCarrots → String Beans → Cabbage
• Tomatoes → Sweet Potatoes →Yams
C b → T t →L tt• Cucumbers → Tomatoes →Lettuce
• Cucumbers→ Carrots → Eddoes → Cabbage
Crop rotation (4 of 5)Crop rotation (4 of 5)
Crops/Sequence in St Vincent & theCrops/Sequence in St. Vincent & the Grenadines
• Sweet Potatoes → Yams → Eddoes
• Sweet Potatoes→ Tomatoes→ YamsSweet Potatoes → Tomatoes → Yams
• Yams & Eddoes → Tomatoes → Ginger
T t & C bb → Edd → Y →T i• Tomato & Cabbage → Eddoe→ Yam→Tannia
• Sweet Potatoes → Yams → Eddoes
Crop Rotation (5 of 5)Crop Rotation (5 of 5)
• St. Kitts/Nevis and St. Lucia/– Significant evidence that rotations based more on economic factors than cropmore on economic factors than crop husbandry
Same family rotations as a means to ‘cash– Same family rotations as a means to cash‐in’ on high value crops (“rotated” crops had similar pest/disease and nutrient profiles)similar pest/disease and nutrient profiles)
– Expected agronomic /soil improvement i b i dgains not obtained
Gaps in informationGaps in information
• Recent projects (e g on Urban and Peri‐UrbanRecent projects (e.g. on Urban and Peri Urban Agriculture; Black Sigatoka Management) highlighted a general lack of availability of:highlighted a general lack of availability of:– good quality seed of locally‐adapted varieties
clean planting material– clean planting material
• No mention by farmers in Baseline Survey
• Important elements and should be taken into consideration in any SCPI programme
Th k YThank You