Cost-benefit analysis of alternative forms of hedgerow intercropping in the Philippine uplands |
| |
Authors: | R A Nelson R A Cramb K M Menz M A Mamicpic |
| |
Institution: | (1) FORTECH, G.P.O. Box 4, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia;(2) Department of Agriculture, The University of Queensland, Brisbane;(3) Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, The Australian National University, Canberra;(4) Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok |
| |
Abstract: | Considerable resources have been expended promoting hedgerow intercropping with shrub legumes to farmers in the Philippine
uplands. Despite the resources committed to research and extension, persistent adoption by farmers has been limited to low
cost versions of the technology including natural vegetation and grass strips. In this paper, cost-benefit analysis is used
to compare the economic returns from traditional open-field maize farming with returns from intercropping maize between leguminous
shrub hedgerows, natural vegetation strips and grass strips. An erosion/productivity model, Soil Changes Under Agroforestry,
was used to predict the effect of erosion on maize yields. Key informant surveys with experienced maize farmers were used
to derive production budgets for the alternative farming methods.
The economic incentives revealed by the cost-benefit analysis help to explain the adoption of maize farming methods in the
Philippine uplands. Open-field farming without hedgerows has been by far the most popular method of maize production, often
with two or more fields cropped in rotation. There is little persistent adoption of hedgerow intercropping with shrub legumes
because sustained maize yields are not realised rapidly enough to compensate farmers for establishment and maintenance costs.
Natural vegetation and grass strips are more attractive to farmers because of lower establishment costs, and provide intermediate
steps to adoption. Rural finance, commodity pricing and agrarian reform policies influence the incentives for maize farmers
in the Philippine uplands to adopt and maintain hedgerow intercropping.
This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. |
| |
Keywords: | alley-cropping credit erosion labour maize |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|