Systems diagnoses at field, farm and watershed levels in diversifying upland agroecosystems: towards comprehensive solutions to farmers' problems

Trébuil Guy, Kam Suan Pheng, Turkelboom Francis, Shinawatra B.. 1997. Systems diagnoses at field, farm and watershed levels in diversifying upland agroecosystems: towards comprehensive solutions to farmers' problems. In : Applications of systems approaches at the farm and regional levels. Vol. 1. Teng P.S. (ed.), Kropff M.J. (ed.), Ten Berge H.F.M. (ed.), Dent J.B. (ed.), Lansigan F.P. (ed.), Van Laar H.V. (ed.). IRRI. Dordrecht : Kluwer Academic Publishers, 99-114. ISBN 0-7923-4285-2 International Symposium on Systems Approaches for Agricultural Development. 2, Los Banos, Philippines, 6 Décembre 1995/8 Décembre 1995.

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Autre titre : Approches systèmes à léchelle de la parcelle, de l'exploitation agricole et du bassin d'alimentation en eau dans les agrosystèmes en transition des zones de montagne : vers des solutions globales aux problèmes des agriculteurs

Résumé : In mainland Southeast Asia, the increasing population pressure on montane agroecosystems, their growing integration into the market economies and the impact of national environmental protection policies are provoking rapid transformations in highland farmers' strategies and practices evolving from slash and burn to more intensive, diverse production systems. In such a context, most of the attempts at transferring standard recommended technologies are facing very low rates of adoption. These variable and heterogeneous environments provide opportunities for using holistic systems approaches to address the whole complexity of agricultural development issues. To boost the prospects of significant impact, however, the farmer must be put at the centre of a development-oriented research process. Diagnostic tools at field, farm and watershed levels are used to understand the rapidly increasing diversity of farmers' circumstances, the rationale of farmers' practices and strategies, and key dynamics at work. Such information must be integrated in the research agenda to design improved production systems preserving the resource base while increasing land and labour productivity. At farmers' field level, we use the on-farm agronomic experiment-survey procedure to inventory farmers' techniques, explain their practices and assess their impact on crop function and its environment. In actual farmers' conditions, limiting factors of yields are ranked, yield modelling is carried out, and hypotheses for new cropping systems are derived. At the farming system level, the diversity of farmers' objectives and strategies is analysed and their functioning summarized diagrammatically. Similar farming systems are grouped into a typology and trajectories of evolution displaying the process of accumulation/elimination on the farms along various pathways. Based on results obtained at the two previous scales, the analysis of land-use dynamics at the watershed level spatially distributes the diversity of situations and the extent of dominating trends, and points to the conflict areas. Risky practices regarding land degradation are mapped and the potential impact of improved cropping systems can also be generated at this scale. Illustrations from a case study of diversifying upland rice-based farming systems in montane upper northern Thailand are provided to demonstrate how these on-farm research tools can be articulated into an integrated systems research approach producing fine-tuned and well-targeted innovations. Their role in helping the needed institutional change in these less-favoured ecosystems is also underlined.

Résumé (autre langue) : En Asie du Sud-Est, la forte pression démographique, l'intégration croissante des agrosystèmes dans les économies de marché et l'impact des politiques pour la protection de l'environnement provoquent des transformations rapides dans les stratégies des agriculteurs des zones d'altitude, qui évoluent d'une système de défriche-brûlis vers une agriculture plus intensive. Dans ces environnements très divers et hétérogènes, une approche globale du développement agricole est nécessaire pour en appréhender la complexité. Cette approche place l'agriculteur au centre du processus de recherche-développement. Des outils de diagnostic au niveau du champ cultivé, de l'exploitation agricole et du bassin d'alimentation en eau sont utilisés pour comprendre la diversité et la rationalité des stratégies des agriculteurs. L'exemple des systèmes de production diversifiés à base de riz d'altitude dans les montagnes de Thaïlande du nord montre comment ces outils de recherche en milieu paysan permettent d'aboutir à des innovations adaptées.

Mots-clés Agrovoc : Oryza sativa, région d'altitude, méthode, structure agricole, système d'exploitation agricole, classification, système de culture, enquête, plante pérenne, culture de rapport

Mots-clés géographiques Agrovoc : Thaïlande

Classification Agris : E90 - Structure agraire

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