Dự án nông nghiệp " Improving capability of provincial extensionists for assessing soil constraints to sustainable production through the use of the SCAMP decision support system " MS5 pptx

1 Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development Completion Report 009/06 VIE: Improving capability of provincial extensionists for assessing soil constraints to sustainable production through the use of the SCAMP decision support system MS 5: Completion (Fourth Six Monthly) Report December 2009 2 Table of Contents 1. Institute Information ___________________________________________________ 3 2. Project Abstract _______________________________________________________ 4 3. Executive Summary ____________________________________________________ 4 4. Introduction & Background _____________________________________________ 5 5. Progress to Date _______________________________________________________ 6 5.1 Implementation Highlights ________________________________________________ 6 5.2 Smallholder Benefits______________________________________________________ 6 5.3 Capacity Building ________________________________________________________ 6 5.4 Publicity________________________________________________________________ 7 5.5 Project Management _____________________________________________________ 7 6. Report on Cross-Cutting Issues___________________________________________ 7 6.1 Environment ____________________________________________________________ 7 6.2 Gender and Social Issues __________________________________________________ 7 7. Implementation & Sustainability Issues ____________________________________ 7 7.1 Issues and Constraints ____________________________________________________ 7 7.2 Options_________________________________________________________________ 7 7.3 Sustainability____________________________________________________________ 7 8. Next Critical Steps _____________________________________________________ 8 9. Conclusion ___________________________________________________________ 8 3 1. Institute Information Project Name Improving capability of provincial extensionists for assessing soil constraints to sustainable production through the use of the SCAMP decision support system. Vietnamese Institution Institute of Agricultural Sciences of Southern Vietnam Vietnamese Project Team Leader Dr Phan Thi Cong Australian Organisation Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management (formerly Natural Resources and Water) Australian Personnel Dr Philip W Moody Date commenced 20 June 2007 Completion date (original) May 2009 Completion date (revised) December 2009 Reporting period November 2008 – December 2009 Contact Officer(s) In Australia: Team Leader Name: Dr PW Moody Tel: 07 3896 9494 Position: Principal Scientist Fax: 07 3896 9623 Organisation Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management Email Phil.Moody@derm.qld.gov.au In Australia: Administrative contact Name: Ms Melissa Coonan Tel: 07 3896 9833 Position: Senior Project Officer Fax: Organisation Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management Email Melissa.Coonan@derm.qld.gov.au In Vietnam Name: Dr Phan Thi Cong Tel: +84 89104307 Position: Head, Soil Chemistry and Soil Fertility Fax: +84 8829 7650 Organisation Institute of Agricultural Sciences of Southern Vietnam Email: congphanthi@gmail.com 4 2. Project Abstract 3. Executive Summary In the final period of the project, a training course was held in Tay Ninh from 22-24 December 2008. Thirty six extensionists attended, representing most districts in five provinces of the South East Region. Following the first day of lectures and demonstrations focusing on the determination and interpretation of the key soil properties used in SCAMP, field trips were made on the second day to some sites on different soil types. A soil pit was dug to 150 cm depth to examine the different horizons formed during a long weathering process to form a typical Haplic Acrisol. Soil compaction and plinthite formation are two major processes occurring in the profile which were never thought about by these participants. IAS project staff demonstrated how a SCAMP assessment is made. Participants were then split into groups to undertake their own SCAMP assessments. Each group was assigned to work at different site where their soil pit representatives for different position in the field concerning their topography. The demonstration field experiment was also visited, and observations made on crop growth responses to the farmer’s practice and the SCAMP treatments. On the last day of the workshop, teams reported back their results and these were discussed. At the local demonstration field experiment, treatments included application of Eupatorium odoratum (a local weed species) for assessment of its capacity in reducing the impact of soil compaction (improving soil aeration and water infiltration rate), and addition of a high-activity clay to increase the nutrient holding capacity of the soil. These treatments were designed to moderate soil constraints identified from a SCAMP assessment of the soil. Benefit/cost analysis indicated that both treatments resulted in ratios of 1.7 and 1.6 respectively compared to 0.7 for local farmer practice (see Attachment A). Rural poverty reduction in Vietnam will not be achieved unless the capacity of farmers to adopt profitable and sustainable agricultural systems is enhanced through technology and knowledge products. In a previous ACIAR-funded project, the decision support package (‘SCAMP’- Soil Constraints and Management Package) was developed to identify soil constraints from simple field observation of soil features, supported by simple field and laboratory chemical analyses. SCAMP uses several soil physical (e.g. permeability, drainage) and soil chemical (e.g. pH, EC) properties to develop appropriate practices for nutrient management, tillage, crop rotations, and soil erosion control. In this CARD project, SCAMP training courses were held for district and provincial extensionists in Gia Lai , Ninh Thuan and Tay Ninh Provinces. The workshops comprised in-field training, and field experiments in Gia Lai and Tay Ninh were used to demonstrate how soil constraints identified in the SCAMP assessment could be addressed with appropriate management practices. Benefit/cost analysis of these practices demonstrated the benefits of adopting a structured approach to assessing and addressing soil constraints to productivity. In total, 167 participants attended the workshops and responses to questionnaires indicated that over 90% of participants would apply the knowledge and concepts presented at the workshops to their local situation by training workshops and one-on-one interactions with farmers. 5 The pre- and post-course questionnaires identified some major changes in the perceptions of extensionists as a result of the course. In particular, a better understanding of the effects of specific soil properties on constraints resulted in more specific suggestions for sustainable management practices and the recognition that application of fertilisers was not the answer to all soil productivity problems. There was an increased awareness of the necessity for soil-specific management based on the inherent constraints identified for the soil. It was clearly the desire of the extensionists to pass on their knowledge to farmers through training courses. The role of a mobile lab to improve the identification of soil fertility constraints was seen as a necessity. 4. Introduction & Background Provincial extensionists provide advice to smallhold farmers on all aspects of crop production including general agronomy and pest and disease management. Because of the wide breadth of knowledge required to meet this demand for advice, extensionists often do not have the depth of soil knowledge required to give soil-specific management advice including fertiliser recommendations. The result is ‘one size fits all’ advice on cropping and tillage management, erosion control, and the use of organic amendments. Fertiliser recommendations follow a recipe book based on the crop without regard to existing levels of soil fertility or soil differences in nutrient retention and supply capacity. However, the key to sustainable and profitable cropping is a soil-specific approach to soil management and nutrient inputs, with the latter including assessment of all locally available organic amendments and inorganic fertiliser forms. The aim of this project was to provide training to extensionists to allow them to determine key soil attributes such as colour, texture, permeability, drainage, aggregate stability, pH and electrical conductivity and to infer key soil and fertiliser management strategies based on these attributes. The decision support tool, SCAMP (Soil Constraints and Management Package), was used as the framework for this training and provided a soil-specific approach to crop management. The objectives of this project were: • Based on basic soil information, identify soil constraints to crop production in the target areas of the Central Highlands, South Central Coast and South East Regions; • Provide site specific management guidelines for sustainable production of focus crops on major soil groups within the target areas; • Build technological development and knowledge application capacity by training a network of local agricultural extensionists (provincial and district levels) to identify soil constraints and to give recommendations for soil management practices that underpin sustainable agricultural development. 6 5. Progress to Date 5.1 Implementation Highlights The project objectives were achieved by undertaking three workshops that trained 167 key provincial and district extensionists how to determine and interpret several key soil properties. The workshops in Gia Lai and Tay Ninh were supported by demonstration field experiments that compared treatments based on assessment of soil-specific properties with local farmer practice. At both sites, treatments such as the application of locally available plant amendments and high activity clay were shown to have higher benefit cost ratios than local farmer practice. It was apparent that greater utilisation of local available amendments and using fertiliser ‘straights’ such as fused magnesium phosphate (FMP) rather than fertiliser blends are two management options that often result in profitable and sustainable production. The pre- and post-course questionnaires indicated some major shifts in the perceptions of extensionists as a result of the workshops. In particular there was enhanced understanding of the impacts of key soil properties such as field texture on soil management and greater awareness of the reasons for beneficial effects of green manure residues on soil productivity. This increased knowledge was evident in the post-questionnaire responses where participants identified the need to manage soil- specific constraints rather than making reference to general issues such as ‘soil fertility’ which were common in the pre-workshop questionnaire responses. All participants indicated their intention to train local farmers in sustainable soil management using the SCAMP framework as the basic resource tool. It is expected that this will lead to widespread dissemination of knowledge. 5.2 Smallholder Benefits The end beneficiaries of this project are smallhold farmers, and the ultimate measure of adoption will be changed management practices at the smallholder plot scale. This change will be the result of interaction between the farmer and extensionists and 'champion' farmers who have been trained in sustainable soil management in this project. Improved soil management will result in food security, an increase in living standards and a farming system that is not exploitative but which maintains the productivity of the soil resource by managing the soil within its inherent constraints. 5.3 Capacity Building Vietnam has an effective national extension network, and this network is widely accepted by farmers as a source of information and advice. However, agricultural extensionists often lack a basic background in soil science making it difficult for farmers to obtain information on sustainable soil management. It is this capacity gap in the knowledge of extensionists that was addressed by this CARD project. The three SCAMP training courses carried out during the project trained provincial and district extensionists to determine field texture, pH, and EC of soils and to observe and record properties such as position in the landscape, drainage, permeability, colour, structure and compaction. The implications of these properties for soil management were explained and demonstrated in the field experiments, and the participants indicated their intention to return to their local networks and instruct others. 7 5.4 Publicity All opportunities were taken for local TV to record segments during the training courses and field activities, and these were aired during provincial news programs. Articles on the project were prepared for all CARD Newsletters. 5.5 Project Management At all times the Vietnamese project staff enthusiastically and conscientiously carried out project activities and the operational requirements of the project were completed on schedule. However, reporting milestones- particularly this completion report- became overdue due to time constraints on both the Vietnamese and Australian project leaders 6. Report on Cross-Cutting Issues 6.1 Environment This project will have positive environmental benefits in terms of maintenance/improvement of the ecosystem functions of the soil resource, and these impacts, together with the financial benefits identified in the demonstration field experiments, have been highlighted as a key outcome in project publicity. 6.2 Gender and Social Issues It is satisfying to note that at all project workshops and training events, women extensionists and farmers comprised a significant proportion of the participants. 7. Implementation & Sustainability Issues 7.1 Issues and Constraints No resourcing issues or constraints arose during the project. 7.2 Options na 7.3 Sustainability This CARD project has resulted in a network of trained personnel in the targeted regions, and the continuing regular contact between these personnel and the IAS project team will minimise the risk of SCAMP not being utilised. A very notable achievement by the Vietnamese project staff- and additional to the contracted project activities- has been the close interaction with staff involved in agricultural development projects of the NGO World Vision, particularly the Bac Binh ADP. Because of the positive impact that the Bac Binh World Vision staff felt 8 the CARD project had on their ability to train local farmers, the IAS project staff ran a dedicated SCAMP workshop in HoChiMinh City from 3-5 Jan 2007 for 14 project managers from several World Vision ADPs throughout Vietnam. 8. Next Critical Steps A need was been identified by extensionists for further training in the measurement and interpretation of SCAMP level 3 attributes using a mobile lab: organic carbon, extractable phosphorus and exchangeable potassium in addition to the SCAMP level 2 attributes of soil pH and electrical conductivity. It is apparent from discussions with the workshop participants that the vast majority of fertiliser recommendations follow a recipe approach based on crop type without regard for the existing soil fertility status. This situation leads to over-application of inorganic fertilisers or unbalanced nutrient addition. To counteract this, on-site soil analyses for organic carbon, phosphorus and potassium are required. Methodologies exist for undertaking these analyses rapidly in the field with a minimum of equipment. A mobile lab approach has been adopted in both Thailand (Dr Soils Program) and the Philippines, and is used at farmer field days to give fertiliser recommendations in conjunction with advice on other issues such as plant disease and pest management. It is strongly recommended that such an approach be adopted in Vietnam. SCAMP assessment of local soils in association with a mobile lab to undertake analyses on farmer samples has real potential for extending sustainable land management practices throughout the country. With funding assistance from ACIAR and The Crawford Fund, the Australian and Vietnamese project leaders are planning a soil test interpretation workshop that will include documentation of appropriate methods for mobile (on-site) soil analysis. A concept plan and method manual will then be submitted to AusAID for consideration of funding support. 9. Conclusion This project was highly successful in increasing the knowledge and awareness of extensionists with respect to sustainable soil management. The message that such management needs to be soil-specific and based on identified soil constraints was clearly recognised by participants. All participants planned to train smallholders in the use of SCAMP for identifying soil constraints. There are several issues requiring attention and modified practices to improve the sustainability of cropping systems in Vietnam: • Greater utilisation of locally available organic amendments including green manures, animal dung and weed residues; • Potential use of regionally sourced high activity clays to improve sandy soils; • Greater use of fertiliser straights such as fused magnesium phosphate rather than reliance on whatever blended fertilisers are locally available; • Assessment of current soil fertility status (pH, EC, organic C, extractable P, exchangeable K) as the basis for fertiliser recommendations- not a recipe book approach to crop fertilisation; • Investigation of a mobile lab program to provide on-site soil fertility assessment to underpin fertiliser recommendations. . Institute Information Project Name Improving capability of provincial extensionists for assessing soil constraints to sustainable production through the use of the SCAMP decision support system. . necessity for soil- specific management based on the inherent constraints identified for the soil. It was clearly the desire of the extensionists to pass on their knowledge to farmers through. Ministry of Agriculture & Rural Development Completion Report 009/06 VIE: Improving capability of provincial extensionists for assessing soil constraints to sustainable production through