1.2 Contact details of resource persons and institutions involved in the assessment and documentation of the Technology

Name of project which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Scaling-up SLM practices by smallholder farmers (IFAD)

Name of the institution(s) which facilitated the documentation/ evaluation of the Technology (if relevant)

Royal University of Agriculture (RUA) - Cambodia

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

05/05/2017

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

1.4 Declaration on sustainability of the described Technology

Is the Technology described here problematic with regard to land degradation, so that it cannot be declared a sustainable land management technology?

No

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

Intercropping of mung beans with bananas adds nutrients to the soil, and generates further income while waiting for the yield of the banana trees.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

The root nodules of mung beans contain rhizobium bacteria that can absorb and store nitrogen from the environment. This is good for any nearby crops, and after the harvest when the field is plowed it improves soil’s nutrient levels (CARDI, 2011). The mung beans residue such as stems, leaves, and shells actively leads to an improvement of the soil’s quality and fertility by increasing the nitrogen level in the soil. Mung beans are mostly grown in March with the seeds being directly placed into pits dug at regular intervals (MAFF, 2005). Bananas are a high-moisture providing crop to the soil, and their root systems add air to the soil and enrich it with humus. Regarding the plantation of banana seedlings, their pits should be 30 cm in depth and should measure 0.5 m x 0.5 m, with a space of 2 meters between each plant (Our Agricultural Market, 2017).

Mrs. Sophea Mun has been living in the upland village known as Andoung Preang, in Preah Khleang commune, Tbaeng Mean Chey district, Preah Vihear province, Cambodia. She was selected for this case study because she has been applying the technique of mung beans intercropped by bananas and thereby contributing to sustainable land management.

One of the reasons for intercropping mung beans between banana trees is to help improve the soil’s fertility by retaining the decomposing residue of the plants in the space between the bananas to act as an organic fertilizer. Moreover, as the cover crop, mung beans also play a role in reducing soil erosion by water and preventing weeds from competing with the growth of the banana trees.

Whilst the technology has beneficial impacts on the soil; it also increases the farmers’ income before the bananas are able to produce a yield. Bananas are the long-term crop and so at the time when they are not yet generating a financial output, the mung beans act as an important source of income to support the farmers’ livelihoods. Banana trees can first be harvested after 10 months and will then produce a higher yield over the second year. The yield will then start to decrease once trees reach the age of six or seven, and once this happens they are cut down. The mung beans are the short-term crop and can be harvested and sold after 3 months and can be grown twice in one season. Generally, when the banana trees are 2 or 3 years old it is not possible to grow mung beans because they provide too much shade and there is not enough sunlight.

The farmer uses about 22 kg of mung bean seeds on a plot of land measuring 70 x 200 meters. The seedlings are planted directly between the banana trees, instead of being broadcast because in this way the seedlings will have enough space between them to allow for ventilation, and ultimately will produce a higher yield. In this case study, the farmer firstly grows mung beans and once these have been harvested will grow soybeans in July and is therefore able to grow twice in one season. Bananas should be planted in rectangular pits measuring 20cm x 30 cm with a depth of 0.5 meters. There should be a space of 4 meters between each of the plants and a distance of 5 meters between the rows. They should be grown in February when there is no rain so that the banana seedlings can flourish. If they are cultivated in the rainy season, they are often vulnerable to mealybugs and do not grow as well as in the dry season.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Technology has been applied and which are covered by this assessment

2.6 Date of implementation

If precise year is not known, indicate approximate date:

• less than 10 years ago (recently)

2.7 Introduction of the Technology

Specify how the Technology was introduced:

• as part of a traditional system (> 50 years)

Comments (type of project, etc.):

Farmer-to-farmers

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

• reduce, prevent, restore land degradation
• create beneficial economic impact

3.2 Current land use type(s) where the Technology is applied

3.3 Further information about land use

Water supply for the land on which the Technology is applied:

• rainfed

Comments:

rain-fed cropping

Number of growing seasons per year:

• 2

Specify:

Mung-beans: twice in one season. First banana harvest after 10 month

Livestock density (if relevant):

No animal raising

3.4 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• improved ground/ vegetation cover

3.5 Spread of the Technology

Specify the spread of the Technology:

• evenly spread over an area

If the Technology is evenly spread over an area, indicate approximate area covered:

• < 0.1 km2 (10 ha)

Comments:

Implementation area is 70 x 200 meters =14000 square meters. Renting cost is 1,000,000 Riel per year.

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

Specify the goal of the Technology with regard to land degradation:

• prevent land degradation

Comments:

High crop production without loss of soil fertility

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

4.2 Technical specifications/ explanations of technical drawing

The farmers intercrop mung beans with bananas on the same plot (70m x 200m=14000 square meters and slope of 30-degree). The space between each row of bananas is 5 meters and space between each banana plant is 4 meters, amounting to a total of 600 banana trees. The mung beans can be directly planted in a row between the banana trees by placing two or three seeds in one hole with a depth of 3 to 4 cm. On this piece of land the farmer planted 22 kg of mung bean seeds.

4.3 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

Specify how costs and inputs were calculated:

• per Technology area

other/ national currency (specify):

Riel

Indicate exchange rate from USD to local currency (if relevant): 1 USD =:

4000.0

4.4 Establishment activities

	Activity	Type of measure	Timing
1.	Pick out the cassava stem	Agronomic	When starting grow mung bean
2.	Ploughing and drying the soil	Agronomic	January
3.	Buying the banana tree seedlings	Management	February
4.	Digging the holes for the banana seedlings and planting	Agronomic	March
5.	Buying mung bean seed	Agronomic	March
6.	Buy hoe	Management	March

4.5 Costs and inputs needed for establishment

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Ploughing and drying the soil	person-day	3.6	20000.0	72000.0	100.0
Labour	Digging the hole for the banana seedlings and planting	person-day	1.5	20000.0	30000.0	100.0
Equipment	Hooked knife	piece	5.0	25000.0	125000.0	100.0
Equipment	Hoe	piece	3.0	20000.0	60000.0	100.0
Plant material	Banana seedlings	seedling	600.0	300.0	180000.0	100.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					467000.0

4.6 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Type of measure	Timing/ frequency
1.	Soil preparation and direct seedling of mung beans	Agronomic	March
2.	Spray the herbicide	Agronomic	20 days after mung bean sowing
3.	Weeding	Agronomic	Every month
4.	Spray the fattening fertilizer	Agronomic	After first harvesting

4.7 Costs and inputs needed for maintenance/ recurrent activities (per year)

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Soil preparation and direct seedling of mung beans	person-day	2.0	20000.0	40000.0	100.0
Labour	Spray the herbicide and weeding	person-day	10.0	20000.0	200000.0	100.0
Labour	Spray the fattening fertilizer	person-day	1.0	20000.0	20000.0	100.0
Labour	Harvesting	person-day	12.0	20000.0	240000.0	100.0
Plant material	Mung bean	kg	24.0	12000.0	288000.0	100.0
Fertilizers and biocides	Herbicide	liter	2.0	12000.0	24000.0	100.0
Fertilizers and biocides	Fattening fertilizer	liter	2.0	11000.0	22000.0	100.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology					834000.0

4.8 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

Buying seeds and hiring labor for digging the holes

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

Indicate if the Technology is specifically applied in:

• convex situations

5.3 Soils

If available, attach full soil description or specify the available information, e.g. soil type, soil PH/ acidity, Cation Exchange Capacity, nitrogen, salinity etc.

pH = 6.2

5.4 Water availability and quality

Is water salinity a problem?

No

Is flooding of the area occurring?

No

5.5 Biodiversity

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

Indicate other relevant characteristics of the land users:

Farmer is 31 years old.

5.7 Average area of land owned or leased by land users applying the Technology

5.8 Land ownership, land use rights, and water use rights

Land ownership:

• individual, titled

• ជួលគេ

Land use rights:

• leased

• rain-fed

5.9 Access to services and infrastructure

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Production

Income and costs

Socio-cultural impacts

Ecological impacts

Soil

Biodiversity: vegetation, animals

6.2 Off-site impacts the Technology has shown

Comments regarding impact assessment:

No off-site impacts

6.3 Exposure and sensitivity of the Technology to gradual climate change and climate-related extremes/ disasters (as perceived by land users)

Gradual climate change

Gradual climate change

	Season	Type of climatic change/ extreme	How does the Technology cope with it?
annual temperature		increase	not known
seasonal temperature	wet/ rainy season	increase	not known

6.4 Cost-benefit analysis

How do the benefits compare with the establishment costs (from land users’ perspective)?

How do the benefits compare with the maintenance/ recurrent costs (from land users' perspective)?

6.5 Adoption of the Technology

• 10-50%

If available, quantify (no. of households and/ or area covered):

Several housholds (the exact amount is not known)

Of all those who have adopted the Technology, how many have did so spontaneously, i.e. without receiving any material incentives/ payments?

• 90-100%

6.6 Adaptation

Has the Technology been modified recently to adapt to changing conditions?

No

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
Optimal land use of a given plot, providing the opportunity to plant two crops.
Generate an income from the short term crop before the long term crop provides a yield.
Prevents grass from growing because it is not given the opportunity with the crop growing on the land instead.

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Mung beans are a short-term crop which also add supplementary nutrients to the soil.
A reduction in soil erosion because of the natural crop cover.
Provides an income for households whilst the bananas have not yet produced a yield.

6.8 Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks of the Technology and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view	How can they be overcome?
Appearance of worms.	Application of pesticides according to standardized practices.
Lack of a water source for irrigation.	Depends on the rainfall

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

CARDI (2011) Growing mungbean on sandy soil after harvesting wet season rice. Farmer Nowslette.(In Khmer Language)Retrieve on May 03, 2018,from

Available from where? Costs?

http://www.maff.gov.kh/agri-tech/56%E1%9E%8A%E1%9F%86%E1%9E%8E%E1%9E%B6%E1%9F%86%E1%9E%A7%E1%9E%9F%E1%9F%92%E1%9E%9F%E1%9E%B6%E1%9E%A0%E1%9E%80%E1%9E%98%E1%9F%92%E1%9E%98/%E1%9E%80%E1%9E%B6%E1%9E%9A%E1%9E%8A%E1%9E%B6%E1%9F%86%E1%9E%8A%E1%9E%BB%E1%9F%87%E1%9E%9F%E1%9E%8E%E1%9F%92%E1%9E%8F%E1%9F%82%E1%9E%80/961-bean-after-rainy-harvest.html

Title, author, year, ISBN:

MAFF(2005) Mungbean. (In Khmer language) Retrieve on May 03, 2018, from

Available from where? Costs?

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3kkBprEzhDobllqbnFrVmVGTGM/view

7.3 Links to relevant information which is available online

Title/ description:

Our Agricultural Market(2017) Good techniques for farmers who want to grow banana to generate income.(In Khmer language)Retrieve on May 03, 2018, from

URL:

https://www.e-oam.com/?p=3071