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)

Decision Support for Mainstreaming and Scaling out Sustainable Land Management (GEF-FAO / DS-SLM)

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

Book project: where people and their land are safer - A Compendium of Good Practices in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) (where people and their land are safer)

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

Book project: where the land is greener - Case Studies and Analysis of Soil and Water Conservation Initiatives Worldwide (where the land is greener)

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

Land Development Department LDD (Land Development Department LDD) - Thailand

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

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

Comments:

The alteration of an inappropriate area from rice to vegetables, with a pump well installed for irrigation. Farmers could rotate the vegetables with paddy rice.

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

Landuse change from rice to vegetables started by a group of farmers with help from the LDD in providing irrigation from shallow groundwater through a 28m deep bore hole. This enables to lower groundwater level that prevents salination at the discharged low-lying area.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

Changing submerged rice to salt-tolerant vegetables recommended by LDD researchers was started 25 years ago by a group of farmers at Ban Kaonoi Village, Pueaiyai Sub-district, Non Sila District, Khon Kaen Province. The land is located at the recharge area, which is nonsaline, with the groundwater that has salinity of 0.7 dS/m. The groundwater that moves downward and flows along the path and picks up salt - then moves upward and deposits salt at the low-lying area - causes off-site salinization. The LDD supports the landuse change from rice to vegetables for higher income as well as for lowering groundwater level, as rice uses high amount of water through flood irrigation that promotes more downward movement of water in the soil. Farmers try to use minimal amount of water to prevent salt accumulation, the water applied weekly through furrows being 90 m3/rai. The objectives of changing rice to vegetables are to (a) decrease water use compared to rice (b) get higher income from growing salt-tolerant vegetables, and (c) prevent off-site salinization. Without drainage system, the following slightly to moderately salt-tolerant vegetables are recommended: sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum), lemon basil (Ocimum africanum), celery (Apium graviolens), coriander (Coriandrum sativum). The planting method starts with land preparation by plowing twice, the second plowing including making bed 1 m wide, 0.3 m high, mixed with 500 kg/rai cow dung, with 0.3m wide irrigation furrow between the beds. The plants are divided into two groups: long- and short-duration crops. Long-duration crop basils need 5 months before harvest; the 25-day-old seedlings are planted at 20x20 cm spacing. The first crop starts in mid-January and can be harvested at the end of May, while the second crop starts in mid-July, to be harvested in mid-December.
The short-duration crops coriander and Chinese celery need 75-80 days growing period. Seeds of both crops are sown together on the same bed twice a year for two crop harvests. The first sowing starts in late January or early February and can be harvested in mid-April while the second sowing is done in late July, to be harvested in early October. Only short-duration crops can be planted after the rice harvest in December or earlier. Normally, land preparation starts in January, followed with planting in early February. The coriander and celery need partial shading; they are grown in the beds with slants provided. Maintenance includes weeding (by labourers) and fertilizer application for basils. For coriander, the fertilizer used is 46-0-0 (NPK) at 100 kg/rai, split 4 times equally after each harvest, while for celery the fertilizer application rate is the same but split only two times, at 20 days and 35 days after planting, respectively. Furthermore, the labour used is for supplemental irrigation (by spraying water on the leaves every day or depend on soil moisture content) except the 7th day that the irrigation is done through the furrows.
The basil crops can be harvested 4 times from each planting (by cutting the lower branches), with approx. 1-month interval. The coriander can be harvested when 1.5-month old on the same plot as celery, the harvest of which is done at 2-2.5 months.
The costs and benefits are calculated; the costs include seed, fertilizer, and labour for land preparation, planting, irrigation, maintenance, and harvest. The farmers favor the technology because the crops can grow well in such circumstances and the produces meet the market’s demand. In such way, farmers get higher income compared with rice, while farm residues and weeds can be used as animal feed.

2.3 Photos of the Technology

2.4 Videos 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:

• 10-50 years ago

2.7 Introduction of the Technology

Specify how the Technology was introduced:

• through land users' innovation
• through projects/ external interventions

• as part of a traditional system over 25 years

Comments (type of project, etc.):

Technology was developed by the farmers and disseminated in the area as a traditional system and then through the project by Land Development Department Region 5.

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

• improve production
• adapt to climate change/ extremes and its impacts
• create beneficial economic impact

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

Comments:

Farmer constructed the pump well in their area that they mainly use for vegetables. Also, they can use the pump well for paddy rice in a drought year such as in 2018.

3.3 Has land use changed due to the implementation of the Technology?

Has land use changed due to the implementation of the Technology?

• Yes (Please fill out the questions below with regard to the land use before implementation of the Technology)

Land use mixed within the same land unit:

No

Comments:

Vegetables were mainly growing in some paddy area in upland. Moreover, farmers will grow vegetables after rice harvesting in lowland fields.

3.4 Water supply

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

• mixed rainfed-irrigated

Comments:

The area is under rainfed agriculture but farmers set up the pump well to support cultivation.

3.5 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• rotational systems (crop rotation, fallows, shifting cultivation)
• integrated crop-livestock management
• ground water management

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

Comments:

Farmers applied farmyard manure for soil improvement in the vegetable area. All or most households keep cattle so they have manure for such use.

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

Comments:

The area applied with such technology is located in a slightly saline zone.

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

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

• reduce land degradation
• adapt to land degradation

Comments:

Reducing and adapting to land degradation and climate change.

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

4.2 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

Specify how costs and inputs were calculated:

• per Technology area

other/ national currency (specify):

THB

If relevant, indicate exchange rate from USD to local currency (e.g. 1 USD = 79.9 Brazilian Real): 1 USD =:

32.0

4.3 Establishment activities

	Activity	Timing (season)
1.	Drilling a pump well	May-July
2.	Preparation of plots to produce vegetable seedlings	May-July
3.	Vegetable planting	May-July
4.	Fertilizer application	before planting

4.4 Costs and inputs needed for establishment

	Specify input	Unit	Quantity	Costs per Unit	Total costs per input	% of costs borne by land users
Labour	Preparing vegetable garden	rai	1.0	1200.0	1200.0
Labour	Havesting cost	person	12.0	300.0	3600.0
Plant material	Parsley seeds	gram	300.0	0.183	54.9
Plant material	Celery seeds	gram	400.0	1.375	550.0
Plant material	Sweet basil seeds	gram	800.0	0.25	200.0
Fertilizers and biocides	Compost 1.25 THB/kg, application rate 1,000 kg/rai	time	1.0	1252.0	1252.0
Fertilizers and biocides	Urea fertilizer 12 THB/kg, application rate 50 kg/rai	time	1.0	600.0	600.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					7456.9
Total costs for establishment of the Technology in USD					233.03

If land user bore less than 100% of costs, indicate who covered the remaining costs:

Land Development Department

4.5 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Timing/ frequency
1.	Fertilizer application	2 times/crop
2.	Irrigation for parsley and celery	90 days/crop
3.	Irrigation for sweet basil	180 days/crop

4.6 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	Irrigation for parsley and celery	day	16.875	300.0	5062.5
Labour	Irrigation for sweet basil	day	11.25	300.0	3375.0
Fertilizers and biocides	Urea fertilizer 12 THB/kg, application rate 25 kg/rai	time	5.0	300.0	1500.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology					9937.5
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology in USD					310.55

4.7 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

Drilling a pump well because water is the most important factor for the production.

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

Indicate if the Technology is specifically applied in:

• not relevant

5.3 Soils

5.4 Water availability and quality

Is water salinity a problem?

Yes

Is flooding of the area occurring?

No

5.5 Biodiversity

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

5.7 Average area of land used by land users applying the Technology

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

Land ownership:

• individual, titled

Land use rights:

• open access (unorganized)

Water use rights:

• open access (unorganized)

Are land use rights based on a traditional legal system?

Yes

5.9 Access to services and infrastructure

6.1 On-site impacts the Technology has shown

Socio-economic impacts

Production

Water availability and quality

Income and costs

Socio-cultural impacts

Ecological impacts

Water cycle/ runoff

Soil

Biodiversity: vegetation, animals

Climate and disaster risk reduction

6.2 Off-site impacts the Technology has shown

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	increase or decrease	How does the Technology cope with it?
annual temperature		decrease	well
annual rainfall		increase	well

Climate-related extremes (disasters)

Climatological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
drought	well

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

• > 50%

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

• 51-90%

6.6 Adaptation

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

Yes

If yes, indicate to which changing conditions it was adapted:

• labour availability (e.g. due to migration)

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
Get higher income from land use change from rice to vegetables.
Decrease water use compared to rice cultivation.

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Lowering groundwater level.
Increasing farmer income.
Prevents salination at the discharged low-lying area.

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?
Farmers need to find the market by themselves.	Expanding the vegetable plantation area will draw merchants to come and buy in the community.

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Some farmers prefer rice cultivation to growing vegetables.	Provide more information on land use change and create conscience of salination effect to the farmer.

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Land Development Department

Available from where? Costs?

http://www.ldd.go.th/

7.3 Links to relevant online information

Title/ description:

where the land is greener - Case Studies and Analysis of Soil and Water Conservation Initiatives Worldwide

URL:

https://www.wocat.net/library/media/27/

Title/ description:

where people and their land are safer - A Compendium of Good Practices in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) (where people and their land are safer)

URL:

https://www.wocat.net/en/projects-and-countries/projects/drr

7.4 General comments

The questionnaire is very complicated.