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

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

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

Home gardens, containing tree, shrub, herbs, vine, tuber layers as well as poultry, produce food for household consumption as well as an additional income.

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

Home gardens are a traditional setting in Cambodia, where they appear around nearly each house. All the seven layers of production occur, with a tree canopy, lower trees, shrubs, herbs, a soil cover, roots and tubers as well as a climbing layer, but not all layers can be found in each garden. The overlapping production allows a high productivity on a small area, and the trees/canopy provide a comfortable microclimate for both humans and livestock. The products of the home gardens are consumed by the family, surplus is given to neighbours or sold, and provide an additional income. One or more of the crops are produced in bigger amounts to serve as a cash crop. It can be coconuts close to the city, mangoes that are processed, sugarcane or vegetables like winged beans for the market, bamboo for handicrafts or constructions. Poultry is free ranging in the home gardens, thus when short annual plants like water spinach are planted they are protected with bamboo or net fences. The poultry, mostly chicken, but as well ducks, Muscovy ducks, and others, forages in the waste and eats bugs and worms.

The home gardens are planted to produce food, to provide additional income source and assure a comfortable microclimate. Medicinal plants, as well as plants for handicrafts like bamboo, are grown in the home gardens. Due to a lack of labour availability on the farms, the gardens are only poorly maintained. Some NGOs try to implement the production of more annual crops in the home gardens, but fail due to this constraint and the fact that leafy vegetables are collected from the wild during the wet season.

When a new house is built, canopy trees like coconuts or sugar palms are planted, sometimes following a square pattern, with other trees in between. In other gardens, no pattern can be found, as trees are planted more randomly, or left growing on their own. The seedlings growing in and around trash piles are transplanted to more suitable places, sometimes seedlings from grafted varieties are bought from the market.
Mainly annual crops, like yam, are fertilized with cow manure or compost before the sowing. Due to a lack of irrigation water, most farmers only grow annuals during the wet season. During the dry season, the vegetables are bought from other provinces or countries.

The analysed area is flat (slope < 2%), tropic (dry and wet season), and the soils are mostly sandy or loamy. The soils on the fields contain little organic matter (low soil fertility, acidification, small amount of cattle, area has been deforested a long time ago) and the groundwater table is rather high (2 m below soil level during the dry season, on the surface during the wet season).
Due to climate change, the rainfalls are more erratic, temperatures rise and droughts are more recurrent. Rice is the predominant crop grown in the area, since it serves as staple food (mix subsistence and commercial activities). Rice is often grown in monocultures and harvested once a year. Once the rice is harvested (dry season), some farmer release cattle to the paddy fields to eat the straw and weeds.

As an addition to rice, most land users grow vegetable and fruits in home gardens (subsistence) and complement their income by producing handicrafts or through off-farm income / remittances from family members working in other places. Gathering of wild food (plants, animals, and mushrooms) is also of importance for the diet. The increasing migration rate (the young generation leaves the villages to work in the cities, garment industry or abroad) results in a decrease of available labour force in the area that has detrimental effects on the agricultural activities. Furthermore, the civil war in the 1970s (Khmer Rouge) led to the loss of agricultural knowledge that different NGOs try to re-establish.

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:

• more than 50 years ago (traditional)

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.):

There have always been home gardens. There is a lot of research carried out, with species and varieties spreading among farmers. Some NGOs also try to implement the production of more annual vegetables in the home gardens, but they are abandoned as soon as the NGOs leave.

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

• improve production
• create beneficial economic impact

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

Land use mixed within the same land unit:

Yes

Specify mixed land use (crops/ grazing/ trees):

• Agroforestry

Comments:

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): Overgrazing, low soil fertility, sandy soils, monocultures, soil left bare after ploughing, wind and dust storms, climate change.
Major land use problems (land users’ perception): Lack of water in the dry season, low soil fertility.
Type of cropping system and major crops comments: Cash and food crops depend highly on personal preferences.

3.4 Water supply

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

• mixed rainfed-irrigated

3.5 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• agroforestry
• beekeeping, aquaculture, poultry, rabbit farming, silkworm farming, etc.
• home gardens

3.6 SLM measures comprising the Technology

Comments:

Type of vegetative measures: scattered / dispersed

3.7 Main types of land degradation addressed by the Technology

Comments:

Main causes of degradation: soil management (Soil left bare after ploughing), crop management (annual, perennial, tree/shrub) (Monocultures of annual crops (rice))
Secondary causes of degradation: overgrazing (Uncontrolled grazing on fallow fields), change in temperature (More hot days, climate change), wind storms / dust storms (Human induced dust storms, wind storms due to climate change.), droughts (Climate change), labour availability (High migration rates), education, access to knowledge and support services (Agricultural knowledge lost during the Khmer Rouge Regime.), war and conflicts (Agricultural knowledge lost during the Khmer Rouge Regime.)

3.8 Prevention, reduction, or restoration of land degradation

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

• prevent land degradation
• reduce land degradation

4.1 Technical drawing of the Technology

4.2 General information regarding the calculation of inputs and costs

4.3 Establishment activities

	Activity	Timing (season)
1.	Planting of the selected trees and other plants.	Whole year

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	Labour		1.0	10.0	10.0	100.0
Equipment	Tools		1.0	20.0	20.0	100.0
Plant material	seeds		1.0	5.0	5.0	100.0
Plant material	seedlings		1.0	45.0	45.0	100.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					80.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology in USD					80.0

4.5 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Timing/ frequency
1.	Harvesting	Depends on the size of the garden and the crops.
2.	Planting and fertilizing	Depends on the farmers' preference for a given 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	labour		1.0	60.0	60.0	100.0
Plant material	seeds		1.0	3.0	3.0	100.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology					63.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology in USD					63.0

Comments:

Machinery/ tools: Depending on the planted crops a knife, hatchet, spate and hoe.
The costs were calculated for 2014 for an “average” home garden that is newly established on a cleared land. It is not based on one case study, but on discussions with many farmers.

4.7 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

The labour is the most expensive in the home gardens. This is problematic as the labour availability is decreasing due to high migration rates.

5.1 Climate

5.2 Topography

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.

Home gardens are used in the whole of Kampong Chhnang Province, even in urban areas.

5.4 Water availability and quality

Comments and further specifications on water quality and quantity:

Ground water table: during dry season
Availability of surface water: during dry season
Water quality: People use it for drinking after filtering or boiling.

5.5 Biodiversity

Comments and further specifications on biodiversity:

Only degraded forests are in the area

5.6 Characteristics of land users applying the Technology

Indicate other relevant characteristics of the land users:

Land users applying the Technology are mainly common / average land users
Population density: 10-50 persons/km2
Annual population growth: 0.5% - 1%
Off-farm income specification: Handicraft, remittances and factory work
Different crops are used as cash crops.

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:

• communal/ village
• individual, not titled

Land use rights:

• communal (organized)
• individual

Water use rights:

• open access (unorganized)

Comments:

Land users have a title that is not recognized by the state

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		increase	well

Climate-related extremes (disasters)

Meteorological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
local rainstorm	well
local windstorm	not known

Climatological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
drought	well

Hydrological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
general (river) flood	not known

Other climate-related consequences

Other climate-related consequences

	How does the Technology cope with it?
reduced growing period	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?

• 91-100%

Comments:

Nearly every farm has at least a small patch of land with some fruits/trees/vegetables
100% of land user families have adopted the Technology without any external material support. As almost every farm has a small home garden the number of farmer families could not be specified. Nearly everybody already has a small home garden. Species and varieties are spontaneously spreading between farms

6.7 Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities of the Technology

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
To produce fruits and vegetables for home consumption
Many types of fruits and vegetables can be produced on a small area of land, for home consumption and to sell the surplus
The home gardens are close to the houses, all the members of the family can help, and it is possible to look at the house at the same time

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Increased food security and health
Diversification of income sources
Improvement of the soil fertility where farmers use compost

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?
Lack of water for irrigation	Build household ponds
Insects are attracted to the crops, and spread when crops are grown together	Use integrated pest management
Prices sometimes drop for seasonal crops, like mangoes, and farmers cannot sell the crop	Process the fruits (e.g. drying) so they can be preserved

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Lack of good varieties and selection, lack of knowledge about grafting fruit trees	Organize seed exchange, organize grafting and seed saving trainings
Lack of knowledge about fertilization, not all farmers know about the benefits of compost or manure. Leaves are often burned in the home gardens	Provide composting and mulching training

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Kumar & Nair (Ed.). 2006. Tropical Homegardens. A time tested example of sustainable agroforestry. Dordrecht: Springer

Available from where? Costs?

http://library.uniteddiversity.coop/Permaculture/Agroforestry/Tropical_Homegardens-A_Time_Tested_Example_of_Sustainable_Agroforestry.pdf