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)

Rehabilitation of Degraded Agricultural Lands in Kandy, Badulla and Nuwara Eliya Districts in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka

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

1.5 Reference to Questionnaire(s) on SLM Approaches (documented using WOCAT)

2.1 Short description of the Technology

Definition of the Technology:

Construction of individual platforms or contour platforms to control soil erosion in the home gardens (HG) to cultivate vanilla as a cash crop

2.2 Detailed description of the Technology

Description:

Doluwa is located in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka. This area belongs to the Wet zone mid-country agro-ecological region according to Sri Lankan classification. The elevation of the area is 575 meters. The mean temperature of the area is about 24 °C. The area receives rainfall from two monsoons. North-east monsoon rain comes from November to January with an annual rainfall of 1800 mm. The South-west monsoon rain lasts from May to September and contributes a major portion of the annual rainfall. February, March, and July months receive lower rainfall. The Central Highlands have excellent agro-ecological conditions for tea plantations, spice crops like cloves, nutmeg and cardamom, fruit crops such as avocado, durian, coffee, banana, and black pepper. Paddy cultivation is practiced in the valleys. Areas over 50% of slope inclination are covered by protected forests. The main livelihood activity is agriculture: mainly cultivation of tea, spices, and vegetables. About 43% of the land is under tea cultivation; and around 15% is marginalized or abandoned land, due to land degradation and low productivity of soils.
The average land size of home gardens in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka is about 0.25 – 0.5 acres. Fruits and spice trees randomly exist in these land plots. The topsoil is always disturbed due to daily human activities. Apart from run-off water from upper lands, rooftop rainwater flows in all directions causing heavy soil erosion in these home gardens. The home gardens are the least attended land plots in terms of conservation due to low-income generation.
Traditionally, home gardens with randomly planted perennial trees are usually shady. Therefore, farm families generally believe that cultivation of cash crops in their home gardens is impossible. The introduction of Individual Platforms and Contour Platforms as a soil conservation methodology, piloted in the Doluwa area by an FAO project on Rehabilitation of Degraded Agricultural in several Districts of the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka has proven the contrary, as mainly vanilla is known as a shade-preferring crop. Furhter, vanilla is economically highly valuable and has the potential to generate good income. Consequently, adequate platforms (small soil terraces) were constructed and used for vanilla cultivation. Vanilla grows particularly well where the soil organic matter content is high. Organic matter required to enrich the soil can be collected directly from the home gardens (leaves and residues) and is also coming from organic kitchen waste. These organic residues are recycled into compost and finally used for the cultivation of vanilla. Additionally, mulching is practiced to control topsoil erosion. Each vanilla plant as a tropical climbing vine grows up a previously planted two-meter-high Gliricidia stick. Gliricidia serves on the one hand as a living fixing stick and provider of shade and, as a leguminous tree (Fabaceae family) the plant has the potential to fix nitrogen in the soil.
Construction of the platforms:
The individual platforms are constructed around the planting hole and are one meter wide and two meters in length. The distance between the two platforms is the same (minimum 2 meters) as the space for the vanilla plant. The lower side of the platform (lower edge) has a shoulder bund, stabilized with coconut husk, tree logs, and stones.
The contour platforms are 1.75 meters in width and length depending on the land size and other characteristics. The platform is constructed with a slightly inverted gradient. A small drain with a suitable gradient along the length on the upper side of the platform is constructed to drain out excess water during rain. These small drains are connected to a leader drain. The edges of the platforms are well stabilized again by coconut husk, tree logs or stones (shoulder bund measure: height x width = 20cm x 30cm).
This sustainable land management (SLM) technology is highly accepted by the farm families, as the Vanilla SLM model is an economically attractive opportunity especially for women; but only where the environmental conditions are suitable for vanilla growing.

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

Indicate year of implementation:

2018

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:

• through projects/ external interventions

Comments (type of project, etc.):

Rehabilitation of Degraded Agricultural Lands in Kandy, Badulla and Nuwara Eliya Districts in the Central Highlands of Sri Lanka

3.1 Main purpose(s) of the Technology

• improve production
• reduce, prevent, restore land degradation
• protect a watershed/ downstream areas – in combination with other Technologies
• 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:

Crop types commonly found in these home gardens are cloves, nutmeg and cardamom, fruit crops of avocado, durian, coffee, banana, and black pepper

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

Land use mixed within the same land unit:

No

3.4 Water supply

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

• rainfed

3.5 SLM group to which the Technology belongs

• cross-slope measure
• home gardens

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
• reduce land degradation

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

Specify currency used for cost calculations:

• USD

4.3 Establishment activities

	Activity	Timing (season)
1.	Construction of contour or individual platform terraces	Before establishment of the crop
2.	Reinforcement of the shoulder bunds with coconut husk/ tree logs/ etc	After construction of contour platform or individual platforms
3.	Preparing of compost and mixing it into the top soil	Before establishment of the crop
4.	Planting of vanilla rooted cutting	First Live Gliricidia sticks are planted. After they rooted, vanilla cuttings are planted)

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	Construction of contour platforms in a quarter of Acre	person days	40.0	15.0	600.0	100.0
Labour	Planting of vanilla rooted cutting	person days	1.0	15.0	15.0	100.0
Plant material	Gliricidia sticks	number	200.0	0.2	40.0	100.0
Plant material	Vanilla rooted cuttings	number	200.0	0.4	80.0
Fertilizers and biocides	Preparing of compost and mixing it into the top soil	person days	5.0	15.0	75.0	100.0
Construction material	Coconut husk/ tree logs	pieces	4005.0	0.03	120.15	100.0
Total costs for establishment of the Technology					930.15
Total costs for establishment of the Technology in USD					930.15

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

The project on Rehabilitation of Degraded Agriculture Lands implemented by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and funded by Global Environmental Facility

4.5 Maintenance/ recurrent activities

	Activity	Timing/ frequency
1.	Removal of overgrown grass and trimming of grass on the shoulder bunds	Twice a year (after the rainy season)
2.	Repair of the broken places of the terrace, shoulder bunds etc	Once a year

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	Removal of overgrown grass and trimming of grass on the shoulder bunds	Person days	5.0	15.0	75.0	100.0
Labour	Repair of the broken places of the terrace, shoulder bunds etc	Person days	3.0	15.0	45.0	100.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology					120.0
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology in USD					120.0

4.7 Most important factors affecting the costs

Describe the most determinate factors affecting the costs:

Steepness of the slope is greatly determining the labour cost requirement for the construction of individual platforms and contour platforms. The cost of coconut husk is another cost component for conservation.
Maintenance is mostly depending on ground grass cover and periodical maintenance.

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?

No

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:

• individual

Water use rights:

• individual

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

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?
seasonal temperature	dry season	decrease	moderately

Climate-related extremes (disasters)

Climatological disasters

	How does the Technology cope with it?
drought	moderately

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?

• 11-50%

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
The home gardens that were unproductive is now used for income generation
The aesthetic view of the land increased
Simple technology
Low cost and affordable

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
Land unit production is increased
Farmers gained knowledge in sustainable land management techniques such as use of A – Frame for contour marking.
Use of kitchen waste and other vegetative materials for composting is increased
Conserve top soil moisture and reduce soil erosion

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?
1)The contour terraces may damage by thunderstorm	Enforcement of edges of the (contour/individual) platforms with coconut husk, timer logs and establish leader drains

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
The farmers’ awareness of technology and its’ impact is low. Therefore, adaptation/dissemination is low.	Farmer motivation and exposure visits are essential activities

7.1 Methods/ sources of information

7.2 References to available publications

Title, author, year, ISBN:

Women practice SLM through Vanilla cultivation [Sri Lanka]

Available from where? Costs?

No cost

7.3 Links to relevant online information

Title/ description:

WOCAT Approach

URL:

https://qcat.wocat.net/en/wocat/approaches/view/approaches_5177/

7.4 General comments

Easy to complete the technology.