1.2 Coordonnées des personnes-ressources et des institutions impliquées dans l'évaluation et la documentation de la Technologie

Nom du ou des institutions qui ont facilité la documentation/ l'évaluation de la Technologie (si pertinent)

ICIMOD International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) - Népal

1.3 Conditions relatives à l'utilisation par WOCAT des données documentées

Quand les données ont-elles été compilées (sur le terrain)?

15/11/2006

Le compilateur et la(les) personne(s) ressource(s) acceptent les conditions relatives à l'utilisation par WOCAT des données documentées:

Oui

2.1 Courte description de la Technologie

Définition de la Technologie:

A simple, inexpensive and practical method for raising healthy plant seedlings

2.2 Description détaillée de la Technologie

Description:

During the winter in Nepal’s middle mountains, the soil temperature generally remains at 5-10 degree celsius above the ambient air temperature. This principle was used to design a simple, inexpensive, and effective nursery technology for raising vegetable and horticulture seedlings in colder regions. The polypit technology allows seedlings to be raised by protecting them from the freezing temperatures that occur mostly
at night.
Polypits are about 1m deep pits dug into the ground and covered with semitransparent polythene sheets, preferably UV stabilised and supported on bamboo frames. A 30 cm high mud wall is built across the slope on the upper side of the pit. The polythene sheet is sealed on the upper side of the pit, leaving three sides unsealed but held down with stones that can be lifted to access the pit. The base and sides of the polypit are left as they are with no form of plastering.
The polythene sheet covering the pit reduces the photosynthetic photon flux (PPF) by around 30% inside the pit, still allowing sufficient sunlight to reach the plants inside. The polythene is usually removed during the day from 11 am to 4 pm to allow full sunlight to reach the plants except on rainy and very cold days. A modified version of these polypits - only 70 cm deep - were used in the Jhikhu Khola watershed to grow vegetable seedlings during the winter. The pits can be made of any reasonable size depending on the number of seedlings to be grown and the layout of the land. The Jhikhu Khola pits were about 3m long, 1.5m wide, and 0.7m deep.
Since the polypits are closed at night, the CO2 released by the plants and soil microbes accumulates and increases to well above levels outside the pit. In a completely sealed polypit, the CO2 concentration could reach up to 3000 ppm during the night which would be harmful for plants. Thus the polythene cover is only loosely sealed along the edges at night to regulate and maintain the concentration of CO2 at about two to four times the ambient concentration.
The warmer protected conditions and CO2 enrichment leads to extra growth and biomass gain for plants grown inside the pits during the winter. This technology is easy to maintain with the only maintenance costs being to repair damaged polythene sheets and frames.
The polypit technology is useful for mountain farmers where water scarcity and low temperatures limit the potential to raise quality seedlings. The technology is being promoted in the northwest Indian state of Uttarakhand, although only a few farmers have adopted it so far. It is a very promising technology and its use should be encouraged by hill farmers and research and development organisations engaged in raising seedlings. The technology needs more participatory action research to improve it and to encourage more farmers to adopt it spontaneously.

2.3 Photos de la Technologie

2.5 Pays/ région/ lieux où la Technologie a été appliquée et qui sont couverts par cette évaluation

2.6 Date de mise en œuvre de la Technologie

Si l'année précise est inconnue, indiquez la date approximative: :

• il y a moins de 10 ans (récemment)

2.7 Introduction de la Technologie

Spécifiez comment la Technologie a été introduite: :

• au cours d'expérimentations / de recherches

Commentaires (type de projet, etc.) :

The technology is developed by G.B Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development (GBPIHED) in Almora (India) for raising healthy plant saplings, named as polypit (Palni et al. 1994).

3.1 Principal(aux) objectif(s) de la Technologie

• améliorer la production

3.2 Type(s) actuel(s) d'utilisation des terres, là où la Technologie est appliquée

Commentaires:

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): Production is limited due to insufficient water during winter and the pre-monsoon season (from Nov-May); insufficient
farm income due to small landholdings; increased inputs of chemical fertilisers

Major land use problems (land users’ perception): Irrigation shortage during pre-monsoon and monsoon months.

Type of cropping system and major crops comments: Maize -vegetables/wheat-vegetables

3.3 Informations complémentaires sur l'utilisation des terres

Approvisionnement en eau des terres sur lesquelles est appliquée la Technologie:

• mixte: pluvial-irrigué

Nombre de période de croissance par an: :

• 3

Précisez:

Longest growing period in days: 150; Longest growing period from month to month: Jun - Oct; Second longest growing period in days: 120; Second longest growing period from month to month: Nov - Feb

3.4 Groupe de GDT auquel appartient la Technologie

• full year planting

3.5 Diffusion de la Technologie

Spécifiez la diffusion de la Technologie:

• appliquée en des points spécifiques ou concentrée sur une petite surface

Commentaires:

The technology was tested in the farmers field at Lamdihi and Spice Crop Development Centre. atTamaghat.

3.6 Mesures de GDT constituant la Technologie

4.1 Dessin technique de la Technologie

4.2 Spécification/ explications techniques du dessin technique

Poly pit covered with semi transparent plastic sheet which is supported on a bamboo farme.

Technical knowledge required for field staff / advisors: low

Technical knowledge required for land users: low

Main technical functions: protecting seedlings from frost, reduction of water loss, carbon dioxide enrichment

Structural measure: pit
Depth of ditches/pits/dams (m): 0.7m
Width of ditches/pits/dams (m): 1.5 m
Length of ditches/pits/dams (m): 3 m

Construction material (earth): a mud wall is made about 30 cm high from the ground, sloping on the two sides.

Construction material (wood): to place semi transparent plastic on a frame.

Construction material (other): plastic sheet: to cover the pit, rope, wire: frame preparation

4.3 Informations générales sur le calcul des intrants et des coûts

Spécifiez la manière dont les coûts et les intrants ont été calculés:

• par entité de la Technologie

Indiquez la monnaie utilisée pour le calcul des coûts:

• dollars US

4.4 Activités de mise en place/ d'établissement

	Activité	Type de mesures	Calendrier
1.	Determine the appropriate size (length, width and depth) of the pit	Structurel	beginning of the winter season
2.	Mark the area for soil excavation	Structurel	beginning of the winter season
3.	Excavate soil from the marked area	Structurel	beginning of the winter season
4.	Make a mud wall (~30 cm high) from the ground, sloping on two sides	Structurel	beginning of the winter season
5.	Make a bamboo fram of an appropriate size	Structurel	beginning of the winter season
6.	Lay the frame over the pit with one end resting on the mud wall	Structurel	beginning of the winter season
7.	Lay the plastic sheet over the frame	Structurel	beginning of the winter season
8.	Seal the polythene sheet on the higher side of the mud wall and leave three sides unsealed	Structurel	beginning of the winter season
9.	Lay the other three sides of the polythene sheet normally at ground level and weigh down with stones that can be removed to access the pit	Structurel	beginning of the winter season
10.	The base and sidesof the polypit do not need any form of plastering (even with mud)	Structurel	beginning of the winter season

4.5 Coûts et intrants nécessaires à la mise en place

	Spécifiez les intrants	Unité	Quantité	Coûts par unité	Coût total par intrant	% des coût supporté par les exploitants des terres
Main d'œuvre	Construction of polypit nursery	Persons/unit	1,0	2,1	2,1	100,0
Matériaux de construction	Plastic	unit	1,0	4,0	4,0
Matériaux de construction	Bamboo	unit	1,0	1,3	1,3	100,0
Matériaux de construction	Rope	unit	1,0	0,2	0,2	100,0
Coût total de mise en place de la Technologie					7,6

Commentaires:

Duration of establishment phase: 4 month(s)

4.6 Activités d'entretien/ récurrentes

	Activité	Type de mesures	Calendrier/ fréquence
1.	The polythene cover is opened to acclimatized the plants to the outside environment	Structurel	11:00- 16:00/Every day
2.	Cleaning the pit	Structurel	After trasplanting the seedlings/ once or twice in
3.	Replacing the frame and polythene sheet if it gets damaged.	Structurel	before raising nursery/In case of damage

4.7 Coûts et intrants nécessaires aux activités d'entretien/ récurrentes (par an)

	Spécifiez les intrants	Unité	Quantité	Coûts par unité	Coût total par intrant	% des coût supporté par les exploitants des terres
Main d'œuvre	Maintaining the pit	Persons/unit	1,0	2,1	2,1	100,0
Coût total d'entretien de la Technologie					2,1

Commentaires:

Machinery/ tools: wooden/iron peg, spade, shovel ,knife, and saw

The cost was calculated only for unit technology , and it can not be extrapolated on hectare basis as in 2006.

4.8 Facteurs les plus importants affectant les coûts

Décrivez les facteurs les plus importants affectant les coûts :

The plastic sheet , but it is easily affordable by the land users.

5.1 Climat

5.2 Topographie

Commentaires et précisions supplémentaires sur la topographie:

Altitudinal zone: 850 m a.s.l.

5.3 Sols

Si disponible, joignez une description complète du sol ou précisez les informations disponibles, par ex., type de sol, pH/ acidité du sol, capacité d'échange cationique, azote, salinité, etc.

Soil depth on average: Variable

Soil texture: Fine/ heavy (clay) is red soil with high clay content but medium (loamy, silty) is non red soil

Soil fertility is medium

Soil drainage / infiltration is medium

Soil water storage capacity is medium

5.4 Disponibilité et qualité de l'eau

Commentaires et précisions supplémentaires sur la qualité et la quantité d'eau:

Water quality (untreated): Also good, but more in rainy season (June- September), less in April/May; source: natural spring.

5.6 Caractéristiques des exploitants des terres appliquant la Technologie

Indiquez toute autre caractéristique pertinente des exploitants des terres:

Land users applying the Technology are mainly common / average land users

Population density: 200-500 persons/km2

Annual population growth: 2% - 3%

100% of the land users are average wealthy and own 40% of the land.

Off-farm income specification: In most farm households off-farm income plays at least a minor and
increasingly a major role. Occasional opportunities for off-farm income present themselves in the form of daily
labour wages. Some households’ members receive regular salaries whilst an increasing number of Nepalis are
working in India, the Middle East, Malaysia and elsewhere and sending remittance incomes home.

Market orientation of production system: About 50 percent of the product , especially vegetables are grown commercially.

Level of mechanization: Manual labour for planting, irrigation, harvesting; Animals are used for field preparation and in valley bottom machines can be used for field preparation

5.7 Superficie moyenne des terres détenues ou louées par les exploitants appliquant la Technologie

5.8 Propriété foncière, droits d’utilisation des terres et de l'eau

Propriété foncière:

• individu, avec titre de propriété

Droits d’utilisation des terres:

• individuel

Droits d’utilisation de l’eau:

• communautaire (organisé)

6.1 Impacts sur site que la Technologie a montrés

Impacts socio-économiques

Production

Revenus et coûts

Impacts socioculturels

Impacts écologiques

Sols

Autres impacts écologiques

6.3 Exposition et sensibilité de la Technologie aux changements progressifs et aux évènements extrêmes/catastrophes liés au climat (telles que perçues par les exploitants des terres)

Changements climatiques progressifs

Changements climatiques progressifs

	Saison	Type de changements/ extrêmes climatiques	Comment la Technologie fait-elle face à cela?
températures annuelles		augmente	bien

Extrêmes climatiques (catastrophes)

Catastrophes météorologiques

	Comment la Technologie fait-elle face à cela?
pluie torrentielle locale	bien
tempête de vent locale	bien

Catastrophes climatiques

	Comment la Technologie fait-elle face à cela?
sécheresse	bien

Catastrophes hydrologiques

	Comment la Technologie fait-elle face à cela?
inondation générale (rivière)	bien

Autres conséquences liées au climat

Autres conséquences liées au climat

	Comment la Technologie fait-elle face à cela?
réduction de la période de croissance	pas connu

6.4 Analyse coûts-bénéfices

Quels sont les bénéfices comparativement aux coûts de mise en place (du point de vue des exploitants des terres)?

Quels sont les bénéfices comparativement aux coûts d'entretien récurrents (du point de vue des exploitants des terres)?

Commentaires:

The investment costs can be recouped within one season leading to positive results due to higher production.

6.5 Adoption de la Technologie

• cas isolés/ expérimentaux

Si disponible, quantifiez (nombre de ménages et/ou superficie couverte):

2 households

Parmi tous ceux qui ont adopté la Technologie, combien d'entre eux l'ont fait spontanément, à savoir sans recevoir aucune incitation matérielle ou aucun paiement?

• 0-10%

Commentaires:

100% of land user families have adopted the Technology with external material support

2 land user families have adopted the Technology with external material support

Comments on acceptance with external material support: survey results

There is no trend towards spontaneous adoption of the Technology

Comments on adoption trend: There were not enough dissemination and awareness raising activities to inform farmers of the benefits of the technology and convince them to use it.

6.7 Points forts/ avantages/ possibilités de la Technologie

Points forts/ avantages/ possibilités du point de vue de l'exploitant des terres
The survival rate for vegetable seedlings is higher and seedlings mature about two weeks earlier than if grown outside where they take about one month to be ready, leading to additional income for farmers How can they be sustained / enhanced? Every aspect of the technology should be highlighted through experience sharing programmes

Points forts/ avantages/ possibilités du point de vue du compilateur ou d'une autre personne ressource clé
Polypits are a simple, inexpensive, practical and effective technique for raising and protecting plant seedlings from severe winter temperatures.They can be called ‘poor farmers greenhouses’ How can they be sustained / enhanced? More dissemination and awareness raising activities are needed to inform more farmers about the benefits of this technology
The high relative humidity in polypits means that watering only needs to be carried out once or twice a month in comparison to fi ve to six times for open nursery beds, thus saving labour and water How can they be sustained / enhanced? Every aspect of the technology should be highlighted through experience sharing programmes
The more physical conditions and CO2 enrichment in the pits during the winter months are refl ected in the extra growth and biomass gain of plants grown inside the pits How can they be sustained / enhanced? As above

6.8 Faiblesses/ inconvénients/ risques de la Technologie et moyens de les surmonter

Faiblesses/ inconvénients/ risques du point de vue de l’exploitant des terres	Comment peuvent-ils être surmontés?
In the demonstration, the bamboo frame to hold the sheet was too heavy making it diffi cult for the farmer to remove the frame and work inside.	Use a modifi ed frame with a space built in to allow a person to enter the pit easily without having to remove the frame.

Faiblesses/ inconvénients/ risques du point de vue du compilateur ou d'une autre personne ressource clé	Comment peuvent-ils être surmontés?
In completely sealed polypits, the CO2 concentration can become so high during the night that it harms the plants	Only loosely seal the sheet at night to regulate and maintain the CO2 concentration

7.2 Références des publications disponibles

Titre, auteur, année, ISBN:

Bhuchar, S. (2004) Polypit: a Green-chamber for Poor Farmers, an article prepared for PARDYP Quarterly e-Newsletter-8, ICIMOD, Kathmandu

Disponible à partir d'où? Coût?

ICIMOD

Titre, auteur, année, ISBN:

Palni, L.M.S.; Bhuchar, S.; Kothyari, B.P. (1994) ‘A Simple Polypit can Greatly Reduce Nursery Time of Tree Seedlings”. In Journal of HIMA-PARYAVARAN, 6(2):10-11

Disponible à partir d'où? Coût?

GBPIHED- Almora

Titre, auteur, année, ISBN:

Vyas, P.; Bisht, M.S.; Bhuchar, S.; Sharma, S.; Palni, L.M.S. (1999) ‘Polypit: An Improved Technique for Raising Nursery Plants’. In Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 8(1): 43-59

Disponible à partir d'où? Coût?

GBPIHED- Almora