1.2 Detalhes do contato das pessoas capacitadas e instituições envolvidas na avaliação e documentação da tecnologia

Nome do projeto que facilitou a documentação/avaliação da Tecnologia (se relevante)

DESIRE (EU-DES!RE)

Nome da(s) instituição(ões) que facilitou(ram) a documentação/ avaliação da Tecnologia (se relevante)

Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias y Forestales (IIAF) - México

Nome da(s) instituição(ões) que facilitou(ram) a documentação/ avaliação da Tecnologia (se relevante)

Institut de recherche pour le développement IRD (Institut de recherche pour le développement IRD) - França

Nome da(s) instituição(ões) que facilitou(ram) a documentação/ avaliação da Tecnologia (se relevante)

SECRETARÍA DE MEDIO AMBIENTE Y RECURSOS NATURALES (SECRETARÍA DE MEDIO AMBIENTE Y RECURSOS NATURALES) - México

Nome da(s) instituição(ões) que facilitou(ram) a documentação/ avaliação da Tecnologia (se relevante)

Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo (UMSNH) - México

1.3 Condições em relação ao uso da informação documentada através de WOCAT

Quando os dados foram compilados (no campo)?

01/10/2010

O/a compilador/a e a(s) pessoa(s) capacitada(s) aceitam as condições relativas ao uso de dados documentados através da WOCAT:

Sim

1.5 Referência ao(s) questionário(s) sobre as abordagens da GST

2.1 Descrição curta da tecnologia

Definição da tecnologia:

Agave forestry land reclamation system with native agaves, trees, shrubs and grasses planted through participatory action for a sustainable production of mezcal and other products in order to generate high incomes for farmers.

2.2 Descrição detalhada da tecnologia

Descrição:

Rehabilitation of degraded land is achieved using native agave (Agave inaequidens), trees and/or fruit trees, shrubs and grasses to create, over the medium-term (7-10 years), sustainable production of a traditional alcoholic drink (mezcal) made from agave and/or cosmetic and medicinal products, and/or fibres and/or fodder for cattle and/or wood. Between the agave plants, native vegetation is managed or planted for use as food, fodder and/or medicinal products. Depending on the slope and the level of land degradation, continuous planted rows of agave provide a ’green’ barrier that controls soil erosion and runoff.

Purpose of the Technology: The main purpose is to achieve sustainable land rehabilitation while generating a high income for the farmer. This allows reducing the amount of livestock and overgrazing, which is the main cause of soil erosion in this region. The production of mezcal gives local farmers high incomes. Trees, shrubs and grasses for medicinal uses, food, and fodder are complements of agave production and are processed mainly by women, while agave harvesting is a male activity. As it is very attractive financially, farmers stay in the communities instead of emigrating to cities or abroad. Biodiversity is preserved and increased using native plants (agaves, trees, shrubs, grasses). These plant associations are effective at controlling plant pests and diseases. Turning eroded into productive soil sequesters carbon and increases water availability as a result of the new soil cover.

Establishment / maintenance activities and inputs: Unlike most agave, Agave inaequidens reproduces from seed, which requires harvesting the seeds from native plants in the fields. One plant generates 80,000 seeds with a 90% success rate of germination, which is enough to cover 25 ha of agave forestry plantations set up to control soil erosion. After harvesting seeds from native agaves, trees and shrubs, seedlings and small plants are raised in a greenhouse and nursery managed by the owners and tenants of the land in the first year. At the beginning of the rainy season, these are planted in plots protected from cattle grazing for at least the first two years after planting. The harvesting activity for trees, shrubs and grasses is done annually, but for the agaves only once every 7 to 12 years depending on the degree of soil degradation. Some months before harvesting, the flower from the stem has to be cut. The leaves are then cut and left in the plot while the 50 kg heart of the agave (“piña”) is removed. Mezcal is produced from the heart and requires an average of three weeks and at least two men to process 25 agave plants (1.5 tonnes), which produces about 300 litres of mezcal.

Natural / human environment: Poverty levels in the area are medium to high and the income from agriculture accounts for only 10 to 20% of the total family budget. People, therefore, do not have time to install soil erosion protection systems in the fields. Cattle graze freely everywhere and the number of animals is increasing annually, which also increases soil erosion. Locals know how to produce mezcal, but they prefer to buy it from other people who take wild plants from their lands to process them. The proximity of the site to the Michoacán of Ocampo state capital and the recognition of the designation of origin for mezcal by the authorities will enhance its value for future production.

2.3 Fotos da tecnologia

2.5 País/região/locais onde a tecnologia foi aplicada e que estão cobertos nesta avaliação

2.6 Data da implementação

Caso o ano exato seja desconhecido, indique a data aproximada:

• 10-50 anos atrás

2.7 Introdução da tecnologia

Comentários (tipos de projeto, etc.):

10 years ago, at Titzio, close to Cointzio basin, A. Martinez developped the culture of a wild native agave (Agave Cupreata) for alcohol production which was done traditionnaly for local consumming. We are following this project and objectives, but we are improving it for land remediation and soil erosion control too with a new species of native Agave (A. inaequidens)

3.1 Principal/principais finalidade(s) da tecnologia

• Reduz, previne, recupera a degradação do solo
• Criar impacto econômico benéfico

3.2 Tipo(s) atualizado(s) de uso da terra onde a tecnologia foi aplicada

Comentários:

Major land use problems (compiler’s opinion): Mainly overgrazing due to uncontrolled grazing by cattle.

Major land use problems (land users’ perception): Soil erosion by water due to the storms and improper land use.

Semi-nomadism / pastoralism: Yes

Forest products and services: timber, fuelwood, grazing / browsing, other forest products / uses (honey, medical, etc.), nature conservation / protection

Future (final) land use (after implementation of SLM Technology): Mixed: Mf: Agroforestry

Caso o uso da terra tenha mudado devido a implementação da tecnologia, indique seu uso anterior à implementação da tecnologia:

Grazing land: Ge: Extensive grazing land

3.3 Mais informações sobre o uso da terra

Abastecimento de água para a terra na qual a tecnologia é aplicada:

• Precipitação natural

Número de estações de cultivo por ano:

• 1

Especifique:

Longest growing period in days: 190; Longest growing period from month to month: June to November

Densidade animal (se relevante):

1-10 LU /km2

3.4 Grupo de GST ao qual pertence a tecnologia

• Solo/cobertura vegetal melhorada
• Medidas de curva de nível
• variedades vegetal/raças de animais melhoradas

3.5 Difusão da tecnologia

Especifique a difusão da tecnologia:

• Uniformemente difundida numa área

Caso a tecnologia seja uniformemente difundida numa área, indique a área coberta aproximada:

• 0,1-1 km2

Comentários:

630 km2 is the area of the Cointzio watershed. Untill now (2010), 10 ha have been managed with this technics and from 2011, 50 ha/year will be done (at least)

3.6 Medidas de GST contendo a tecnologia

Comentários:

Secondary measures: agronomic measures, management measures

Type of agronomic measures: better crop cover, mixed cropping / intercropping, contour planting / strip cropping, cover cropping, retaining more vegetation cover, breaking compacted topsoil, contour ridging, breaking compacted subsoil

Type of vegetative measures: aligned: -contour

3.7 Principais tipos de degradação da terra abordados pela tecnologia

Comentários:

Secondary types of degradation addressed: Pu: loss of bio-productive function due to other activities, Bq: quantity / biomass decline, Hs: change in quantity of surface water

Main causes of degradation: soil management (System of one year culture/one year fallow with cattle), overgrazing (THE real cause of soil erosion here), poverty / wealth (Cattle is used as a "bank on 4 feet")

Secondary causes of degradation: crop management (annual, perennial, tree/shrub), deforestation / removal of natural vegetation (incl. forest fires), over-exploitation of vegetation for domestic use (Untill 30 years ago, some wood was used for carbon used for cooking), population pressure

3.8 Redução, prevenção ou recuperação da degradação do solo

Especifique o objetivo da tecnologia em relação a degradação da terra:

• Recuperar/reabilitar solo severamente degradado

Comentários:

Secondary goals: prevention of land degradation, mitigation / reduction of land degradation

4.1 Desenho técnico da tecnologia

4.2 Especificações técnicas/ explicações do desenho técnico

Agave production is based on planting them with trees along the contour. Herbs are maintained / planted or sown between the plants. Depending on the slope, one or more dense lines of agaves (1 plant every 25 cm) is planted for control of soil erosion and runoff, including a lateral gradient to the gully which will evacuate the excessive runoff. Footpaths are planned for the maintenance of the plantation

Location: Michoacán. Mexico

Date: 2010

Technical knowledge required for field staff / advisors: low (low for reproduction, plantation and cultivation and middle for alcohol production)

Technical knowledge required for land users: low (low for reproduction, plantation and cultivation and middle for alcohol production)

Main technical functions: control of dispersed runoff: retain / trap, control of concentrated runoff: retain / trap, improvement of ground cover, improvement of surface structure (crusting, sealing), improvement of topsoil structure (compaction), improvement of subsoil structure (hardpan), increase of infiltration, sediment retention / trapping, sediment harvesting, increase of biomass (quantity), promotion of vegetation species and varieties (quality, eg palatable fodder)

Secondary technical functions: control of raindrop splash, control of dispersed runoff: impede / retard, control of concentrated runoff: impede / retard, control of concentrated runoff: drain / divert, reduction of slope angle, reduction of slope length, increase of surface roughness, stabilisation of soil (eg by tree roots against land slides), increase in organic matter, increase in nutrient availability (supply, recycling,…), increase / maintain water stored in soil, increase of groundwater level / recharge of groundwater, water harvesting / increase water supply, water spreading, improvement of water quality, buffering / filtering water, spatial arrangement and diversification of land use

Better crop cover
Material/ species: Agave inaequidens+native trees+herbaceous
Quantity/ density: 830/270
Remarks: Agaves/Trees per ha

Mixed cropping / intercropping
Material/ species: Agave inaequidens+native trees+herbaceous
Quantity/ density: 830/270
Remarks: Agaves/Trees per ha

Contour planting / strip cropping
Material/ species: Agave inaequidens+native trees+herbaceous
Quantity/ density: 830/270
Remarks: Agaves/Trees per ha

Cover cropping
Material/ species: Native trees+herbaceous

Agronomic measure: Herbaceous
Material/ species: Native herbaceous

Agronomic measure: Leafs from trees
Material/ species: Native trees
Quantity/ density: 270
Remarks: Trees per ha

Breaking compacted topsoil
Material/ species: Agave inaequidens+native trees+herbaceous
Quantity/ density: 830/270
Remarks: Agaves/Trees per ha

Contour ridging
Material/ species: Agave inaequidens+native trees+herbaceous
Quantity/ density: 830/270
Remarks: Agaves/Trees per ha

Breaking compacted subsoil
Material/ species: Agave inaequidens+native trees+herbaceous
Quantity/ density: 830/270
Remarks: Agaves/Trees per ha

Aligned: -contour
Vegetative material: C : perennial crops
Number of plants per (ha): 1200
Spacing between rows / strips / blocks (m): 30
Vertical interval within rows / strips / blocks (m): 0,25
Width within rows / strips / blocks (m): 1

Aligned: -along boundary
Vegetative material: O : other

Vegetative measure: Vegetative material: F : fruit trees / shrubs

Perennial crops species: Agave inaequidens (mature between 7 to 14 years)

Slope (which determines the spacing indicated above): 30%

Gradient along the rows / strips: 30%

Vegetation is used for stabilisation of structures.

Layout change according to natural and human environment: Natives plants are used, planted according to the slopes and the rest of vegetation still existing

4.3 Informação geral em relação ao cálculo de entradas e custos

Especifique como custos e entradas foram calculados:

• por área de tecnologia

Outro/moeda nacional (especifique):

mexican pesos

Indique a taxa cambial do dólar norte americano para a moeda local (se relevante): 1 USD =:

13,0

4.4 Atividades de implantação

	Atividade	Tipo de medida	Periodicidade
1.	Selection and collect Agave and tree seeds	Vegetativo	1 week
2.	Building of greenhouses incl. soil and organic matter	Vegetativo	1 month
3.	Fencing of greenhouses with barbed wire, poles and nails (0.5 ha	Vegetativo
4.	Seeding & maintaining in greenhouses	Vegetativo	3 monthes
5.	Installation of a nursery for agaves and trees and transplantation of seedlings in plastic bags	Vegetativo	2 weeks
6.	Plant care and maintaining in nursery (9 months)	Vegetativo	9 monthes
7.	Transportation of plants in plastic bags	Vegetativo
8.	Plantation of plants (agaves and trees)	Vegetativo

4.5 Custos e entradas necessárias para a implantação

	Especifique a entrada	Unidade	Quantidade	Custos por unidade	Custos totais por entrada	% dos custos arcados pelos usuários da terra
Mão-de-obra	Building of greenhouses	persons/day	21,0	523,8095	11000,0
Mão-de-obra	Seeding & maintaining in greenhouses	persons/3 months	2,0	5000,0	10000,0
Mão-de-obra	Installation of a nursery for agaves and trees	persons/day	14,0	1071,4285	15000,0
Mão-de-obra	Plant care and maintaining in nursery	persons/9months	2,0	15000,0	30000,0
Material vegetal	Selection and collect Agave and tree seeds	plants	5,0	100,0	500,0
Fertilizantes e biocidas	Materials for plant care	months	9,0	2777,7777777	25000,0
Material de construção	Materials for greenhouse	trees	60000,0	0,056666666	3400,0
Material de construção	Materials for greenhouse	agave	200000,0	0,035	7000,0
Material de construção	Materials for fences	m	1500,0	2,4	3600,0
Material de construção	Materials for nurserys	trees	60000,0	1,5	90000,0
Material de construção	Materials for nurserys	agaves	200000,0	0,2	40000,0
Custos totais para a implantação da tecnologia					235500,0

Comentários:

Duration of establishment phase: 12 month(s)

4.6 Atividades recorrentes/manutenção

	Atividade	Tipo de medida	Periodicidade/frequência
1.	Cleaning around plants to give them space the first 3 years (For 1 person 10 days)	Agronômico	1 time/year
2.	Cutting the scape before the harvest (For 1 person 15 days)	Agronômico	1 time in agave life (between 7-14 years)
3.	Weeding around plants to give them space during the first 3 years (10 person days)	Vegetativo	1 time/year
4.	Cutting the stalk before the harvest (15 person days)	Vegetativo	1 Agavelife time (7 to 14 years old)
5.	Replanting of agaves after 7 to 14 years (restarting of a new cycle of production, see establishment activities)	Vegetativo

4.7 Custos e entradas necessárias pata a manutenção/atividades recorrentes (por ano)

	Especifique a entrada	Unidade	Quantidade	Custos por unidade	Custos totais por entrada	% dos custos arcados pelos usuários da terra
Mão-de-obra	Weeding around plants	persons/day	10,0	160,0	1600,0	10,0
Mão-de-obra	Cutting the stalk before the harvest	persons/day	15,0	150,0	2250,0	10,0
Custos totais para a manutenção da tecnologia					3850,0

Comentários:

Calculations are for the plantation of 200,000 plants (agaves and trees) which correspond to the numbers of plants for 100 ha in the agave forestry example presented here. The main portion of these plants is planted by the community on the own land; the rest is given or sold to other communities or private people. The lifetime of the greenhouse, nursery and fencing installations are around 10 years.

4.8 Fatores mais importantes que afetam os custos

Descreva os fatores mais determinantes que afetam os custos:

The most important factors determining the costs are: 1) the materials to build a greenhouse and the personal to take care of young plants; 2) the difficulties to make holes in the indurated soils, which takes time and efforts; and 3) the distance between the nursery and the field requires time and efforts (truck carrying the plants).

5.1 Clima

5.2 Topografia

Indique se a tecnologia é aplicada especificamente em:

• Não relevante

Comentários e outras especificações sobre a topografia:

Slopes on average: Also steep, very steep and moderate

Altitudinal zone (2000-2500 m a.s.l.) : The Agave inaequidens grows is this conditions but other spieces of Agaves grow in other agroclimatic conditions

5.3 Solos

Caso disponível anexe a descrição completa do solo ou especifique as informações disponíveis, p. ex. tipo de solo, PH/acidez do solo, nitrogênio, capacidade de troca catiônica, salinidade, etc.

Soil depth on average: For Agaves and herbaceous no problems, for trees much more difficult

Soil texture (topsoil): For Agaves, trees and herbaceous no problems

Soil fertility is very low - medium: For Agaves, trees and herbaceous no problems

Soil drainage / infiltration is medium - poor: For Agaves and herbaceous no problems, but some difficulties for some tree species

Soil water storage capacity is very low - medium: For Agaves and herbaceous no problems, but some difficulties for some tree species

5.4 Disponibilidade e qualidade de água

Comentários e outras especificações sobre a qualidade e a quantidade da água:

Ground water table: Also > 50 m and for Agaves, trees and herbaceous no problems

Availability of surface water: Also poor/ none and for Agaves and herbaceous no problems, but some difficulties for some tree species

Water quality (untreated): Also unusable

5.5 Biodiversidade

Comentários e outras especificações sobre biodiversidade:

Use of native species

5.6 Características dos usuários da terra que utilizam a tecnologia

Indique outras características relevantes dos usuários da terra:

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

Difference in the involvement of women and men: Men for hard works: digging holes during the plantation and carrying plants during the harvest
Women and men, do the rest of the activities

Population density: 10-50 persons/km2

Annual population growth: 1% - 2%

Relative level of wealth: average, poor, very poor

34% of the land users are average wealthy.
33% of the land users are poor.
33% of the land users are poor.

Off-farm income specification: off farm incomes represent between 80 to 90% of the annual incomes! This money is obtain through an "external" job, business, trade, or by money send by family from the USA

Market orientation of production system: 90% commercial but some plants (fruit trees, some herbaceus) can be consummed.

Level of mechanization: Manual labour for seed collect, greenhouse, digging holes, plantation, cleaning and harvesting and in some case, tractor can pass to make sub soiling for the plantation of Agave lines to control soil erosion.

5.7 Média da área de terra própria ou arrendada por usuários da terra que utilizam a tecnologia

5.8 Propriedade de terra, direitos de uso da terra e de uso da água

Propriedade da terra:

• Comunitário/rural
• Indivíduo, intitulado

• ejido

Direitos do uso da terra:

• Comunitário (organizado)
• Indivíduo

• ejido

Direitos do uso da água:

• Comunitário (organizado)
• Indivíduo

• ejido

Comentários:

"ejido" is the community organisation in Mexico: land belongs to the state but it is managed by the community. Some areas can be used by everybody; others are assigned to the land user families.

5.9 Acesso a serviços e infraestrutura

6.1 Impactos no local mostrados pela tecnologia

Impactos socioeconômicos

Produção

Renda e custos

Impactos socioculturais

Impactos ecológicos

Ciclo hídrico/escoamento

Solo

Biodiversidade: vegetação, animais

Clima e redução de riscos de desastre

6.2 Impactos externos mostrados pela tecnologia

6.3 Exposição e sensibilidade da tecnologia às mudanças climáticas graduais e extremos/desastres relacionados ao clima (conforme o ponto de vista dos usuários da terra)

Mudança climática gradual

Mudança climática gradual

	Estação do ano	Tipo de mudança climática/extremo	Como a tecnologia lida com isso?
Temperatura anual		aumento	bem

Extremos (desastres) relacionados ao clima

Desastres meteorológicos

	Como a tecnologia lida com isso?
Temporal local	bem
Tempestade de vento local	bem

Desastres climatológicos

	Como a tecnologia lida com isso?
Seca	bem

Desastres hidrológicos

	Como a tecnologia lida com isso?
Inundação geral (rio)	bem

Outras consequências relacionadas ao clima

Outras consequências relacionadas ao clima

	Como a tecnologia lida com isso?
Período de crescimento reduzido	bem

6.4 Análise do custo-benefício

Como os benefícios se comparam aos custos de implantação (do ponto de vista dos usuários da terra)?

Como os benefícios se comparam aos custos recorrentes/de manutenção(do ponto de vista dos usuários da terra)?

Comentários:

That is why, state institutions fund the installations of this system meanwhile the production did not start. After that, benefits generated will be enough to motivate people to increase by themselves, the surface to remediate, without economical helps.

6.5 Adoção da tecnologia

• 1-10%

Se disponível, determine a quantidade (número de unidades familiares e/ou área abordada):

50 households covering 10 percent of the stated area

Entre todos aqueles que adotaram a tecnologia, quantos adotaram espontaneamente, ou seja, sem receber nenhum incentivo material/pagamentos?

• 0-10%

Comentários:

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

Comments on acceptance with external material support: The program just start in 2010, so it is too early to reduce the experience at few hectares!
As the land users belongs to the same comunity ("ejido"), formally, all the inhabitants are involved in some way by this experience

Comments on spontaneous adoption: As the program just started in 2010, it is impossible to have an exact overview of the results now (end of 2011). As the land users belong to the same community ("ejido"), formally, all the inhabitants are involved in some way

There is a strong trend towards spontaneous adoption of the Technology

Comments on adoption trend: It is too early to identify an adoption trend.

6.7 Pontos fortes/vantagens/oportunidades da tecnologia

Pontos fortes/vantagens/oportunidades na visão do/a compilador/a ou de outra pessoa capacitada
Remediation of degraded land turning it to a sustainable production generating very high incomes in the medium term How can they be sustained / enhanced? life will change drastically and not necessarily for the better. Transparency and communication regarding benefits and land use are necessary.
Project done in a participative way where different kind of stakeholders are involved: administrations, politics, scientists and people. How can they be sustained / enhanced? Maintain workshops dynamic between stakeholders, present results to other authorities and forum
Low-cost project but need to be funded and supported with technical and institutional advice to initiate the first cycle of the project. How can they be sustained / enhanced? Farmers can start to produce their mezcal from the wild agaves to sell them to wholesalers and use this money to pay for the project.
As a result of the economical benefits, young people will stay in the communities. How can they be sustained / enhanced? Involve the young to guarantee the future: develop the marketing, the diversification of the products, the quality of production, etc.
It will hopefully reduce the number of cattle, which are the main cause of soil erosion, as farmers lose interest in cattle raising. How can they be sustained / enhanced? Authorities need to monitor this and inform the farmers about the ecological impact of too much free cattle grazing.

6.8 Pontos fracos, desvantagens/riscos da tecnologia e formas de superá-los

Pontos fracos/vantagens/riscos na visão do/a compilador/a ou de outra pessoa capacitada	Como eles podem ser superados?
Obligation to find external funds to pay the first steps of the system (greenhouse, planting, etc.) due to the lack of incomes amongst farmers.	Involve all stakeholders in the project
Be sure that alcohol production will not be consummed in excess in the community	Control of the volume of the production, and the sufficiently high selling price should avoid "losing" the production at local scale
Risk that the benefits will be captured by few people	Transparency and stakeholder communication in accounting for the benefits
Marketing and selling the products	Authorities help the farmers to contact sellers. The formation of communities of producers, leading to products conforming to regulations that maintain good quality and provide certification.
Owing to the high incomes, life will change drastically and not necessarily for the better.

7.2 Referências às publicações disponíveis

Título, autor, ano, ISBN:

Colunga-García Marín P., D. Zizumbo-Villareal, J.T. Martínez. 2007. Tradiciones en el aprovechamiento de los agaves mexicanos: una aportación a la protección legal y conservación de su diversidad biológica y cultural. In: En lo Ancestral hay Futuro: del Tequila, los Mezcales y otros Agaves. P. Colunga-GarcíaMarín, L. Eguiarte, A. Larqué, D. Zizumbo-Villarreal (eds). CICY-CONACYT-CONABIO-SEMARNAT-INE. México D.F., pp. 85-112.

7.3 Links para informação relevante que está disponível online

Título/ descrição:

DESIRE project Mexico partner (IRD 22)

URL:

http://www.desire-project.eu/