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

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

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

1.3 Conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT

When were the data compiled (in the field)?

18/10/2018

The compiler and key resource person(s) accept the conditions regarding the use of data documented through WOCAT:

Yes

1.4 Reference(s) to Questionnaire(s) on SLM Technologies

2.1 Short description of the Approach

The government promotes a halophyte (Dixie grass) to control severely salt-affected land, rehabilitate the ecosystem and prevent the spread of salt in soil - with the cooperation of land owners, livestock farmers, the local administration, the local government agency, Land Development Department researchers and with specialists/ technical advisors in various fields.

2.2 Detailed description of the Approach

Detailed description of the Approach:

The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives through its Land Development Department (LDD) initiated a project on planting salt-tolerant trees and grasses on severely salt-affected land in the Northeast of Thailand in 1996. The project has facilitated the planting of a halophyte (a salt-loving plant), namely Sporobulus virginicus (Dixie grass) on salt-crusted and barren land. The main objectives of the approach has been to encourage land users to maximize their land area for farming, by preventing the formation of extensive severely saline soil. This is through planting Dixie grass as a cover crop to rehabilitate the land and ecosystem. The activities started with public meetings, then identifying severely salt-affected areas, and setting-up demonstration plots on farmers’ land to act as learning centers. There has also been communication with the local administration to call farmers’ meetings to develop detailed work plans and discuss strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of planting Dixie grass. The implementing activities consisted of 4 stages; PREPARATION was for seedling preparation, site selection of severely salt-affected soil and land preparation, public meetings and the establishment of the demonstration plot at Dan Chang Sub-district, Buayai District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province. COORDINATION included a joint meeting between farmers and researchers, joint monitoring & evaluation and follow-up and land users' decision-making. PLANTING started with selection of farmers joining the project, facilitating and training, a site visit to the model demonstration plot: this plot is the model for planting salt-tolerant trees and grasses on severely salt-affected land in the Northeast of Thailand. The final activity of SCALING-OUT occured when the land users/ farmers found that after 3 years of planting Dixie grass this barren land became covered by plants and much improved in biodiversity by the evidence of many varieties of wild grasses, flowers, dragonflies, small mammals and birds. Farmers could now grow rice and they used Dixie grass as feed for livestock. Moreover, and attractively, farmers were able to increase their incomes. Migration to big cities was reduced. The stakeholders were land owners, livestock farmers, the local administration, the local government agency, researchers and SLM specialists from LDD - and all worked together to mutual benefit. Nevertheless, although planting halophytes improves severely saline soil with low input costs, the recovery/accomplishment time (in saline soil improvement) cannot be as fast as that of engineering measures with much higher investment.

2.3 Photos of the Approach

2.4 Videos of the Approach

2.5 Country/ region/ locations where the Approach has been applied

2.6 Dates of initiation and termination of the Approach

2.7 Type of Approach

• project/ programme based

2.8 Main aims/ objectives of the Approach

The main objective of the approach was to enable and encourage land users to maximize land for farming, through preventing the formation of extensive severely saline soil, by the use of the halophyte, Dixie grass, as a cover crop.

2.9 Conditions enabling or hindering implementation of the Technology/ Technologies applied under the Approach

3.1 Stakeholders involved in the Approach and their roles

3.2 Involvement of local land users/ local communities in the different phases of the Approach

	Involvement of local land users/ local communities	Specify who was involved and describe activities
initiation/ motivation	interactive	Land users in the project based
planning	passive	Discussion with land users on work plan before starting the activity.
implementation	external support	Land users/farmers in the project
monitoring/ evaluation	external support	Land users in the project

3.3 Flow chart (if available)

3.4 Decision-making on the selection of SLM Technology/ Technologies

Specify who decided on the selection of the Technology/ Technologies to be implemented:

• mainly SLM specialists, following consultation with land users

Specify on what basis decisions were made:

• evaluation of well-documented SLM knowledge (evidence-based decision-making)

4.1 Capacity building/ training

Was training provided to land users/ other stakeholders?

Yes

Specify who was trained:

• land users

Form of training:

• demonstration areas
• public meetings

Subjects covered:

Prevention and rehabilitation of salt-affected land with available technology and increased income for farmers.

4.2 Advisory service

Do land users have access to an advisory service?

Yes

Specify whether advisory service is provided:

• on land users' fields

Describe/ comments:

1. Soil doctor volunteers represent the Land Development Department with a duty to provide knowledge to farmers in the area.
2. SLM specialists from Land Development Department visited and advised farmers in the area.

4.3 Institution strengthening (organizational development)

Have institutions been established or strengthened through the Approach?

• no

4.4 Monitoring and evaluation

Is monitoring and evaluation part of the Approach?

Yes

Comments:

SLM specialists from Land Development Department collaborated with LDD soil doctor volunteers in surveying the survival rate and following up the growth of plants in the area.

If yes, is this documentation intended to be used for monitoring and evaluation?

Yes

4.5 Research

Was research part of the Approach?

Yes

Specify topics:

• technology

Give further details and indicate who did the research:

The Soil Salinity Research Group, LDD, conducted research on "halophytes plantation and the flow path along the landscape in Northeast Thailand" with Dr. J.L. Gallagher from Delaware Biotechnology Institute, University of Delaware.

5.1 Annual budget for the SLM component of the Approach

If precise annual budget is not known, indicate range:

• < 2,000

Comments (e.g. main sources of funding/ major donors):

Land Development Department

5.2 Financial/ material support provided to land users

Did land users receive financial/ material support for implementing the Technology/ Technologies?

Yes

If yes, specify type(s) of support, conditions, and provider(s):

Dixie grass planting material and land preparation cost

5.3 Subsidies for specific inputs (including labour)

• labour

• other

If labour by land users was a substantial input, was it:

• paid in cash

Comments:

Due to the landowner having insufficient labor for grass planting, there is a need to hire workers at 175 THB/person/day (the minimum rate)

5.4 Credit

Was credit provided under the Approach for SLM activities?

No

5.5 Other incentives or instruments

Were other incentives or instruments used to promote implementation of SLM Technologies?

No

6.1 Impacts of the Approach

6.2 Main motivation of land users to implement SLM

6.3 Sustainability of Approach activities

Can the land users sustain what has been implemented through the Approach (without external support)?

• yes

If yes, describe how:

Farmers have better understanding and positive attitude of planting halophytes (e.g. Dixie grass). Moreover, they have more income generated from rice yield and livestock, as farmers can now grow rice and used Dixie grass to raise livestock.

6.4 Strengths/ advantages of the Approach

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the land user’s view
Soil doctor volunteer, local government agency and community leader were the coordinators in the area.
Farmers had easy access to markets and sources of Dixie grass cuttings.
Distribution of Dixie grass cuttings was done at no cost.

Strengths/ advantages/ opportunities in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
A supported technique created to make better environment on severely saline soil in the Northeast of Thailand.
Technique in planting Dixie grass was provided continually by Land Development Department and community volunteers on soil improvement.
A demonstrated plot was established in the area.

6.5 Weaknesses/ disadvantages of the Approach and ways of overcoming them

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the land user’s view	How can they be overcome?
Advertising of project was not extensive enough, particularly to the area of severely saline soil.	It is necessary for the Land Development Department to cooperate more closely with local administration to promote the project.

Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks in the compiler’s or other key resource person’s view	How can they be overcome?
Some farmers did not believe that Dixie grass was very salt tolerant and will make the salinity of the soil decrease after planting it.	The officers should build up knowledge from successful farmers by frequently visiting farmers in the area under the project "rehabilitation of severely salt-affected soil by planting Dixie grass".

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 information which is available online

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:

URL:

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