The land user, Mr. Rafael Medina, drying cacao beens by spreading them manually under the sun in a greenhouse. (Hanspeter Liniger)
The agroforestry system of cacao crop planted under gallery forest is a private farmer initiative for family agriculture. The Crop is located in the gallery forest of Pozetas Stream, in the Cusiana River Basin. It is at the beginning of the Orinoco Floodable Savanas (250m a.s.l.). Municipality of Tauramena (Casanare), Colombia.
The cacao growths in an area of 4 hectares, being considered small farming, according to the Orinoco Regional scale. The cacao density is 1080 plants/hectare and the distance between plants is 3m. In this area, after tree thinning, the forest occupies 30% approximately. Some of the common tree species are Cedrus spp., Ficus spp. and Anadenanthera peregrina, among others.
The purpose of the technology is to use the gallery forest land in a productive way to generate income for the family, while keeping part of the forest. As cacao needs some shadow, specially in early growth stage, it is planted under the forest creating the agroforestry system.
Cacao seed germination and seedling preparation, gallery forest thinning and soil improvement with lime and organic fertilizer (rice husk), and finally planting, are the main establishment activities. Then the maintenance activities include cutting weeds, trimming cacao trees and fertilization every 2-3 months.
The cacao crop has produced fruits since the sixth year of being planted (2010) and is harvested every two weeks. It presents two yield peaks, the first one is in May-June and the second one in October-November. However it produces fruits along the year.
This technology provides additional income to the family, while conserving part of the original gallery forest. The more complex and diverse production system might favored pollination and crop health. The technology compared with other land uses around it such as oil palm tree and rice is more sustainable and it is something the land users prefer. They also like the value added to the cacao beens by processing their self the cacao beens to produce hand made 100% cacao bars for drinking chocolate.
地点: Municipality of Tauramena, Rural District of Iquia, Casanare, 哥伦比亚
分析的技术场所数量: 单一场所
技术传播: 均匀地分布在一个区域 (0.04 km²)
在永久保护区？: 否
实施日期: 2010
介绍类型
| 对投入进行具体说明 | 单位 | 数量 | 单位成本 (Colombian Pesos) | 每项投入的总成本 (Colombian Pesos) | 土地使用者承担的成本% |
| 劳动力 | |||||
| Forest thinning to open cropland | ha | 4.0 | 150000.0 | 600000.0 | 100.0 |
| Sow hole preparation and seedling planting | ha | 4.0 | 575000.0 | 2300000.0 | 100.0 |
| 植物材料 | |||||
| Cacao seeds | seed | 5400.0 | 25.0 | 135000.0 | 100.0 |
| cacao seedlings | seedling | 5000.0 | 500.0 | 2500000.0 | 100.0 |
| 肥料和杀菌剂 | |||||
| Lime sack | 50 kg | 10.0 | 12000.0 | 120000.0 | 100.0 |
| Rice husk | container | 1.0 | 400000.0 | 400000.0 | 100.0 |
| 技术建立所需总成本 | 6'055'000.0 | ||||
| 技术建立总成本，美元 | 1'614.67 | ||||
| 对投入进行具体说明 | 单位 | 数量 | 单位成本 (Colombian Pesos) | 每项投入的总成本 (Colombian Pesos) | 土地使用者承担的成本% |
| 劳动力 | |||||
| Cutting of weeds, specially around each cacao tree | day | 18.0 | 45000.0 | 810000.0 | 100.0 |
| Cacao tree trimming | day | 12.0 | 45000.0 | 540000.0 | 100.0 |
| Fertilization and soil amendment with lime | day | 13.0 | 45000.0 | 585000.0 | 100.0 |
| Harvesting | day | 24.0 | 45000.0 | 1080000.0 | 100.0 |
| 设备 | |||||
| Manual tools (e.g. machete, trimmer, shovel) | kit | 1.0 | 150.0 | 150.0 | 100.0 |
| 肥料和杀菌剂 | |||||
| Lime sack | 50 Kg | 10.0 | 12000.0 | 120000.0 | 100.0 |
| Fertilizer sack | 50 Kg | 40.0 | 96000.0 | 3840000.0 | 100.0 |
| 技术维护所需总成本 | 6'975'150.0 | ||||
| 技术维护总成本，美元 | 1'860.04 | ||||
There was not crop production before the SLM
SLM之前的数量: 0 ha
SLM之后的数量: 4 ha
There was not a production area before SLM
Once the cacao agroforestry system was implemented, expenses on agricultural inputs came with it.
The cacao production and its processing has increased the farm income.
Before the SLM, the income was only from extensive livestock, after SLM, the gallery forest is used to cultivate cacao and produce 100% cacao bars for drinking chocolate.
The cacao agroforestry system demands more work than before when the land use was exclusive gallery forest with none crop in it.
The cacao production is commercial oriented, however it is also consumed by the land users.
The land users recognize the cacao agroforestry system as a more sustainable technology in comparison to the neighbored land uses, such as extensive rice or oil palm tree plantations.
It has not been quantified, however it is assumed nutrient recharge as the land users use fertilizer several times per year.
It has not been quantified, however it is assumed a soil organic matter increase due to the leaf litter inputs added by the cacao trees.
It has not been quantified, however it is assumed soil acidity reduction due to use of amendments.
The cacao agroforestry system has less vegetation cover than the original gallery forest.
It has not been quantified, however it is assumed the cacao agroforestry system has less above ground biomass than the original gallery forest.
It has not been quantified, however it is expected the cacao agroforestry system has less plant diversity than the original gallery forest.
It is apparently the same before and after SLM as the cacao agroforestry system has the same forest strata than the original gallery forest.
The different strata of the agroforestry system and the cacao tree density might increase water retention and infiltration. It contributes to reduce down stream flooding during rainy season.
