A multi-agency agroforestry project in Romblon province established a tiger grass-based agroforestry system that increases livelihood opportunities to upland farmers in three towns and sustain the ecological value of the area.
In a press release, the Department of Science and Technology-MIMAROPA (DOST-MIMAROPA) said that it collaborated with the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), Romblon State University (RSU), municipal government of San Andres that paved the way for the development of a tiger grass-based agroforestry system in the towns of Calatrava, San Andres, and San Agustin.
These three towns are found in Tablas Island in Romblon which is estimated to have around 400 hectares of land planted with tiger grass for its economic potential.
The DOST regional office through Athena Colline L. Verdey and Mae Angelica F. Famini DOST-Romblon Provincial Science and Technology Center said that Tiger grass is being propagated by about 500 families of upland farmers and harvested to be used as raw materials for soft broom production. In Barangay Mari Norte, San Andres alone, there are 199 farmers, with little or no land holdings who consider production, trading, and processing of tiger grass, and selling of soft brooms as their only major source of income.
Farmers claim that income is insufficient to provide for their families since tiger grass is harvested only once a year. “In addition, tiger grass farming in Romblon resulted to extensive deforestation and diminished productivity in several land areas as farmers, who based their means on little knowledge on cultural practices, use slash and burn method. The slash and burn method destroy trees to give way to the production of tiger grass. Farmers repeat this practice from one land area to another reducing forest covers and limiting the production of food and cash crops,” the DOST said.
Recognizing the adverse impacts of traditional tiger grass farming method to the economic, social, and environmental systems in these three towns, DOST-MIMAROPA initiated a project that integrates an agroforestry model to their current farming practices.
The tiger grass-based agroforestry model highlights the contribution of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) to the livelihood of the communities through a gradual domestication of NTFPs in the tiger grass- planted areas. The model integrates short-term agricultural crops including pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), calamansi (Citrofortunella microcarpa) and yam (Dioscorea sp.) and woody perennials such as pili with tiger grass to enhance productivity and ecological stability. Pigeon Pea, aside from being a food source, also helps in maintaining the soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Pili (Canarium ovatum) was planted along farm boundaries to serve as windbreak and provide additional source of income in the long run. Tiger grass remains to be the dominant species in the agroforestry model.
Aside from crops and trees, the agroforestry model also showcased soil and water conservation measures. Hedgerows were established to trap sediments and help minimize soil erosion and surface run off while check dams counteract erosions by reducing water flow velocity. Cuttings of kakawate (Gliricida sepium) were also added along the contours to help restore soil fertility.
The DOST said that the established model promoted sustainable natural resource management for conservation of their watershed area. The diversified farming system applied in San Andres increased land productivity which in turn provided farmers additional income and food source. Harvests from the integrated crop species increased their income by 15%.
Farmers also underwent technology trainings to improve capabilities and awareness on environment preservation. Project stakeholders from RSU, DENR, and LGU-San Andres were taught Agroforestry Land Capability Mapping Scheme (ALCAMS) and the methodologies on replicating UPLB- developed technologies on Agroforestry. Other tiger grass farmers were encouraged to adopt agroforestry to their farming systems to increase productivity while conserving the environment.
Discussion about this post