Participatory Assessment of Coconut-based Agroforestryin San Isidro, Bohol1Rumila Bullecer2,Zorina Arellano3, Marco Stark4, and LGU of San Isidro, BoholAbstractThe advent of population pressure, less land to cultivate and worsening marginalconditions of farmlands are common problems encountered by farmers in CentralVisayas. In response, people resort to either open more timberlands or practice farmingsystems that would optimize use of limited land resource. One example of the latter is thepractice of intercropping or agroforestry in coconut dominated farmlands in San Isidro,Bohol. Using participatory rural appraisal (PRA) techniques, coconut-basedagroforestry systems in San Isidro, Bohol were assessed to (i) identify successful systemsthat could be extrapolated and adapted to other upland areas in the Philippines, and (ii)identify weak components and “links” that could be improved through innovativestrategies. It was found that intercropping in coconut-based farms has been practiced for decadesnow because it increased family income and incurred mutual benefits for intercrops andmain crops. The main intercrops include banana, buri, rootcrops and some timber trees.Main farm income was derived from copra sales. Most work in this farming system ishandled by men, while women are more involved in the marketing and sales of theproducts. Unstable market of the farm produce, infestation and diseases were theprominent problems. The study indicated that intercropping or agroforestry systems could be improved byusing more strategic plant combinations, plant densities and planting patterns for thedifferent life stages (and related growth patterns) of the coconut trees. Effective erosioncontrol on sloping fields requires the planting of a combination of tree and field crops,the installation of NVS or other vegetative buffer strips, and the application of organicfarming practices (mulching, crop residue recycling, composting) to sustain soil fertility.More in-depth studies are required before potentially best-bet coconut-based agroforestrysystems can be identified and extrapolated to other areas. 1Paper presented during the 2ndAgroforestry Congress in Pili, Camarines Sur2Assistant Professor, Central Visayas State College of Agriculture and Technology, Bilar, Bohol3Research Associate, World Agroforestry Centre, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of thePhilippines, Los Banos, College, Laguna 4031, Philippines 4Former Site Coordinator of ICRAF-Visayas, Philippines
Participatory Assessment of the Coconut-Based Agroforestry in San Isidro, Bohol, PhilippinesRumila Bullecer, Zorina Arellano, Marco Starkand LGU of San Isidro, BoholI.IntroductionCoconut is one of the most important perennial crops in the humid tropics of Asia. In the Philippinesit occupies 76% of the perennial crop area and more than 30% of the total cropped area (Price, 1986p. 1605). The adaptability of coconuts to a wide range of geophysical factors and its versatility interms of utility value makes it a commonly grown crop in the Philippine farming systems. It has been
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- Fall '18
- jane smith
- Coconut, Copra
