| Category |
Agriculture,Land Management,Soil Conservation,Soil fertility management,Organic/manure,Soil reclamation,Farm Practice,Innovation,Individual,Community,Water Management,Water harvesting conservation,Global Innovation |
| Details of Innovation |
Exploring Alternatives to Green Revolution Agriculture:Prof. Mejia studied Green Revolution-style agronomy at the National University of Colombia and became a technical adviser on commercial crops (such as sugar cane, rice, African oil palm and cotton) to the Colombian government. This position gave him an opportunity to tour his country extensively. Prof. Mejia also taught climatology in several agricultural schools during which he developed a special interest in agricultural production under natural conditions. A project in 1976 in the Amazonian region of Colombia offered him the opportunity to study natural agriculture as practised by the indigenous people of that region. Since his retirement in 1988, he spends most of his time supporting non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which help small farmers. One such NGO is located in a coffee-growing region. This NGO was created after the coffee price crash in the 1980s. This price crash coupled with increasing production costs and increased pests and diseases devastated the means of livelihood of most of the small farmers. The crops were cultivated using Green Revolution technologies of high chemical inputs for enhancing soil fertility and for pest and disease management. Local hardships, in these times, were accentuated by the system of coffee monocropping which involved sacrificing land normally under food crops. During this time, Prof. Mejia worked in collaboration with the NGO to explore alternatives to Green Revolution agriculture. He also published two books entitled `Agriculturas para la vida (`Agriculture(s) for life ; 253 pages) and `Agriculturas sin agrotoxicos (Agriculture without chemical toxins; 96 pages). Currently, he is writing a book on natural livestock husbandry without chemical inputs.Learning Process In 1994 Prof. Mejia started his own demonstration farms for small farmers who had been adversely affected by the coffee crisis. On these farms alternative agricultural models were designed and set up, based on a learning process developed by creative/innovative farmers in collaboration with the local NGO (CIPAV in Cali and IMCA in Buga). The objective of the demonstration farms Manantial and Horizontesis was to present alternative agricultural models to the small and poor farmers, especially those located in the coffee-growing regions. While designing the farms, the ideas of several schools of alternative agricultural thought were considered including biodiversity, associative, microbial, trophobiotic, natural farming (based on Masanobu Fukuoka) and permaculture. Land preparation and weeding are carried out in ways that maintain soil structure (through no-till and limited-till techniques) and produce compost from the weed biomass. Perennial crops are given preference. Pest and disease control is effected through natural predators like birds and beneficial insects. Eight different types of compost and half a dozen types of low cost microbial and trophobiotic mixtures are used. Besides, the farms have a recycling system including dry latrines and composting. The farms also seek to establish alternative value systems that emphasise the practice of non-violence.Cropping System Models Ten different cropping systems or models have been established on the demonstration farms. All these models aim to provide farming families with at least a minimal subsistence income, each has a special focus of its own: (i) Medicinal plants. (ii) Ornamental flowers of Anturios (Anthurium andreanum) and of the genus Heliconias.(iii) Fig trees (Ficus carica.) (iv) Orange trees (Citrus spp.)Agroforestry models based on plantains, fodder trees (Erythrina edulis, Trichanthera gigantea and Tithonia diversifotia) fuelwood trees, medicinal plants and herbs. (v) Nurseries for ornamental and timber yielding trees. (vi) Sugarcane production with a small scale cane crusher, run by animal traction, for farm-level molasses production. (vii) Subsistence crops to ensure food security. (viii) Achira (Canna edulis) for starch production.Composting Methods and Microbial Mixtures for Improving Soil Fertility Several composting methods are used on the farms: (i) vermiculture (ii) decomposition of wood by worms and other insects. (iii) treating urban sawmill wastes with microbial mixtures. (iv) composting weeds and other spontaneous herbs. (v) composting weeds and herbs that have been chopped and treated then placed in layers with forest litter. (vi) composting household organic waste. (vii) from indoor compost (viii) piling poultry manure or indoor compost in the hen house to compost further and also encouraging earthworms as an additional source of protein for the poultry. Several other techniques used for improving soil fertility and plant vigour are: (i) Microbial mixtures- Agroplus type: This contains a mixture of photosynthesizing bacteria, actinomycetes, yeast, lactobacillus, soybean meal, milk, yogurt, molasses, and clean water. It should be applied at least once each month to the soil. (ii) Anaerobic mixtures of fermented cattle manure. (iii) Trophobiotic mixture of micro minerals. Micro minerals are fermented for a month in fresh ruminant manure. (iv) Mixtures of medicinal plants that have been prepared in hot water or fermentated in fresh water.Livestock husbandry models Three different livestock models have been established on the demonstration farms. Again each of them is aimed at providing a minimum subsistence income for peasant families. Here the models established are: (i) Bee-keeping (apiculture) (ii) Guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) production (iii) Stall fed cattle production. The ten head of cattle are fed on fodder from nacedero (Trichanthera gigantea), chahafruits (Erythrina edulis) and imperial grass (Axonopus scoparius) or king grass Gusica (Pennisetum purpurem). In addition, plantain stem, native herbs, salt, molasses and urea are also fed to the cattle.Additional Technologies Employed at the demonstration farms:(a) To reduce bad odours and flies in the cowshed and piggeries the following measures are taken:The cattle manure is collected every two days, pig manure daily and fed to earthworms (red Californian type). The animal houses are sprayed with microbial mixtures every week or once in two weeks. The piggery is washed twice a day.(b) To prevent contamination of water sources at the farm: A dry latrine is built in the house. The latrine has two separate collecting pits (one cubic meter each) that are used for a six month period each. The fermented faeces is used as fertilizer. The feaces are covered with ash or dry soil. On can also add minerals, soil or limestone to the fertilizer.(c) Small drainage tanks beside the animal shelters collect waste water which is then used to enrich the trenches of compost.Recovering biodiversity Prof. Mejia has also established in-situ collections of several important land races including:-Fodder crops : (i) 5 types of Erythrina edulis (ii) 18 types of Trichanthera gigantea (iii) 14 types of soft, downless sugarcane-Food crops: (i) 11 types of achira (Canna edulis) (ii) 6 types of cidra (Seehuim edule) (iii) 16 types of Cassava spp (1800 m above sea level) (iv) 6 types of Xanthosona spp.-Ornamental flowers:(i)15 types of Helionia spp. (ii) 7 types of Anthurium andreanum.-Medicinal plants: 35 different species Fruit trees: 8 different species of orange trees-Indigenous trees: rare or threatened species are planted on a 40m wide strip on the banks of all water channels.Diffusion of the technologies:In 1995 alone, 220 people visited the demonstration farms. Prof. Mejia was also invited to undertake 14 courses in various places in Columbia for an audience of over 400 people. Besides this, he conducted ten conferences on the subject in 1995. |
Honey Bee Network Knowledge & Innovation Database (HBNKIND)