Napier grass, banana and coconut as hedgerows.Corn is planted in between hedges. (Engr. Djolly Ma. P. Dinamling (Bureau of Soils and
Water Management))
Contour Farming using hedgerows (Philippines)
Contour Farming
DESCRIPTION
LOCATION
Contour farming is a technology practiced in sloping areas in which hedgerows are
established along the contours and other annual/cash crops are grown in the alleys
between the hedges.
Contour farming is being practiced by the farmers in sloping areas to prevent or control
soil erosion. Hedgerows are established along contour lines using napier grass and
permanent crops like banana and coconut. In between contour lines, corn is intercropped with peanut. It is a traditional practice of farmers and one of the conservation
techniques for the Conservation Farming Village Approach (CFV). Purpose of the
Technology: This is practiced by farmers to control surface run-o , erosion and to
conserve natural soil fertility. Napier grass is also planted as source of feeds for the
livestocks. The technology controls dispersed runo , reduce slope angle and length.
Establishment / maintenance activities and inputs: Contour lines were established using
an A-frame to determine the location of the hedgerows to be planted. Napier grasses
are planted along the contour at 8x8m and 4X4m distance. Grafted cacao trees are also
inserted in between banana at 4X4 distance. The alleys between hedges measuring 4m
wide and 30m long are planted with corn and peanut. Napier grass is regularly trimmed
to maintain a height of not more than a meter, using the cuttings as livestock fodder.
Natural / human environment: The area is under a humid cilmate condition with an
average annual rainfall of 1000-1500 mm per year. Its elevation is 500-1000 m above
mean sea level.The average cropland size of land users is less than or equal to 0. 5
hectare with a slope ranging from 18-25%. Income of land users are derived from the
crops sold.The Local Government Unit (LGU) provides truck to transport the harvested
crops of the farmers from the village to the town market twice a week.
Location: Negros Oriental, La Libertad,
Philippines
No. of Technology sites analysed:
Geo-reference of selected sites
123.1104, 10.10028
Spread of the Technology: evenly spread
over an area (approx. < 0.1 km2 (10 ha))
Date of implementation: more than 50
years ago (traditional)
Type of introduction
through land users' innovation
✓ as part of a traditional system (> 50
years)
during experiments/ research
through projects/ external
interventions
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None
CLASSIFICATION OF THE TECHNOLOGY
Main purpose
improve production
✓ reduce, prevent, restore land degradation
conserve ecosystem
protect a watershed/ downstream areas – in combination with
other Technologies
preserve/ improve biodiversity
reduce risk of disasters
adapt to climate change/ extremes and its impacts
mitigate climate change and its impacts
create bene cial economic impact
create bene cial social impact
Land use
Purpose related to land degradation
prevent land degradation
reduce land degradation
✓ restore/ rehabilitate severely degraded land
adapt to land degradation
not applicable
Degradation addressed
soil erosion by water - Wt: loss of topsoil/ surface
erosion
Cropland - Annual cropping
Main crops (cash and food crops): major cash crop:
peanut major food crop: corn, banana, cacao, coconut
Other: Napier grasses
Water supply
✓ rainfed
mixed rainfed-irrigated
full irrigation
Number of growing seasons per year: n.a.
Land use before implementation of the Technology: n.a.
Livestock density: n.a.
chemical soil deterioration - Cn: fertility decline and
reduced organic matter content (not caused by erosion)
biological degradation - Bc: reduction of vegetation
cover
SLM group
cross-slope measure
SLM measures
agronomic measures - A1: Vegetation/ soil cover, A2:
Organic matter/ soil fertility, A3: Soil surface treatment,
A4: Subsurface treatment
vegetative measures - V1: Tree and shrub cover, V2:
Grasses and perennial herbaceous plants
TECHNICAL DRAWING
Technical speci cations
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Author: Mr. Patricio A. Yambot, Bureau of Soils and Water Management
Crops planted in the contour.
Location: Brgy. Talaon. La Libertad, Negros Oriental
Date: May28, 2015
Technical knowledge required for eld sta / advisors: high
Technical knowledge required for land users: moderate
Main technical functions: control of raindrop splash, control of dispersed runo : retain / trap, Minimize soil erosion due to runo , Serve
as soil nutrient traps
Secondary technical functions: reduction of slope angle, reduction of slope length, stabilisation of soil (eg by tree roots against land
slides), promotion of vegetation species and varieties (quality, eg palatable fodder)
Mixed cropping / intercropping
Material/ species: corn and peanut
Quantity/ density: 10kg/.25ha
Remarks: in between contour hedges
Contour planting / strip cropping
Material/ species: napier, banana, coconut and cacao
Quantity/ density: 20kg/.25ha
Legume inter-planting
Quantity/ density: 20kg/.25ha
Manure / compost / residues
Material/ species: vermi-compost
Quantity/ density: 500kg
Breaking crust / sealed surface
Material/ species: rotavator
Remarks: plowing two times
Aligned: -contour
Vegetative material: G : grass
Number of plants per (ha): 500
Vertical interval between rows / strips / blocks (m): 0.5
Spacing between rows / strips / blocks (m): 4
Vertical interval within rows / strips / blocks (m): drill
Width within rows / strips / blocks (m): 0.3
Vegetative measure: contour (banana)
Vegetative material: F : fruit trees / shrubs
Number of plants per (ha): 64
Vertical interval between rows / strips / blocks (m): 0.5
Spacing between rows / strips / blocks (m): 4
Vertical interval within rows / strips / blocks (m): 4
Width within rows / strips / blocks (m): 4
Vegetative measure: contour (cacao)
Vegetative material: F : fruit trees / shrubs
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Number of plants per (ha): 64
Vertical interval between rows / strips / blocks (m): 0.5
Spacing between rows / strips / blocks (m): 4
Vertical interval within rows / strips / blocks (m): 1
Width within rows / strips / blocks (m): 4
Vegetative measure: contour (cococnut)
Vegetative material: F : fruit trees / shrubs
Number of plants per (ha): 32
Vertical interval between rows / strips / blocks (m): 0.5
Spacing between rows / strips / blocks (m): 4
Vertical interval within rows / strips / blocks (m): 8
Width within rows / strips / blocks (m): 8
Vegetative measure: Vegetative material: F : fruit trees / shrubs
Fruit trees / shrubs species: banana, cacao, coconut
Grass species: napier grass
Slope (which determines the spacing indicated above): 8%
If the original slope has changed as a result of the Technology, the slope today is (see gure below): 5%
Gradient along the rows / strips: 3-5%
ESTABLISHMENT AND MAINTENANCE: ACTIVITIES, INPUTS AND COSTS
Calculation of inputs and costs
Costs are calculated:
Currency used for cost calculation: US Dollars
Exchange rate (to USD): 1 USD = n.a.
Average wage cost of hired labour per day: 2.22.
Most important factors a ecting the costs
The slope of the area contributes to the additional labor cost in
the establishment of contours.The steeper the slope, the higher
labor cost will be incurred.
Establishment activities
1. Laying out and establishment of contour lines/hedgerows (Vegetative; before onset of rainy season)
2. Planting of hedgerows (Napier grass) (Vegetative)
3. Planting of perennial crops along contour (Vegetative)
Establishment inputs and costs
Specify input
Labour
Laying out and establishment of contour
Planting of crops and hedgerows
Plant material
napier seeds
banana seeds
cacao seeds
coconut seeds
Fertilizers and biocides
herbicide
Construction material
bamboosticks
A-frame
Quantity
Costs per
Unit
Total costs
per input
% of costs
borne by
land users
3.0
10.0
2.22
2.22
6.66
22.2
40.0
100.0
300.0
64.0
64.0
32.0
0.0133
0.11093
0.55565
0.88875
3.99
7.1
35.56
28.44
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
1.0
17.78
17.78
40.0
picks
50.0
0.012
unit
1.0
0.44
Total costs for establishment of the Technology
0.6
0.44
122.77
40.0
40.0
Unit
Person/day
Person/day
kg
plants
plants
plants
liter
Maintenance activities
1. Land clearing/ preparation (plowing, rotavating, harrowing) of alleys between contours (Agronomic; Before onset of rainy season)
2. Furrowing (Agronomic)
3. Planting of corn ( rst cropping) (Agronomic)
4. Weeding, insect control (Agronomic)
5. Harvesting of rst crop (Agronomic)
6. Land Preparation for the second cropping (plowing, harrowing/rotavating, furrowing) (Agronomic)
7. Planting of corn + Planting of peanut (second cropping- corn + peanut) (Agronomic)
8. Weeding / Insect control (Agronomic)
9. Harvesting of corn and peanut (Agronomic)
Maintenance inputs and costs
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Quantity
Costs per
Unit
Total costs
per input
% of costs
borne by
land users
Person/day
Person/day
3.0
2.0
7.11
2.67
21.33
5.34
100.0
100.0
Person/day
14.0
2.22
31.08
100.0
kg
kg
kg
10.0
20.0
10.0
0.444
2.0
0.444
4.44
40.0
4.44
100.0
100.0
kg
500.0
0.08
Total costs for maintenance of the Technology
40.0
146.63
Specify input
Unit
Labour
Land Preparation with machine / furrowing
Animal Labour
Equipment
Other Labour: Weeding, harvesting
Plant material
Corn seeds
Peanut seeds
Seeds unde ned
Fertilizers and biocides
Fertilizer
100.0
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Average annual rainfall
< 250 mm
251-500 mm
501-750 mm
751-1,000 mm
✓ 1,001-1,500 mm
1,501-2,000 mm
2,001-3,000 mm
3,001-4,000 mm
> 4,000 mm
Agro-climatic zone
✓ humid
sub-humid
semi-arid
arid
Speci cations on climate
Thermal climate class: tropics
Slope
at (0-2%)
gentle (3-5%)
moderate (6-10%)
✓ rolling (11-15%)
✓ hilly (16-30%)
steep (31-60%)
very steep (>60%)
Landforms
plateau/plains
ridges
✓ mountain slopes
✓ hill slopes
footslopes
valley oors
Altitude
0-100 m a.s.l.
101-500 m a.s.l.
✓ 501-1,000 m a.s.l.
1,001-1,500 m a.s.l.
1,501-2,000 m a.s.l.
2,001-2,500 m a.s.l.
2,501-3,000 m a.s.l.
3,001-4,000 m a.s.l.
> 4,000 m a.s.l.
Technology is applied in
convex situations
concave situations
✓ not relevant
Soil depth
very shallow (0-20 cm)
shallow (21-50 cm)
✓ moderately deep (51-80 cm)
deep (81-120 cm)
very deep (> 120 cm)
Soil texture (topsoil)
coarse/ light (sandy)
✓ medium (loamy, silty)
ne/ heavy (clay)
Soil texture (> 20 cm below
surface)
coarse/ light (sandy)
medium (loamy, silty)
ne/ heavy (clay)
Topsoil organic matter
content
high (>3%)
✓ medium (1-3%)
low (<1%)
Groundwater table
on surface
<5m
✓ 5-50 m
> 50 m
Availability of surface water
excess
✓ good
medium
poor/ none
Water quality (untreated)
✓ good drinking water
poor drinking water
(treatment required)
for agricultural use only
(irrigation)
unusable
Is salinity a problem?
Ja
Geen
Species diversity
high
medium
✓ low
Habitat diversity
high
medium
low
Occurrence of ooding
Ja
Geen
CHARACTERISTICS OF LAND USERS APPLYING THE TECHNOLOGY
Market orientation
subsistence (self-supply)
✓ mixed (subsistence/
commercial
commercial/ market
O -farm income
✓ less than 10% of all income
10-50% of all income
> 50% of all income
Relative level of wealth
very poor
✓ poor
average
rich
very rich
Level of mechanization
✓ manual work
✓ animal traction
mechanized/ motorized
Sedentary or nomadic
Sedentary
Semi-nomadic
Nomadic
Individuals or groups
✓ individual/ household
groups/ community
cooperative
employee (company,
government)
Gender
✓ women
✓ men
Age
children
youth
middle-aged
elderly
Area used per household
Scale
Land ownership
Land use rights
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✓ < 0.5 ha
0.5-1 ha
1-2 ha
2-5 ha
5-15 ha
15-50 ha
50-100 ha
100-500 ha
500-1,000 ha
1,000-10,000 ha
> 10,000 ha
✓ small-scale
state
company
communal/ village
group
✓ individual, not titled
individual, titled
medium-scale
large-scale
Access to services and infrastructure
poor ✓
health
poor ✓
education
poor
technical
✓
assistance
poor ✓
employment (e.g.
o -farm)
poor ✓
markets
poor ✓
energy
poor
roads and
✓
transport
poor
drinking water and
✓
sanitation
poor ✓
nancial services
open access (unorganized)
communal (organized)
leased
✓ individual
Water use rights
open access (unorganized)
✓ communal (organized)
leased
individual
good
good
good
good
good
good
good
good
good
IMPACTS - BENEFITS AND DISADVANTAGES
Socio-economic impacts
Crop production
decreased
✓
increased
fodder production
decreased
✓
increased
fodder quality
product diversity
land management
farm income
diversity of income sources
workload
decreased
✓
✓
increased
✓
✓
increased
Socio-cultural impacts
recreational opportunities
community institutions
national institutions
con ict mitigation
situation of socially and
economically disadvantaged
groups (gender, age, status,
ehtnicity etc.)
Improved livelihood and
human well-being
Ecological impacts
soil cover
soil loss
nutrient cycling/ recharge
soil organic matter/ below
ground C
biomass/ above ground C
plant diversity
habitat diversity
emission of carbon and
greenhouse gases
wind velocity
decreased
hindered
decreased
✓
decreased
increased
reduced
weakened
✓
✓
worsened
decreased
✓
reduced
decreased
decreased
decreased
decreased
increased
increased
Quantity before SLM: 0
Quantity after SLM: 1350 bundles
increased
simpli ed
increased
decreased
✓
✓
strengthened
✓
improved
✓
increased
decreased
Quantity after SLM: 10 bags
improved
weakened
worsened
Quantity before SLM: 0
✓
strengthened
improved
increased
✓
✓
✓
✓
improved
✓
✓
increased
✓
decreased
✓
decreased
increased
increased
increased
increased
decreased
O -site impacts
Bene ts compared with establishment costs
very negative
Short-term returns
very negative
Long-term returns
✓
✓
very positive
Bene ts compared with maintenance costs
very negative
Short-term returns
very negative
Long-term returns
✓
✓
very positive
very positive
very positive
CLIMATE CHANGE
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Climate change/ extreme to which the
Technology is exposed
Gradual climate change
annual temperature increase
Climate-related extremes (disasters)
local rainstorm
drought
general (river) ood
How the Technology copes with these changes/extremes
not well at all
✓
very well
not well at all
✓
✓
✓
very well
not well at all
not well at all
very well
very well
More income added from Napier grass
ADOPTION AND ADAPTATION
Percentage of land users in the area who have adopted the
Technology
single cases/ experimental
1-10%
10-50%
more than 50%
Number of households and/ or area covered
18 land user families have adopted the Technology
Of all those who have adopted the Technology, how many have
did so without receiving material incentives?
0-10%
✓ 10-50%
50-90%
90-100%
Has the Technology been modi ed recently to adapt to
changing conditions?
Ja
Geen
To which changing conditions?
climatic change/ extremes
changing markets
labour availability (e.g. due to migration)
CONCLUSIONS AND LESSONS LEARNT
Strengths
Soil erosion was reduced because of the presence of the
hedge rows that traps eroded soil. How can they be sustained /
enhanced? Include other structural measures such as silt traps
and brush dams to trap silts. (land user's view)
The kind of hedgerows planted depends on the need of the
landusers. Farmers with livestock used napier and forage
grasses as hedges while others planted perennial and cash
crop to supplement their food requirement. How can they be
sustained / enhanced? Conduct crop suitability evaluation and
market study. (land user's view)
Availability of labor force in the community. How can they be
sustained / enhanced? Encourage more farmers to adopt the
technology and utilize available labor force. (compiler’s or
other key resource person’s view)
The technology generated jobs and increase the income of the
landusers practicing the technology. How can they be
sustained / enhanced? To conduct continuous capacity
building to land users and their children to ensure
sustainability. (compiler’s or other key resource person’s view)
Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks → how to overcome
Lack of irrigation system in the cropping area → Provision of
irrigation system such as solar pump and small farm reservoir.
(compiler’s or other key resource person’s view)
Poor road network from the center of the town to the
barangay. → Construction of farm-to-market road to improve
the accessibility of the barangay. (land user's view)
REFERENCES
Compiler
Philippine Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies - [email protected]
Resource persons
Aida Luistro - SLM specialist
Elizabeth Gregorio - SLM specialist
Djolly Ma. Dinamling - SLM specialist
Albert F. Gutierrez ([email protected] ) - SLM specialist
Full description in the WOCAT database
https://qcat.wocat.net/af/wocat/technologies/view/technologies_1287/
Linked SLM data
n.a.
Documentation was faciliated by
Institution
Bureau of Soils and Water Management
LGU of La Libertad
Regional Field O ce N0. 4A
Southern Tagalog Integrated Agricultural Research Center
Project
n.a.
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Key references
Links to relevant information which is available online
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