Report 29. Soil profile descriptions for agroforestry research sites in Haiti

Abstract

Reliable recommendations for the development of agroforestry systems require accurate descriptions of the environment. Information on the properties of soils in selected sites is needed to expand agroforestry in regions with similar conditions. The information generated from this report is useful in transferring the technologies which have been validated on research sites representing the major agro-ecological zones in Haiti. Five profiles are described, one on each of the research sites utilized by Haiti PLUS for agroforestry adaptive research. This report documents the soil resources of the agroforestry trial sites representing different agro-ecological zones. Organizations engaged in implementing agroforestry efforts can greatly benefit from these data because they then can predict with some confidence the potential output of particular interventions in different areas of the country as they compare their sites with the sites included in the trials. The major limitations of the soils described and characterized in this report are low fertility and nutrient imbalance, resulting from high pH and low phosphorus. At the Titanyen site, the problem of nutrient imbalance is compounded by inadequate moisture. The soils at Fort Jacques, Bergeau, Saint Georges, and Bois Greffin are typical of the soils at many of the locations where hedgerow technologies are likely to be applied by CARE and PADF (Guthrie, et al, 1990). The soils at all of these sites have low available phosphorus, but only the soil at Fort Jacques is likely to respond to phosphate fertilizer because it has a near-neutral pH in the surface soil. High pH and saturation with calcium and/or magnesium render the other soils unlikely to respond to any fertilizer other than massive applications of acid-forming amendments. One property of all soils, except for the Saint Georges site, that is highly favorable for the production of hedgerows is high organic matter. Preservation of organic matter should take precedence over other soil conservation measures because of the beneficial effects of organic matter on nutrient availability and moisture conservation.

Pou fè rekòmandasyon valab pou devlope sistèm agwoforestye, sa mande pou dekri ak presizyon kote rechèch yo fèt. Enfòmasyon sou kalite tè enpòtan pou aplike rezilta ki jwenn nan lòt kote ki sanble ak kote esè yo etabli. Enfòmasyon ki nan rapò sa-a nesesè pou konnen si teknik yo jwenn ki valab nan sit kote esè yo fèt e ki reprezante zòn ki pi enpòtan yo an Ayiti, kapab aplike lòt kote. Senk (5) pwofil sòl dekri nan rapò sa-a, youn pou chak sit kote PLUS mete esè sou rechèch agroforestye adapte. Rapò sa-a bay enfòmasyon sou kalite sòl kote esè agwoforestye SECID/PLUS yo etabli e ki reprezante pliziè kalite zòn nan peyi Dayiti. Enfòmasyon sa yo kapab ede anpil òganizasyon k'ap travay nan agwoforestri paske yo kapab plis ou mwen asire lè yo prevwa ki sa yo kapab jwenn lè yo aplike yon teknik nan diferan zòn nan peyi-a, lè yo konpare kote yo travay ak kote esè sa yo etabli. Pi gwo pwoblèm tout tè nou te etidye nan rapò sa-a, se tè ki yon jan pòv e pa genyen eklib nan eleman nitritif (manje) yo. Sa bay kòm rezilta, yon "pH" ki wo ak fòsfò ki yon jan ba. Nan Titanyen, pwoblèm manke eklib sa-a soti nan pwoblèm pa gen ase dlo. Sòl nan Fò Jak, Bèjo, Sen Jòj ak Bwa Grefen sanble ak sòl ki rankontre anpil kote CARE ak PADF ap travay, kote yo kapab etabli ranp vivan (Guthrie, et al, 1990). Sòl tout kote sa yo pa gen ase fòsfò plant yo ka jwenn nan tè-a, men sèl sòl ki nan Fò Jak kapab bay yon rezilta si yo mete angrè ki genyen fòsfò paske sòl ki anlè tè-a gen "pH" net (nan zòn pH = 7). Lòt sòl yo genyen yon "pH" ki wo ak anpil kalsyum ak/ou byen mayezium, sa ki fè yo pap bay anyen menm si yo aplike nenpòt ki angrè. Sèl amandman ak asid pou netralize baz sa yo kapab bay yon bagay. Yon bagay ki valab pou tout sòl yo, eksepte Sen Jòj, tout genyen anpil matyè òganik ki bon anpil pou aplike teknik ranp vivan. Konsève matyè òganik nan tè sa yo ta dwe pi enpòtan pase aplike estrikti konsèvasyon sòl, paske matye òganik pèmèt plant yo jwenn manje (eleman nitritif) e li kenben dlo tou.