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Adoption and management of alley cropping in Haiti


Metadata FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributorAuburn University Librariesen_US
dc.contributor.otherAuburn University
dc.contributor.otherSouth-East Consortium for International Development
dc.contributor.otherUnited States Agency for International Development
dc.creatorBayard, Budry
dc.creatorJolly, Curtis M.
dc.creatorShannon, Dennis A.
dc.date.accessioned2019-10-01T14:41:00Z
dc.date.available2019-10-01T14:41:00Z
dc.date.created2004-02en_US
dc.identifierUSAID Grant no. LAG-G-00-97-00002-00; USAID/SECID PLUS Contract no. 521-0217-C-00-5031-00;en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11200/49613
dc.descriptionAlley cropping has shown much promise as a technology suitable for small farmers in the third world and especially for use on steeplands, where it can serve the purposes of sustaining crop production, while also doubling as a soil and water conservation barrier.en_US
dc.description.abstractHaiti, a hilly densely populated country, has experienced soil erosion problems for decades. The major impact is a reduction of soil fertility leading to decreasing agricultural productivity. Agriculture, a major sector of the economy, is practiced by limited resource farmers on hillside plots. Early soil and water conservation efforts focused on techniques such as terraces, rock walls, and tree planting. Given the limited success of such practices, alley cropping was introduced as a technique with the capacity of not only limiting soil erosion, but also improving soil fertility. This report assesses the adoption of alley cropping in Gaita and Bannate, two Southern villages within the Camp-Perrin area in Haiti, and is based on a survey conducted on 120 farms. This research evaluates the pattern of adoption and management of alley cropping and examines factors influencing farmers' decision to adopt or not to adopt this technique. Compared to other soil conservation techniques, alley cropping is easy to implement and does not require important financial investment. Results of this study show that farmers with different socioeconomic backgrounds have implemented alley cropping structures on their plots. However, information collected suggests that farmers fail to manage the conservation structures as recommended. Several factors were found to stimulate farmers' decisions to adopt alley cropping in Gaita and Bannate. Group membership, training in soil conservation practices, and per capita income play a significant and positive role. Organized and trained farmers are more likely to develop a positive attitude toward adoption of alley cropping. Those results suggest that efforts to increase adoption should include the participation of local organizations in the development of the programs. Training of farmers should also be an integral part of the program. In terms of training, farmers need to be informed of the environmental benefits associated with adoption of sustainable agricultural practices. Per capita farm household income positively affects adoption of alley cropping. Adoption of alley cropping may be a way for farmers to increase their income. Hedgerow prunings are often used to feed animals instead of being applied to the soil as green manure. A solution to this problem may be to use other tree species with soil regeneration capabilities but unpalatable to animals. However, since animal production plays an important role in the Haitian peasant economy, it is uncertain that farmers will use such species if the system does not also allow them to shift to high value crops. It is also important to consider women's participation in the adoption of alley cropping in Gaita and Bannate. Cultural, social and economic barriers imposed on women by the society did not prevent them from adopting alley cropping. Hence, there is a need for development projects to work particularly with this category of farm operators.en_US
dc.formatapplication/PDFen_US
dc.languageengen_US
dc.publisherAuburn, Ala. : United States Agency for International Development, Soil Management Collaborative Research Support Program, Auburn Universityen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseriesTechnical bulletin ; no. 2004-02en_US
dc.rightsThis document is the property of the Auburn University Libraries and is intended for non-commercial use. Users of the document are asked to acknowledge the Auburn University Libraries.en_US
dc.subjectSoil conservation--Haitien_US
dc.subjectSoil conservation--Research--Haitien_US
dc.subjectSoil conservation--Economic aspects--Haitien_US
dc.subjectHedgerow intercropping--Haitien_US
dc.subjectHedgerow intercropping--Economic aspects--Haitien_US
dc.subjectHedgerowsen_US
dc.titleAdoption and management of alley cropping in Haitien_US
dc.typeTexten_US

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