Browsing by Author "West, L."

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Erosion and productivity of vegetable systems on sloping volcanic ash-derived Philippine soils
    Poudel, Durga D.; Midmore, David J.; West, L. (Madison, Wisc.: Soil Science Society of America, 1999)
    Soil erosion is a significant threat to agricultural productivity on sloped lands. This paper assesses the effectiveness of several different soil conservation practices for vegetable systems on sloped volcanic ash-derived soils. A field experiment was conducted to test the authors' hypothesis that contouring, strip cropping, and high-value contour hedgerows (asparagus, pineapple, pigeonpea, and lemongrass) would reduce soil loss relative to the traditional up-and-down farming method. They found that up-and-down cultivation had the greatest annual soil loss, followed by high-value contour hedgerows, strip cropping, and contouring. For all test plots there was a large gradient in the soil characteristics and productivity between the upper and lower bounds of the plots; crop yields in the downslope sections were significantly higher. The contour hedgerow method caused rapid formation of bioterraces, which also showed much greater productivity in the bottom portions.
  • Farmer participatory research to minimize soil erosion on steepland vegetable systems in the Philippines
    Poudel, Durga D.; Midmore, David J.; West, L. (Amsterdam ; New York, N.Y.: Elsevier, 2000)
    Soil erosion is a significant threat to agricultural productivity on sloped lands. This paper assesses a farmer participatory research project to evaluate the effectiveness of high-value contour hedgerows (of pineapple, asparagus, pigeon peas, lemongrass, and tea) as a method of steepland erosion control. The study compared researcher plots with high-value contour hedgerows to farmer-managed plots cultivated in the traditional up-and-down method. Measurements were made of soil loss, nutrient loss, and water runoff. The researchers applied the Erosion-Productivity Impact Calculator (EPIC) model to simulate the effects of annual crop sequences in conjunction with contour hedgerows. Tomato - cabbage - tomato sequences lost significantly more soil than cabbage - tomato - cabbage sequences. Because an average of two thirds of total soil loss occurred between September and December, the authors suggest that cropping sequences during that period should include corn or cabbage rather than tomato. The effectiveness of this research in producing accurate predictions of soil loss and enhancing farmer awareness of the magnitude of soil lost in their tradition cultivation methods affirm the value of farmer participatory research.
  • Soil development and fertility characteristics of a volcanic slope in Mindanao, the Philippines
    Poudel, Durga D.; West, L. (Madison, Wisc.: Soil Science Society of America, 1999)
    This study analyzes thirteen pedons from four geomorphic regions (alluvial terraces, lower footslopes, upper footslopes, mountains) to investigate the relationship between soil development and soil fertility properties. The mountain soils were Utisols and Inceptisols, while the soils of the other three regions were Oxisols. The study assessed the soil components, mineral composition, pH, phosphorus fixation, potassium availability and buffering capacity, cation exchange capacity (CEC), effective cation-exchange capacity (ECEC), and base saturation.