the more sustainable use of natural resources. However, the authors argue that this
approach needs to be combined with policies that protect the quantity and quality of
natural resources available.
Having described these often daunting challenges, the second part of the book
describes a selection of the technology-based innovation processes used to address
some of them. The three chapters in this part describe innovations introduced with
respect to fruit production, soil conservation and aquaculture.
In Chap. 6, Spreer et al. explain that commercial fruit production requires
intensive irrigation and that while northern Thai farmers have managed to produce
and export increasing quantities of longan and mango fruit, water supplies have
become increasingly scarce and unreliable. They compare the effects of various
irrigation techniques and irrigation schedules on fruit yields and economic returns,
and in particular show that there is the potential, so far unexploited, for farmers to
use plant water stress indicators to optimize their crops’ water and nutrient supply.
In Chap. 7, Hilger et al. show that various common soil and water-saving
technologies—including agroforestry, alley cropping, contour cultivation using
ridges, the use of cover crops, crop rotation, grass barriers, hedges and hedgerows,
plus minimum tillage, mulching and terraces—have the potential to contribute to a
more sustainable cultivation of sloping agricultural land. As compared to conventional cropping systems without such controls, these practices significantly reduce
runoff from sloping land and improve the water holding capacity of the soil, and
they also tend to increase crop yields, but this effect does not show for all methods
immediately after adoption. Despite this, the use of these methods remains infrequent, in spite of the fact that they are widely available and farmers are generally
aware of soil fertility decline when it occurs. The challenge for soil conservation is
therefore not only a technological challenge of identifying appropriate methods, but
also a socio-economic challenge in terms of addressing adoption constraints.
In Chap. 8, Pucher et al. describe the aquaculture production system of a Black
Thai community in northwestern Vietnam, which is a significant source of nutrition
and income for local households. They show how the productivity of the grass carp
grown by the Black Thai is constrained by the availability and use of quality feed
resources and the incidence of fish disease, but identify an opportunity to improve
productivity and increase sustainability by enhancing the production of natural food
in fish ponds and introducing the use of supplemental feed such as earthworms, that
can be easily produced on the farm.
The third part also focuses on innovation processes, but from the policy and
institutional perspective rather than the technological solution point of view.
Chapter 9, by Neef et al. discusses the potential and limitation of using participatory methods, such as participatory rural appraisal and multi-stakeholder knowledge and innovation partnerships, to improve the effectiveness of research in
mountainous areas. A review of lessons learned from pilot projects in Southeast
Asia suggests that Payments for Environmental Services (PES) may face a number
of challenges in the particular context of Thailand and Vietnam. The case of a litchi
processing and marketing network in northern Thailand shows the importance of
forging strong alliances with private and public actors and of fostering experiential
6
P. Schreinemachers et al.
approach needs to be combined with policies that protect the quantity and quality of
natural resources available.
Having described these often daunting challenges, the second part of the book
describes a selection of the technology-based innovation processes used to address
some of them. The three chapters in this part describe innovations introduced with
respect to fruit production, soil conservation and aquaculture.
In Chap. 6, Spreer et al. explain that commercial fruit production requires
intensive irrigation and that while northern Thai farmers have managed to produce
and export increasing quantities of longan and mango fruit, water supplies have
become increasingly scarce and unreliable. They compare the effects of various
irrigation techniques and irrigation schedules on fruit yields and economic returns,
and in particular show that there is the potential, so far unexploited, for farmers to
use plant water stress indicators to optimize their crops’ water and nutrient supply.
In Chap. 7, Hilger et al. show that various common soil and water-saving
technologies—including agroforestry, alley cropping, contour cultivation using
ridges, the use of cover crops, crop rotation, grass barriers, hedges and hedgerows,
plus minimum tillage, mulching and terraces—have the potential to contribute to a
more sustainable cultivation of sloping agricultural land. As compared to conventional cropping systems without such controls, these practices significantly reduce
runoff from sloping land and improve the water holding capacity of the soil, and
they also tend to increase crop yields, but this effect does not show for all methods
immediately after adoption. Despite this, the use of these methods remains infrequent, in spite of the fact that they are widely available and farmers are generally
aware of soil fertility decline when it occurs. The challenge for soil conservation is
therefore not only a technological challenge of identifying appropriate methods, but
also a socio-economic challenge in terms of addressing adoption constraints.
In Chap. 8, Pucher et al. describe the aquaculture production system of a Black
Thai community in northwestern Vietnam, which is a significant source of nutrition
and income for local households. They show how the productivity of the grass carp
grown by the Black Thai is constrained by the availability and use of quality feed
resources and the incidence of fish disease, but identify an opportunity to improve
productivity and increase sustainability by enhancing the production of natural food
in fish ponds and introducing the use of supplemental feed such as earthworms, that
can be easily produced on the farm.
The third part also focuses on innovation processes, but from the policy and
institutional perspective rather than the technological solution point of view.
Chapter 9, by Neef et al. discusses the potential and limitation of using participatory methods, such as participatory rural appraisal and multi-stakeholder knowledge and innovation partnerships, to improve the effectiveness of research in
mountainous areas. A review of lessons learned from pilot projects in Southeast
Asia suggests that Payments for Environmental Services (PES) may face a number
of challenges in the particular context of Thailand and Vietnam. The case of a litchi
processing and marketing network in northern Thailand shows the importance of
forging strong alliances with private and public actors and of fostering experiential
6
P. Schreinemachers et al.