adopted only if financial returns were highly favorable. In another study, biological
geo-textiles were found to significantly increase above-ground biomass production
due to soil and moisture conservation, and decrease soil loss under diverse soil and
climatic conditions (Bhattacharyya et al. 2012). In a study in Thailand, plots under
contour planting mulched with bamboo mats showed 40 % and 26 % higher sweet
corn and lablab bean yields respectively than plots under contour planting only. In
Vietnam, Borassus spp., maize stalk and bamboo mat covers between rows led to
53 %, 47 % and 35 % higher soybean yields respectively, and significant decreases
in soil loss (67–98 %) when compared to plots without cover.
According to Hobbs (2007), the next decade will have to sustainably produce
more food from less land through a more efficient use of natural resources and with
minimal impact on the environment, in order to meet the demands of a growing
population. Promoting and adopting SCT will help the world to reach this goal.
Farmers’ participation in such kinds of technology testing can play a key role in the
adoption of more sustainable land use practices. A study by Howeler et al. (2006)
found that rapid rural appraisals, farmer evaluation of a wide range of practices
shown in demonstration plots, farmer participatory field trials with farmer-selected
treatments on their own fields, field days with discussions held to select the best
among the tested practices, the scaling-up of selected practices to larger fields and
farmer dissemination to neighbors and neighboring communities, all led to a greater
rate of adoption of new cropping practices in Thailand, Vietnam and China,
including the planting of contour hedgerows in order to control erosion. Critical
constraints to adoption appeared to be competing uses for crop residues, increased
labor demand for weeding and a lack of access to essential external inputs and their
use (Giller et al. 2009). At farm and village levels, trade-offs in the allocation of
resources become important in determining how SCT may fit into a given farming
system, and at a regional level, market conditions, interactions among stakeholders
and other institutional and political factors are also important (Giller et al. 2011).
7.2.3 Integrated Soil and Water Conservation: A Case Study from
Northern Thailand
An Integrated Water-harvesting, Anti-erosion and Multiple cropping (IWAM)
approach was tested in northern Thailand to identify alternative strategies for an
improved and sustainable rain-fed crop production system used on steep slopes, and
based on experiences with bio-geotextiles in various countries. In contrast
to synthetic geo-textiles such as polyethylene sheets, bio-geotextiles are
bio-degradable and can be placed on the soil surface in order to reduce rainfall
impact, decrease evaporation and obtain a better soil cover. In developed countries
they are often used to stabilize roadside slopes, but also have numerous agricultural
uses (Fullen et al. 2007). As well as contributing to soil conservation, the potential
benefits of such practices for developing countries include the development of a
234
T. Hilger et al.
geo-textiles were found to significantly increase above-ground biomass production
due to soil and moisture conservation, and decrease soil loss under diverse soil and
climatic conditions (Bhattacharyya et al. 2012). In a study in Thailand, plots under
contour planting mulched with bamboo mats showed 40 % and 26 % higher sweet
corn and lablab bean yields respectively than plots under contour planting only. In
Vietnam, Borassus spp., maize stalk and bamboo mat covers between rows led to
53 %, 47 % and 35 % higher soybean yields respectively, and significant decreases
in soil loss (67–98 %) when compared to plots without cover.
According to Hobbs (2007), the next decade will have to sustainably produce
more food from less land through a more efficient use of natural resources and with
minimal impact on the environment, in order to meet the demands of a growing
population. Promoting and adopting SCT will help the world to reach this goal.
Farmers’ participation in such kinds of technology testing can play a key role in the
adoption of more sustainable land use practices. A study by Howeler et al. (2006)
found that rapid rural appraisals, farmer evaluation of a wide range of practices
shown in demonstration plots, farmer participatory field trials with farmer-selected
treatments on their own fields, field days with discussions held to select the best
among the tested practices, the scaling-up of selected practices to larger fields and
farmer dissemination to neighbors and neighboring communities, all led to a greater
rate of adoption of new cropping practices in Thailand, Vietnam and China,
including the planting of contour hedgerows in order to control erosion. Critical
constraints to adoption appeared to be competing uses for crop residues, increased
labor demand for weeding and a lack of access to essential external inputs and their
use (Giller et al. 2009). At farm and village levels, trade-offs in the allocation of
resources become important in determining how SCT may fit into a given farming
system, and at a regional level, market conditions, interactions among stakeholders
and other institutional and political factors are also important (Giller et al. 2011).
7.2.3 Integrated Soil and Water Conservation: A Case Study from
Northern Thailand
An Integrated Water-harvesting, Anti-erosion and Multiple cropping (IWAM)
approach was tested in northern Thailand to identify alternative strategies for an
improved and sustainable rain-fed crop production system used on steep slopes, and
based on experiences with bio-geotextiles in various countries. In contrast
to synthetic geo-textiles such as polyethylene sheets, bio-geotextiles are
bio-degradable and can be placed on the soil surface in order to reduce rainfall
impact, decrease evaporation and obtain a better soil cover. In developed countries
they are often used to stabilize roadside slopes, but also have numerous agricultural
uses (Fullen et al. 2007). As well as contributing to soil conservation, the potential
benefits of such practices for developing countries include the development of a
234
T. Hilger et al.