Integrated approach to develop alternatives to slash and burn agriclture for Karen community in the highlands

Highland communities are still practising slash and burn agriculture as a way to regenerate soil fertility. However such practice is being critisized by the publics. In many highland areas, the regenerative ability is declining and causing the system unsustainable. This report will present approach and results of developing alternatives to slash and burn agriculture for Karen community in Tambon Ban Wat Chan, Amphur Mae Chaem, Changwat Chiang Mai. The integrated approach to develop alternatives to slash and burn agriculture is based on the following hypotheses: 1. Increasing rice productivity both in the paddy and the upland fields will release the pressure of practising slash and burn system. 2. Developing permanent land use system will reduce or replace slash and burn agriculture, and 3. Farming area is not the limiting factor for developing sustainable agriculture at Tambon Ban Wat Chan. However, it will require management skill for integrating indigenous knowledge and the new intervension for utilizing bio-resource to attain sustainable livelihood system. Glutinous rice grown by the Karen Community in various watershed areas; use of chemical fertilizer for short term yield increment; use of green manure crop such as Sesbania rostrata to increase paddy rice yield; promotion of dry season rice in mini-watershed was hampered by lack of suitable varieties which require non-photosensitive and cold tolerant characteristics. In the study area, it was found that the Karen used four types of land for farming, these were paddy land, upland, home garden for fruit trees and vegetables, and fallow plots. This study concerned the development of land use in paddy fields, uplands and fallow plots. Improvement of paddy rice involved the following activities. Collection and selection of local non photosensitive. The upland plots which were used for cultivation of upland rice were the areas where all tree stumps had been removed. Yield of upland rice averaged 200 kg/rai even though the plots were used for cultivation once every two years. Replenishing soil nutrients through the use of soil improving legumes such as pigeon pea, was found to be highly possible. The fallow plots where some household might own more than one plot, were used solely for production of upland rice by the Karen. The fallow periods could last from three to ten years. The result of field survey revealed that seven-year fallow was not able to replenish soil fertility for high rice yield. Improving soil fertility in the fallow plots had many limitations. For instance, the introduced species for soil nutrient replenishment could not compete with the regrowth of the burned stumps, low pH(5.2) and low P level in the fallow plots had retarded the growth of many legume species. The on-farm experiment to shorten fallow period is undergoing at present. The potentialities of Fagaceae family which is indigenous in the area was also being investigated. The family is meant to use for income supplement and watershed conservation. The report pointed out that alternatives to slash and burn agriculture could not be achieved if the only concern was on the fallow plots. It would require better understanding of famers'goals and values, household land use system and experimenting with farmer participation.