Survey and documentation of agroforestry systems in Apayao [Philippines]

This study documented the existing agroforestry systems in Apayao [Philippines]. The farming systems in the province can be considered as varied in terms of tenure, unit of production, water availability, and topography. It can be generalized as: a) managed by the households, b) legally/not legally owned, c) with 3 to more than 18% slope, d) rolling to undulating topography, and e) irrigated to non-irrigated or rain-fed. These characteristics are common to upland farming systems. However, unlike other indigenous farming systems, production systems in Apayao are not only for subsistence but also for small to medium-scale production for commercial purposes. The variation can be observed in terms of output disposal, scale of operation, dominant crop and species diversity. These variables can be grouped as system components with their corresponding roles, interactions and distribution. Using these groupings, farming systems in the study area can be categorized as: a) mono crop plantation-based, b) multiple crop plantation-based (multi-storey, relay cropping, mixed cropping), c) aquasilvicultural-based, d) annual home garden, e) perennial home garden, and f) rice terracing. All the above cropping systems can be considered as multi-storey, intensive and diversified. Even the mono-crop plantation-based system has at least three to five plant species with only one major crop. The farming system in the area is a product of: a) changing land-use pattern and vegetative-plant succession with time, b) migration and settlement pattern, c) technological innovation and adaptation pattern, d) market orientation, and e) socio-cultural pattern. The problems encountered by the farmers on production and practice of agroforestry were the occurrence of insect pests and diseases that resulted in low production output or even negative profit, lack of seminars or trainings for the technology to be used in the production system, and lack of fruit and forest tree seedlings to be planted, transportation for marketing and small land holdings.