Sustainability analysis of upland farming systems in Bagong Silang, Makiling Forest Reserve (MFR), Laguna (Philippines)

Five farming systems were identified: kaingin farming system, monocrop plantation based, multiple crop plantation based, annual homegarden, and perennial homegarden. All are characterized as: managed by the household, untitled, with steep slope, with rugged topography, and rainfed. More than 73 percent of household respondents practiced two or more of these farming systems. The most common was the multiple crop plantation based farming system with more than 66 percent of household respondent practicing it, followed by the monocrop-plantation based (59.52 percent) and perennial homegarden (47.61 percent). These farming systems have five major components: annual crops, perennial crops, nitrogen fixing trees and cover crops, livestock and other enterprises. The three most common components are perennial crop (with 100 percent of the respondents having it), annual crops (95 percent) and cover crops and NFTs (80 percent). These farming systems are products of processes (like: a) migration and settlement, b) changing land-use and vegetative plant succession, c) man's organization of social relation with respect to land use, and d) technological innovation and adaptation pattern) and interaction of various socio-economic and biophysical variables. Bio-physical variables,: soil fertility, rainfall pattern and hydrological system while socio-cultural and economic variables are: income and sources of income, market and transportation facilities, education and training, number of years in MFR, farming experiences, family status, institutional policies, and perceptions and beliefs. Three farming systems are found ecologically sustainable, namely: the multiple crop plantation based, annual homegarden and perennial homegarden. This is based on some biophysical indicators observed. Monocrop plantation based system has high bio-diversity and productivity but was rated low in sustainability because of its poor efficiency in resource utilization and poor stability. Monocropping of citrus appeared to be the most profitable but long-term accounting showed that multiple cropping with multi-storey of fruit trees and annual crops gives better investment return.