Conservation Practices for Small-Scale Hawaiian Farms

This material is based upon work supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Conservation Innovative Grant # NRCS#69-3A75-11-212. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.The purpose of this handbook is to provide small-scale farmers on the Hawaiian Islands with the information necessary to implement effective soil management practices on their farms, with specific focus on soil and water conservation. Small-scale farms are becoming more common in Hawai'i as plantation agriculture involving sugarcane and pineapple has diminished, diversified agriculture has gained a firm foothold, and markets for fresh, local produce have expanded. Small-scale farmers are producing food to feed their families, to meet the increasing demand for locally and sustainably grown agricultural products, and to move the Islands, which import between 60-70% of fresh fruits and vegetables alone, toward food self-sufficiency

Landscape-Level Conservation Planning for Hawaiʻi's Small-Scale Farm Groups

This material is based upon work supported by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under Conservation Innovative Grant # NRCS#69-3A75-11-212. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.Landscape-level conservation planning makes sense for Hawaiʻi's small-scale farmers and natural resources. Small-scale farming in Hawai'i is on the rise. Farmers are producing food to feed their families, to meet the increasing demand for locally and sustainably grown agricultural products, and to move the Islands, which import between 60- 70% of fresh fruits and vegetables alone, toward food self-sufficiency

Conservation-effective farming systems for the semi-arid tropics

Soil losses by erosion and water losses as uncontrolled runoff have clear and immediate impacts on farm productivity. The interrelationships between erosional losses and productivity are consistent and quantitatively predictable..

Construction and calibration of a rainfall simulator

A portable rainfall simulator featuring a rotating disc and nozzle, has been developed for use in field studies of erosion, infiltration, and runoff processes. Variable intensities of simulated rainfall ranging from 15 to 150mm h−1 are produced by choice of appropriate nozzles and slot apertures in the rotating disc. The duration of the simulation can be precisely controlled by a shutter mechanism. The measured uniformity coefficients ranged from 91.2 to 94.3%. The kinetic energy of the simulated rainfall at intensities above 30 mm h−1 was close to that of natural rainfall

Physical and Conservation Constraints and Management Components for SAT Alfisols

The Alfisols of the semi-arid tropics are well-drained soils, but possess low water-storage capacities. They are, therefore, cropped only during the rainy (monsoon) season. With traditional rainfed farming, the soils are both unproductive and prone to excessive runoff and erosion. Efforts to improve management of these soils for conventional cropping have succeeded in increasing crop yields over traditional management systems, but effective practices for improved soil and water conservation remain to be formulated. This is primarily because of the extreme structural instability of the soils. Physical components of improved management have been subject to many0927 investigations and many promising trends have emerged, but no integrated set of practices can, as yet, be confidently recommended for sustaining agricultural productivity on small farms. In this background paper, evidence primarily from research at ICRISAT is used as a basis for discussion of the physical constraints and the promising developments that have been made in improving the conservation and management of these soils

Improved rainfed farming for semiarid tropics-implications for soil and water conservation

Alfisols and Vertisols are major soil orders found in the semiarid tropics. In most semiarid regions, the average annual rainfall would seem to be enough to produce one or two crops per year; however, rainfall patterns are erratic with frequent dry periods within the rainy season. The uncertainties have kept farmers from investing substantially in the development of the land resource base and in the use of high yielding varieties, fertilizers, and other inputs (4). Increased population has resulted in a need for fundamental changes in production systems. Shifting cultivation is being replaced by permanent agriculture, and farmers' attempts to further increase production have caused an extension of agriculture to marginal lands subject to frequent crop failure, primarily because of inadequate moisture. Intensified land use under existing systems may become self-defeating because it results in increased runoff and soil erosion, reduced groundwater recharge and downstream flooding of agricultural lands. As a result, the land resource base is shrinking and its productive capacity is diminishing. Thus, a scheme of resource management combining effective conservation and utilization of soil and water with crop production systems that maintain productivity and assure dependable harvest is urgently required (5)