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Providing Services to Smallholders
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LAND SELECTION

The land use methods which are agronomically and environmentally appropriate are determined first and foremost by the characteristics and location of the smallholders' fields:

  • if the plots are small and scattered, use of machinery is not possible: labour-intensive methods are anyway usually more appropriate than capital-intensive for smallholders;
  • if the land is steep or exposed, wind and water erosion control measures are essential: these can be costly and are not always easy to install on an individual farm basis;
  • if the rainfall is low or unreliable, irrigation is necessary: choices have to be made on the best method of applying and managing irrigation water;
  • if the area is subject to flooding, drainage and flood control measures are needed: again costly and not always easy to install on individual farms;
  • if the fertility of the soils is low, fertilizer applications are needed: choices have to be made between organic and inorganic methods of enhancing soil fertility;
  • if the area is subject to build-up of pests and diseases, plant protection measures have to be taken: choices must be made between biological and chemical methods of prevention and control.

As a broad generalization, areas which do not require heavy investments in agricultural machinery, erosion control, irrigation, drainage, chemical fertilizer or pest control measures as prerequisites for sustainable land use are likely to be more appropriate for smallholder cultivation than those which do require such investments.

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Natural Resources Institute 2003