SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE IMPROVEMENT ILEIA -2 Orr Manual for the Humid Tropics Luuiuas 0 00 E J
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WAU ECOLOGY INSTITUTE HANDBOOK No. 10 fürBrot die welt ILEIA P.O. Box 64 3830 AB LEUSDEN The Netherlands SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE IMPROVEMENT ILEIA -2 orr Manual for the Humid Tropics luuiuas 0 00 e j 1 i Edited by Friedhelm Goeltenboth The publication of this book was kindly supported by Bread for the World, Stuttgart. Their valuable contribution is acknowledged with thanks. CIP-Titelauftaahme der Deutschen Bibliothek Subsistence agriculture improvement : manual for the humid tropics / ed. by Friedhelm Goeltenboth. - Weikersheim : Margraf, 1990 (Tropical agroecology; 4) ISBN 3-8236-1157-7 NE: Goeltenboth, Friedhelm [Hrsg.]; GT Contributing Authors: V.E. Dalpadado, F. Goeltenboth, N.H.S. Howcroft, B. Louman, G. Nalu, F. Samana, B. Siki The contents of signed articles is the entire responsibility of the respective author. Illustrations : Sally Shaw Printing and Binding: F. & T. Müllerbader Forststraße 18 D-7024 Filderstadt Federal Republic of Germany © 1985, 1990 Wau Ecology Institute P.O. Box 77 Wau, Papua New Guinea National Library Papua New Guinea ISBN 9980-73-001-3 Copublished by : 1990 Margraf Scientific Publishers Mühlstraße 9, P.O. Box 105 D-6992 Weikersheim Federal Republic of Germany ISBN 3-8236-1157-7 ISSN 0935-9109 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The editor and the authors gratefully acknowledge the help received by the WAU ECOLOGY INSTITUTE and its director Mr. Harry Sakulas MSc., the Project Planning Com mittee chaired by Prof. Dr. E. Balasubramaniam, Miss Sally Shaw (USA) for her excellent drawings illustrating this manual, Mrs. Ellen Woodley (Canada) for her substantial help in correcting the manuscript and Bread for the World, Stutt gart, West Germany for providing financial assistance. THE WAU ECOLOGY INSTITUTE P.O. BOX 77 WAU PAPUA NEW GUINEA PATRON Sir Paulias Matane, CMG, OBE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Camillus S.N. Narakobi, Chairman Denny Wele Wano, Deputy Chairman Peri Anton Allen Allison, PhD E. Balasubramaniam, PhD Cecilia Kaman Rosa Kambuon Karol Kisokau, CMG Geoffrey Mosowadoga, CMG Ben Joseph Frank J. Radovsky, PhD Michael H. Robinson, PhD Simon Saulei, PhD Utula Samana, MP Ben Yapu DIRECTOR Harry W. Sakulas, MSc The Wau Ecology Institute is located in the mid-mountain area at Wau (Morobe) in Papua New Guinea. The Institute was established in 1972 as a non-profit, non governmental corporation dedicated to the study and education of ecology and conservation, rural development and environ ment protection in Papua New Guinea. Located at about 1000 meters altitude on the lower slopes of Mount Kaindi, the Institute has access to a remarkable range of environments at various altitudes. The summit of Mt. Kaindi (2350 m) is accessible by road, and the extensive pristine forests provide abundant wilderness tracts for survey and study of the biota. The Institute has facilities for short-term and long-term visitors. Short-term guests may stay in the hostel or in rental bungalows. Long-term researchers and visitors may lease Insti tute housing and laboratory space. In addition, the Institute supports a regional research library, arboretum, herbarium, small zoo, medicinal plants demonstration garden and preser ved collections of vertebrates and invertebrates. Research faci lities include dehumified laboratory space, microscopes, pre serving equipment and assorted research supplies. Visitors, researchers, naturalists and bird-watchers are welcome to visit and stay at the Institute. Because of limited space, all are adviced to make bookings in advance, and to make full inquiries about the availability of specific services, supplies or transportation: The Director Wau Ecology Institute P.O. Box 77 Wau, Papua New Guinea Phone 44-6341 AUTHORS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS Present address Victor E. Box 831 Dalpadado Lae Papua New Guinea (Application of work study techniques, points about extension methods and nutri tion improvement in subsistence farming) Dr. Friedhelm Hauptstr. 9 Goelthenboth 7401 Nehren West Germany (Introduction Notes on subsistence agriculture and the subsistence agriculture improvement project Background information about the mid- mountain biogeography of Papua New Guinea Appropriate tools for the subsistence garden Subsistence agriculture and aspects of eco logy and conservation in Papua New Guinea Aspects of subsistence agriculture and education in Papua New Guinea) N. H. S. Forest Research Station Howcroft P.O. Box 134 Bulolo Papua New Guinea (Nitrogen fixing trees) Bas Louman Thorbeckelaan 4 5463 BM Veghe The Netherlands (Appropriate tools for the subsistence garden) Fungke Samana Morobe Women's Association P.O. Box 1327 Lae Papua New Guinea (Women in agriculture) Beka Siki Box 697 Lae Papua New Guinea (Subsistence agriculture and soil conservation Agroforestry - a short overview Simple organic plant protection) GoaroNalu c/oDPJ Wau Papua New Guinea Practical advisor FOREWORD Subsistence agriculture maintains 80% of PNG's 3 million people. Subsistence agriculture is the major pre-occupation of the bulk of the rural population. It is their way of life. Whilst, the Nation grapples with the concerns of the state, namely the running of the bureaucracy, and investments involving high finance and trade in need of cash, the villagers grapple with the basic needs of the family — food and shelter. Yet, when one, assesses the imports of basic food items, canned or otherwise, one wonders about what our Government's planning is up to, and where our priorities lie. Subsistence agriculture gets the least attention, or none at all by Government agricultural extension services. Thousands of kina was spent year in and year out on didiman cars, fuels and maintenance costs, not to mention payments for travel allowances, boot allowances, accommodation allowances, etc. etc. on extension programmes that concentrate on cash-crops and cattle that promotes "bisnis" and so-called development despite the escalation of import bills on basic food items. Subsistence agriculture in the eyes of the officialdom is not an "economy." With this attitudinal background, any effort in the promotion and improvement of subsistence agriculture by way of improving agricultural techniques and methods, is of great importance to the bulk of the population. This manual on subsistence agriculture is the end result of consistency and persistence in the development of appropriate and improved techniques in improving subsistence agriculture pro duction — to make justice to the people of the land in the villages. My sincere gratitude to those hardworking individuals and extensionists formerly attached to the Wau Ecology SAP program (Subsistence Agriculture Programme), to the contributors to this manual and the Editor Dr. F. Goeltenboth, for the collation and analysis of experiences gained so far, to help the people of Morobe and PNG to further help themselves. May I commend this manual to all those who are concerned with the practical approach to improving the Melanesian Way of life through subsistence agriculture. Utula U. Samana Premier of Morobe Province Papua New Guinea FOREWORD All over Papua New Guinea forests are moving further away up the sides of mountains. The shifting cultivation needs more and more agricultural lands. The semi-nomadic subsistence agriculture techniques of "slash and burn" are ill-adapted to meet the needs of Papua New Guinea's rapidly expanding agrarian societies. The "slash and burn" system destroys the forests and as a result the topsoil washes away and only kunai will grow there. Therefore the Subsistence Agriculture Project of The Wau Ecology Institute developed appropriate techniques for the training of all peoples concerned in an improved subsistence agriculture program showing how to grow quantitatively and qualitatively better food in a site-stable garden. All the methods used are put together in this manual hope fully making it a resource for all those concerned with the im provement of the life situation of the subsistence farms. Professor E. Balasubramaniam Chairman, Subsistence Agriculture Project. 30th October 1984. FOREWORD (2nd issue) The steady increasing acceptance of the knowledge that the subsistence farmers are of fundamental importance for a desirable development in a given environment leads to demand of information, how subsistence agriculture could be improved. By combining the necessity of conservation of the environ ment with the need for more and healthier food crops, the uni que fauna and flora could be protected as "a heritage, worth more than gold", as the most Honourable Sir Paulias Matane stated. It is felt, that an increasing number of concerned people, multiplicators and officials have realized the necessity to com bine the efforts of villagers, scientists and practicioners to dis seminate available information to promote the acceptance of" environmentally safe practices of subsistence improvement. After only four years since the publication of the first issue of this book, this second issue is needed. The improved version of the book should help to disseminate the information, how the situation of the subsistence farmers in a montane tropical area could be promoted. It is also hoped, that it will be an example for others to do similar work for other regions of the tropical zone, an environment already under an increasing stress. Tübingen, August 1989 Dr. Friedhelm Göltenboth (Editor) CONTENTS Introduction 1 Notes on subsistence agriculture and the subsistence agriculture improvement project 7 The mid-mountain biogeography of Papua New Guinea 11 Topography and geology 11 Soil 12 Climate