Michigan Technological University Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports - Open Reports 2011 The effects of soil moisture, field-scale oposequentialt position, and slope on yields in irrigated upland rice fields in Flores, Comayagua, Honduras Kyle M. Earnshaw Michigan Technological University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/etds Part of the Forest Sciences Commons Copyright 2011 Kyle M. Earnshaw Recommended Citation Earnshaw, Kyle M., "The effects of soil moisture, field-scale toposequential position, and slope on yields in irrigated upland rice fields in Flores, Comayagua, Honduras", Master's Thesis, Michigan Technological University, 2011. https://doi.org/10.37099/mtu.dc.etds/154 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/etds Part of the Forest Sciences Commons THE EFFECTS OF SOIL MOISTURE, FIELD-SCALE TOPOSEQUENTIAL POSITION, AND SLOPE ON YIELDS IN IRRIGATED UPLAND RICE FIELDS IN FLORES, COMAYAGUA, HONDURAS By Kyle M. Earnshaw A THESIS Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE (Forestry) MICHIGAN TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY 2011 ©2011 Kyle M. Earnshaw This thesis, “The Effects of Soil Moisture, Field-Scale Toposequential Position, and Slope on Yields in Irrigated Upland Rice Fields in Flores, Comayagua, Honduras,” is hereby approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN FORESTRY. School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Signatures: Thesis Advisor _________________________________ Dr. Blair Orr Dean _________________________________ Dr. Margaret R. Gale Date _________________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................ 5 LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................................. 8 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................... 10 ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... 12 CHAPTER ONE - INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 13 CHAPTER TWO – GENERAL BACKGROUND ................................................................................. 16 2.1 History ............................................................................................................................... 19 2.2 Climate and Topography ................................................................................................... 19 2.3 The People, Culture, and Religion ..................................................................................... 24 2.4 Health ................................................................................................................................ 27 2.5 Economy............................................................................................................................ 27 CHAPTER THREE – STUDY AREA BACKGROUND ......................................................................... 28 3.1 Climate and Soils ............................................................................................................... 30 3.2 Agriculture ........................................................................................................................ 34 3.3. Rice ................................................................................................................................... 37 CHAPTER FOUR - METHODS ........................................................................................................ 42 4.1 Field Selection ................................................................................................................... 42 4.2 Field Characterization ....................................................................................................... 43 4.3 Soil Moisture Measurements ............................................................................................ 44 4.4 Soil Moisture Meter Calibration ....................................................................................... 48 4.5 Yield Data .......................................................................................................................... 49 4.6 Interviews.......................................................................................................................... 51 4.7 Data Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 52 CHAPTER FIVE - DATA ................................................................................................................. 53 CHAPTER SIX – RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ................................................................................. 60 6.1 Field Characterization ....................................................................................................... 60 6.2 Soil Moisture Meter Calibration Results ........................................................................... 67 3 6.3 Results of Analyses ............................................................................................................ 69 6.3.1 Soil moisture vs. Yield ................................................................................................ 69 6.3.2 Soil moisture vs. Yields at transect Point ................................................................... 69 6.3.3 Soil moisture vs. Slope ............................................................................................... 74 6.3.4 Transect Point and Fields vs. Yield ............................................................................. 75 6.3.5 Slope vs. Yield............................................................................................................. 79 6.3.6 Farmers vs. Yield ........................................................................................................ 80 6.4 Discussion.......................................................................................................................... 80 6.4.1 Discussion of Transect Point, Soil Moisture, Slope and Erosion ................................ 81 6.4.2 Discussion of Yield Differences between Farmers ..................................................... 87 6.4.3 Discussion of Management Styles ............................................................................. 88 6.4.4 Discussion of Rationality and Land Tenure ................................................................ 90 6.4.5 Value of Field Studies vs. Research Plots ................................................................... 91 6.5 Summary ........................................................................................................................... 92 CHAPTER SEVEN - CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................... 93 WORKS CITED .............................................................................................................................. 96 APPENDIX A – CLIMATE DATA ................................................................................................... 105 APPENDIX B ............................................................................................................................... 110 APPENDIX C ............................................................................................................................... 112 APPENDIX D ............................................................................................................................... 114 Library Web Material Usage Statement ..................................................................... 115 Public Domain .............................................................................................................. 115 4 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1. Map of Central America with Honduras in the center (University of Texas 2011) ......................................................................................... 16 Figure 2.2. The administrative departments of Honduras. ......................................... 18 Figure 2.3. The ecosystems of Honduras are largely determined by position, both vertically and spatially, as related to mountains. .................................... 20 Figure 2.4. Annual precipitation (mm) in Honduras ................................................... 22 Figure 2.5. Average temperature (C) in Honduras .................................................... 23 Figure 2.6. Kyle's host father dances a traditional dance during Children's Day on September 10th. Photo by Kyle M. Earnshaw. ........................................... 25 Figure 3.1. The five fields used in this study are shown in relation to nearby towns and cities. Note that the map is not up-to-date. The main highway (CA-5) no longer makes an “S” shape, but rather goes directly from Flores to Comayagua. ...................................................................... 29 Figure 3.2. Monthly and decadal precipitation in Flores, La Villa de San Antonio, Comayagua. Developed from Almedarez 1988. .................................. 32 Figure 3.3. Rainy season crop distribution