Short-cycle Sole Crop Systems on Rainfed Land

 Table 7 shows that bean, maize, pigeon pea and peanut are the
main short-cycle sole crop systems grown on rainfed land. With
the exception of pigeon peas, which is grown only once a year,
crops can be planted twice each year. Land preparation starts in
March for all crops; the second time for bean, maize and peanut
is in August. It is performed by hand with a machete in the case
of pigeon pea, while an oxen with plow or a machete are used for
the other crops.

 Planting occurs within a month after the land has been
prepared. All crops are planted by hand with a machete although
in some cases peanut planting is done with a seed drill and a
mule. Seed rates for bean, maize, pigeon pea and peanut are 73,
43, 14, and 80 kg ha 1, respectively. Some of the farmers who
harvest beans in July-August provide bean seed to those who
plant in September with the agreement that when these farmers
finish their harvest in December, they will return an extra 50% of.
the seed borrowed. Under this system, the farmers harvesting in
July and August conserve the germination quality of the seed and
obtain a 50% bonus. The farmers planting in September need no
cash for seed purchases. *


 The use of fertilizers and pesticides is not common. Weeding is
done during the same time of the year for all crops and is per-
formed with a machete. Yields are lower than those obtained on
irrigated land owing in part to the occurrence of periodic
droughts.
 Marketing under these systems, in which are produced on the
more accessible rainfed lands, is very similar to that for irrigated
systems. Peanut production is sold to "La Manicera" under the
same contract discussed above. The other three crops are sold to
middlemen who come with their trucks to purchase the output at
the farm gate or nearest road. Sometimes, pigeon peas are
transported by mules to be sold in the nearest market.

Short-cycle Crop Mixture Systems on Rainfed Land
 Bean-maize, bean-pigeon pea, and bean-pigeon pea-maize
(Table 8) are the three most important crop mixtures found on
rainfed land. They are grown only once a year with the exception
of bean-maize which is produced twice each year. The bean-
pigeon pea-maize crop mixture is mostly found on more remote
farms in the uplands. Farmers argue that under this system, if
one crop fails it is still possible to obtain some production from
the others; that is, this system guarantees them the possibility of
a certain amount of food for their families.


TABLE 7. Characteristics of short-cycle crops systems on rainfed land in Las Cuevas 1 watershed, Dominican Republic, 1982.


 Land preparation
Crop Rotation Time Means


 Planting
 Rate
Time Means (kg ha)


Fertilization Harvesting
 and Weeding Yield 1
 Pesticide Time Means Time (kg ha ) Marketing


Bean March Oxen w/plow or April Hand 73 Rarely May Hand July 167-725 Middlemen
 Aug. hand (machete) Sept. (machete) used Oct. (machete) Dec. at farm gate


Maize March Oxen w/plow or April Hand 43 Rarely May-June Hand Aug.- 363-1183 Middlemen
 Aug. hand (machete) Sep. (machete) used Oct-Nov.(machete) Sept. at farm gate
 Jan.-Feb.

Pigeon pea March Hand April Hand 14 None May-June Hand Jan. 363-1088 Middlemenat
 (machete) (machete) (machete) (for 2-3 farm gate or
 months) in mules to
 nearest market


March Oxen w/plow or April Seed drill 80
Aug. hand (machete) Sep. w/mule or
 hand (machete)


None May Hand July 239-624
 Oct .(machete) Dec.


TABLE 8. Characteristics of short-cycle crop mixture systems on rainfed land in Lasi Cuevas watershed, Dominican Republic, 1982.


 Land Preparation

Crop mixture Rotation Time Means


 Planting Fertilization We. Harvesting
 Rate I and eednYield
Time Means (kg ha ) Pesticide Time Means Time (kg ha- ) Marketing


Bean-maze March Oxen w/plow or April Hand Bean: None May Hand Bean: 181-725 Middlemen
 eahand (machete) (machete) 50-73 (machete) July at farm gate
 P.Pea: P. Pea: 145-617
 7-15 Nov.-Feb.

 March Oxen w/plow or March Hand Bean: None April Hand Bean: 290-653 Middlemen
Bean-maize Aug. hand (machete) Sep. (machete) 50-73 Oct. (machete) July; at farm gate
 Maize: Nov-Dec.
 15-22 Maize: 218-580
 Aug;Dec-
 Jan.


March Oxen w/plow or
 hand (machete)


April Hand Bean:
 (machete) 43-65
 P.Pea:
 11-15
 Maize:
 15-22


None Continu- Hand Bean: 109-377 Home
 ously (machete) Julyconsum
 P.Pea: 240-435 conuptIn
 Nov-Dec.
 Maize: 196-363
 Aug.-Sep.


PROCEEDINGS of the CARIBBEAN FOOD CROPS SOCIETY-VOL. XX


Peanut


Processing
plant


Bean-pigeon pea-
maize


54