ii
crops, specially peanuts and tobacco are important. Most clients practice diversified farming.
A survey (Sondeo), conducted in 1981, was used to classify the clientele described. It also and most importantly identified problems and constraints faced by the clientele. The major bio-physical constraints are a result of the poor resource base. Soil structure and native fertility are poor. Rainfall is unreliable, and soil moisture retention is poor. Weed, insect, and disease pressures are high. Socio-economic constraints are a result of insufficient management time and cash flow, exacerbated by unstable markets, changing government policy and rising production .costs.- .
The Sondeo focused the team's research efforts. Short range objectives were delineated and research activities were designed to meet them. The Sondeo focussed the team's research efforts. Short range objectives are designed primarily to-inc .ease the profitability of current enterprises. To this end. phe team has attempted to find means of reducing costly farm inputs, especially fertilizer; improving cash flow management; moving away from energy-intensive systems; attacking hardpan problems; developing intercropping systems; and improving information transfer. Observations of farm practices determined production techniques which the team needed to incorporate into its research designs. In particular, these included planting techniques, and varying fertilization timings and rates of fertilizer used. Work began on-farm and station in the fall of 1981. Long range objectives include developing alternative enterprises that will provide on-going stability for the farm family.
Research
Farming systems is designed to rapidly and accurately
identify problems faced by the clientele, and proceed to develop alternative and systemic solutions to those problems.
Problem Identification: 3 years of feedback from various sources including farmers, review teams and collaborating professionals has offered a general concensus that the FSR/E work has rapidly and fairly accurately identified a number of key problems faced by the clientele, and moved to find alternative solutions to those problems. Useful technologies have been tested with winter grains, tropical corn, as a result of the fertility studies, and with perennial peanut.
Many of the alternatives investigated have been examined on the basis of potential multiple uses (e.g., wheat production for grazing and/or grain), variable management conditions and the degree to which they meet management, capital, labor and other constraints. In general, these solutions have been oriented with the characteristics of the farming systems in mind, and thus are systemic in nature. Many of the research activities are designed to offer farmers alternatives which either reduce their input costs, improve overall resource use, or replace