http://www.fao.org/asiapacific/events/detail-events/en/c/1262/ Presentation of Rada Kong, from CASC, Cambodia, describing ecological intensification for resilient farming in Cambodia, discussing plant diversity, cropping systems and healthy soils. The presentation was prepared and delivered in occasion of the Regional Symposium on Agroecology in Asia and the Pacific, held in Bangkok, Senegal on 24-26 November 2015. © FAO: http://www.fao.org

1. Ecological intensification for resilient farming
in Cambodia
Rada Kong, Veng Sar, Sopheak Trang, Vira Leng, Koy Ra, Lyda Hok,
Manuel Reyes, Stéphane Boulakia and Florent Tivet
Bangkok, November 24-26, 2015
Multi-stakeholder Consultation on
Agro-ecology in Asia and the Pacific

2. 2
Outlines
1. Overview of agrarian context
2. Plant diversity as a driver to build healthy soils
3. Co-designing and assessing innovative
cropping systems
4. Towards an inclusive approach

3. • High land saturation and high rate of poverty
• Extensive rice-based system due to scarcity of labor force and
• Low levels of diversification, low soil fertility and highly vulnerable
• Increasing contractual services for land preparation and harvesting
• Constant state of undernourishment for cattle and buffalo
1. Agrarian context: Rainfed lowlands (75%)

4. • Political and territorial reintegration
strategy of the Khmer Rouge leading to
allocation of forest lands
• Mass migrations and large-scale forest
conversions for small-scale farming
• Rapid soil degradation due to tillage-
based intensive mono-cropping
• Land concentration: wealthy farmers
shift to perennial plants (fruit trees)
In the NW, ~500,000 ha were reclaimed 1996-2010
Conventional plow and ridge cassava in
Trapeang Prasat, Oddar Meanchey
1. Agrarian context: Rainfed uplands

5. Cambodia, Mondol Kiri, April 2008, S. Boulakia
Cassava and maize, the crops of the pioneers
Lose and lose strategy:
Biodiversity extinction
High GHG emission
Rapid soil degradation
No sustainable agricultural
development
Subsequent re-appropriation of land
Soil degradation effects 78,000 km2 or
43% of total land area (Bai et al., 2008
in Soil Use and Management)

6. Translating technical principles of
Conservation Agriculture into ecological processes
Minimum or
no soil tillage
Permanent soil
cover
Specie diversity
and arrangement
2. Building healthy soil: Plant diversity as a driver
of soil – crop interactions and ecosystem services

7. 7
Biodiversity is the engine that drives soil-crop interactions and
enhances ecosystem services. Increasing the Soil Organic Matter
(the fuel) to enhance the soil biota (the gear).
Building healthy soil

8. The drivers: a large diversity of crops and
cover/relay crops (40 species, 350 var.)
• Main crops: Soybean
(60 var.), rain-fed rice
(180 var.), and cassava
(22, CIAT)
• Secondary cash crops:
9 species (cowpea,
pigeon pea,
sorghum…), 40 var.
• Cover/relay crops
(legumes and grasses):
16 species (Sunhemp,
Stylo, Centro,
Sesbania…), 34
cultivars N
N + tap root + suppresive to
nematodes + pollination …
Grains, biomass, recycling
K, weeds control, soil
structure …
N + soil structure + recycling
+ P solubilization …
Collection of soybean…etc

9. 9
3. Cropping systems engineering: design and assessment
Early maize followed by cassava
Dry season cassava
Soybean after sorghum Maize with Pigeon pea
Farmer field of maize in Battambang

10. 10
Integrating biological and mechanical tools to
develop organic CA systems
Maize + stylo + pigeon peaRice + stylo
3.5t/ha
6.9 tons/ha

11. 11
Rain-fed red oxisol on basalt
Hok et al., 2015 in Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment
Boulakia et al., 2014 in Journal Environmental Biology
22.1 Carbon (t/ha) 19.9
2.07 Nitrogen (t/ha) 1.54
16.0 Biodiversity (no taxa) 10.0
567.0 Abundance (ind/m2) 281.0
63.0 Biomass (g/m2) 0.9
Maintaining soil functions:
• SOM and N accumulation
• Sustaining soil biodiversity
• Improving soil structure
and water holding capacity
• Nutrient saving strategies
CA (8y) CT

12. Adaptation process with smallholders

13. 13
 20 tons/ha of fresh matter
Fodder source, integration with
animal husbandry + use as a green
manure or cover crop
Broadcasting fodder legumes and grass on rice
or 2nd crops (sesame, radish, mung-bean…)
Rain-fed lowland (80% sand): diversification
and soil fertility management

14. 14
Cassava cropping systems based on EI
Conventional: disk plough + ridging
High sensitivity to climate uncertainties
and weed pressure
Chisel plough, wet season cassava
Appropriate-scale machinery
25 tons fresh tubers/ha
55 tons/ha

15. Knowledge intensive, capacity to make
decision
Landscape/territory approach, need for
institutional changes and connections with agro-
industries
Process of collective learning, enhancing
rural/social networksAdaptation, personal knowing
4. Towards an inclusive approach

16. Thank
you for
attention!
Social network for collective learning for continuous innovation!
New generation of agronomist, technician…!