Eco-Efficient Agriculture & Central America The field lab where you really want to be? A. Schmidt et al. 20/05/2009

Central America is a hot spot of land degradation, affects 75% of agricultural land Source: UNEP-ISRIC, 1990 Degradation Very Severe Severe

When there is water, there is no light and when there is light, there is no water

Improved water use & management

Soil fertility management in mixed systems

Soil fertility management

NuMaSS on-farm validation results Effect of NuMaSS recommendations on maize production profitability at two locations in Honduras Candelaria , Lempira Variables Location 1 (SV) Location 2 (ITC) NuMaSS Farmer NuMaSS Farmer Fertilizer (kg/ha) 90 300 141 300 Yield (kg/ha) 2.7 1.23 3.0 1.7 Net gain (US$/ha) 511 85 575 191

Agroforestry System Quezungual Planting of crops into mulch under trees

Agroforestry System Quezungual

Agroforestry System Quezungual

Seed Supply Systems Pequeñas Empresas de Semillas (PES)

Seed Supply System EMPRASEFOR

4.4 5.5 7 9.9 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Yield t/ha Summary of results obtained by FLAR in Nicaragua 2004 Average national yield Yield with conventional management 2001-2003 Farmer yield with semi-improved management 2004 Best management 2004

Welcome to Central America “ … The place to be!”

Welcome to Central America “ … is STILL the place to be!” Thank you