Savant pushes agroforestry for greening program

MANILA, Philippines - Dr. Calixto Protacio of UP Los Banos believes agroforesty is what the country needs to make the National Greening Program (NGP) a continuing success.

In a recent paper, Protacio, also chairman of the Initiative for Farm Advocacy and Resource Management (IFARM), stressed that the key element in NGP is to plant an equal number of forest trees and multi-purpose trees like fruit and plantation crops.

A professor in the Crop Science Cluster at UPLB, Protacio has argued that the proponents of NGP, launched by President Aquino on May 13, 2011, agreed “that it takes a long time for forest trees to be economically useful while fruit and plantation crops can already yield fruits and nuts in a few years depending on the species planted. The system where forestry and agriculture coexist is called agroforestry.”

Protacio, who has undertaken research on the agroecology, stressed that forest trees can occupy areas with higher elevations while areas with lower elevations and gentler slopes can be devoted to a mixture of perennial trees and agricultural crops.

“Upland dwellers have to support themselves somehow on a daily basis and this is the reason they tend to plant agricultural food crops. Unfortunately, while trying to feed themselves and eke out a living from the often marginal soils of the uplands, they also unwittingly contribute to soil erosion and other environmental degradation. They also cut existing trees for fuel. People in the uplands need to support themselves in terms of food, shelter, and livelihood. Their life depends on the biological resources available to them,” Protacio revealed.

Thus, he noted, people living in the uplands are central to the success of the NGP and they could be employed to implement agroforestry better.

“Planting of trees will only be done in tenured government land under the NGP and these are the Community –Based Forestry Management (or CBFM) areas. The occupants here have forestry stewardship contracts for 25 years, renewable for another 25 years. Legally, they are entitled to the products of what they plant via an approved Resource Utilization Permit, which is why it is presumed that they will take good care of the trees to be planted under NGP.  Moreover, while the fruit, latex, or nut tree crops are not yet bearing, the government, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will give these forest stewards financial assistance called Environmental Conditional Cash Transfer or ECCTs to take care of and protect (against stray animals and fire) the trees planted,” he said.

Protacio explained that agroforestry can yield better dividends if cash crops and coconuts are cultivated.

Coconut is not only good for its oil but a source of coco-sugar with low glycemic index for diabetics and coco water is now a rage worldwide. Its trunk is used as lumber while coco coir is in demand among automobile makers. The nuts are harvested from 45 to 60 days, supplying the grower with cash for his daily needs.

Coffee is a high-value crop suited to the uplands. It requires minimal crop protection. It also promotes biodiversity as it provides food for the civet cat or alamid, giving rise to the expensive “alamid coffee.”  The deep-rooted Liberica and Excelsa varieties (commonly known as kapeng barako) are adapted to the forest-like environment, giving commensurate yield. These two varieties can also tolerate six months of dry conditions, where most crops will not thrive, making them suitable for regions with drier climate. Global coffee prices have risen recently.

Rubber trees are excellent since tapping for latex is done every other day except for two months of the year when “wintering” —or leaf fall and regeneration—occurs. Rubber can be planted in areas where abundant rainfall occurs and typhoons are absent as in Mindanao although there are now plantings in Luzon and the Visayas.

Abaca is a perennial indigenous crop producing fiber whose trade the Philippines dominates; giving rise to the name Manila rope and Manila paper.  It is a crop that indigenous people use for clothing, like the t’nalak among the T’boli and cordage. So it is also culturally valuable and socially acceptable. It is naturally grown as an agroforestry crop. Currently, 65 percent of abaca produced is used industrially for pulp and paper while the rest is shared by handicrafts and cordage.

Cacao as a crop has been with us since Spanish times but we import two- thirds of our requirements from Indonesia and Ghana. “This is ironic as we have more than 10 cocoa processing plants. Cacao will thrive in an agroforestry system where several crops or biodiversity exists rather than under a monoculture type of production which gives rise to serious pest and disease problems,” Protacio said.

There is a readily available local market for cacao products and it is processed into tablea or chocolate tablets for eventual use as breakfast drink or mixed with rice to make rice porridge or champorado.

Pili stands out as an ideal agroforestry crop because it is fast- growing and able to withstand the strongest typhoons.  It is a good windbreak tree to protect other crops, requires minimal care and has the highest establishment percentage in an agroforestry setting among different fruit crops on Mt. Makiling’s slopes. It provides the expensive pili nut which the Chinese market demands but our country cannot as yet supply. Another product from pili is the resin called Manila elemi.  More importantly, the pili tree also bears fruits year-round.

Jackfruit is a good fruit crop as it bears fruits year-round and contributes to food security as well.  It is a sustainable crop as crop protection needs is negligible except for bagging the fruits.  Its seeds are a good carbohydrate source.

Banana, especially the Saba variety, is good for the uplands as it meets the NGP objectives of food security, year-round income source and biodiversity conservation. The Philippines has a wealth of banana varieties. The stem can help feed hogs in the farm. Banana is also amenable to processing like in banana chips.

Cashew will do well in the uplands especially in the regions with drier climate.  The nuts are non-perishable and needs little processing.  The fleshy fruit can be converted into wine and other products.

Tamarind should always be included in the mix of fruit trees as it is leguminous, thus supplying much needed nitrogen and environmental stability to the agroforestry system.  Its fruits can be sold fresh, as candy or as a souring agent.

“All of the above rate a score of 3 on a scale of 1 to 5 in terms of fulfilling the goals of NGP but with coconut scoring a 5.  Other fruit crops like citrus, guyabano, lanzones,mango, santol, durian, mangosteen and rambutan may be planted for variety but they are mostly cash crops and seasonal or require expensive external inputs like mango. They are also perishable with poor postharvest characteristics,” Protacio concluded. (biolife news service)