Improved agroforestry technologies for conservation farming: pathways toward sustainability

There is a dynamic flux transforming the theory and practice of conservation farming for hill-slopes in the tropics. Much of the conservation wisdom of even 10 years ago has been challenged by recent research and farmer experience. the 'new' conventional wisdom that replaced it (cantering on pruned tree hedgerows) is also now under serious revision. in such a fluid environment it not certain that the 'best management practice' recommended today will stand the test of experience tomorrow.This paper proposes a simplified model for comparative analysis of the pathways towards farming systems ' sustainability on sloping lands . The pathway break in to two streams based on fundamental distinction of whether or not external inputs are available to the farmer.In the case where nutrient inputs are not feasible, continued land land use depends on the strategies based on the following. Initially, these are natural fallows. intensification evolves towards improved fallows, or economic fallows (such as tree crops in agroforests). Because nutrients are a more fundamental limitation in such situations, farmers do not perceive soil erosion as important.

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