Investigación sobre sistemas de producción agrícola para el pequeño agricultor del trópico

Abstract

An experiment was carried out at Turrialba, Costa Rica, to test different systems of production suited for small farmers, characterized by an excess of hand labor and a shortage of land and money. The study included various spatial and chronological patterns of monocropping, intercropping and crop-rotation of the following crop species, bean, corn, cassava, and sweet potato. Different levels of technology were applied to fifty four of these crop patterns giving a total of 216 cropping systems. This paper deals with data from 25 of these systems representing the different cropping patterns. Using the Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) as a measure of production, the majority of multiple cropping systems were more efficient than their corresponding monocroppings, both in yield and biomass production. Some of the outstanding systems were a rotation of beans with maize followed by maize; an intercropping of beans and maize followed by maize, beans and cassava followed by a rotation of maize; and maize intercropped with cassava followed by sweet potato. High level of technology increased yield, biomass and utilization of solar radiation both in monocropping and multiple cropping systems. Fertlizers were among the most important factors in determining yield in systems with high technology. The efficiency of the major nutrient elements, measured as the ratio of amount of nutrient applied to amount of edible portion produced, was K>N>S>P. Multiple cropping systems were more efficient than monocroppings in reducing total weed biomass. Airborne diseases were more evident in monocrops than in multiple crops. Multiple cropping permitted a broader and more uniform distribution of hand labor throughout the year. Irregular food prices at the time of harvest, contributed to some discrepancies between agronomic and economic benefits.