Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
2.1 Introduction
The growing of trees in homegardens is a traditional practice throughout Southeast
Asia. It is referred to as the oldest land use activity next to shifting cultivation
(Kumar and Nair 2004, 2006), with the earliest evidence of garden cultivation dat-
ing back to 7000-3000 BC (Soemarwoto 1987) or even to 13,000-9,000 BC in the
case fishing communities in Southeast Asia (Wiersum 2006).
Homegardens in Indonesia and India have received a reasonable amount of sci-
entific attention, being recognized as distinct multi-layered and multi-functional
agroecosystems in which trees play an important role (e.g., Michon 1983; Michon
et al. 1986; Soemarwoto et al. 1985; Fernandes and Nair 1986; Kubota et al. 2002a, b;
Vogl et al. 2004; Peyre et al. 2006; Abdoellah et al. 2006). Yet, nearly all lack sci-
entific evidence of various ecological, economic and social sustainability aspects
which in turn obstructs predictions of the gardens' fate under conditions of increas-
ing commercialization (Nair 2001; Wiersum 2004; Nair 2006).
Homegardens can be classified on the basis of a variety of functions and serv-
ices, including for example gardens for pure survival (survival gardens), subsist-
ence (subsistence gardens), market production (market gardens), hobby (household
budget gardens), communal medicine production (village herbal or medicinal gar-
den) or various ecological gardens (bio-gardens; Wiersum 2006). There is a grow-
ing awareness that homegardening, combined with nutritional education, can be a
viable strategy for improving household food security and optimize nutritional
diversity for at-risk populations, particularly women and children (Kumar and Nair
2004). A survey of 40 households in the Philippines showed that most households
could meet the recommended daily requirements for vitamin A, vitamin C, iron and
calcium with homegarden products. In addition, one in four households could meet
their protein and energy requirements (Sommers 1978 in Fernandes and Nair
1986). Homegarden further generate cash income and serve as “reforestation
nucleus” or a tree testing site for determining optimal growth conditions and
spreading trees more easily to farms and fields of neighbors and others.
Homegarden trees are usually grown together with other crops, and sometimes
in association with domestic animals, forming multi-story combinations with
overlapping canopy around individual houses or homesteads. With regards to other
biophysical and socioeconomic characteristics, homegardens differ in many
aspects even if located within the same region. Vegetation structure, in terms of
horizontal and vertical stratification, varies with garden age and size (e.g,
Kehlenbeck and Maass 2004). Whereas multistoried canopies being most evident
in older gardens, stratification can be counteracted by various management prac-
tices like trimming of trees, thinning, weeding, and regular sweeping and burning
of litter. Homegarden species diversity, crop combinations and plant density like-
wise significantly vary (Table 2.1) with specific needs and preferences of house-
holds, religious beliefs, cultural values and dietary customs, and the availability of
other food sources. In addition, climate, seasonality, and soil type control plant
density and species composition (e.g., Soemarwoto 1987; Wezel and Bender
2003). Species richness is also influenced by level of commercialization
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