Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
in humid hillslopes overlain by fragile volcanic Andosols that are highly
permeable to and experience mass wasting, the farmers practice soil con-
servation rather than water conservation. Instead of laying water and soil
erosion control measures across the slope as Miiro et al. (1995) reported
for the neighboring district of Kabale or as is usually done in arid and
semiarid lands (ASALs), they lay them along the slope. A case in point is
the stone lines that are laid up and down the highlands of Kisoro District
of Uganda to tortuously and safely rid the soil of excess water. Similarly,
the crops are planted in rows running up the hillsides. The practice works
as evidenced by the absence of a soil fertility gradient. Highland areas
characterized by runoff and soil erosion usually exhibit differences in
plant vigor down the slope resulting from nutrient mining and deposition
gradient.
7.
Practicability
: The TK is not monolithic; it has different facets and varies
from place to place and time, aimed at addressing real-life problems. The
different facets include nonuniformity, dynamism, codified assimilation
of outside knowledge, adaptiveness, and innovativeness. The TK may be
applicable more to a specific soil attribute (e.g., soil organic carbon) than to
several characteristics combined together (Lal 1999).
The TK is dynamic (each knowledge tradition has its own ways of learn-
ing, experimenting, teaching, and consensus seeking). The data used to
generate TK are obtained right in the field in real time, processed, and put
into action for survival. The above attributes of TK of soil are summarized
in Figure 5.1.
Gender
connectedness
Context sensitive
Spatial-temporal
attributes
Practicable
Traditional
knowledge
(e.g., soil resilience)
Livelihood
connectedness
Systemic
Dynamic
FIGURE 5.1
Attributes of TK of soil.
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