A farmer--group based approach linking research and development for the promotion of Conservation Agriculture in the Lao PDR extension officers trained on research --development techniques and methodologytechniques methodology 2008: Around 2000 ha cultivated'under no tillage for a total of 18000 ha within the 45 villages of intervention of intervention 150 ha of corn associated with beans have been implemented within the groups

Au Laos : Programme R-D minimum durant l’annéede transition 2009. Au Cambodge: Poursuivre les recherches SCV en intégrantplus en plus de multifonctionnalitéopérationnelle pour une gestion toujours plus écologique des productions, des eaux et des sols. Amplifier la diffusion des SCV.

Les SCV ont à court terme un intérêt pour les agriculteurs utilisant peu la traction animale et dans les zones où la culture du sorgho laisse une importante quantité de résidus sur le sol. Pour améliorer les systèmes il s’avère que l’obtention de moyens pour broyer les résidus sur place dès la récolte est primordiale. Le broyage des tiges de cotonnier voir des tiges de sorgho ou de mil permettrait l’obtention d’une couverture de sol optimale, une optimisation des restitutions organiques et minérales et de pouvoir semer le plus tôt possible dès les prochaines pluies en facilitant le travail. Ce sera le défi principal pour 2008 dans la perspective de continuité du projet SCV après la clôture du PASE1

The results of these surveys show that there are currently more than 1,200 smallholders using DMC systems on a total of about 1,500 ha of cultivated land. Overall, the rates and levels of DMC systems’ adoption by smallholders appear more important in areas where the environment is the most degraded and/or particularly fragile (case of Nongphakbong village, Botene district). In contrast, in less environmentally-degraded and less fragile areas, the level of DMC systems’ adoption is still rather limited. With more productive soils, mechanized mono-cropping can still provide high profits and, as such, retain the interest of a majority of farmers (case of Bouamlao village, Paklay district)

A sector-based program in agroecology for a national extension of DMC According to the results obtained by the Lao National Agroecology Program (PRONAE), the Council of Ministers asked, on the one hand, to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) to promote DMC technologies to the whole of Lao PDR and, on the other hand, that this approach is registered in he university and school courses. The national authorities required from Cirad and AFD a support for the implementation of a sector based program in agroecology

A holistic approach, based on a permanent link between research and development, has been implemented by the Lao National Agro-Ecology Programme (PRONAE – PCADR,NAFRI), the Rural Development Project of the four southern districts of Xayabury province (PASS – PCADR, LCG), and the Sector-based Programme on Agroecology (PROSA, MAF), in partnership with the department of agriculture and forestry of Xayabury and Xieng Khouang provinces.

Poster des plantes fourragères en langue lao

The National Agroecology Programme (PRONAE) and the Southern Xayabury Application Point(PASS) of the Capitalization and Rural Development Support Programme (PCADR) have developed an approach in the provinces of Xayabury and Xieng Khouang that relies on direct-sowing mulch-based cropping systems (DMC). This approach has provided relevant alternatives to traditional agricultural practices which can no longer ensure the foundations of sustainable agriculture.In view of the results obtained, be they socio-economic or environmental, the Council of Ministers asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) to promote these techniques throughout the country, and called for this approach to be included in university and school courses. It is in that context that the Sector-based Agroecology Programme (PROSA), whose main aim is to define and implement a national strategy for the dissemination of Conservation Agriculture based on agroecological techniques (DMC), operates.This strategy is based on implementing an Agroecology Action Plan relying on the necessary incorporation ofnatural capital in rural development policies. The plan involves programming activities, setting in place decision-making and operational processes and bringing into play financial, material and human resourceson both a central and local level (province, district and sub-district). The finest level of intervention comprisesgroups of farmers linked to service centres set up by the government within the districts (Kum Ban Pattana). On each level, the agroecology action plan is to arise from an integrated and concerted approach, in which each category of rural development stakeholders is committed to a process in which their needs and skills are acknowledged by all. Likewise, on each level, it is necessary to define, in a concerted manner, the initiatives that have to be taken (diagnosis, planning, implementation, monitoring-appraisal), the tools required (training of the different stakeholders, organization and structuring of the State sector and of the private sector, contractualization between stakeholders) and the fields of involvement (extension, local development funding arrangements, management of natural resources, equipment management, organization of supplyand marketing chains, etc.). Each of the two pilot provinces, Xayabury and Xieng Khouang, is in the process of defining its Provincial Action Plan in Agroecology. An initial diagnosis of farming systems and their environmental impacts, along with the needs and contributions of each category of stakeholders, has been completed. The provinces then gave priority to defining decision-making and operational processes, and setting in place financial arrangements for the Provincial Action Plans. Initially, two funding tools are under consideration: constitution of a development fund, and agricultural credit. On a central level, the decision-making and operational processes are directly attached to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, notably via the Planning Department. The creation of a Research and ServiceProvider Centre in support of local and national development is envisaged. Likewise, on a central level, it is a matter of facilitating the implementation of training plans for the different stakeholders. Lastly, the inclusionof agroecology in university and school courses is under way. Also for the educational sector, it is necessary to define a training plan to strengthen the skills and abilities of teachers. The creation of a national, or even regional network associating agricultural faculties and agricultural schools would enable an economy of scale by more effectively taking advantage of complementarities and decentralization to a more functional local level.

This rice-beef system "creation-validation" process shows the need to maintain research activities to feed the development process and the merits of the approach for determining the potential for technology dissemination.

Définition de l'agriculture de conservation et des SCV en anglais.