Collaboration for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) Program 204 IMPROVI NG CAPABILITY FOR ASSESSING SOIL CONSTRAINTS USING THE SCAMP DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM Project title: Improving capability of provincial extensionists for assessing soil constraints to sustainable production through the use of the SCAMP decision support s ystem Project code : CARD 009/06 VIE Author(s): Dr. Phan Thi Cong 1 ; Dr. Philip W Moody 2 Project implementing organizations: 1 Institute of Agricultural Sciences of Southern Vietnam 2 Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management Sydney Uni versity , Australia SUMMARY Rural poverty reduction in Vietnam will not be achieved unless the capacity of farmers to adopt profitable and sustainable agricultural systems is enhanced through technology and knowledge products. Vietnam has an effective nati onal extension network, and this network is widely accepted by farmers as a source of information and advice. However, agricultural extensionists often lack a basic background in soil science making it difficult for farmers to obtain information on sustain able soil management. The result is ‘one size fits all’ advice on cropping and tillage management. Fertiliser recommendations follow a recipe book based on the crop without regard to existing levels of soil fertility or inherent soil characteristics. Howe ver, the key to sustainable and profitable cropping is a soil - specific approach to soil management and nutrient inputs. This CARD project addressed the capacity gap in the soils knowledge of extensionists by providing basic training in soil and fertiliser management. In a previous ACIAR - funded project, the decision support package (‘SCAMP’ - Soil Constraints and Management Package) was developed to identify soil constraints from simple field observation of soil features, supported by simple field and laborat ory chemical analyses. SCAMP uses this soil - specific assessment to develop sustainable practices for soil and nutrient management. In the CARD project, SCAMP training courses were held for district and provincial extensionists in Gia Lai, Ninh Thuan and T ay Ninh Provinces. The workshops comprised in - field training to determine field texture, pH, and EC of soils and to observe and record properties such as position in the landscape, drainage, permeability, colour, structure and compaction. The implications of these properties for soil management were explained and discussed. At the Gia Lai and Tay Ninh workshops, participants visited local field experiments that had been set up to demonstrate how soil constraints identified in the SCAMP assessment could be addressed with management practices. Benefit/cost analysis of these practices demonstrated the benefits of using SCAMP to assess soil constraints to productivity. In total, 167 participants were trained at the workshops and answers to questionnaires indi cated that over 90% of participants would apply the knowledge and concepts presented at the workshops to their local situation by organising training workshops and one - on - one interactions with farmers. In addition, the IAS project team provided SCAMP train ing to project staff involved in the Agricultural Development Projects of the non - government organisation World Vision Vietnam. These World Vision CARD 009/06 VIE – Capacity building in soils assessment usin g SCAMP 205 project staff then trained over 500 smallholder farmers in basic soil management, thus efficiently extending the SCAMP training to individual farmers. Outputs from the project included reports that identified soil constraints to crop production in the target areas of the Central Highlands, South Central Coast and South East Regions. Site - specific management guid elines for sustainable production of focus crops on major soil groups in these areas were documented. In addition, the SCAMP manual has been translated into Vietnamese and is used as resource material at the workshops. 1. Project contents, methodology and results 1.1 Training Workshops The training workshops consisted of one day of lectures on basic soil properties, how they are measured and what they mean. The second day consisted of a field trip to local sites on different soil types. Soil pits were d ug to 150 cm depth to examine soil profile characteristics and to discuss the soil constraints and sustainable management using SCAMP. Participants were then split into groups to undertake their own SCAMP assessments at different sites. The local demonst ration field experiments were also visited, and observations made on crop growth responses to the farmer’s practice and the SCAMP treatments. On the last day of the workshop, teams reported back their results and these were discussed. 1.2 Demonstration Field Experiments The workshops in Gia Lai and Tay Ninh were supported by demonstration field experiments that compared SCAMP - assessed treatments with local farmer practice. Maize was grown at both sites. SCAMP treatments (balanced fertilisation using fer tiliser ‘straights’ such as FMP and urea, and the application of locally available plant amendments) had higher benefit cost ratios than farmer practice (Fig. 1). 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 Farmer Practice SCAMP Farmer Practice SCAMP Ferralsol Acrisol Benefit/Cost Yr 1 Yr 2 Yr 3 Figure 1. Benefit/Cost ratios of SCAMP treatments and Farmer Practice applied to maize at Gia Lai (Ferralsol) and Tay Ninh (Acrisol) Collaboration for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) Program 206 1.3 Documentation of Soil - specific Management Guidelines for Regional Soils Based on available information on regional soils and cropping systems, SCAMP assessments were prepared on soil constraints to crop prod uction in the target areas of the Central Highlands, South Central Coast and South East Regions. These reports also provided site - specific management guidelines for sustainable production of focus crops on major soil groups within the regions. 1.4 Capacit y Building The questionnaires at the training courses indicated some major changes in the perceptions of extensionists as a result of the workshops. In particular there was increased understanding of the impacts of key soil properties such as field texture on soil management, and greater awareness of the reasons for the beneficial effects of green manure residues on soil productivity. In particular, a better understanding of the effects of specific soil properties on constraints resulted in specific, rather than general, suggestions for sustainable management practices. It was also recognised that application of fertilisers was not the answer to all soil productivity problems. All participants indicated their intention to train local farmers in sustainable soil management using the SCAMP framework as the basic resource tool. It is expected that this will lead to widespread dissemination of knowledge. A mobile soil testing laboratory was identified by the participants as a high priority to improve fertilise r management. A very notable achievement of the Vietnamese project staff was the close interaction with the agricultural development projects of the NGO World Vision, particularly in Bac Binh. The IAS project staff ran a special SCAMP workshop in Ho Chi M inh City in 2007 for project managers from several World Vision agricultural development projects in Vietnam. 2 . Recommendation It was clearly identified by the extensionists that there was a high priority need for a national mobile soil - testing service. This was because fertiliser recommendations currently follow a recipe approach based on crop type without consideration of the existing soil fertility status. This situation leads to over - application of inorganic fertilisers or unbalanced nutrient addition . To counteract this, on - site soil analyses for nitrate, phosphorus and potassium are required. IAS staff have been trained to do these analyses rapidly in the field with a minimum of equipment. National mobile soil testing services are funded by the natio nal governments in Thailand (Dr Soils Program) and the Philippines. In these countries, rapid soil analyses are undertaken on farmers’ soil samples at farmer field days, and on - the - spot fertiliser recommendations are given in conjunction with advice on ot her issues such as plant disease and pest management. It is strongly recommended that such an approach be adopted in Vietnam as a national agricultural initiative. SCAMP assessment of local soils in association with a mobile lab to undertake analyses on farmer samples has tremendous potential for extending sustainable land management practices throughout the country. CARD 009/06 VIE – Capacity building in soils assessment usin g SCAMP 207 Some pictures from a training course Participants from the Southern Central Coast at Phan Rang Thap Cham on 25 - 27 June 2008 Australi an Project Leader, Dr Philip Moody and the IAS Director, Prof. Dr Bui Chi Buu at the training course Dr Philip Moody and Dr Phan Thi Cong were explaining soil constraints to crop production of an alluvial soil where surface runoff is the main water sup ply mean practiced Group discussion on soil texture, pH, EC An Extremely compacted alluvial soil from Phan Rang Thap Cham, Ninh Thuan where custard apples and grapes are grown In contrast, so easy to make a soil pit on a sandy soil grown to onion and garlic from Phan Rang Thap Cham, Ninh Thuan. Participants from each group examined the soil by themselves. . Collaboration for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD) Program 204 IMPROVI NG CAPABILITY FOR ASSESSING SOIL CONSTRAINTS USING THE SCAMP DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM Project title: Improving capability. title: Improving capability of provincial extensionists for assessing soil constraints to sustainable production through the use of the SCAMP decision support s ystem Project code : CARD 009/06 VIE Author(s): Dr soil constraints identified in the SCAMP assessment could be addressed with management practices. Benefit/cost analysis of these practices demonstrated the benefits of using SCAMP to assess soil