TY - JOUR
T1 - Intensification of agricultural systems in Papua New Guinea
AU - Bourke, R. M.
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - This paper provides an overview of the ways in which villagers have intensified agricultural systems in Papua New Guinea, focusing on the last 60 years. The intensification techniques used by villagers include: adoption of more productive staple crops, in particular sweet potato, cassava, Xanthosoma taro, Solanum potato and maize; adoption of more productive cultivars, especially of banana and sweet potato; shortening the fallow period; extending the cropping period; certain soil fertility maintenance techniques, other than natural regrowth fallows (composting, managed tree fallows, especially using casuarina, a legume/root crop rotation, and soil erosion control); and some other intensification techniques including soil tillage, drainage, construction of garden beds, garden segregation, mounding and irrigation. People often use more than one technique and the techniques used vary between the major agricultural zones. The adoption of new food crops and more productive cultivars of existing food crops has facilitated many of the other changes, particularly longer cropping periods and shorter fallow periods.
AB - This paper provides an overview of the ways in which villagers have intensified agricultural systems in Papua New Guinea, focusing on the last 60 years. The intensification techniques used by villagers include: adoption of more productive staple crops, in particular sweet potato, cassava, Xanthosoma taro, Solanum potato and maize; adoption of more productive cultivars, especially of banana and sweet potato; shortening the fallow period; extending the cropping period; certain soil fertility maintenance techniques, other than natural regrowth fallows (composting, managed tree fallows, especially using casuarina, a legume/root crop rotation, and soil erosion control); and some other intensification techniques including soil tillage, drainage, construction of garden beds, garden segregation, mounding and irrigation. People often use more than one technique and the techniques used vary between the major agricultural zones. The adoption of new food crops and more productive cultivars of existing food crops has facilitated many of the other changes, particularly longer cropping periods and shorter fallow periods.
KW - Crop introductions
KW - Intensification
KW - Land use
KW - Papua New Guinea
KW - Soil fertility maintenance
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0035160921&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/1467-8373.00146
DO - 10.1111/1467-8373.00146
M3 - Article
SN - 1360-7456
VL - 42
SP - 219
EP - 235
JO - Asia Pacific Viewpoint
JF - Asia Pacific Viewpoint
IS - 2-3
ER -