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Initially pioneered by the Bureau of Agricultural Research of the Philippines (BAR), adlai studies were the focus of BAR research initiatives conducted in 2010 with NGO partners Earthkeepers and MASIPAG, a consortium of farmers and other agri-focused individuals.

And by all accounts adlai continues to be a very promising crop in the future food system of Southeast Asia.

The Kiboa variety of adlai grass performed the best of the three tested in Claveria yielding 3.5 tons per hectare of grain. Image: Adrian Ares

The SANREM-CRSP has recently tested several different varieties of adlai grass for CAPS as a substitute to rice and maize in the Mindanao region at our research site in Claveria.

Common in Southeast Asia, adlai is particularly appealing from a conservation agriculture production systems (CAPS) perspective because the plant produces a large amount of biomass that can be used as mulch to control weeds and mitigate soil erosion on sloping uplands. Another hallmark of adlai grass as a climate-smart crop is its long rootstock which can grow up to 150 cm. The long rootstock serves as a biopump to absorb excess water, which also deters erosion, and provides nutrients to the plant. Unlike its botanical relatives in the maize and rice family, adlai can also be harvested up to three times per year. Increased harvest seasons combined with the ability to withstand the torrential rain showers of its tropical locale (and conversely thrive in times of drought), as well as adlai’s persistence in growing in acid sloping uplands of the southern Philippines, make adlai grass a crop of the “bionic” kind.

“This endemic species is good as food for humans and feed for livestock, as well as mulch in order to suppress weeds, reduce surface water evaporation as well as improving soil organic matter (soil C),” said ICRAF Research Manager for Mindanao and SANREM CRSP Claveria Research Site Coordinator, Agustin Mercado, Jr.

Three adlai varieties were tested in research plots at Claveria: Kiboa, Ginampay and Tapol. Kiboa produced the highest grain yield of 3.5 tons per hectare and a total dry matter yield (TDMY) of 8.8 tons per hectare, followed by the Ginampay variety with a grain yield of 3.0 tons per hectare and a TDMY of 7.4 tons per hectare. The Tapol variety was the poorest performer.

But adlai goes beyond serving as only a food crop. Many believe the grains of adlai grass to have medicinal properties. It is commonly used as a folk remedy for a wide range of ailments that run the gamut from the quotidian headache to stomach ailments.

On a less serious note, it’s also not uncommon to see adlai grains crafted into decorative jewelry. When the grains are dried, their rounded shapes are easily strung together as bracelets and necklaces making this grain the ultimate multipurpose crop that is at home in the kitchen, medicine cabinet and jewelry box.

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Cover of the newly launched “Vegetable- Agroforestry Systems in Indonesia.” This is the third in a series of four books.

“Vegetable-Agroforestry Systems in Indonesia” is the third book in a four-part series detailing the uses and benefits of vegetable-agroforestry (VAF) in Southeast Asia. Previously in the series, authors explored VAF in Vietnam and the Philippines, while this newest addition, which launches at the SWAT Regional Seminar and Workshop in Bogor, Indonesia on June 27, focuses on systems in Indonesia.

VAF has become a widely used model to combat poverty and enhance environmental protection, sustainability and ecosystem biodiversity for small-scale farmers. “Agroforestry is a land-use system which integrates trees with crops and/or animals. In this regard, agroforestry is also considered as a sustainable agriculture practice,” said Secretary Faculty of Agriculture, Dr. Syarifah Iis Aisyah of Bogor Agriculture University.

Typical landscape at Nanggung Subdistrict in West Java, Indonesia.

Published by the World Association of Soil and Water Conservation (WASWAC), the book is a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Forestry of Indonesia, Bogor University of Agriculture, ICRAF Southeast Asia, the Indonesian Society of Soil and Water Conservation, and the SANREM CRSP.

Purchasing Information

• To purchase “Vegetable-Agroforestry Systems in Indonesia” ($20 USD plus shipping and handling) contact Dr. Manuel Reyes, mannyreyes@nc.rr.com.
• To order outside of the United States, contact Dr. Samran Sombatpanit, samran_sombatpanit@yahoo.com.

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“Lin enriched our meetings with the depth of her understanding, a joyful personality, and the precision of her interventions,” said Keith Moore, associate program director, SANREM CRSP.

One of her greatest published works, Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action demonstrated in contradiction of currently accepted conventional wisdom that local populations around the world could organize themselves without state intervention to sustainably govern common property resources. It has become a standard reference for policymakers and resource-users alike since its publication in 1990.

Ostrom cultivated an intense interest in resource management as a young girl in Los Angeles growing vegetables in her family’s garden and canning peaches and apricots during the Great Depression. These seemingly simple, even utilitarian, interactions with soil and water led her to some of her greatest achievements.

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This book is, in part, the result of research with collaborators at the SANREM CRSP Phase 3 research site in Mindanao, the Philippines. Maria Elisa Christie, Gender Equity Coordinator for the SANREM CRSP, helped stimulate this research with her Cross-Cutting Research Activity (CCRA) on Gendered Access to Markets.

The research symposium at which the book will be launched is entitled “SDRC@33: Learning and Leading though Collaborative Research,” and will take place in Manila, the Philippines. A program and invitation is available; click to download an SDRC 33rd Anniversary Programme and Confirmation Form (PDF).

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Cover of the book “Vegetable-Agroforestry Systems in the Philippines”

A book on SANREM CRSP’s research details vegetable-agroforestry systems work in the Philippines. The book, “Vegetable-Agroforestry (VAF) Systems in the Philippines,” includes research by scientists from SANREM’s Phase III.

The book shows that growing high value crops in the Philippines’ uplands can be done while protecting the environment. In the uplands, 10 million hectares of land are degraded from deforestation and other human activities, hurting the small-scale farmers who depend on the land for food and income.

Vegetable agroforestry (VAF) is the integration of vegetable crops with trees. Planting some vegetables near or under trees has the potential to increase production for small-scale farmers. In the Philippines, where commercial vegetable farms are a major income source, researchers investigated how proximity to trees affects vegetable yield and which varieties thrive in the shade.

The book has 21 chapters which are organized into four parts, starting with the context of VAF; followed by the science of VAF and complementary technologies; socioeconomic, policy and environmental dimensions of VAF; and ending with moving forward.

The authors and editors of the book. From left: Victor B. Ella, Delia C. Catacutan, Karika Kunta, Wanraya Suthumchai, Victoria Espaldon, Jean A. Saludadez, Miriam R. Nguyen.

The research team was made up of scientists from ICRAF-World Agroforestry Center, AVRDC-World Vegetable Center, University of the Philippines Los Baños, De La Salle University, University of the Philippines Open University, Central Mindanao University, International Development Enterprise, Central Queensland University, University of California Berkeley, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M University, and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University,

Published by the World Association of Soil and Water Conservation and the World Agroforestry Center, the book was launched on January 27, 2012.

Purchasing Information

• To order in the United States, contact Dr. Manuel Reyes, mannyreyes@nc.rr.com.
• To order outside of the United States, contact Dr. Samran Sombatpanit, samran_sombatpanit@yahoo.com.

For additional questions about the book, contact Dr. Manuel Reyes, mannyreyes@nc.rr.com.

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Agriesti spent two months in Sank’ayani Alto, Bolivia, where she worked with a nonprofit organization, the Foundation for the Promotion and Research of Andean Products, to complete her research. Before she was allowed to interview any farmers, she attended a few community meetings, where she explained her research — in Spanish, which was then translated into the local Quechua — to the farmers. She then received permission from them to live and work in their community.

Agriesti said she hopes her research shows the importance of talking to both men and women about their spaces, knowledge, and roles in agriculture in the community. She also wants other researchers to use her work to design agricultural practices that are good for the environment and benefit men and women equitably.

"I want my research to show how local voices — from both men and women — provide a fuller, more detailed picture in understanding local knowledge, needs, and livelihoods," she said.

This story is an excerpt from a longer article published in Virginia Tech's Spotlight on Impact news site. To read the full story, visit "Graduate student researches gender roles in Bolivian Andes."

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The cover of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences

The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences featured SANREM-supported work on biodiversity conservation and poverty traps in Zambia’s Luangwa Valley as a special feature. The project, from our previous phase of research, focused on the effectiveness of Community Markets for Conservation (COMACO), an organization that conserves wildlife by addressing poverty and food insecurity for poor farmers.

The full article can be viewed here (pdf).

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New SANREM CRSP program director Adrian Ares

Adrian Ares has been named program director of the Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management Collaborative Research Support Program, managed by Virginia Tech’s Office of International Research, Education, and Development. He will begin his new position July 6.

Ares comes to Virginia Tech from Oregon State University, where he is a faculty research associate in the Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society.

Ares has more than 25 years of cross-disciplinary experience in agriculture, forestry, and related topics, and has worked for universities, private industry, and federal programs. He has designed and conducted research in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Hawaii, and the continental United States. His research work has yielded more than 70 publications in scholarly journals and proceedings of meetings, as well as numerous technical and outreach presentations.

“I believe Adrian Ares, with his strong research background, will provide excellent programmatic leadership in our conservation agriculture program,” said S.K. De Datta, associate vice president for Virginia Tech’s Office of International Affairs and director of the Office of International Research, Education, and Development.

“I am elated to join the highly renowned international program at Virginia Tech,” said Ares. “The position fulfills my longstanding interest in biophysical and social dimensions of sustainable agriculture and natural resources management that are key to achieving food security, protecting the environment, and elevating human dignity worldwide.”

Ares holds a bachelor’s degree in forestry engineering from the Universidad Nacional de La Plata in Aregentina and a master’s degree in soil science from the and the Universidad Nacional del Sur, also in Argentina, his country of birth. He completed his Ph.D. in agronomy and soil science with a minor in botany from the University of Hawaii.

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Ethiopians build a stream crossing as part of a labor-based road construction project in Amhara province.

The SANREM CRSP has received an associate award from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to train Ethiopians to improve the construction and sustainability of their roads.

Many roads in Ethiopia are poorly designed and constructed, which leads to premature road failure, high maintenance costs, and serious environmental problems. The roads concentrate the flow of water, which increases erosion and causes sediment to build up on nearby fields, damaging crop growth. A better road design could lessen erosion and more efficiently disperse water to ponds for agricultural use during Ethiopia’s dry season.

“Most of the rural roads in food-insecure regions are in terrible condition, and some even disappear during the rainy season,” said Michael Bertelsen, associate director of the Office of International Research, Education, and Development and campus coordinator for the project.

In April 2009, Bertelsen traveled with Theo Dillaha, professor of biological systems engineering at Virginia Tech, to Ethiopia to assess the training needs and design a training program to improve poor rural road construction issues. They found that adequate labor and land resources are available, and local communities are motivated to build and maintain new roads. However, development agents responsible for planning and supervising construction did not have basic road construction training or skills.

The project is a part of the Ethiopian government’s public works segment of their food security program. The SANREM CRSP team has adopted a “training of trainers” strategy in which the team will train road engineers, who will in turn train rural road desk officers. The desk officers will then provide training and oversight for development agents and contractors at the local level.

A two-week pilot training workshop is planned in Ethiopia this May, and the SANREM team will develop training methods and materials. The participants – regional road authorities and desk officers – will learn to integrate community-based watershed planning and other environmental issues into road construction. The workshop training will be supervised by Dillaha, and assisted by Khaled Hassouna, a project associate of Virginia Tech’s Conservation Management Institute.

“Ethiopia is a country where hunger and food security are continuing problems. Virginia Tech is committed to building upon its past experience in Ethiopia to contribute to the U.S. government’s Feed the Future initiative in Africa,” said S.K. De Datta, associate vice president for international affairs and director of Virginia Tech’s Office of International Research, Education, and Development. He noted the Virginia Tech team’s familiarity with the region and its issues given the office’s previous watershed management work there.

For additional information, see our Ethiopia project overview page.

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