Rocrops Agrotec

Freeport, Trinidad & Tobago

An Overview Of Our Solution

FIX THE SOIL Worldwide, realigning soil and water conservation is crucial in addressing land degradation and is a prerequisite in achieving sustainable land management and improving livelihoods (WOCAT (2007). In Trinidad, soil fertility management is a critical issue to be addressed as we set about to revitalize our agricultural sector (Persad et al., 2007). ROCROPS AGROTEC, a model smallholder farm established in 1985 in Trinidad, has demonstrated that low input soil management techniques can be implemented in ameliorating and realigning heavy clay soils for intensive vegetable and tree crops production. “To the agriculturalists, this is a diversification dream, which has eluded many. It is a perfect model from which students can gain so much” (Dolly, 2002). It is owned and managed by the husband and wife team of Ramgopaul and Beena Roop.

Who is this solution impacting?

Community Type

Rural

Organization type

Other

Ecosystem (select all that apply)

Freshwater

Grasslands

Oceans/Coasts

Population impacted

Approximately 5000 people through outreach trainin

Size of agricultural area

1.29ha (3ac) State Land

Production quantity

10,000 -12,000 limes (limequat) on a weekly basis during the past 10 years from approximately 600 -800 trees. It is marketed by the National Agricultural Marketing and Development Corporation (NAMDEVCO) to major Supermarkets e.g. PriceSmart.

People employed

Family Farming consisting of 4 members and hiring of 6 villagers (mainly female) on a contractual basis to harvest limes.

Describe your solution

During the period 1985-2016, Rocrops has been an innovator in adopting appropriate technology for crop production on heavy clay soils. Through a combination of strategic planning and farm management, it was able to transform this former degraded sugar cane lands, acidic and low fertility clay soil to produce a wide range of vegetables, herbs and spices, citrus (limes) as the main crop and exotic tropical fruits. Documented procedures include soil amelioration using limestone and deep tillage, micro irrigation and recycling of water, fertigation and precision fertilizer application. The conservation farming methods include water harvesting and application of organic manure and mulch to protect the stability of the soil structure, improve water retention and increase fertilizer efficiency. The objective of producing high quality pesticide-free crops throughout the year has been achieved by employing a combination of techniques involving Integrated Crop Management (ICM) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM). It also includes field sanitation and special attention to post harvest handling techniques. It creates an awareness of the beneficial effects of using agricultural products with low levels of chemical toxicity. Additionally, the cultivation of trees such as Caribbean pine, cedar, bougainvillea, decorative bamboo and neem as a live fence along the periphery serve as windbreaks and help in creating an agro-ecological and aesthetically pleasing environment.

Describe your implementation

1. Initiatives to transform the land at Rocrops are as follows: Land reformation, sub-soiling and deep tillage in order to improve the soil’s physical conditions including drainage. Application of high levels of agricultural limestone (30 tonnes/ha) to lower the acidity level and improve the soil structure. Development of water resources and application of micro and low-pressure irrigation systems. Establishment of a water storage farm pond (56m x 39m x 5m) and outfitted with a 1.5hp electrical pump, sand media filter with a backwash feature and micro filtration system and spillway. Water harvesting by recycling the water throughout the field which then flows back into the pond. Application of organic manure and mulches and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies that incorporate crop rotation, natural pest enemies, natural pesticides such as neem and minimal use of agricultural pesticides. Construction of internal access road throughout the farm. 2. Adoption and promotion of initiatives: It is being used as a demonstration field for Extension Officers, Researchers, farmers and students of secondary schools and universities. It demonstrates appropriate soil technology for small farms with similar soils using an on-farm research approach. Presentations at seminars, workshops and interview sessions are conducted. 3. Enabling conditions: The current food crisis and the negative impact of climate change has led to renewed efforts to intensify crop production. 4. Key Success Factors: Soil amelioration, nutrient management, drainage, irrigation and tillage requirements are critical success factors. 5. Obstacles and how you overcome them: Limestone application is essential in soil management and amelioration. However, the quantity, price and availability of high quality limestone for agricultural soil was a major limitation. Low cost overburden bulk limestone with lower dissolution values from the Northern Range mountain was therefore used.

External connections

During the past 26 years linkages were established at the local, regional and international levels. At the local level, there is interaction with farmers’ groups, Trinidad and Tobago Agribusiness Association (TTABA), Ministry of Agriculture, National Agricultural Marketing and Development Corporation (NAMDEVCO), Universities of the West Indies and the University of Trinidad and Tobago. On farm training and demonstration are provided for farmers, Extension Officers and students. At the regional and international level, linkages were established with the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA), Global Water Partnership – Caribbean (GWP-C), Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI), Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Caribbean Agribusiness Association (CABA) and CARICOM Secretariat. Presentations and working documents on the farm were presented by Ramgopaul Roop at various conferences, seminars and workshops held by these organisations on soil and water management, climate change adaptation and mitigation and sustainable agricultural development. The efforts of Rocrops are being used as an Innovative Model by these organizations to mitigate against the constraints of land and water management in developing the agricultural sector in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean Region.

What is the environmental or ecological challenge you are targeting with your solution?

Rocrops is located on State Land with degraded heavy clay acidic (3.5pH) soil. It was formerly cultivated with sugar cane which had reverted to native grasses. Heavy clay soils occupy approximately 100,000 ha in Trinidad and represent 70% of lands allocated for state land farms (Persad et al., 2007). These heavy clay soils suffer from impeded drainage in the wet season and desiccation and cracking in the dry season and are dense and compact on the surface and subsoil. These soil constraints are increased by inadequate agricultural practices resulting in soil erosion, exposure to subsoil layers and loss of soil fertility. The major environmental concern relating to agricultural development includes management of soil and water and adapting to the negative impact of climate change. During the period 1994-1997, the management of Rocrops and soil scientist, Mr. S. Persad, of the Ministry of Agriculture successfully completed an on farm integrated soil management programme.

Describe the context in which you are operating

Rocrops is operating in an environment where soil fertility management is a critical issue to be addressed as the country is diversifying the economy and revitalizing the agricultural sector. Soil management of heavy clay soils on small farms like Rocrops is extremely difficult and consequently the agricultural productivity for sustained production of vegetable and food crops has been limited. Small farm holdings generally lack the technical and financial resources to initiate and sustain soil amelioration practices (Persad et al., 2007). Additionally, with the closure of the Caroni Ltd Sugar Industry in 2003, former employees (7,800) were each allocated two-acre parcels of the sugarcane lands in various locations as part of a labour separation package. The objective of these land assignments was to enhance food production, generate agricultural activity and promote national food security (Inter-Agency GOTT, 2004).

How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?

The project demonstrates that low input soil management techniques can be implemented in ameliorating heavy clay soils for intensive vegetable and tree crop production. It also shows that the technology applied can be transferred to small farms on similar soils. Within 1 year of the project, the soil pH increased from 3.65 to 6.38. It is being maintained at levels near 6.5 by frequent soil testing and correction. The micro-irrigation and fertigation systems result in improved crop yields and crop quality with reduced water usage and increased efficiency in fertilizer and chemical applications. The analysis/production data indicate that marketable yield per square meter of vegetables achieves a production average of 5.73 kg m2 /yr over a four year period 1994-1997. During the past 10 years, the farm is being cultivated with a variety of vegetables and fruits with limes (600-800 trees) producing between 10,000-12,000 marketable lime fruits on a weekly basis throughout the year.

Language(s)

English

Water

Water management constraints present a major challenge to food production. During the dry season crop production is restricted by severe moisture deficiencies and cultivation is minimal <10% (Persad et al., 2007). In the wet season farm lands are subjected to water-logging, flooding and consequent crop loss. These constraints are mitigated at Rocrops by applying effective water management strategies including water harvesting, field drainage and micro-irrigation systems.

Food Security/Nutrition

State Land assignments are to enhance food production, generate agricultural activity and promote national food security. Soil management of heavy clay soils on small farms is extremely difficult and consequently, agricultural productivity for sustained production is limited. The initiatives at Rocrops show that production of high value crops with control over the production cycle is achievable. Maximum use is made of available growing days and land space to enhance food/nutrition security.

Economic/Sustainable Development

Small farms which lack the technical and financial resources to initiate soil management strategies are particularly vulnerable to crop failure on heavy clay soils. Rocrops initiatives show the economic benefits of applying appropriate low cost technology for crop production. Data shows a consistent increase in marketable yield and crop quality from 1995 to 2016. Correspondingly, there has been an improvement in all key soil parameters resulting in economic and sustainable development.

Climate

The initiatives at Rocrops assist in becoming resilient to the challenges of climate change. It includes adapting to the changes in weather conditions, such as unusual heavy rains in the dry season. Additionally, the growing of trees as an integrated aspect of cultivation is protecting the main crops from the impact of climate change by providing a windbreak and help in keeping the environment cool. Trees play an important role in reducing gases that cause global warming and climate change.

Sustainability

The initiatives were implemented on an incremental phased basis utilizing low external inputs. Funding came mainly from the state owned Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) which provides low interest (3-5%) loans with up to 6 months moratorium and quarterly instalments. With this arrangement, short term vegetable cash crops were cultivated while the citrus orchard was established. With adequate land tenure, the farm development included construction of a 2 storey steel and concrete family dwelling house (55ft x 45ft), storage and postharvest buildings, water storage pond, micro-irrigation system, access roads and peripheral fencing. The farm has been the family home and providing a year round source of income for the past 30 years.

Return on investment

The farm family has created both tangible and intangible assets from its 30 years of operation. The present estimated value of assets is in excess of TT$3m with an outstanding ADB loan of TT$ 400,000 used for construction of the dwelling house. The intangible assets include the farm family professional development. Of the 3 children (sons), two are Specialist Surgeons while the other is an Engineer. Additionally, with farm funding, Ramgopaul Roop, at age 69, graduated (2016) with a Master of Business Administration with Distinction from Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland. He is also a 1971 graduate in agriculture. These Return On Investment (ROI) justifies the statement “if you take care of the land, the land will take care of you”.

How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?

A prerequisite for sustainable farm development is land tenure. Smallholder farms are subjected to change in land use for housing and industry. Therefore it is necessary to have zoning of agricultural lands with the necessary infrastructure of access roads and utilities to develop family home and farmstead. There is an aging population in the sector and in order to attract youths, it requires a holistic approach which includes farm family growth, professional development and sustainable succession planning and sound business management concepts. It would require the intervention and efforts of local, regional and international organisations. For example in Africa, TerrAfrica has set a goal of regenerating 6.3 million hectares of agricultural land (Spore, 2009). The remedies are numerous and varied as the causes and therefore the funding requirements would have to be adjusted not only to the ecological conditions but also to the agro-economic context of each location.

Overview