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Agroecology Keyword: Soil health

Transitioning to Organic Sesame through Agroecology and Market Linkages in Preah Vihear, Cambodia

This practice brief presents a pilot initiative supporting smallholder farmers in Preah Vihear to transition from conventional to organic sesame production through agroecological practices and cooperative-based market linkages. The model combines technical training, internal control systems, and collective marketing to improve soil health, reduce chemical inputs, and strengthen farmers’ access to stable and higher-value markets.

Technical Leaflet: Compost Fertilizer Recipe

This compost acts as a superfood for your garden, building rich, living soil that supports healthy plant growth. It gradually releases essential nutrients, improves soil structure for easier root development, and retains moisture reducing the need for frequent watering. Compost also introduces beneficial microbes that can help protect plants from disease and enhance nutrient uptake, resulting in stronger and more resilient plants.

Strengthening Soil Health Monitoring in Laos: A Pathway to Sustainable Food Security

– Soil is involved in 13 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
– In Laos, there are worrying signs of widespread soil degradation threatening national food security.
– Yet, there is no systematic monitoring of soil health, making it impossible for concerned governmental institutions to prioritize action.
– Soil health is not the same as soil fertility. The heavy use of fertilisers can cause a soil to be rich in Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K) but not sustain agricultural production.
– Soil fauna is involved in most of soil functions e.g. nutrient cycling, soil structure maintenance, carbon transformations, soil-born pest population regulation… There is a need to go beyond soil properties assessment to assess soil biological functioning
– Low-cost and easy-to-use toolkits allowing to assess soil health exist and have been successfully tested in Laos. They should be integrated into a national framework for the monitoring of soil health.
– Life comes from the soil, let’s monitor soil health to better protect it!

Peanut Production After Rice Harvest: Benefits and Practices

This video presents why and how to plant peanuts after rice harvesting, using a farm localized in Nadou Village, Kham District, Xiengkhouang Province, Lao PDR as an example. Peanuts improve soil fertility and are low-cost to produce. Planting them immediately after the rice harvest is efficient because the soil still retains moisture, rice straw helps keep the soil moist while also acting as fertilizer.

How to Overcome Soil Degradation : example of the Nonglae Village, Lao PDR

Soil degradation, often caused by poor agricultural practices, can lead to a decline in crop yields. Traditionally, when yields dropped, farmers would leave fields fallow for at least three years to restore fertility. However, with less viable land available, fallow periods have shortened, making it harder to maintain yields and ensure sustainable profits.
In Nonglae Village (Nonghet District, Xiengkhouang Province, Lao PDR), local farmers apply indigenous knowledge to overcome this challenge. One example is regenerating soil fertility with cattle through block rotation techniques. This approach can help restore the land while sustaining agricultural productivity over the long term.