 | Soil Conservation Techniques for Hillside Farms (Peace Corps, 1986, 96 p.) |
 |  | (introduction...) |
| | Acknowledgements |
| | Introduction |
| | Traditional Honduran hill side farming techniques and resulting problems |
|  | Soil conservation strategies |
| | (introduction...) |
| | Strategies aimed at minimizing soil disturbance |
| | Strategies in cultivation systems characterized by extensive soil disturbance |
| | (introduction...) |
| | Crop rotation |
| | Contour barriers (live, dead and mixed barriers) |
| | Contour ditches (drainage and infiltration ditches) |
| | Terraces (individual, discontinuous narrow, and continuous bench terraces) |
| | Waterways from draining excess water for fields |
| | Gully prevention and control |
| | Steps to follow in designing a conservation plan |
| | Soil fertility and its maintenance |
| | Introduction to soil fertility |
| | Chemical fertilizers |
| | Organic fertilizers |
| | (introduction...) |
| | Manures and crop residues |
| | Green manure crops |
| | Composting |
| | Composting with earthworms |
| | Extension methodology |
| | (introduction...) |
| | Timetable of events associated with a ''typical'' two year peace corps volunteer service. |
| | Guidelines for evaluating extension work |
| | Extension techniques |
| | Working with groups |
| | Conclusion |
| | (introduction...) |
| | Suggested references |
| | English - Spanish vocabulary list |
| | Dichotomous key to the selection of soil conservation practices |
| | Results of the Santa Cruz extension project: farm budgets and the profitability of modern agricultural techniques. |
| | Two simple levels for use in surveying contour lines |
| | Some demonstrations useful in promoting new techniques |
(introduction...)
There are two types of strategies which may be followed in attempts to reduce the detrimental environmental effects of the agricultural activity. The most effective is to avoid the damage due to rainfall impact by minimizing soil disturbance and promoting practices which maintain a ground cover. The second, less effective, but easier to integrate into traditional land use practices, is to continue many of the typical agricultural techniques which result in rainfall impact, but minimizing soil loss and water runoff by crop rotations or by the placement of structures (barriers, ditches, terraces) to reduce the movement of soil and water along the soil surface. These two types of strategies make up the basis of all the conservation schemes discussed here. They are discussed as separate techniques, but the best control of soil erosion, water runoff, and maintenance of soil fertility results from combining all of the complementary techniques appropriate for a particular cultivation system.
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