Search Filter
- Publications
- Abstract of Theses and Dissertations
- Database
- Innovation in the Highlands: A Case Study of Highland Terrace Paddy...
Innovation in the Highlands: A Case Study of Highland Terrace Paddy Cultivation Technology in Northern Thailand
Dissertation Abstract:
This study aimed to investigate the innovation in the introduction of Highland Terrace Paddy Cultivation Technology (HTPCT), as well as the practices that were adopted and the consequent benefits derived from the adoption of HTPCT. Survey research and case study research methods were employed to gather data. Five villages under the Doi Ompai highland agricultural development (DOHAD) station project located in the district boundary between Mae Chaem, Chiang Mai Province and Mae La Noi, Mae Hong Son Province were chosen as the study sites. A total of 33 adopters and 57 non-adopters of HTPCT served as respondents of the study.
Results of the study showed that the dominant policies that sought to promote HTPCT revolved around the need to achieve food security, conserve the forest, and promote community-based tourism (CBT). HTPCT has been promoted by the Rice Department in Doi Ompai since 2003 under the Royal Development Project. From the initial 12 farmers and the villagers in Doi Ompai, 48 farmers adopting the technology had returned about 3,685 rai or around 590 ha of deforested areas to the DOHAD station for reforestation.
Results further showed that compared with the non-adopters, the adopters were old, had bigger household sizes, had more family members engaging in farming, and earned more income from rice. The adopters gathered information about farming practices from all sources more often than the non-adopters. The interpersonal source was a potential and an effective information source to promote HTPCT. Both adopters and non-adopters had full knowledge about HTPCT and both adopters and non- adopters had moderate awareness about policies affecting the highlands related to land tenure, water and soil conservation, and forest conservation.
Compared with upland rice cultivation, HTPCT required more labor during the conversion of sloping land to terraces and soil preparation. It also required more technical knowledge in water and pest management. However, HTPCT required fewer inputs in terms of rice seeds, chemical fertilizers, and herbicides than upland rice cultivation. The adoption of recommended HTPCT practices of the adopters were described as high level of adoption. When each part of the HTPCT was considered, there was a high level of adoption of land preparation, seeding and transplanting, pest management, water management, and pre-production practices, but there was moderate level of adoption of soil fertilizer management and sequential cropping system and livestock. The benefits of HTPCT can be obviously seen at the individual level in terms of yield and income performance, and at the community level in terms of tourism output. At the end, a model to improve the promotion of HTPCT was proposed for specific catchment areas, not only for irrigation purposes for rice, but also to encourage crop diversification. Recommendations to improve innovation in the highlands included implementing participatory processes in the conduct of research such as participatory technology development (PTD) and participatory variety selection (PVS), among others.