Progress report for GS23-287
Project Information
Puerto Rico has struggled with food insecurity since it became a U.S. territory in 1898, largely due to the adoption of a commercial commodity crop model for products such as sugarcane, tobacco, cotton, corn, and coffee This has led to economic and ecological consequences, including a decline in agricultural production due to soil nutrient loss and the displacement of local farmers. The rebuilding of the agricultural industry requires a shift towards sustainable agroecological/regenerative farming practices that prioritize preserving biodiversity and a functioning ecosystem while also providing enough food for families. Agroecology, which often utilizes Indigenous knowledge and practices offers an alternative to the industrial agricultural system. This research project aims to replicate Indigenous planting practices by planting native tubers, edible tree species, fruits and vegetables from Puerto Rico in raised mounds approximately 3 ft. x 9 ft. in circumference, of organic matter called conuco, using bat guano as a fertilization input. Certain species like the ones I have chosen for this project in this system promote soil build up with other native plants that are adapted to retain soil structure. Myresearch will analyze soil nutrient density, soil health, and chlorophyll levels in the crops as well as root health, yield productivity, crop height, and canopy light exposure. The project expects to see immediate positive impacts on soil aggregate strength and matter retention in the plant’s root system, paving the way for a more sustainable, regenerative agricultural industry in Puerto Rico.
Objective 1 (Contributions of Taino method to soil conservation):
Soil degradation is a global problem with adverse effects on the environment and agriculture. The Taino agricultural method which involves the use of conucos has the potential to regenerate soil fertility and increase general soil health and aggregate. Therefore, the first objective of the research is to investigate whether the Taino method can improve soil conditions. Conucos are raised bed mounds that are created with a mixture of crop residue, organic matter, and mulch for aeration to create nutrient dense soil, packed with microbial activity, optimizing the grow environment (Bargout et. al. 2013). The Taino’s practice of early intercropping Agroforestry is a key component of the conuco system, where multiple crops are grown together in the same beds. This helps establish a diverse, sustainable agroecosystem that mimics the natural Ecology of Puerto Rico The study will measure soil properties, such as organic matter, macronutrient content, pH levels, and soil structure (aggregate), to determine the impact of the conuco system on soil health.
Objective 2 (Improvements in Plant Health):
In this experiment, plant health will be analyzed by measuring canopy height, leaf area, chlorophyll levels, and yield to determine whether the Taino agricultural method can improve plant growth and general health. Various tools will be used to conduct these observations, and the aim will be to determine the impact of different amounts of guano on macronutrient availability in the soil for each tuber planted. Additionally, the study will investigate the presence of allelopathic chemicals that are involved in potential mutualisms through plant roots while we analyze positive plant growth.
Objective 3 (Mitigate Erosion): Mitigate Erosion:
Soil erosion is a significant environmental problem that is caused by wind, rain, and water runoff. The conuco system may show potential to prevent soil erosion by healthy root structures developed by a biodiverse Agroforestry system of tubers, fruit trees, and annual vegetables. The research aims to measure erosion rates, both present and future, runoff, as well provide an analysis of the geological makeup of the different rock substrates in each of my four sites (Yuan et. al. 2015).
Hypotheses
- Are Conucos a Productive Agricultural System?
- Main Crops: tropical tubers such as malanga, cassava, taro, yautia, , sweet potato, intercropped with maize, guava berries, aji dulce pepper, perennial peanut, culantro, tobacco, Cabezona pineapple, Caribbean pumpkin, intercropped with guavas, custard apple, sugar apple to gauge growth environment.
My hypotheses are:
- Taino methods may improve soil conditions in a depleted farm with increased crop production and plant health
- Guano will prove to be a great use of animal manure for added fertilizer while using restorative techniques of nutrient cycling from the island’s endemic fauna
- Aerated conuco beds will improve resilience against erosion with stronger root structures and water retention, particularly this method will prove strong in areas prone to less rainfall
- On a 50 square feet of land using these methods, viable yield percentage, space, and resource maximization will maximize benefits for the average Puerto Rican family of 4.
Research
Method 1: Taino Soil Conservation:
- The research will be conducted on four different sites, each with four plots and four soil samples of each different plot.
- The sites will consist of four, 50-foot long conuco beds separated by seven feet of space.
- The conuco beds will be assembled in individual mounds of soil with plant residue such as branches, leaves, and mulch materials to improve water drainage, aeration, reduce erosion, and cultivate healthy tubers.
- Cultivated orchard-style gardens with native annual and perennial crops will also be implemented to provide soil benefits in strong communal root systems.
- The towns selected for the research have different biomes and include Aguadilla, Cayey, Utuado. And Orocovis
- The application of guano compost fertilizer and worm castings will be used to promote plane growth and organic matter content.
- The Tainos demonstrated one of the earliest recorded methods of fertilizer application in the composting of excavated bat guano from nearby caves which generally contains 10% Nitrogen, 3% Phosphorus, and 1% Potassium.
- Many species of bats feed on a combination of insects and fruits such as guava berries, which is a keystone native flora species and a key indicator of environmental success in this study.
Method 2: Plant Health/Macronutrient detection through chlorophyll and canopy height measurements:
- Soil macronutrient diversity content, bulk density, soil aggregate structure, and leaf area will be measured using samples from each crop placement on the examined conuco bed divided into four major sections using Leaf Rapid Tester, soil pH meter, a soil moisture meter, and a basil meter.
- Different amounts of guano treatment will be provided in grams to determine the exact amount for maximizing optimum growth with one controlled bed.
- The SPAD502 chlorophyll meter with a -9.9 to 199.9 SPAD Unit calculator will be used to measure chlorophyll containment for one leaf at a time, specifically, the AtLeaf chlorophyll sensor will be used to measure chlorophyll on a scale of 0 to 99.9.
- The GreenSeeker handheld remote sensor which measures NDVI with a unit range of 0-1 will also be used to measure chlorophyll.
- Monthly Leaf samples will be taken, ground, and analyzed at the Agronomy lab at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.
- Yield percentage will be calculated through counting the physical number of viable crops produced per tuber in a given space, their weight, and whether or not the nutrient density measured in the produce consumed can nourish the average amount of people per household in Puerto Rico.
Method 3: Erosion Mitigation and Geological Analysis:
- Analysis of rock substrate and geological makeup is important for measuring erosion impact in Puerto Rico.
- The island has a variety of rock types and formations, including volcanic, sedimentary, and igneous rocks.
- Volcanic rocks are mostly basaltic and andesitic, found in central and eastern parts of the island, responsible for rugged mountainous terrain.
- Sedimentary rocks are mostly limestone, found in the northern and western parts of the island, responsible for karst topography and numerous caves/sinkholes.
- Igneous rocks are granitic in composition and found in central and western parts of the island.
- Aguadilla sits upon dense limestone and chalk affected by karst indicating complex hydrologic behavior with low nutrient content
- Utuado is positioned in a valley made up of alluvium, which is porous and permeable
- Orocovis is made up of a volcanic complex with conglomerates and intercalated limestones, or just volcanic complexes, providing nutrient dense soil ecology
- Cayey is constructed of cretaceous limestone and marls of varying composition and behavior providing a diverse array of nutrients
- Puerto Rico’s geological makeup is the result of complex interplay of tectonic, volcanic, and sedimentary processes shaping the island’s unique landscape over millions of years of evolution
Rock Substrate of Puerto Rico 
Soil Map of Puerto Rico 
Detailed map of rainfall measurements in Puerto Rico
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation Summary:
Most recently, I have been engaged in volunteer food forest projects for non-profit organizations and local private residents, as well as agricultural consulting for a GIS-based environmental service organization. In the context of my thesis, I have delved deeply into the study of Caribbean ecology, agroforestry, paleobotany, and the analysis of endemic/native flora used by Indigenous Taino inhabitants of Puerto Rico.
Project Outcomes
Objective 1 (Contributions of Taino method to soil conservation):
The Taino agricultural method which involves the use of conucos has the potential to regenerate soil fertility and increase general soil health and aggregate. Conucos consist of raised bed mounds that are created with a mixture of crop residue, organic matter, and mulch for aeration to create nutrient dense soil, packed with microbial activity, optimizing the environmental services. Pictured are the examples of the conucos constructed with terrace systems built on organic matter and an additional image representing soil aggregate prior to the start of the project. I built the layers of the conucos from a mixture of topsoil dug out to make the terraces, mulched leaves and branches from my avocado tree, and a based layer of sweet potato leaves. This helped to create a natural composting system and recycling of organic matter while also providing a nice, sturdy, but aerated soil aggregate.
Objective 2 (Improvements in Plant Health):
Two of my aji dulce pepper plants that were from my conuco treatment plots and one on the bottom in my control plot. One in vegetative, the other in fruiting – both exhibiting healthy growth processes. In the bottom picture, we can see a strong whitefly infestation on the underside of the leaf. The plants in my treatment plots did, in general, much better in terms of general plant health while in the intercropped conucos. One thing I did notice is that due to the sweet potatoes’ presence, there was a stronger, positive emphasis on vegetative growth and less energy diverted towards fruit production – however this indicates, as I had predicted, that sweet potatoes do engage actively in associative nitrogen fixation.
Objective 3 (Mitigate Erosion): Mitigate Erosion:
The conuco system, using sweet potatoes, other ground covers, and native tubers show potential to prevent soil erosion by healthy root structures developed by a biodiverse Agroforestry system including fruit trees and annual vegetables. As mentioned in objective one, I saw a positive soil impact with the sweet potato’s ability to efficiently hold in soil and increase the texture and soil composition, making it loose, but strongly adhering. They serve well as an intercrop and move around to aid in soil retention, when managed around existing intercrops. Additionally, sweet potato is a harvestable product with a stable, and consistent market value which can aid as an additional, low input income. There are some cons, however. Sweet potato does tend to vine up and latch on to other plants – this can be mitigated by regular pruning or propagating as sweet potatoes are quite easy to grow from cutting. In the second picture above behind the papaya tree in UT – Treatment plot 1, the sweet potatoes moved around the Aji dulce peppers and cementing its roots onto the ridge of the cliff. When the sweet potato grew out to that side, it held the ridge and soil ceased to crumble.
Through my work and research, I have come to appreciate the immense potential of the use of Taino-based regenerative agriculture to help create food systems that not only benefit Puerto Rico's unique tropical climate, but also improve the livelihoods of farmers and the local community. Through my investigations, I have learned that the techniques and principles of the Taino people are conducive to the creation of high-quality food with low input.
With my knowledge and expertise, I hope to continue to promote the Taino agricultural practices and raise awareness about the importance of supporting local, regenerative food systems on an island that imports 90% of what they consume. I am fully dedicated to sharing my knowledge with others and collaborating with like-minded individuals and organizations to create a more sustainable, and equitable future for Puerto Rican farmers and citizens alike.
I have known Dr. Jayachandran for almost 5 years, since before I was admitted to FIU’s Agroecology Program. Dr. Jayachandran has given me his full support on this project, my academic career, as well as serving in a mentor/consultant role for projects conducted on the farms I worked at. Dr. Jayachandran's course on Agroecology proved to be a particularly useful tool as the lectures he gave frequently coincided with the steps of the regenerative silvopasture project we implemented at Little Farm. With Dr. Jayachandran's help, we were able to establish a strong internship program at the Little Farm where students could specialize in different sections of a fully integrated agroecological system. This included sustainable livestock management, nursery management, tree grafting/agroforestry management, soil building, and compost building.
The project is on track and making progress. Thank you.