Weed management alternatives for organic coffee agroforestry systems of Puerto Rico

Weed management alternatives for organic coffee agroforestry systems of Puerto Rico

Summary

A comparison of different organic weed management practices in organic (or transitioning) coffee agroforestry systems will provide insight into the effectiveness of organic weed management practices at both suppressing weeds and conserving the natural resource base of farms. The weed management practices to be evaluated are mechanical control, use of cover crops and natural herbicide. Weed suppression, coffee production, labor time and provision of ecosystem services (i.e. soil conservation, natural pest control and nematode diversity conservation) will be examined. Farmers’ perceptions of different organic weed management practices will be collected through visits to experimental sites, surveys and a results workshop.

Objectives/Performance Targets

1. 1) Evaluate the effectiveness of different organic weed management practices in established organic CAFS and coffee farms transitioning to organic CAFS.
   2) Determine the effect of different organic weed management practices on labor time and coffee production.
   3) Determine the effect of different organic weed management practices on the ecosystem service of soil conservation.
   4) Determine the effect of different organic weed management practices on the ecosystem service of natural pest control.
   5) Determine the effect of different organic weed management practices on the ecosystem service of soil nematode diversity conservation.
   6) Evaluate farmers’ perceptions of different organic weed management practices.
   7) Develop guidelines for weed management in organic coffee farms.

Accomplishments/Milestones

1. 1) Completion of administrative procedures to manage project at the University of Puerto Rico, Utuado.
   2) Design of evaluation plan with external evaluator.
   3) Selection of project technician and undergraduate student assistants.
   4) Selection of experimental areas within UPRU and E. Alvarado’s coffee farms.
   5) Selection of topics for farmer and student surveys.

   6) Ordering of materials and supplies.

1. 1) Establishment of experimental plots (The experiment will be conducted twice and will last eight months each time).
   2) Experiment data gathering, entry and analyses.

   3) Guided visits to experimental areas with short surveys about weed management practices.
   4) Short survey data entry and analyses.
   5) Stakeholder workshop.
   6) Data entry and analyses of workshop data.
   7) Development of organic weed management manual.
   8) Distribution of manual to workshop participants and interest groups.
   9) Visit to farms of farmers who received the manual, and evaluation of weed management practices used by these farmers.
   10) Presentation of results at local and national congresses.
   11) Manuscript preparation of experiment and workshop results.
   12) Final project evaluation.

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

The project will benefit producers/consumers in the Southern Region through changes in knowledge, actions and conditions.

A. Changes in knowledge
1) Increased knowledge of ecosystem services and practices that conserve them in farms.
2) Increased knowledge of organic weed management practices.
3) Increased knowledge of organic coffee farming.
4) Increased knowledge of organic agriculture in general.

B. Changes in actions
1) Farmers consider several factors (e.g. ecological and financial) when deciding which weed management practices to use.
2) Coffee farmers consider organic production as a viable alternative.
3) Organic and transitioning coffee farmers have more weed management alternatives to choose from.

C. Changes in conditions
1) Organic coffee farms provide more ecosystem services.
2) A higher number of coffee farmers start producing organic coffee.

Collaborators: