@article{fdi:010062522,
  title = {{P}rofitability and opportunity of conservation agriculture in acid savannah grasslands of {L}aos},
  author = {{L}ienhard, {P}. and {P}anyasiri, {K}. and {S}ayphoummie, {S}. and {L}eudphanane, {B}. and {L}estrelin, {G}uillaume and {S}eguy, {L}. and {T}ivet, {F}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{I}n north-eastern {L}aos, the savannah grasslands of the {P}lain of {J}ars cover vast areas of potentially cultivable land. {H}owever, soil acidity, low inherent fertility, and the absence of alternatives to tillage represent significant constraints to the development of sustainable smallholder agriculture. {O}ur objective was to evaluate the potential for conservation agriculture ({CA}) to enhance soil productivity and farming system profitability. {A} three-year rotation of rice/maize/soybean was tested under three fertilization levels and four agricultural systems: one conventional tillage-based ({CT}) system and three {CA} systems based on no-tillage with cover crops. {A}fter four cropping seasons, our results show that, compared with {CT}, {CA} systems led to similar-to-higher grain production, similar-to-higher profits, higher opportunity of livestock system intensification, and higher labour productivity regardless of fertilization levels. {W}hile {CA} represents a relevant alternative to current practices, our results suggest that its contribution to the emergence of a sustainable smallholder agriculture is conditioned by broader institutional transformations, including the enrolment of local manufacturers and traders for deploying no-till implements and seed market channels for cover crops, long-term public support to maintain active research and technical mentoring to farmers, and possibly the integration of ecosystem services in agricultural policy.},
  keywords = {acid tropical soils ; no-till ; cover crops ; soil productivity ; system profitability ; rainfed agriculture ; crop-livestock systems ; smallholders ; two-wheel tractors ; scaling-up conditions ; {LAOS}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{I}nternational {J}ournal of {A}gricultural {S}ustainability},
  volume = {12},
  numero = {4},
  pages = {391--406},
  ISSN = {1473-5903},
  year = {2014},
  DOI = {10.1080/14735903.2013.806419},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010062522},
}