SysCom Bolivia

This experiment has been added by the GLTEN Curators using existing published sources.
Objective
To study conventional and organic cocoa production in monocrop (full sun) and agroforestry (shaded) systems.
Data Access Statement
Don't know
Data license
Don't know
Data policy
Don't know
Organizations
Ecotop S.R.L
research organisation
Institute of Ecology, University San Andres
research organisation
Fundación PIAF-El Ceibo
research organisation
Research Institute of Organic Agriculture
research organisation
Person
Monika Schneider

Site: Sara Ana

Location
Alto Beni
La Paz
Bolivia
Geographic location
-15.460154, -67.472293
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Elevation
380 Metres
Visits permitted?
No
History
The LTE was established on land which was under fallow for 20 years, covered with a secondary forest.
Climate properties
VariableTime periodValue (range)Units
precipitation1439 millimeter
air temperature25.2 degree Celsius
humidity83 Percent

Design period: (2008—)

Design Type
Randomized complete block design
Description
Data are collected for cocoa yields and by-crops, labour time, costs of agronomic inputs and income from harvested products, tree growth, pest and diseases, phenology of cacao trees, climate and soil fertility.
Design description
Gross trial plots are 48m x 48m, while net plots are 24m x 24m. The experiment has the following 6 treatments replicated 4 times: i) monoculture, full sun (in the cocoa production phase) with conventional management ii) monoculture, full sun (in the cocoa production phase) with organic management iii) diversified, shaded agroforestry system with conventional management iv) diversified, shaded, agroforestry system with organic management v) diversified, shaded successional agroforestry system with no external inputs, and vi) fallow land (no crops) as a reference for biodiversity and soil fertility studies.
Number of plots
24
Number of replicates
6
Crop
CropYears grown
cacao plant
Factors
Factor name
Factor levels
farming system
organic agriculture
Uses legume cover crops, compost, biocontrol and manual weeding.
conventional agriculture
Uses synthetic fertilizers and integrated pest management.
cropping system
monoculture
Full sun.
agroforestry
50% shade
successional agroforestry

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