Slash-and-burn as land clearing method for rubber smallholders: results of a social economic agronomy survey

The search for alternatives to slash-and-burn agriculture and slash-and-burn as a land clearing method requires an in-depth knowledge on and diagnosis of the problems that rise with the present management system. A social/economic/agronomic survey on slash-and-burn as a land clearing method (S and B Survey) was conducted among 30 rubber smallholders in the Sepunggur area, Jambi province, Sumatra, Indonesia. objectives of this survey are: 1) to characterize slash-and-burn techniques; 2) to characterize farmers' perspectives on the land clearing methods related to agronomic aspects (soil fertility, plant growth, production) and 3) to evaluate the importance of and alternatives for slash-and-burn as a land clearing system to smallholders and at community level at present and in the near future. In this paper we present the results of this survey.