Hubert de Bon

In: UA Magazine 10 - Appropriate (Micro) Technologies for Urban Agriculture

In order to increase the production in the hot and humid season and reduce the use of pesticides on market garden crops, three techniques have been proposed to boost the periurban market garden production in South-eastern Asia: sheltered crops, tomato grafting and the use of insect-proof nets. The rise in the yield varies from one site to another. Tomato grafting appears to be the most efficient and attractive technique in the first year of experimentation, with some positive effects observed in Vientiane. The rise in production, which requires new equipment (nylon nets and shelters with polythene film), conflicts with the farmers' concerns about the investment cost and the availability of the adequate gear on the spot.