2nd Field Trip Visual Updates from B. Ekxang, Laos

This brief post summarized our second field visit at Pilot Site A located at the Ban Ekxang village on January 15, 2014. The field experimental trials have been scaled up to pilot test soil and water treatments to two typographical landscapes located within the same village with diverse soil structure, texture, etc, but with the same plants and treatments. The plot for the second site is currently been negotiated between the village chief, farmers, and the local agriculture extension agent (all project stakeholders). We should be able to come up with a definite location for the second plot by this week or early next week.

However, our visit on January 15 was more productive than the first trip. We were joined by two colleagues from the Water Resources Engineering Department (WRED) at the National University of Laos (NUL), who express extraordinary interest in specifically using their experiences from the work towards their academic research papers. A lecturer who is also working on her Master’s thesis and a 4th-year undergraduate irrigation major student would use the work from this study towards his thesis as well. We will be meeting them on January 20, 2014 to discuss in more details their roles, expectations, resources, and how to proceed considering their interests in the work.

The following photos were taken during the second field visit at the village.

Ms. Chanta, is the Agriculture Extension Officer for Phon Hong District located in the Vientiane Prefecture, Laos. She is the "do it yourself" kind of person, which was appropriate to our needs.
Ms. Chanta, is the Agriculture Extension Officer for Phon Hong District located in the Vientiane Prefecture, Laos. She is the “do it yourself” kind of person, which was appropriate to our needs.
Ms. Tadam is the landowner for our Site A. She and her husband owns about 10 hectare of land, raises cows and water buffalos. The cow dung and rice bran were provided by her and was appropriately compensated. Here the women seems to be in charge of land rights, farming and finances. Her husband helps with the farm works as well along with her 6 years old son.
Ms. Tadam is the landowner for our Site A. She and her husband owns about 10 hectare of land, raises cows and water buffalos. The cow dung and rice bran were provided by her and was appropriately compensated. Here the women seems to be in charge of land rights, farming and finances. Her husband helps with the farm works as well along with her 6 years old son.
Ms. Tadam husband undertake the contract to plough the soil.
Ms. Tadam husband undertake the contract to plough the soil.

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