Farming is changing throughout Laos, with traditional slash-and-burn giving way to more modern agricultural methods in many areas. In southern Xayabury for example, traditional rotational cultivation has been replaced by cash crops such as maize, rice-beans, peanuts, Job’s tears and sesame. Such development, when not carefully managed, can quickly deplete soils and nutrients. Maize is now widely sown and spreads to new areas every year: more than 15,000 ha was sown in southern Xayabury in 2004. Land preparation based on burning residues and ploughing on steep slopes has allowed for cultivation of large upland areas. However, within a few years this generates heavy soil degradation and depletion of natural resources, especially when crop rotation is abandoned. In many degraded areas of southern Xayabury, smallholders have modified conventional land preparation and are shifting from ploughing to herbicides.
