Browsing by Autor "Christian Gary"

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Benefits for winegrowers of diversified farming in the high valleys of southern Bolivia
(Taylor & Francis, 2025) Pablo Rodrigo Oliva Oller; Martín Notaro; Erick D. Langer; Christian Gary
In southern Bolivia, smallholder farms maintain a highly specific traditional agroforestry viticulture. In these farming systems, the various cropping and livestock activities and their interactions with viticulture were identified, the benefits of their diversity to the farm households were assessed, and the most profitable forms of diversity were identified. Surveys and participatory workshops were organized to draw up a typology of farms and evaluate their main potential and limitations. Production of grapes, vegetables, fruits and fodder, animal husbandry, and processing of wine and brandy (singani) coexisted in varying proportions. Two types of farms generated the highest gross income. Type Div (Diversified) exhibited balanced cropping and livestock activities and strong interactions among them, with the highest proportion of fertilizers provided by manure, and animal feed provided by fodder crops and crop residues. Type Proc (Processing) was the most involved in the production of wine and singani, including grapes purchased from other producers. In contrast, type HortiViti (Horticulture and Viticulture) invested more in horticulture and suffered from poor market conditions. Farmers saw the traditional character and diversity of their farming systems as an opportunity, but suffered from competition with high-input farming systems and lack of technical support.
La agroforestería vitícola del Valle de los Cintis, Bolivia: Antecedentes históricos, características y comparación con la viticultura de monocultivo moderna
(Ediciones de la Universidad de Murcia, 2023) Pablo Oliva Oller; Erick D. Langer; Christian Gary
The information provided in this work has been presented at congresses and conferences: XVI Latin American Congress of Viticulture, Ica, Peru, 2019; First Latin American Conference, San Juan, Mendoza, Argentina, 2021; XIII Ibero-Latin American Congress of Rural Studies, Valdivia, Chile, 2022.
Structure and management of traditional agroforestry vineyards in the high valleys of southern Bolivia
(Springer Science+Business Media, 2022) Pablo Oliva Oller; Martín Notaro; Erick D. Langer; Christian Gary
Abstract In the south of Bolivia, a group of traditional wine growers are distinguished by the cultivation of grapevines on native trees that serve as tutors. These growers currently represent one of the few examples of agroforestry vineyards in the world. They offer an opportunity to analyze the structure and management of these cropping systems, and to identify the ecosystem services provided by the combination of grapevines that are trained on trees. We characterize 29 agroforestry vineyards located in three high valleys in southern Bolivia, describing the main farm features, the structure and management of the vineyards, and the advantages of on-tree vine staking as recorded by the farmers. Farms were small (2.2 ha on average), with about half viticulture and half other crops and forage. The workforce was about half family and half employees. The most commonly used tree species were the molle tree ( Schinus molle ) and chañar tree ( Geoffroea decorticans ), and the majority of grape varieties grown were landraces such as “Negra criolla” and “Vicchoqueña.” The main cultivation techniques were pruning of the trees and vines, application of manure more than mineral fertilizers, gravity irrigation, and application of few pesticides. The main services farmers expected from trees were protection against climate hazards and flooding, disease control, maintenance of soil fertility, and higher yields. Agroforestry is a promising option for the agroecological transition of viticulture, which deserves further studies at both plot and farm scales.