Rice terraces micro-ecology

HONGHE RICE TERRACES MICRO-ECOLOGY PESTECIDES AU NATUREL The baby birds are still in their striped down coats, but they are already ready to be the most efficient pest exterminators. As they prod the bottom of the rice stalks, they loosen the soil and release nutrients that will fatten and - a self-sufficient lifestyle Life begins with the patches of bright neon green – the paddy nurseries that dot the hills with squares of freshly sprouted saplings. strengthen the rice plants. As soon as the rice is planted, a whole eco-system starts. When the bund stoppers are released and the paddy fields flood, the rice seedlings are thrust into the rich soil. Funnily enough, duck is not a meat served often in local cuisine, but duck eggs are a popular commodity sold at the farmer's markets, and served at restaurants and family dinner tables. That is also when the year's first broods of ducklings are releașed into the water. Nowadays, local farmers also Typical rice terrace from the area farm grass-carp and crucian The Hani are carp in the incredibly hard working people terraces, harvesting them just before the grains are ready to be cut. The terraces are also home to yet another protein source - little eel-like fishes called loaches, and pike-like fingerlings the locals simply call paddy terrace fish. They are caught and eaten deep- fried or cooked in omelet, and they are enjoyed very much like prawns. In fact, their local name, xiaba cong, sounds like "prawn insects". FAUNA FLORA There is lots of animal activity along the bunds, on the water's edge. Flocks of free-range chickens lead their chicks in rummag- ing among the weeds, herbs and vegetables looking for juicy caterpillars or the occasional crunchy beetle. On the bunds, plenty of wild or cultivated vegetables vary the diet. Staples like potato or yam are grown on the bunds that separate the terraces, and their roots help to stabilize the barriers. The tadpoles found in the paddy terraces are huge, and they are eaten as well, as are the fat local snails, which look more like whelks. The water buffaloes that till the land are accorded enormous respect and if you encounter a few along the narrow paths, you have to let them pass first. However, their prolific waste is shaped into patties and slapped onto walls to dry, and used as both fuel and fertilizer. Many wild herbs grow on the bunds as well, providing both medicine and food. (07- wild herbs) Pigs are not penned here, and their droppings, along with buffalo dung, are carefully collected and dried. These will become fuel. The Honghe region is also the biggest exporter of huge black cardamom pods, and the plants grow at every available sheltered location near or about A species of chive-like plants are also eaten, and te locals call it pi cai. However, we found out it is not a chive or onion, but the shoots of a certain wild orchid, since domesticated. (07 - orchid shoots) the rice terraces. Fat piglets trot along the narrow paths, meandering along It is a self-sufficient system that has fed and bred generations, but now it seems, the rice terraces are threat- ened by many things, one of which is the slow migration of the young to the bright lights of the cities. (11- future farmer. 12 - pretty Hani baby.)