Mike Hands has spent the last 20 years researching slash-and-burn
agriculture and seeking a sustainable alternative. The solution he has
come up with is a technique called Inga alley cropping, which imitates
what rainforests do naturally: recycling nutrients back into the soil
and creating an environment where grasses and weeds can't flourish,
thereby enabling farmers to remain on the same area of land
indefinitely.
Initially, of course, the trees need to be planted, and it takes time
for them to grow. Once up and running, however, Inga alley cropping
requires less labour than slash-and-burn farming for two reasons. First,
in areas where land has been over-cropped and secondary forest hasn't
had the chance to grow back, slash-and-burn farmers spend a lot of time
battling weeds and invasive grasses. By contrast, the canopy shade and
mulch keep the weeds under control. Second, the Inga trees provide a
plentiful supply of firewood, which is essential for the homemade clay
ovens in the family dwellings. This is something that farmers would
otherwise spend considerable time and effort gathering.
1. According to the passage, which **TWO** of the following statements are true of the Inga alley cropping system?
请选择 2 个答案
A. It enables farmers to cultivate the same land for as long as they
B. It has resulted in the introduction of a new tree species to
C. Maintaining the system is more labour intensive than slash-and-burn
D. It has provided homes in the area with a convenient source of fuel
E. It has already taken over from more traditional ways of farming.