Tropical Lowlands
Hot humid lowlands are found on islands and in low altitude coastal regions in the wet tropics. An annual rainfall of 80-120 inches is well distributed throughout the long rainy season. Examples of hot humid lowlands are found in the Philippines, countries of coastal Southeast Asia such as Bangladesh and Thailand, coastal West Africa, and the Caribbean Seacoast of Central America.
Farmers in tropical lowlands often need to: 1. Plant on hills, ridges, or raised gardening beds with surrounding drainage channels to rid the soil of excess moisture, or 2. Select crops tolerant of wet soil conditions. Vegetable crops grown at ECHO include winged bean, yardlong bean, wax gourd, okra, eggplant, and Malabar spinach as well as root crops such as jicama and sweet potatoes.
Bananas are grown in tropical lowlands for food and as a cash crop. In recent decades, however, bananas have been severely damaged by the fungal leaf spot disease called Black Sigatoka. New banana varieties tolerant of this disease are displayed at ECHO. Other fruits suitable for tropical lowlands include wax jambu, jackfruit, papaya, starfruit, and mango.
Man-made fish and duck ponds provide families with valuable sources of protein. Ducks provide protein from eggs and meat. They eat onshore plants plus supplied grain and release their solid wastes into the pond. Manure stimulates the growth of algae, providing food for the vegetarian tilapia fish living in ECHO's pond.
