Bounyoung Douangpanya tends his paddy field while participating in a legume experiment in 2026. Photo: Florine Degrune for IWMI. Bounyoung Doungpanya, a farmer in Attapeu, Lao PDR, once owned many buffalo and used their manure to fertilize his fields. When tractors and agricultural technology replaced the need for livestock to plow paddy fields, he relied on market fertilizers. Over time, he noticed that the quality of his soil declined.