The centralized plant breeding techniques of the green revolution have yielded good results in more favourable agricultural environments. However, most low-resource farmers in marginal areas have not benefited from these varieties. As an alternative to centralized breeding, farmer participatory approaches using Participatory Varietal Selection (PVS) and Participatory Plant Breeding (PPB)...

No dig beds not only save from back-breaking work of digging but also create favourable conditions for microbial life in the soil. In this video, Nasira Habib shares how she prepares no-dig beds to grow vegetables and flowers in her organic home garden.

Squid pot, locally known as “bubo pangnokos”, is a regular receptacle device mainly to catch squid in coastal waters. The shape of the gear is semi-cylindrical and is generally made of polyethylene netting mounted on a bamboo frame. It is provided with a non-return valve, which allows easy entrance but...

During the pre-monsoon season, between March-and May, some areas in Nepal experience water shortages. On the other hand, during the monsoon season, water excess causes regular floods and landslides. In this situation, activities such as agriculture or livestock, as well as the availability of drinking water and women’s workload are...

Farmers’ participatory varietal evaluation of wheat and rice was conducted for three consecutive years from 1999 to 2002, in the Punjab, India. Farmers adopted new varieties that better met their needs and enabled them to break their monoculture dependence. They also made use of seed priming and zero tillage, a...

Using participatory plant breeding, poor and marginal farmers in Eastern India, who previously grew old and low yielding land races, produced several new varieties of upland rice. Self-help groups produced truthful seed of these rice varieties, with production rising from 39 in 2002-2003 to 81 t in 2003-2004. It was...

Bokashi is a nutrient-dense, fast-acting and soil-regenerating fertiliser. It helps increase the amount of organic matter in the soil and create conducive conditions for microbial activity. Nasira Habib explains how you can make bokashi at your garden or farm.

The Philippines is particularly prone to natural disasters due to its geographical location and physical environment. The country experiences an average of 20 typhoons yearly, which trigger landslides, flash floods, mudslides, widespread flooding, and cause destruction and damage to homes, community buildings, communications, infrastructure, and agriculture. To address these hazards...

Heavy rainfall and landslides in the up-streams of the Churia range cause sedimentation of river beds, leading to erosion of river embankments by fast flows of water. This heavily affects the livelihoods of farmers downstream, causing loss of infrastructure, crops and livestock. In addition, the continuous erosion of agricultural lands...

Municipal solid waste (MSW) can be a valuable fertilizer for peri-urban farmers in India. An integrated approach to urban waste management, currently absent, is needed to improve its use, to include segregation of waste materials (removal of plastic and glass). Thus halting the decline in quality and its management and...

Innovation, solidarity, coherence and strong partnership among and within countries of Asia and the Pacific are required for the region to rebound from the damage caused by COVID-19 and the ongoing effects of chronic undernourishment. That was a call made by more than 40 member countries of the Food and Agriculture...

Farmers located along the river banks in the Kapilvastu district in Nepal face frequent floods and subsequent land degradation that deeply affects their livelihoods, as the sand that deposits in this area makes cultivation of crops unfeasible. The introduction of watermelon and sweet potato crops along the river banks, also...

India’s growing population represents 40 percent of the world’s absolute poor. Its agricultural sector accounts for nearly one third of the country’s GDP and occupies two thirds of the workforce. With an increasing food demand and some of its regions, like the eastern plateau region, receiving very little rainfall, aquaculture...

Representatives from various sectoral bodies in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) met virtually  for a high-level roundtable to discuss accelerated actions to leverage social protection to address COVID-19 pandemic and to officially launch the ASEAN Guidelines on Disaster Responsive Social Protection to Increase Resilience.  The ASEAN region is facing a...

Climate change increases uncertainties in the agriculture sector and directly impacts agricultural production. In the Cordillera region of the northern Philippines, erratic precipitation patterns affect water availability during important crop growth stages, while drought in some areas make it extremely difficult for farmers to grow crops. Local agriculture workers and...

Disaster prone countries, like the Philippines, are affected by landslides, mudslides, widespread flooding which are causing significant destruction and damages to homes, community buildings, communications, infrastructure, and agriculture. Forest enrichment is a good practice option, especially for mountainous regions to counter these issues. The cultivation of pomelo for forest enrichment...

This training manual provides basic guidance for trainers to design and deliver training that will help individuals or organizations increase their knowledge, skills and experience in agroforestry development. In addition, the exercises contained in this manual are designed to help participants foster the understanding and basic skills necessary to support...

Fisheries is of paramount importance in the Bicol region in the Philippines, with its 3 100 km of coast line of various fishing grounds. The region is, however, flood and typhoon-prone and, as in most areas in the Philippines, fishing in the Bicol region is characterized by declining fish catch....

The Philippines are regularly exposed to extreme weather events. Due to its geographical location and physical environment Bicol Region is particularly prone to meteorological hazards such as typhoons, floods, drought, and high magnitude rainfall and related hazards such landslides. Agriculture is one of the most affected sectors especially in the...

Crop establishment is often poor in the semiarid tropics. However, good crop stand establishment is essential for the efficient use of water and light, and a uniform stand is a pre-requisite for cropping success. Seeds that germinate quickly produce viable seedlings that are not dependent on rapidly declining moisture in...