Africa is leading the world in cell phone finance. In Kenya in 2007, Vodaphone started M-Pesa for the mobile network operator, Safaricom. M-Pesa, (from “M” for mobile, and “pesa,” the Kiswahili word for money) offers simple financial services on the phone. Customers go to a small shop to exchange cash...

Le couvain pétrifié, ou aspergillose, est causé par différentes espèces de champignons appartenant au genre Aspergillus. La maladie est identifiée par des larves dures couvertes de spores fongiques poudreuses. On la rencontre dans le monde entier mais, à moins que la colonie ne soit sérieusement affaiblie par d'autres facteurs de stress,...

This practice describes how to manage water in organic agriculture. It provides in depth techniques on how to keep water in the soil ranging from keeping soil moisture to evaporation reduction and how to make better use of seasonal rainfall. Water management also encompasses how to harvest water through a...

In India, tomato is both a high value crop, often exported to the Middle East, and an important subsistence vegetable grown mainly by women. Tomato leaf curl virus (ToLCV) and its whitefly vector, Bemisia tabaci (Genn.), are two of the most serious constraints to tomato production in India. When populations...

El híbrido FHIA-21 es un plátano tipo francés, que fue desarrollado en 1987. En la actualidad, se encuentra en producción comercial en Cuba, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Venezuela, Ecuador, Perú, Colombia, entre otros países. Se consume en estado verde hervido o frito, o maduro.

The main target group is para-veterinarians involved in the development of small poultry farm at village level. The intention is that the paravets will extract from the manual the materials they need for training.

Rice is the second most important cereal crop in Tanzania after maize and the majority of rice farmers depend on it both for food and as a cash crop. However, highly competitive annual and perennial wild rice species have been identified as one of the important constraints to rice production...

Helping to write a script for a farmer training video on vermiwash triggered my interest in trying it out myself, as I began to wonder if ideas from tropical India could work in temperate Belgium.  

Mulching is the process of covering the topsoil with plant material such as leaves, grass, twigs, crop residues, straw etc. A mulch cover enhances the activity of soil organisms such as earthworms. They help to create a soil structure with plenty of smaller and larger pores through which rainwater can...

The objective of this practice was to focus on the suitability and replication potential of salt-tolerant rice varieties as alternatives in saline impacted areas, and thus contribute to the region’s resilience and food security. The Philippines is among the most disaster-prone countries in the world. More than 200 climate-related natural...

Farm inputs such as improved seeds, fertilizers, and herbicides are conventionally packaged in large bag sizes that are beyond the financial means of small farmers. The technology demonstrates ways of mobilizing the private sector to make small quantities of appropriate inputs available in mini-packs. It also demonstrates novel ways of...

A really good teacher will teach you both subject matter and how to explain it to others. Elías Sánchez mentored thousands of Central Americans in organic agriculture. He started his adult life as a rural schoolteacher because he wanted to help people. But he soon realized that rural people needed...

In mountain areas, water continues to be a scarce commodity not only for irrigation purposes but even for drinking and other domestic uses. These challenges are encountered very frequently in India. These difficulties are present, inspite of the fact that important rivers namely the Sutlez, Beas, Ravi and their tributaries...

Hydroponics is based on growing agricultural plants without the use of soil. These are methods of growing plants either on a substrate or in an aqueous medium with bare roots. Non-circulating hydroponic methods, importantly, do not require electricity or a pump. With the method presented in this practice, the entire...

Coffee growing is an important livelihood strategy for smallholders in East African countries, notably Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda, where coffee is an important agricultural export. Smallholder production is less significant in southern countries such as Malawi and Zambia but although the smallholder sector is small, coffee is a major...

Hay-making is the most important method of preserving forage in many countries, including tropical ones. Silage-making is highly developed in temperate countries, especially in Europe, and goes with intensification. In tropical countries, plant growth coincides with the rainy season, which sometimes makes hay-making difficult. The objective of this technology is...

This practice describes, step by step, how to convert traditional agricultural practices to organic agriculture practices. The information provided showcases how first and foremost knowledge on the functioning and the possibilities of the management of natural processes is important. Familiarization with organic practices is also recommended such as mulching, intercropping,...

The Philippines is among the most disaster prone countries in the world. More than 200 climate-related natural disasters were recorded in the last two decades. Alone in 2011 the country was hit by 33 disasters, claiming 1 430 lives. Typhoons trigger landslides, flashfloods, mudslides, widespread flooding, and cause significant destruction...

Yam productivity in the main yam-growing belt of West Africa is reduced by losses in the growing crop, and in subsequent storage, due to diseases and pests. Many of these are either spread in, or exacerbated by, poor quality planting materials. A package of crop protection technologies was developed (based...

SEVA in association with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), IFAD assisted Post Tsunami Sustainable Livelihood Project trained women, self-help group members on herbal treatment for animals upto 21 days. Selected women members were trained intensively to work as Community Livestock Volunteers (CLVs). Then they train local village...