Le paillage (ou mulching) est le processus de recouvrement de la terre arable avec du matériel végétal tel que des feuilles, de l'herbe, des brindilles, des résidus de récolte, de la paille, etc. La couverture de mulch (ou paillis) accroît l'activité des organismes du sol et surtout celle des vers...

Les poules indigènes jouent un rôle important dans la vie des familles rurales en Afrique orientale. Malgré l’usage accru des races commerciales par de gros éleveurs, près des trois quarts des poules de la région sont de races indigènes. Leur viande et leurs œufs sont plus savoureux , elles exigent...

The following provides an overview on how to plant, fertilize, manage and control pests for a series of vegetable varieties. These include amaranthus, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, broccoli, eggplant, cucumber, kale, leek, lettuce, okra, onion, sweet pepper, pumpkin, Swiss chard, tomato and watermelon.

Market liberalisation in Africa has resulted in more commodities being stored in small quantities in on-farm facilities. This has resulted in increased post-harvest losses, especially by storage pest insects of grain and legumes. The use of synthetic pesticides in food stores at the farm level can be considered costly by...

Cowpea is important to rural households in Ghana for its nutritional value and to supplement income. Poorer producers typically have to sell grain legumes soon after harvest, either to meet debts or because they cannot prevent storage losses (weight losses and value reduction) associated with insect damage. Market sellers are...

Les moutons qui broutent dans les pâturages peuvent être infestés par plusieurs types de parasites. Le niveau d’infestation parasitaire doit faire l’objet d’un contrôle. Dans le cas contraire, l’infestation peut entraîner des saignements, l’amaigrissement et même la mort de l’animal. En cas d’hydatidose (maladie due à l’infestation par un ténia),...

Using the story of a beekeeper in South Western Uganda, who started with three traditional bee hives ten years ago and now has more than 100 hives of different types, this brochure introduces to the advantages and the basic techniques of beekeeping and honey processing. It gives an overview of...

Sweet potato is a popular food in many parts of Eastern Africa. It is drought tolerant, hardy and can grow in marginal areas, thus contributing to improved food security. The young leaves and vines can be consumed as vegetables or fed to livestock. In some communities in Eastern Africa, sweet...

The economic decline of the past ten years in the Caribbean, due largely to the changes in trading arrangements for bananas, has had severe negative impacts. Fishing continues to support a significant number of households, but people have had to seek work in the manufacturing, tourism, commercial and construction sectors....

Demand for rice on the global market is on a constant rise. Yet despite the Green Revolution, production levels are unable to keep up with demand. Irrigated rice production is practised by millions of farmers around the world. The technique is based on an almost permanent flooding of the paddy-fields,...

Cassava, sweet potato, papaya and pumpkin leaves are widely eaten in Africa. They are nutritious, tasty, inexpensive and can help reduce hunger and malnutrition. Fresh green leafy vegetables and fruits start to lose their quality immediately after harvest, becoming damaged, wilted and eventually rotten. Storing and drying fruits and vegetables...

The National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO) aims to enhance the contribution of agricultural research to sustainable agricultural productivity, economic growth, food security and poverty eradication. It aims to do this through the generation and dissemination of appropriate technologies, knowledge and information. The following technology promotes good practices for cotton culture...

Fishponds are not just a hole in the ground containing water. They are unnatural water environments that farmers must manage in order to produce profitable fish harvests. Ponds should provide a good environment for fish to live in, all requirements for fish to live a healthy life, grow well and...

Water availability is crucial for agricultural activities, in the dry seasons or at time of reduced rainfalls, water becomes a rare commodity. Harvesting rainwater can offer a solution to increase water availability during the dry season. This practice describes how to harvest rainwater in Kenya. Rainwater harvesting is the collection...

Stackburn in maize is heat damage characterized by a brown discoloration of the grain resulting from heat build-up in the interior of stacks held in commercial storage in sub-Saharan Africa. Affected maize may be downgraded in commercial markets or have to be diverted for animal-feed use. Where discoloration is severe,...

This practice gives details on how to set up a tilapia fish farm, and recommendations for fish harvesting and storage. Fish are popular sources of protein and white-meat in many parts of Eastern Africa. However, the gap between supply and demand for fish is widening. Almost all natural fish stocks...

The fishponds are not just a hole in the ground containing water. They are unnatural water environments that farmers must manage in order to produce profitable fish harvests. Ponds should provide a good environment for fish to live in, all requirements for fish to live a healthy life, grow well...

L'application des techniques d'agriculture de conservation répond à une nécessité d'apporter des réponses pratiques à la dégradation des sols, la faible fertilité des sols, et à la protection des bassins hydrographiques de la zone considérée. Les objectifs de cette technique sont de conserver, d'améliorer et de faire un usage plus...

This practice gives examples of different legumes that can be incorporated as livestock fodder to improve livestock productivity. Detail is given on the importance and use of legumes in terms of their nutritional content and their positive impact on soil quality. Information is provided on how to plant them and...

High rainfalls in mountainous agricultural regions trigger a need for intervention to help farmers confront food insecurity and restore and protect their soil. Makete, in the south-west of Tanzania, is a district crossed by both the Livingstone Mountains and the Kipengere Range. Much of the landscape is hilly and at high...