Pruning is the selective removal of unproductive shoots and branches. There are several reasons why to prune a mango tree. The practice allows for light and air to be admitted into the canopy of a tree, it enhances flowering to achieve high quality fruits and it improves effective control of...

Sweet Potato Virus Diseases (SPVD) are an important biotic constraint to sweet potato production in parts of East Africa. Technologies consisting of participatory selection procedures and an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) package were developed to improve the performance and farmer-acceptability of locally selected sweet potato clones resistant to SPVD. These...

Since its introduction, the papaya mealy bug (Paracoccus marginatus) causes serious damages to papaya plantations in Ghana. Conventional control with pesticides was unsuccessful because the mealy bug has become resistant to them. A promising solution that proved to be successful is the biological control of mealy bugs using small parasitic...

This technology describes the various processes of propagating the seeds of Allanblackia. Allanblackia seeds do not germinate easily. The use of growth promoters to break dormancy has been explored, but does not promote seed germination. The storage of fruit for six weeks before seed extraction and/or removal of the whole testa do however...

This technology describes management practices involved in successful rearing of ducks in the tropical regions. Advantages and disadvantages of duck keeping compared to chickens are provided along with clarifications on the different types of breeds. Different processes of breeding and breeding stock are explained as well as explanations on how...

Through proper guidelines, rabbit rearing not only requires minimal capital investment but also provides increased livelihood income and yield. This step-by-step guide details rabbit breeds, behaviour, and handling. It instructs how to construct rabbit hutches, kindling boxes, weaner cages and where to place the rabbits. Information on breeding management is...

This technology describes the various stages of propagating Allanblackia species by grafting. Grafting is a technique widely used in horticulture and forestry for the mass production of selected plants. It is one of the most successful methods for propagating Allanblackia. The technique involves the formation of a union between scions taken from desirable...

This practice provides a wealth of useful information on how to overcome the main constraints in small-scale poultry production and deal with threats like predation and infectious diseases. It is a practical practice with chapters on hatching, housing, nutrition and health.

Compost has many advantages. It is a well‑balanced fertilizer, it improves long term soil fertility and it helps to suppress soil borne diseases. The following video shows a good way of how to make compost in Ghana.

The following was written by three of the foremost experts in the field of Newcastle Disease control in the developing world. It presents the latest understanding of Newcastle Disease (ND), its characteristics, epidemiology, symptoms and control. It will be of practical value to state and private veterinarians and to all...

Measures that empower young agri-entrepreneurs should be a key component of a sustainable development-centred investment promotion strategy. The very realization of future generations’ food security, the sustainable transformation of food systems and the combat against unemployment and distress migration all depend upon the successful implementation of strategies that make the...

Dairy goat rearing is very beneficial for farming families, apart from the milk which is very nutritious, goat meat is also a delicacy for many households. Goats can also be used to provide manure for the farm and also earn the farmer more income. With limited capital, a farmer can...

Ce rapport de recherche est le résultat d'une collaboration entre la FAO et l'Institut national de la recherche agronomique de Tunisie (INRAT). Il a pour objectif de donner une vision claire des perspectives de développement des investissements par et pour les jeunes en Tunisie en analysant le contexte du marché...

Natural fallow is land resting from cultivation, usually used for grazing or left to natural vegetation for a long period to restore soil fertility lost from growing crops. Improved fallow is also land resting from cultivation but the vegetation comprises planted and managed species of leguminous trees, shrubs and herbaceous...

Fisheries play an important part in the economic and social life of people in Burundi. One-third of the animal protein consumption in the country stems from fisheries, and the sector employs over 100 000 people. Yet, about 10 to 15 percent of the harvest is lost in the process. Fish...

This documentation provides a summary experience of a microfinance system called the “warrantage system“, or inventory credit system. Farmers access small loans from banks and microfinance institutions to finance their household generating activity incomes. The practice recognises the role of micro credit to smallholder farmers’ success and provides an appropriate...

En Tunisie, le taux de chômage des jeunes de 15 à 35 ans est très élevé, se situant autour de 35 pour cent, chez les diplômés du supérieur des régions de l’intérieur et en milieu rural, ce qui pousse un nombre important à l’exode et à l’émigration souvent au péril...

Greetings from the African Centre for Biodiversity! We are happy to share with you our first newsletter. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and ensuing flux has led to deep reflection, as we grapple with how to meet unprecedented challenges. And through the stringent lockdown, our agile and mostly young and women-led team were reaching out to partners locally,...

In the 2017 and 2018 editions of the Africa Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition, FAO reported that the prevalence of undernourishment was rising in the region. The latest data shows that the deterioration has slowed, but there remain 256 million hungry people in Africa today. The upward trend...

Rural youth risk to disproportionately suffer from the pandemic. Already facing higher unemployment and underemployment rates compared to adults, rural youth are 40 per cent more likely to be in casual work arrangements than urban youth.[1]  Most earn their income on a daily or weekly basis, with little or no access to...