Water in Nepal is not scarce in absolute terms, and most areas receive about 1 500 mm of precipitation each year, while certain areas may receive up to 5 000 mm. However, many parts of the country still experience water shortages, in particular during the pre-monsoon season (March to May)....

One severe impact of recurrent flooding and waterlogging in Juye County in the Shandong Province, is the salinization and alkalization of soils. The soil in Juye, mainly Luvisoils, with high salt content due to the water loggings, is rich in calcium, magnesium, ions of chloride, sulfate and carbonate. Salt compounds...

Guinea grass mulching is one of the local drought-mitigation strategies adopted in the low-rainfall areas of Jamaica. After the land preparation, dried guinea grass is applied in a matted form over the area to be cultivated. This practice helps crop to survive during the dry season without having to recur...

The main theme of the conference is “Organic Animal Husbandry systems – challenges, performance and potentials”, taking into account the diversity of organic and sustainable animal husbandry systems. Particular attention has been given to dairy and pig systems, parasites and the replacement of inputs. The Video Pre-Conference 2020 will be...

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 in this country. In 2011 it was hit by 33 disasters, claiming 1 430 lives. These typhoons trigger landslides, flashfloods, mudslides, widespread flooding and cause...

Potato is the second most important staple food in Nepal after rice and it is a source for higher income and a better diet for small-scale rural farmers. Increasing consumption of potato demonstrates its importance for food security; however, seed storage is not easy, especially because temperature fluctuations and excessive...

Soil conservation is crucial to sustainable agriculture. This technology involves growing row crops, forages, small grains, or fallow in a systematic arrangement of equal width strips across a field. This arrangement of strips reduces water and wind-induced soil erosion. It also reduces the transport of sediment and other water-borne contaminants...

This practical guide was adapted by the Fundación Hondureña de Investigación Agrícola (FHIA) and is applicable where banana trees are grown. Traditionally, the banana producer plants new areas with shoots (sprouts from the base of the mother plant) obtained from plantations intended for the production of fruit. This practice weakens...

Soybeans are an excellent source of protein for both humans and livestock. But they contain also anti-nutritive substances. These are deactivated using heat treatment. There are different procedures for this heat treatment. One of these procedures is toasting. Usually, this process is carried out externally, not on the farm itself....

Every sheep grazing on pasture is infested with one type of worm or the other. Failure to control clinical worm infestation in sheep can result in blood loss, underweight animals, and death. In the case of hydatid disease, which is a disease related to infestation with tapeworm, failure to control...

Contour ploughing mitigates the impacts of floods, storms, and landslides on the crops by reducing soil erosion up to 50 percent, controlling runoff water, increasing moisture infiltration and retention and thus enhancing soil quality and composition. This practice describes contour ploughing and contour beds which can be constructed manually using...

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)...

The IFOAM International Animal Husbandry Alliance (IAHA) is an informal network of individuals and organizations interested in supporting and strengthening the development of organic animal husbandry. 

Carl Sheard is an organic pig farmer (45 sows) in the Pays de La Loire region of France who is experimenting a system of outdoor fattening using diverse combinations of forage crops. Trials began this autumn 2019 which consist of providing a diverse range of mixed forage crops throughout the...

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.

Honeybees are susceptible to various diseases, some of which are very contagious and can be easily transmitted. It is very important that beekeepers are able to recognize the first signs of disease in hives and know how to proceed to contain and treat the disease. This practice describes the factors...

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...

Throughout Eastern Africa, pressure on land is increasing. Average farm size is decreasing as plots are sub-divided and farmers struggle to find space on their farms to grow subsistence and cash crops as well as to keep livestock. Many farmers would like to keep dairy cows but do not have...

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...