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,...

When 27-year old Neeraj Kumar heard about the Access Agriculture “Young Entrepreneur Challenge Fund 2019” announcement, he was excited to learn that winners would receive a Digisoft portable smart projector. Neeraj is co-founder of Khetee, an NGO based in Durdih village in Bihar, a state in eastern India. What impressed him most...

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...

the Andhra Pradesh Community managed Natural Farming (AP-CNF), formerly known as AP ZBNF, programme in India is a breath of fresh air. As AP-CNF says on its website, the programme “is based on the latest scientific discoveries in Agriculture, and, at the same time it is rooted in Indian tradition.” AP-CNF is...

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...

The happiest pigs I ever saw lived in the Bolivian Chaco, that semi-arid, lowland region in the southeast of the country. Every day, the villagers would let their pigs loose, to roam. The pigs, a tough little local breed, would wander off in troops, eating refuse on paths, scavenging in...

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...

Declining soil fertility, increasing weed infestations and a lack of income-generating opportunities are serious constraints to the establishment of sustainable cropping systems and livelihoods in the forest margins of Bolivia. Systems which allow farmers to progress: from unsustainable, migratory (shifting) slash, and burn agriculture to more sustainable and stable farming...

The preservation of fruit and vegetables by simply sun drying is practised widely throughout arid and semi-arid regions, for example in Uganda. The use of low-cost solar drying technologies can significantly improve product quality. This provides practical opportunities for developing small-scale enterprise, particularly in rural areas, and creates employment for...

Maize is the most important staple food in Eastern Africa. But yields on smallholder farms are often very low, typically just one quarter of what could be achieved. In a good year, using improved varieties with good management, recommended amounts of fertilizer and effective control of pests and diseases could...

Hides and skins are of very little economic and commercial value if they are not well preserved. Particularly in Uganda, Lango Farming System, most hides and skins which are produced, go to waste due to poor preservation practices. Improved methods and advice on how to preserve hides and skins of...

I remember a story from grad school about a people in the Amazon Basin who had no word for “parrot”, because they knew the names of all the individual species of parrots. I was reminded of that this week in Peru, where I was teaching a course on how to write...

Hand-jab planters are popular amongst small-scale farmers. They are the primary means of sowing seeds under no-tillage for most farmers. The implement is also suitable for filling in gaps after crop germination. There are many different models of jab planters from different companies. The operational principles are however similar. The...

Improved citrus varieties are not resistant to soil borne pests and diseases. However, they can be successfully grown if grafted on resistant rootstocks like rough lemon. Rough lemon is quick-growing, drought-resistant, shortens maturity period and is resistant to pests and diseases.

The holistic gardening project in Emuhaya, Western Kenya, is attracting local and international acclaim. Bio Gardening Innovations (BIOGI) is equipping smallholder farmers to break away from monocultures and create thriving, overflowing “food forests” on their farmland. Maize, the staple crop of Vihaga and Kakamega counties in Kenya, is harvested twice a...