Agrodoks

Agrodok 001, Pig Farming in the Tropics : from free range to small-scale intensive production systems - 19.01.1973

Good pig farming relies on a combination of inter-connected aspects, such as housing, breeding and reproduction, nutrition, disease preven- tion  and  control,  and  management.  This  practical  booklet  focuses  on all  these  subjects  and  links  them  to  the  three  main  smallholder  pig production systems: free-range scavenging, semi-intensive, and small- scale intensive pig keeping.  

Version 6, 2011

Previously issued as Pig keeping in the tropics by Dick Muys and Geert Westenbrink

Agrodok 002, Soil Fertility Management - 19.01.1985

This Agrodok is a revised edition, which incorporates two previously published Agrodoks (Agrodok 2: Soil Fertility, and Agrodok 28: Green Manures). These were combined because they canít be dealt with separately: green manures offer the small-scale farmer extra opportunities to improve soil fertility. In addition to animal manure and chemical fertiliser, crop husbandry measures, such as the use of green manure, are important in combatting soil fertility problems. 
 

Fourth edition: 2004
 

Agrodok 003, Preservation of Fruit and Vegetables - 19.01.1984

This Agrodok will focus on a few simple and relatively inexpensive preservation techniques that can be applied on a small scale by an individual or a small group (of families for example). Chapter 2 provides information on food spoilage in general, its causes and dangerous effects, as well as measures that can be taken to prevent it. Specific knowledge is needed to apply the right preservation methods. Fruits and vegetables have to be specially prepared, for example, before they can be preserved. How this is done is explained in Chapter 3. Chapters 4 to 7 describe the various preservation methods: heating, drying, and the use of additives such as salt and sugar. In times of scarcity, preserved food can be sold for a good price. It can even be worthwhile to start a small preserving business. Chapter 8 explains what this would involve. More information can be found through the addresses and literature listed in Chapter 9 and in the appendixes that follow, which provide specific information on how to prepare and preserve the various types of fruits and vegetables. Various terms that may be new to readers are defined in the glossary at the end of the booklet.

Version 4, 2003

Agrodok 004, Small-Scale Chicken Production - 19.01.1990

Poultry is an important farm species in almost all countries. It is an important source of animal protein, and can be raised in situations with limited feed and housing resources. Chickens are ‘waste-converters’: they ‘convert’ a scavenged feed resource base into animal protein. They are therefore by far the most important species for generating income for rural families.This Agrodok refers mainly to semi-intensive farming. It can help beginners and experienced poultry raisers to solve problems that come up. Its focus is on keeping layers. Keeping broiler poultry presents different problems and requires particular expertise. Nevertheless, some attention will be paid to keeping cocks as these have to be fattened too.

Version 4, 2006

Agrodok 005, Fruit Growing in the Tropics - 01.01.1992

The previous editions of this Agrodok, published in 1992 and 1999, gave a general introduction into fruit growing in the tropics and described 8 major crops. Working on this revision, the general introduction quickly filled the entire Agrodok! And if the major fruit crops are to be dealt with anew, each crop will no doubt require an Agrodok of its own. In fact it may be better to publish regional crop manuals, rather than trying to cram information for various parts of the tropics into a single booklet.

The aim of this revised text is to foster your interest in and understanding of fruit growing. Traditional knowledge has been combined with insights gained through research work. No recipes are given for growing specific fruit crops. The contents are directed at home gardeners, growers who depend for (part of) their income on the sale of fruit, extension workers and others who support gardeners and growers.

Version 3, 2006

Agrodok 006, Simple Construction Surveying for Rural Applications - 01.01.1990

The majority of farmers in the world still practise some form of subsistence farming. Their draught-animal and handwork-based farming practices, however, cannot be compared with the completely mechanised and highly automated precision-farming practices that are becoming the norm for many of their North American colleagues. Hence, ‘farming’ is a term too general to be explanatory. The same may be said of the term ‘surveying’. A modern surveyor cannot anymore do without a digital computer, which he needs to swiftly perform complex mathematical operations on measurement data he acquires with sophisticated and highly automated equipment. The same technology enables an earth-moving machine automatically to dig a canal or to terrace a slope, according to the spatial form that has been geometrically designed in a computer and transferred to the machine’s navigation and operating system. But like all farming, surveying too is based on some generic concepts independent of the technology used to put these into practice.

Version 2, 2005

Agrodok 007, Goat Keeping in the Tropics - 01.01.1991

Goats play an important role in food production systems in developing countries. Their great popularity can be explained by their good adaptation to many different climates (ecological adaptation) and the many uses for which they can be kept.

Goats are especially important in developing countries: in 1981, 96% of the world’s goat population of 496 million goats was to be found there (476 million). In those countries, goats make up 20% of the ruminants which are kept as livestock. Goats are particularly important in Africa and the Indian subcontinent (see table 1).

Version 4, 2006

Agrodok 008, Preparation and Use of Compost - 01.01.1980

This booklet has been compiled to give information about how compost can be applied in the tropics and subtropics. It gives a simple description of the processes taking place in the soil and during composting. Practical suggestions are given for constructing a compost heap. A few selected compost methods and applications are given and a literature list has been added for supplementary information.

The reader is advised to first read through the whole booklet to get a general impression before looking for specific information. We welcome, with interest, any remarks, additions or queries about this booklet or related matters.

Version 7, 2005

Agrodok 009, The Home Garden in the Tropics - 01.01.2008

This Agrodok replaces ‘The vegetable garden in the tropics’, which treated the garden as a series of plots for the production of vegetable crops. In this edition, features such as hedges and trees and shrubs that give a garden its permanent character, come to the fore. Moreover, the emphasis is on ensuring that some vegetables (and other products) are available throughout the year, even where the gardener faces water shortage. In this way, the garden can contribute substantially to an improved diet for the family. Hence the focus is on hardy perennials; the more demanding annual vegetables take second place.

Version 1, 2008

Agrodok 010, Cultivation of Soya and other Legumes - 01.01.2002

This Agrodok is based on a previous shorter edition, Soya. The text has been extended to include more practical information on growing and processing soya and other legumes into nutritious food products. We have included other legumes so that the information in the book will be useful in more areas.

Soya is a legume with many good qualities, and it can be used to improve farming systems. It can also be processed into products that contribute to the daily diet and to family income. In this new edition we devote extra attention to this crop. There are also many areas however where soya cannot be cultivated, but other legumes do grow well and have many of the same good qualities.

This Agrodok is intended to help farmers and extension workers to make choices that will work well under local conditions.

Version 2, 2005