General Technical Documents

ECHO quick photo guide of insect pest damage vs. other crop damage - 07 April 2021

Insect feeding damage or other insect activity can look similar to many bacterial, fungal, or viral diseases or to plant nutrient deficiency symptoms. Before taking action against an assumed insect pest, verify that the symptoms you observe are not caused by a bacterial, viral, or fungal infection. Insecticides are not effective against these types of infections, and improper use of insecticides wastes farmers’ valuable resources and can kill beneficial insects. For visual comparisons of common diseases and pest damage, you can use this quick photo guide which has side-by-side photo comparisons of commonly confused plant health issues. 
 

Technical Sheet for the Intensive Rice Cultivation System (IRS) in Timbuktu, Mali - 20 Oktober 2020

French only

Soil Testing Guidelines - CFGB - 20 April 2020

Soil infertility is a key constraint to improving crop production for small-scale farmers. Soils throughout Canadian Foodgrains Bank members’ program areas are degraded and deficient in nutrients and organic matter. Soil testing measures the soil’s health and nutrient holding capacity and provides a measure of nutrient status and health. It also serves as a  basis for crop and land management decisions. Soil testing has been advocated by technical specialists, government extension agents and through radio messaging. As a result, there is a growing demand from farmers and project partners for information on soil testing strategies and services. Farmers want specific guidance on which fertility inputs are best for their fields, and how much they should apply.

Given the wide range of available soil testing options, it is important to identify which tests are most useful for a given project, and for what reason. Some tests are helpful in developing recommendations for how farmers manage crops. Other tests may not help with crop management decisions, but are useful in training farmers to think about soil health. Still others are helpful in monitoring and evaluation of the effects of a project on soil nutrients and soil health. This guide is designed to help farmers and partners decide what soil tests are most important and cost-effective for their context.

Integrasi Ternak dan Strategi Pemberian Pakan untuk Pertanian Skala Kecil di Kawasan Tropis: Berbagai Pendekatan dan Metode untuk Meningkatkan Kesinambungan dan Menambah Keuntungan - 05 Oktober 2019

Di Pertanian Mandiri, Kita Bisa Menyiapkan Pakan Ternak!
Sistem peternakan terintegrasi dapat memberikan banyak keuntungan. Dengan perencanaan yang cermat dan dengan memulainya dari langkah yang kecil, sebagian besar petani akan dapat mengintegrasikan sapi, kambing, ayam, atau babi dan meningkatkan stabilitas pertanian mereka. Sisa-sisa tanaman dapat mengurangi biaya pakan, dan pupuk kandang dapat mengurangi biaya pupuk. Kotoran ternak juga dapat digunakan untuk menghasilkan biogas bagi keperluan memasak atau memanaskan, dan untuk mengurangi biaya di pertanian. Ternak yang digembalakan di lahan berumput juga dapat membantu mengelola gulma dan meningkatkan kesehatan tanah.

Sistem peternakan terpadu memberikan banyak manfaat.

Dengan pengelolaan yang efisien, Anda bahkan dapat mengubah limbah dari pakan potong-angkut menjadi produk sampingan yang berguna dalam bentuk biochar. Kuncinya adalah dengan satu demi satu menerapkan penggunaan teknologi yang tepat dan mencari cara untuk meminimalkan tenaga kerja. Anda akan segera dapat meluncur dan berkembang dengan aman saat Anda terus belajar menyesuaikan dan menerapkan apa yang sudah Anda pelajari. Selanjutnya, Anda akan dapat mulai berbagi dengan para petani lain di daerah Anda!

Buku pegangan ini memberikan beragam informasi praktis, berbagai resep pakan starter, dan berbagai hal lainnya, menampilkan praktik-praktik organik terbaik yang dilakukan di Pertanian Aloha House di Palawan, Filipina.

Tulisan-tulisan di dalam buku ini awalnya muncul sebagai rangkaian artikel yang ditulis untuk Catatan ECHO Asia/ECHO Asia Notes dan yang sekarang tersedia untuk Anda dalam bentuk buku.

Selamat Membaca dan Menikmati.

Maize Armyworm and Stalk Borer Scouting - 20 April 2018

The introduction of Fall Armyworm (FAW) (Spodoptera frugiperda) to Africa in 2016 has raised concerns of possible widespread damage of maize and other crops. Stalk borers are a common pest of maize throughout Africa, causing modest damage virtually every year. Armyworms, on the other hand, can devastate maize and other crops if not controlled at a young age. Because of this big difference in damage potential, it is important to identify these pests early in their life cycle.

Sustained Rangeland Improvement with Special Reference to the Laikipia Controversies - 08 Maret 2018

I have spent over fifty years working in East African Rangelands studying wildlife in National Parks and ranches or helping pastoralists in northern Kenya and consulting in Tanzania. The situation has changed unpredictably and dramatically since my original research in the Queen Elizabeth National Park in western Uganda. The main change has been rapid and near exponential human population growth with accompanying degradation of the rangelands especially those classified as ASALs (Arid or Semi-Arid Lands). It is not unique to the Greater Horn of Africa, but an example of what has been happening in most countries in Sahelian Africa. A world’s leading expert on deserts concluded over 25 years ago that “all the areas between the 100mm and 300mm isohyets will become man-made deserts in the next 35-70 years if the present trend is not reversed!” (Le Houerou,1991).  Further exacerbating the effects of unchecked population growth is that of global warming, where pastoralists are the victims of the rapid increase in the use of fossil fuels by the world’s increased human population.

Livestock to Markets (L2M) - Action Plan - 08 Maret 2018

This is an ACTION PLAN based on participation of representatives from three East Africa countries in the L2M Working Group. The group developed a common framework to guide their discussion and understanding of all the elements that influence the development of a Livestock to Markets Business among pastoralist communities. They will use this as a benchmark for their commitment and actions in their respective countries over the next two years.

Rangelands Group Framework Worksheet - 08 Maret 2018

This worksheet was used at the 3rd ECHO East Africa Pastoralist Symposium by a group generating a joint voluntary plan of action including policy and legislation inhibiting or needed, social and cultural approaches that inhibit or could add value, economic tools, and natural resources governance.

Permaculture For Refugees in Camps - 20 Februari 2018

PermacultureForRefugees (P4R) has released their first booklet in a series to bring permaculture solutions to refugee situations. Permaculture for Refugees in Camps is a 20 page how-to guide outlining a positive approaches to transforming refugee camps. It is the culmination of ideas, experience and knowledge based on discussion, writings, research and the shared experience of the founding members of the P4R working group, edited by Ruth Harvey and Rowe Morrow.

The booklet reframes the period of limbo in camps of  enforced idleness and desperation to a time of learning and building relationships to land and  each other. Working from ethics, it introduces eco-design methods, and presents principles and strategies  for empowering disenfranchised communities and giving them permaculture skills and knowledge to take into the next stage whatever it may be.

Bicycle Pump Vacuum Sealer for Seed Storage - 20 Januari 2018

Storing seeds in the tropics can often be difficult; with high temperatures and humid conditions, seeds lose their ability to germinate quickly.  Many techniques for seed storage exist, from the high-tech standards of gene banks to simple methods used by villagers for saving their own seeds.  All have their strengths and weaknesses, but when balancing costs and resources, which methods are really the most effective?  This article highlights research conducted by ECHO Asia regarding the use of vacuum sealing, using a simple bicycle tire pump, for tropical seed storage under resource-constrained settings.

The three key factors that determine the rate of seed deterioration in storage are: oxygen pressure (amount of oxygen with the seeds in storage), seed moisture content, and temperature (Roberts, 1973).  An increase in any of these factors will lower the storage life of the seeds, and as a general rule any increase of 1% moisture content or 10^° F (5.6^° C) in storage will halve the storage life of the seeds (Bewley and Black, 1985).  Each factor contributes to seed decay in specific ways, and minimizing these conditions is critical to effective seed storage.  Vacuum sealing is a relatively low-cost method that requires few inputs after an initial investment.  Sealing helps conserve seed quality by minimizing oxygen presence and exposure to ambient humidity, thereby keeping seed moisture content low.