General Technical Documents

The Turbidity Tube: Simple and Accurate Measurement of Turbidity in the Field - 20/01/2006

Turbidity is an important water quality parameter in drinking water provision and treatment. The equipment typically used to measure turbidity can be quite expensive, and often provides results which are more precise and accurate than necessary. This high cost is a barrier to many projects in the developing world. In this paper, we will present the turbidity tube as an alternative device to measure turbidity. A turbidity tube can be purchased commercially, or can be constructed at an extremely low cost using a wide range of locally available materials. It is particularly well-suited to situations when decisions can be made based on approximate turbidity (rounded to the nearest 5 NTU). We give a brief discussion of what turbidity is, how a turbidity tube is constructed, and how to use it properly.

A Natural Farming System For Sustainable Agriculture In the Tropics - 20/01/2005

This book is an important work for tropical agriculture. There are very few resources that are truly “organic” and practical for the everyday farmer in the tropical setting. This book covers material that is extremely useful for the day-to-day operation of a farm or garden. It contains planning material that takes into account logistics as well as timetables.

This is not a guide for the agronomy student. I have identified several species that work well for us, but I do not have a planting guide for rice or corn or vegetables. These guides are readily obtained from seed suppliers and general horticultural works. If the reader looks carefully, he will find that I have given a system for natural fertilization in place of the chemical recommendations by traditional methods. Some creative adaptation will be required if your conditions and climate vary. We have a high acid clay soil that was rainforest at one time. Over the years a cogan grass has established itself. That is our starting point and our formulas can be changed for particular challenges that the reader may be facing.

This is not a How-to-do-it manual. Rather, this is a HOW-WE-DO-IT book based on my “Sustainable Agriculture in the Tropics” manual. It has been used to train and equip hundreds of small-scale farmers and gardeners in the natural farming adventure. It is an adventure worth taking, as few things in life will improve general health and well being as much as quality food products grown to their full potential.

Keith O. Mikkelson – Fall 2005

Publication Chapters

Sustainable Agriculture in the Tropics: A Natural Farming System 

Tippy Tap II - 20/01/2005

The Tippy Tap II (Lifewater International) is a modified design of the Tippy Tap that is easier to make and easy to use. The Tippy Tap II can be made from any container of about one to four litres capacity. A jug with a handle works best, but a Tippy Tap II can be made from any plastic container, even a two-litre bottle!

This publication is Copyright by Lifewater International 

Coconut Farm Diversification - 20/05/2001

For a long time, coconut farmers were able to live with the fate of declining harvests and incomes. In view of the current prices, this is no longer possible. It needs changes. The best option coconut farmers have to improve their livelihood is to diversify their farms. Fortunately, common coconut farms allow the integration of many other crops
or even livestock. In this regard, the coconut palm is an exception among the plantation crops.

The practice of intercropping is common in coconut farms in many countries, especially in Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and India. In the Philippines, where coconuts occupy about one fourth of the arable land, the ground in many coconut farms is still underutilized. One reason is the commodity approach of research institutions and the government agencies. For example, during the last decade the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) has focused its work on a fertilization program with the aim to increase the production of coconuts. Looking at the current price of copra, the main coconut product, it is questionable if such an approach really helps the farmers. Hence, there is a need for more information on options to improve coconut farms. Because of the decreasing profitability, farmers tend to cut down coconut palms and replace them with other cash crops, usually planted as monocrop. Ecologically and economically, this might be unwise considering the potentials of coconut farms.

The Eave Trough Garden - 19/05/1993

The goal of ECHO's rooftop gardening project is to develop gardens that are:

• exceptionally lightweight
• inexpensive
• uncomplicated to build and maintain

African Farm Management - 19/01/1988

Farm management is the study and application of the principles of economics, management, and agriculture to farm production within a particular environment.  A farm management text written for an African audience, therefore, includes management and economic principles and applications from the African cultural system.

Permaculture in Humid Landscapes - 19/01/1981

The humid landscape is water controlled, and unless it is an extremely new landscape- volcanic or newly faulted--it has softly rounded outlines. When you are walking up the valley, or walking on the ridge, observe that there is a rounded 'S' shaped profile to the hills.

Where the landscape turns from convex to concave occurs a critical point that we call a keypoint.*

Outlines of perennial crop breeding in the tropics - 19/01/1969

In predominantly agricultural tropical countries the need to raise the production of good-quality foodstuffs and raw material is today greater than ever. The rise in production efficiency, so essential for our very existence, can be obtained only partly by improved cultural practices, increased use of fertilizers and better plant protection. It is now generally recognized that local varieties adapted to traditional cultural methods often fail to respond favourably to improved growing conditions. Therefore plant breeders have a most important part to play in the total effort. The greatest challenges and opportunities await them in the tropics. There the developments in agriculture and horticulture could be dramatic, provided that the planting material which is made available to the grower consists of genotypes giving the best results under the new conditions.

In tropical agriculture and horticulture perennial crops occupy an important place. In several of them, especially in plantation crops, much effort has been given to improve the plants by careful selection and breeding. Some breeding programmes have been going on for many years and have considerably increased the yield and improved the quality of the product.