ECHO Asia Note Articles

Diagnosing Crop Nutrient Deficiencies in the Field ការធ្វើធោគវិនិច្ឆ័យសរាប់កង្វះសារធាតុច្ិញ្ចឹមធលើដំណំធៅទីវាល

This article is from ECHO Asia Note #29

ធសច្កីតធផតើម 
ពាកយចាស់ដពាលថា “អ្នកម៉ិនអាចដោោះស្រាយបញ្ហា បនដទទ្បស៉ិនដបើអ្នកម៉ិនដឹងថាអ្នកមានបញ្ហា ដ ោះ” ភសុតតាងវ៉ិទាាស្រសតមូលោា នននការដធើវដោគវ៉ិន៉ិច័ឆយដលើកងវោះាធាតុច៉ិញ្ច ឹមដលើរុកខជាត៉ិ។ អ្ស់រយៈដពលជាដទ្ចើនឆ្ន ាំមកដ ើយ កស៉ិករ ន៉ិងអ្នកវ៉ិទាាស្រសតបនដធើវការជាមួយគ្នន ដដើមបីកាំណត់ពី ភសុតតាងននចកុខវ៉ិស័យ 

Seed Saving in the Tropics: Lessons Learned from the Network ំក្សថគ្រំនោយ: នសៀេ ស ុន

This article is from ECHO Asia Note #28

For both farmers and researchers in the tropics, seed saving can be very frustrating. In Mondulkiri province, farmers are rarely able to keep seed for more than the six months between harvest and the new planting season. Seeds stored longer than this tend to either pick up moisture from the extra humid air during the wet season and lose viability, or suffer from insect pests that proliferate and destroy the seed. At our resource center, we had wanted to build up a seed inventory of many useful plant species without having to grow out each variety every year. However, similar to the farmers, our seed had often quickly lost viability or was destroyed by pests while stored.

Refrigeration and freezing of most orthodox seeds are well known methods for extending seed life, (See ECHO Asia Note 14 “Vacuum Sealing versus Refrigeration”), but don’t offer an appropriate solution in areas like Mondulkiri province, where electricity, if available, is unreliable and expensive. In partnership with ECHO Asia and with funding from the Presbyterian Hunger Program, staff members at Ntuk Nti have been conducting research over the past year to design and test appropriate options for seed saving. In this article we share some of our findings - useful methods to improve seed storage without electricity that even the poorest and most isolated farmers can use.

Farm-Generated Feed: Chicken Feed Production

This article is from ECHO Asia Note #28

Farm-generated fertility contributes to a more sustainable agricultural system. Crop residues and manures are part of the nutrient cycle for plant production and can lower input costs through the use of thermophilic composting, vermiculture, bokashi production, and/or green manures. Farm-generated feeds can also reduce expenses, as farmers manage and utilize resources already available to them. Chickens in particular can be very expensive to feed on a small scale with purchased commercial feeds. In this ECHO Asia Note, we will explore a variety of alternatives for small flock feeds.

Soil Microorganisms: What They Do and How to Measure Them កំណត់ត្រាត្រាវត្រាវរបស់អេកូអាស

This article is from ECHO Asia Note #27

អតិសុខុមរាណឬមីររូសរីរាង្គ រតូវានចរចអាយនិយមន័យថ្ជារបស់មានជ្ីវិតវដលតូេវមនវទនវដលវភនរមិនអាេចមើលច ើញ វដលមានដូេជា ពពួរផសិត ោរាយ និង្ារ់ចតរី (ចៅ ១៩៩៥ Rao, 1995) សរីរាង្គដ៏តូេទាំង្ចនះអាេរតូវានររច ើញចៅររប់ទីរវនលង្ ចៅរនុង្ទឹរ ខយល់ និង្រនុង្ដី។ ចៅចលើរសិោាន េាំនួនអតិសុខុមរាណ
ឬមីររូសរីរាង្គរឹមានចរេើនចៅរនុង្ជ្ីរាំប៉ែុសត អាេម៌សតវ និង្ទឹរវផលច ើពី អាយអិម ( អតិសុខុមរាណជ្នជាតិ ឬទឹរវផលច ើពីអីអិម វដលជាអតិសុខុមរាណវដលមានរបសិទធិភាព។ អតិសុខុមរាណជាធាតុដ៏សាំខ្នន់មួយថ្នដី ពួរវាជ្ួយរាំោយចៅជាជ្ីរាំប៉ែុសតិនូវោរធាតុរនុង្ដី ខណះចពលវដលរាំពុង្ជ្ួយបចង្កើតចៅជាអាហាររូបតថមភវដលរុរខជាតិអាេររានពីថមនិង្ខយល់ ច ើយនិង្ជ្ួយដល់ដីចអាយសអិត (ធិសោល ១៩៩៤(Tisdall, 1994; Hayat et al. 2010).) អតិសុខុមរាណដីចនះរ៏ចដើរតួយ៉ែង្សាំខ្នន់ចដរនិង្ការចធវើចអាយរុរខជាតិមានសុខភាពលអ ចរពាះវាជ្ួយវដតខ្នង្អាហារូបតថមភ បាំវបរថ្នាំសាំោប់ចមម និង្ ចបើអតិសុខុមរាាំណលអវមនវទន រឺអាេជ្ួយកាត់បនថយជ្ាំង្ឺរុរខជាតិពិារ់ចតរី (Anderson, 1984; Mendes et al., 2011).

Constructing an Improved Cold Room for Seed Storage ការសាងសង់បន្ទប់ររជាក់ដែលលអរបសសើស ើងសំរាប់ការទុកដាក់រាប់ពូជ សដាយសោក សាការី រាយស៍ ជាទីរបឹកាបសចេកសទសជាន្់ខ្ពស់របស់សេកូអាសុី

This article is from ECHO Asia Note #27

សៅសពលដែលមាន្ដែន្ការសាងសង់ បន្ទប់ររជាក់ ឬ បន្ទប់ទុកដាក់រាប់ពូជ សំរាប់ជាសាលបំណងនន្ការដែររកាលទធភាពរបស់រាប់ពូជ សគររូវពិចារណាជាែំបូងសៅសលើសាលការណ៍សំខាន្់សំរាប់ការទុកដាក់រាប់ពូជ។ សៅកនុងឯកសាកំណរ់រារបស់សេកូន្អាសុីទី១៤ECHO Asia Note 14 (កកកដា ២០១២) សយើងាន្ដចករំដលកលទធែលពីការសរបៀប ស ៀបមា៉ាសុីន្បូមខ្យល់សចញពីែង់ជាមួយន្ឹងមា៉ាសុីន្ររជាក់ ស ើយាន្សបញ្ជាក់ន្ូវសារះសំខាន្់នន្ការរគប់រគងជារិសំសណើមន្ិងសុីរុណហភាពសៅកនុងការទុកដាក់រាប់ពូជ។ សយើងរកស ើញថាការរគប់រគងជារិសំសណើម (មា៉ាសុីន្បូមខ្យល់សចញ) មាន្របសិទធិភាពជាងការដែររកាលទធភាពែុះនន្រាប់ពូជជាងការរគប់រគងសុីរុណហភាព (ទូទឹកកក)

When planning to construct a “Cold Room” or “Seed Storage Room” for the purpose of preserving seed viability, one must first consider principles for optimum seed storage. In ECHO Asia Note 14 (July 2012), we shared results from our comparison of vacuum sealing versus refrigeration, and highlighted the importance of moisture control and temperature control in seed storage. We found moisture control (vacuum sealing) to be more effective in maintaining seed viability than temperature control (refrigeration). It is ECHO Asia’s experience that seeds are best stored in the tropics by first using vacuum sealing after drying (to preserve low seed moisture content), then storing the packaged seeds in cool temperatures. When designing a cold room for optimum seed storage conditions, good insulation and cooling are important; however, without a proper moisture barrier, the cooling process will draw moisture from the outside and create condensation, leading to increased moisture content. In cases where seeds are not also stored in vacuum sealed bags themselves, or when the seal on the vacuum-sealed bags breaks, this additional moisture can damage seeds.

សេចក្តីផ្តើមទៅកាន់គំនរ, អាងស្តុកទឹក, ហើយលោក Paddy គំរូនៃការគ្រប់គ្រងទឹក - 15 ធ្នូ 2015

This series of articles on water management has been reprinted with permission from Thailand’s Natural Farming Magazine and serves as an introduction to small-scale water management. Many of the ideas offered in these articles are consistent with permaculture design principles, which promote farmer resiliency against varying weather extremes. To read more about permaculture options for smallholder farms, please see this “Permaculture in Development” article by Brad Ward in ECHO Development Note #129.

ធ្វើនិងសាកល្បងថ្នាំសំលាប់ស្មៅជំនួសសំរាប់កសិករខ្នាតតូច

This article is from ECHO Asia Note #26

ECHO Asia Impact Center staff members first heard about alternative herbicide recipes that use fermented papaya and pineapple from a retired technical school teacher and organic farmer, Kru Pratoom. As weeding is a big part of any farmer’s life, the Seed Bank staff wanted to try out a lower-risk herbicide to see if its effects on weeds would warrant its use. They also wanted to ensure that this herbicide would not pose a risk to soil pH, microbiology, structure, and plant uptake and health. This ECHO Asia Research Note describes the process used to create this herbicide, as well as a sampling technique to determine its efficacy on weeds. Look for a future note about the methodology used to help determine its effects on soil microorganisms and health.

ជម្រើសដល់កសិករខ្នាតតូចកសិដ្ឋាន: គោលការណ៍គ្រប់គ្រងទឹករចនា - 01 កញ្ញា 2015

At the beginning of last year, Thailand experienced its most severe drought in twenty years. Only four years ago it also experienced its most severe flooding. Natural disasters are occurring with increasing frequency and severity; it is therefore vital to establish defenses against catastrophes like these. One such defence is redesigning areas based on the “mound, reservoir, and paddy” model of water management, which is one way of implementing a concept promoted by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. This model is an efficient method of coping with water disasters, whether flooding or drought.

ការសិក្សាករណីសិក្សាស្តីពីការគ្រប់គ្រងទឹកសាបតូចមួយ: ការប្រយុទ្ធប្រឆាំងនឹងការប្រែប្រួលអាកាសធាតុនិងការលើកកម្ពស់ភាពគ្រប់គ្រាន់របស់ខ្លួន

This article is from ECHO Asia Note #26

Mr. Bunlom Taokaew is the son of rice farmers. He chose a career as a businessman after he finished school. Because he didn’t make enough of a living, he went into debt to the order of hundreds of thousands of baht. He borrowed money from his father, a farmer using integrated farming methods, many times to repay his debts, until finally his father told him to return to being a farmer instead. Mr. Bunlom decided to take his advice, but he didn’t believe farming would help relieve him of his debts. He started by building a structure to cultivate oyster mushrooms, which didn’t require a large investment, and little by little he started to produce enough to sell locally, reducing his living costs, until there was enough money left over to save, and until, finally, he was able to repay his debts. His sustainable life began more than ten years ago. It was a result of following in the footsteps of His Majesty the King, and his own father, who set an example he could follow.

ការនាំយកតុល្យភាពនិងមានការប្រុងប្រយ័ត្នទៅនឹងដំណាំចំណីត្រូពិច - 01 សីហា 2015

Invasive alien species (often IAS in the literature) are those species introduced to an area outside their normal or native range, either purposefully or by accident, whose colonization causes significant harm. The species may become weeds, pests or pathogens, affecting both human interests and natural systems, and impacting agricultural systems, native ecosystems, biological diversity, or human well-being (Perrings et al. 2002; UNEP; CBD). Wellknown examples of invasive alien species include kudzu in the United States, water hyacinth throughout the tropics, zebra mussels in the Great Lakes, and European starlings in North America.