1. 20/04/2007 In observation trials, each variety is grown in only one plot of ground. Observations from such trials are not as conclusive as with replication. As long as site conditions are fairly uniform, however, they give the experimenter a pretty good idea of likely “losers” and “winners.”
  2. 20/07/2005 Over the years ECHO has been asked to give advice concerning whether or not to use hybrid seed. We carry very few hybrid varieties in our seed bank because we expect people who receive seed to multiply it locally. Now some new information about this old question, specifically about maize, has...
  3. 20/10/2006 Development is a) a process of people learning to solve their own problems, b) sustainably. It means progressing from one problem to another. Agricultural development is possible in more ways and climates than people often think.
  4. 20/07/2006 Several technical considerations must be taken into account when attempting to help economically disenfranchised families and communities initiate and sustain production of soybeans or any new crop. Technical assistance cannot be done in isolation; one must provide more than just information...
  5. 20/01/2006 FMNR is a form of tree coppicing and hence depends on the presence of living tree stumps that resprout after cutting.
  6. 20/01/2004 The area of management may seem foreign to many agricultural development workers, but good management can be an effective ministry. Most people spend the bulk of their hours under someone’s management. There is no greater opportunity than that provided by management to make a positive impact on...
  7. 20/10/2003 This article covers the important steps in planning and carrying out an experiment and then apply these steps to a sample experiment.
  8. 20/10/2003 For many of us the idea of “research” is scary. We are not trained in it. We picture rigorous statistical analyses that we do not have any idea about. We have seen glossy scientific journals with technical words that we could not understand. Besides, isn’t our goal to directly help small farmers?...
  9. 20/01/2010 To answer questions about rights to resources in your community, you need to understand the ways people claim and own resources in your region. Ownership defines who can do what with different resources. Four questions that need to be answered.
  10. 20/07/2009 Many of you have graciously taken the time to fill out the seed harvest report form that accompanies each mailing of seeds from our seed bank. In reading reports from people in our network, we want to learn whether the seeds we are sending out have improved the lives of poor small-holder farmers....