2021-09-01 Critical to the success of a small-scale farm is its ability to turn on-farm waste into alternative value-added products. By integrating the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) on the farm, small-scale enterprises can do just that. Taking common waste products such as food scraps and manure,...
2021-09-01 [Editor’s Note: There are many biochar burner designs currently in existence, intended for various scales and end uses in mind. This particular design has becomea favorite of the ECHO Asia farm staff, for its ability to produce larger quantities of pyrolyzed material and wood vinegar at the same...
Tomatoes are difficult to grow during Southeast Asia’s hot and humid monsoonal rainy season. A combination of waterlogged soils, increased disease pressure, and high temperatures often kill young tomato transplants or significantly reduce yields. As an introduced crop, originally from South...
This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 42 The integration of livestock on the smallholder farm is often a key component to the long-term sustainability of the farm, specifically by means of critical nutrient cycling. Livestock play a unique and critical role on the farm, transforming plant and...
This article is from ECHO Asia Note #28 农户自产饲料贡献了一个更加可持续发展的农业系统。作物残茬和动物粪便是 植物生产营养循环的一部分。通过使用喜温的堆肥、蚯蚓培养、博卡西和/或绿肥 就能降低投入的成本。农户自产饲料也能通过管理和利用既得资源来减少费用。小 规模的农户购买商业饲料来喂鸡特别是小鸡是非常昂贵的。在这篇 ECHO 亚洲期刊 的文章中,我们将探索多种可供选择的小规模家禽饲料。
This article is from ECHO Asia Note #28 对于热带地区的农民和研究人员,种子储存是非常令人沮丧的。在蒙多基里省,从收获到新的种植季 节期间农民基本不能把种子保存超过 6 个月。种子储存的时间如果长于 6 个月,就会在湿季从潮湿的空气 中吸收很多湿气失去活性,或者遭受病虫害使种子繁殖性和外形遭到破坏。在我们的研究中心,我们已经 建立了一个很多有用的种子品种的存货清单,不需要每一年都种出每个品种。但是,与农民类似,我们的 种子经常很快就失去了活性或者在储存中被害虫破坏。 冷藏和冷冻是众所周知的大多数传统种子延长种子寿命的方法,(参见 ECHO 亚洲期刊...
2015-08-01 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...
2015-08-01 As densities of livestock increase, an industrious farmer finds ways and means to increase his farm’s nutrient stream for the benefit of his system. This article will describe methods and techniques necessary for a smallholder farmer to succeed with farm-derived hog feeds. As you read, remember...
2015-06-15 This article is from ECHO Asia Note #24 Tricho-compost is the material that results when spores of a beneficial fungus, Trichoderma sp. are used in the composting process. Trichoderma sp. are natural competitors against a wide range of harmful fungi; when it is added to compost, the latter can...
2015-06-15 Increased awareness of the potential of neem tree by creating awareness of its potential would go a long way in promoting its acceptance for pest management and improvement of plant health, animal health, human health, and environmental health.
2015-02-15 In Malaysia, agriculture is practised by a range of farmers – from subsistence cultivators of the soil to sophisticated, commercially-driven entrepreneurs. The latter group are quite adept at assessing the latest in technology and varieties, and already have established marketing channels. The...
2015-02-15 In its simplest definition a forage is any plant material grazed or fed to livestock. However, a more specific definition that’s presented in this article focuses on plants (grasses and legumes) that are planted specifically to provide superior feed benefits to livestock due to: 1) higher protein...
2014-10-15 Currently, we have two 16 x 1 meter floating raft troughs, and one 16 x 1 meter rock bed that are connected to six 1 cubic meter fish tanks by PVC piping (elements 1 and 2 above). We also have three smaller stand-alone aquaponics units that we use as example starter units. One of our major goals...
2014-10-15 Today, if someone were to ask me to help build a small system on their urban rental property, would I use cement rings? The easy answer is yes, but....
2014-06-14 This article is from ECHO Asia Note #21 The System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is a promising rice-farming methodology that is able both to lower production costs—of seed, fertilizer, chemicals, and water—and to increase yield by enabling each rice plant to reach its full potential. However,...
2014-06-14 It was an afternoon of 2002 when I first read about SRI. As an extension officer in the District Agriculture Development Office (DADO), I started promoting SRI in the following years in the district of Morang, Nepal. Over this time I observed hundreds of attractive SRI fields and spent some years...
2014-06-14 This article is from ECHO Asia Note #21 Wanpen’s roller planting marker was developed from her experience. When a problem occurred, she would alter and develop the tool according to the problem and rice variety. Wanpen’s tool was designed to be lightweight, easy to handle and convenient to use....
2014-06-14 This article is from ECHO Asia Note #21 This article contains diagrams of the SRI RollingMarker, Rotary Weeder, and Grass Cutter discussed in other articles from Echo Asia Note 21.
In nature, dozens of species of harmful fungi can quickly kill a plant, including Fusarium spp., the causal agents of Fusarium wilt, and Phakospora pachyrhizi, the causal agent of soybean rust. Fungi are unable to produce nutrients on their own, so they must find another source; sometimes that...
Farm-generated fertility makes agriculture more sustainable. Crop residues and manures are part of the nutrient cycle and can lower input costs through the use of thermophilic composting, vermiculture, bokashi production, or green manures. Farm-generated feeds can also reduce expenses, if farmers...
This article is from ECHO Asia Note #9 Editor: The System of Rice Intensification (SRI), an unconventional approach to rice production that has spread throughout many parts of the world since the late 1990s, is comprised of a set of flexible management practices. CEDAC, based in Cambodia,...