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  1. 2022-03-01 一个目标驱使戴夫两年前来到泰国。在这里,山地的少数民族农民尽管努力使用了更多的化肥,但他们的作物产量一直较低。





  2. 2022-03-01 当我们寻找可持续和替代性的抽水解决方案时,我们的团队开始有“玩”水车的想法,从而为低海拔农田提供灌溉用水。我们最初开始研究和测试一种名为吊带泵(Sling Pump)的泵,但在测试了几个原型后放弃了。困难主要包括DIY组装麻烦、成本、专业部件以及最终的效率。





  3. 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,...





  4. 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...





  5. 2021-06-01 What Steps Should I Take?





  6. 2021-06-01 非洲猪瘟病毒及其对全球猪肉生产的影响随着全球经济的繁荣,对动物蛋白的需求也在上升。猪肉已成为其肉类消费最多的陆地动物,占全球肉类消费总量的37%(Beltrán-Alcrudo 等人,2017)。亚洲猪肉产量增幅最大(图1),占2018 年全球猪肉产量的55%(FAOSTAT,2018)。自2011 年以来,全球猪肉总产值一直徘徊在3000 亿美元左右(FAOSTAT,2020)。2018 年,随着非洲猪瘟病毒(ASFV)在亚洲的爆发,这一切都改变了。这种致命的病毒导致生猪数量大幅减少,并导致全球猪肉产量和猪肉蛋白消费量大幅减少。据估计,在过去两年中,...





  7. 2021-06-01 [编者按:这只是一个地区小规模生猪作业的生物安全计划的一个例子,可以作为模板使用。不太可能所有措施都是切合实际或适合您的情况的,因此应该根据您农场的需要和优先顺序进行调整。建议采用的任何此类农场计划都是与您的团队在整个农场范围内进行讨论的结果,以便最大限度地获得接受、理解和实践。]





  8. 无刺养蜂,或美利波尼养殖,是养来自美利波尼部落的蜜蜂。无刺蜂包括数百种,仅在亚热带/热带亚洲和澳大利亚就可能有89种已确认的物种(Rasmussen, 2008);而且,虽然许多蜜蜂能够生产蜂蜜,但它们与家养蜜蜂(Apis mellifera和Apis cerana indica)是完全不同的物种。虽然无刺蜜蜂仍然有螫针,但它们体积小且发育不全,因此无法蜇人——这就是它们得名的原因。然而,它们仍然能够咬(尽管有些人说:不疼),并会试图通过攻击眼睛或耳朵来刺激蜂蜜强盗。无刺蜜蜂已经被饲养了几千年,尤其是在新大陆的热带地区,在欧洲殖民者和探险家引入蜜蜂之前,那里没有蜜蜂。由于一些因素,...





  9. 2021-02-01 从热带地区到温带地区,世界各地都有几种可食用的蕨类植物,最常见的包括蕨菜(Pteridium spp )、鸵鸟蕨类植物(Matteuccia struthiopteris)和Stenochlaena spp.。本研究的重点是蔬菜蕨类植物(Diplazium esculentum Reytz.),这是一种热带多年生蔬菜作物,通常生长在亚洲和大洋洲地区。Sakai et.al. (2016)将这种可食用的蔬菜蕨类植物归类为非木材森林产品或NTFP。在印度、孟加拉国、泰国、马来西亚、菲律宾和美国夏威夷州,它是一种重要的区域性蔬菜作物(Lin et al., 2009)。...





  10. 长期以来,水泵都是小型农场的关键组成部分,它可以提供各种实际应用,是非常宝贵的节省劳动力的设备。不同类型的泵通常用于储存水、用于过滤和灌溉,还用于水产养殖系统等。抽水机虽然方便实用,但也要付出一定的成本——包括必要的能源消耗和运动部件的定期维护等。然而,泵技术的新发展也提供了一些新选择,这可以节省资金,提高可靠性,延长设备寿命,还有本文将要介绍的一些其他好处。





  11. 一些热带作物含有氰苷,这是一种当细胞被压碎时释放氢氰酸(HCN;也被称为氰化物或氰酸)的有毒物质。如果未煮熟而食用这些植物会导致氰化物中毒。其中毒程度取决于氰化物的含量以及人或动物食用这些植物的时间长短。木薯的根和叶子含有氰苷,主要以木薯为食的人非常危险。木薯的根加工解毒的传统方法包括发酵、长时间浸泡和煮沸。卡亚(Chaya,别名“菠菜树”)也含有氰苷,最好在食用之前将卡亚煮熟,煮沸后去除HCN。ECHO之前也写过关于食用植物中的氰化物的文章(见本文末尾的延伸阅读部分)。





  12. 热带作物的叶子,如卡亚(Cnidoscolus aconitifolius)和木薯(Manihot esculenta)含有氰苷,当这些植物细胞被破坏会释放有毒的氢氰酸(HCN;也被称为氰化物或氰酸)。不烹煮地食用这些植物会导致氰化物中毒,其影响取决于氰化物含量和人或动物食用这些植物的时间长短。新西兰食品安全局的一份信息表描述了植物中的氰苷对人类健康的影响。要确定一种植物是否可以安全食用,使用Cyantesmo纸进行简单的氰化物测试非常有帮助。





  13. 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...





  14. 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...





  15. This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 41. [Editor’s Note: Anthony Wong the Managing Director of the Frangipani Langkawi Resort in Langkawi, Malaysia andis a longtime steward of green initiatives in Malaysia and the region. Using constructed wetland systems, grey water at his hotels are cleaned...





  16. This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 40. Tire gardens have many good uses, including growing a variety of crops where only concrete or poor soils exist, such as urban gardens, homegardens, and refugee camp settings. They can be raised onto supports to keep vegetables out of reach of livestock,...





  17. This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 40. The Mekong region lies at the intersection of Southeast, East and South Asia, between two Asian giants: China and India. It comprises five countries that host the bulk of the Mekong river watershed: Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The...





  18. Introduction to Vermiculture There are over 6,000 species of worms in the world, many of them not even named or studied. However, the farmer is interested in two main categories of earthworms, namely “deep burrowers” and “surface dwellers”. Deep burrowers include the common garden worm or...





  19. [Editor’s Note: This article seeks to address the broader challenges of food security in refugee camp environments, of which there are many within our Asia region, while offering individual practical options that may be implemented to address the need for nutritional diversity in these...





  20. Introduction Given the proper facilities necessary to store seeds long-term, whereby low temperature and low humidity are kept stable over time, it is very possible to store most orthodox seeds for several years at a time in the tropics (Harrington, 1972). Unfortunately, implementation and...





  21. This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 37. 可持续农业最大的挑战之一就是如何将充足且价格实惠的有机资源(碳基)用于食物和饲料生产。利用堆肥、肥料、覆盖物和其他来自农业的有机投入本身就是一个挑战,而且每一种生产往往都需要自己特有的投入材料。有的材料在农业生产中常常是有直接竞争关系的,完全供应给土地小和劳动力少的农场是有挑战性的。例如,地膜可能与牲畜饲料直接竞争,因此在生产足够地膜的同时喂牲畜是一个挑战。使用同样的材料来制造堆肥或燃料就更有挑战性了。 在访问了该地区许多不同的小规模农场后,最成功的农场似乎都有一个共同的方法,那就是找出一种容易获得的有机...





  22. This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 37. 在亚热带和热带种子储存是一项挑战。如果没有干燥和冷环境,种子的质量可能会急剧恶化。储藏时的高温高湿会加速种子的新陈代谢并且促使食种虫增殖(Lale and Vidal, 2003; Upadhyay and Ahmad, 2011)。冰箱、除湿机和杀虫剂等技术能防止这些毁坏种子的情况发生,但是热带地区的小型农户不一定能利用这些技术。很多当地传统方式被用于防止虫害。一些处理剂通常在种子储存前添加到种子中,为了毒杀害虫,或者破坏和阻止昆虫在种子周围移动。一些处理剂能非常有效地减少害虫生长,...





  23. This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 36. 作为一个致力于为人们提供农业资源和技术的机构,我们的重心常常会放在种子上。我们一次又一次地见证了自由授粉的种子价值被挖掘,土生适应性强和未充分利用的有价值的植物被发现,以及低成本种子储存技术的研究创新。这些特点构成了 ECHO 能力的基础,让地球上的其他人也有能力改善食物和农业系统。 我们种子银行的运营历史很长,一开始是在佛罗里达,现在到了亚洲和非洲,ECHO 尽全力不断地将种子给到最需要的人手中。2009 年,亚洲区域影响中心和种子银行建立,...





  24. This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 36. 介绍 土壤化学、物理学和生物学特征把土壤划分为高度适宜植物生长到高度不适宜植物生长。非常罕见能找到所有属性都高度适宜植物生长的原生土壤,尤其是在热带。但是,只要有充分的土壤厚度来提供一个足够深度和排水良好的根系区域,相应的改良和土壤属性管理能让几乎所有的土壤变得合适植物生长。甚至是自然状态下不肥沃的土壤和保水性特别低的土壤在合适的管理和投入之后都能有非常高的农作物产量。 土壤对植物生长的不利影响必须通过改良剂、物理处理(耕作)、改变土壤管理行为或这三种方式的组合来消除。例如,土壤板结只能通过翻耕土壤,...





  25. This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 35. 如果想要实现您所拥有的农场或花园的可持续化,您能做到最好的一件事就是努力使其与一个小型家畜单元之间实现良好的共存和平衡。在本人所著的《热带可持续农业》一书中,家畜一体化是农业可持续发展的基础支持。如果您读过《ECHO 亚洲笔记》,您就很有可以更加容易的参与到农业和园艺工作之中。家畜不仅能够产出成本低且质量高的粪肥,同时还能产出用来食用或制造衣物的食物或材料。尽管科学家试图复制传统畜牧系统一体化的好处,但具体量化结果并不总是很容易的在现场试验中显示出来。





  26. This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 35. Michael Shafer 博士身为美国罗格斯大学政治学退休教授,其于 2008 年创立了暖心基金会。在于 2013 年 ECHO 会议上首次了解到生物炭之后,暖心团队开始为小型农场主设计并测试改进型生物炭制造设备,其具有成本低、技术要求低的优势。在 2017 年,暖心团队因开发村级生物炭社会企业模型而获得世界能源全球奖(泰国)。该团队刚刚推出了一家以“Rak Din”品牌销售农民生物炭产品的社会企业。 在这篇文章中,Shafer 博士分享了他在发展中国家世界中实际使用生物炭的经验。...





  27. This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 33. 我拜读了David Price对于在亚洲(注25)推广入侵性饲料植物的观点,并希望根据自己的经验和观察做出回应。 我的答复将基于以下原则: 1. 尽一切可能帮助贫困农民这种行为完全合乎道德。 2. 人类活动的主要目的是改善人类的生存状况。因此,保护自然环境不一定是发展活动的首要目标。 在过去的45年里,我一直在向小农推广David列出的所有物种的使用和扩展。我想解决谈谈David对亚洲(注25)中列出的每一种物种的开发。我现在住在泰国北部,所以我将使用当地的例子,...





  28. This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 33. 平菇(Pleurotus ostreatus)等蘑菇通常生长在装有有机物质的塑料袋中,这些有机物质可能包括有机农业废弃物。该材料必须消毒(加热到100以上)或巴氏灭菌(加热到更低 的温度,60或更高)才能防止细菌、病毒和真菌孢子的污染。然而,由于能源需求,消毒和巴氏杀菌对小农户来说很有挑战性。通常,小规模农民使用滚筒杀菌法,在此过程中,水被加热至沸腾。农民必须购买或收集木柴来加热水(一项昂贵和/或劳动密集型的工作)。木炭的购买和制造成本更高。此外,滚筒灭菌的结果可能不一致,...





  29. This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 32. Dr. Tapani Haapala 主旨: 土豆可产生大量蛋白质和其他所需的营养素。 因为气候炎热,土豆在热带地区难以生长。 适合热带地区种植的新品种 急需事半功倍的原料制造方法 测试中的新的高效方法





  30. This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 32. 简介 对于许多发展中国家的家庭而言,烹饪所需的日常能量是繁重且昂贵的。 幸运的 是,对于家庭而言,低成本的烹饪方法越来越容易,这些方法需要更少的燃料,同时 得以更加清洁和有效地燃烧。 一种行之有效的方法是家用气化炉灶,家用气化炉灶旨 在将少量的碳基固体生物质(通常来自废物或低成本物质)转化为用于烹饪的可燃气 体(参见Dussadee 博士关于气化炉如何工作来获取更多信息) 工作(2013))。 与燃烧传统木材或其他生物质的烹饪技术相比,气化炉烹饪炉具有许多优点。 在 气化炉中燃烧二次气体(热解)...





  31. This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 31. 简介 令人惊奇的多重反刍动物形态多样,其营养需求也各不相同。反刍动物是反刍类亚纲(属偶蹄目)中偶蹄、四足和反嚼的哺乳动物。牛、水牛、山羊和牦牛是东南亚分布的一些反刍动物。 反刍动物能够在消化前借助有益微生物将植物性食物在其特殊的胃中发酵,再消化和获取营养(图 1)。在初步发酵后,将发酵的嚼团再次调味并再次咀嚼,重新咀嚼(进一步分解植物物质并刺激消化)的过程称为反刍。反刍动物产生的废料作为肥料是很好的价值,可以更好地生产他们摄取的饲料。农场应使用粪肥以保持土壤肥力。由于农场养分的循环利用,...





  32. This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 31. 简介和背景 保存自己的种子是一种成本效益高的方法,以此可以获得作物种子供未来种植,并有助于维持地球上的植物生物多样性。 无论您是种植自己保存的种子,将它们送给朋友和邻居,还是通过您的组织分发,有效收获、清洁、准备、干燥和储存种子的能力对于帮助维持种子的萌发和存活力都很重要。本文将重点介绍将种子干燥到适当含水量的重要性,并将提供我们在”亚洲回音”影响中心种子库建造和使用的两种低成本种子干燥机的详情。





  33. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #30 [编者注:Peter是一个在泰国清迈自由顾问,他是德国莱比锡的农业硕士。Peter是“山地项目(Upland program)”的前研究员,这是一个霍恩海姆大学(德国) 和清迈大学(泰国)的合作项目。他的联系方式是:peter.elstner@gmx.net 我们一直在寻找一个关于东南亚土壤的参考指南。过去不得不依靠很多东南亚国家 提供的土壤样本碎片, 这些指南数据多数比较陈旧,当然也没有互动。在这篇 文章中,Peter Elstner 研究了数字土壤地图,得出东南 亚7个主要土壤种类的结 论。...





  34. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #30 永续农业(permaculture)这个词在很多关于可持续发展和食品安全的演讲、书籍和杂志中被越来越多地提到。什么是永续农业?它 是怎么运作的?是一种哲学观吗?是一系列简单的工具吗?在这篇文章中,我会从一个不同的视觉来回答以上的问题。第一,我会简单地 描述永续农业的历史,蕴含的伦理观和主要规则以及最近的应用。然后我会讨论永续农业最近的一些问题,并解释它在解决社区食物、水 和住所问题中的应用的基本观点。最后,我会分享作为一个基督徒和一个农业发展工作者,永续农业是如何影响我自己的生活和工作的。





  35. 俗话说“你不知道你有一个问题你就不可能解决问题”,这是诊断植物营养缺乏基础科学的支撑。多年来,很多农民和科学家一起工作,通过多种线索来判断农作物的营养缺乏。这些线索和症状十分有用,特别是在土壤和植物组织试验做不了或行不通时。





  36. 咖啡加工方法能彻底地改变最终产品的质量和口味,或更好或更差。选择一种能对质量、口味和成本都有积极影响的方法,咖啡的发展潜力就能被释放,同时高质量的咖啡还能提高农民的收入。使用一种将咖啡豆从咖啡果里分离出来的优化方式是最有效的提高质量的方法。世界上每一个地方都有它自己独一无二的特征和环境特点(称为“风土条件”),这样就为小众、高品质的农作物和产品,诸如咖啡、葡萄酒、巧克力、奶酪等增添价值。发展中的特色咖啡市场正在寻找独特的、单一产地的咖啡以增加咖啡消费者的体验。没有“完美”的咖啡加工方式,只要高水平的质量标准都是成功的。然而,为了在你的特定环境中做出优质和提高收入的选择,...





  37. 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。





  38. 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...





  39. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #27 微生物是不能用肉眼直接观察到的微小生物;他们包括真菌类、藻类和细菌类(Rao, 1995)。这些小 生物存在于任何地方:水里、空气里和土壤里。在农业上,微生物的数量在堆肥、动物粪便和IM(本地微 生物(Indigenous Microorganisms))液里、EM(有效微生物(Effective Microorganisms))的液体里特别多。微生物是土壤的重要组成部分,它们帮助分解有机物,也将岩石和空气中的营养物质转化成农作物可用的形式,还帮助固定土壤结构(Tisdall, 1994; Hayat et...





  40. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #27 种子储存的原则 当要建一个“冷藏室”或“种子储藏室”来达到保持种子活性的目的时,最先要考虑的种子储存的最佳条件。在ECHO 亚洲期刊14(ECHO Asia Note 14)(2012 年6 月),我们分享了真空密封和冷藏的对比结果,并强调对于种子储存湿度和温度控制的重要性。我们发现湿度控制(真空密封)比温度控制(冷藏)更有效地保存种子活性。在这个ECHO 亚洲的实验中,热带种子最佳的储存方式是干燥后(为了保持较低的种子湿度)立刻真空密封,然后把种子储存在较低的温度之下。要设计一个最适宜种子储存的冷藏室,...





  41. 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...





  42. 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...





  43. 2015-09-01 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...





  44. 2015-12-15 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...





  45. 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...





  46. 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...





  47. 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.





  48. 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...





  49. 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...





  50. 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...





  51. 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...





  52. 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....





  53. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #21 SRI was first tried by farmers in Thailand over ten years ago. However, many farmers struggled to avoid trauma to the seedlings and to transplant young seedlings using human labor. Additionally, trying to draw lines (for even spacing of the transplants) was...





  54. 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.





  55. 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...





  56. 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....





  57. 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,...





  58. 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...





  59. 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...





  60. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #19 It iscompletely possible to run a diesel engine on biogas; however, a number of considerations must be taken into account before it may be considered a serious option in a development program. This article will explore some key considerations when...





  61. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #19 In a tropical setting, growing seedlings can be a difficult task. A major factor of concern for nursery production is water-logging (Zhu, 2007). During the rainy season, oversaturated soils can effectively suffocate root systems of a seedling by restricting...





  62. “Participatory methods” in community development initially emerged in the 1970s, and interest in their use has continued to increase among practitioners, especially in recent years.1 Many practitioners agree that this growing acceptance is a good thing, as it has made us pay attention to the ways...





  63. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #18 As the new director of the ECHO Asia Impact Center, I would like to take this opportunity to greet all of you, our network members. I would also like to thank you for being part of our network, which continues to span the globe and which exists as an...





  64. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #17 Contamination of drinking water sources by harmful synthetic organic compounds (SOCs), such as pesticides, is a major worldwide problem. Pesticide pollution appears twice in the top ten of The World’s Worst Toxic Pollution Problems Report 2011 by the...





  65. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #17 Around the world, many agriculturists and gardeners are adopting soil amendments and fertilizers that are called bokashi. Bokashi is a Japanese word that has no good translation into English, according to Yukiko Oyanagi, a staffer with the Asian Rural...





  66. 2013-03-20 Since 2011, ECHO Asia has developed and facilitated seed exchange events during meetings with local partners. Through conversations with farmers and NGO staff, we have gained better insight about locally-important plant varieties, seed saving practices, attitudes towards saving seeds, and...





  67. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #16 During the 2012 ECHO Agriculture Workshop in Yangon, 63 attendees representing at least 25 agriculture and community development organizations from across Myanmar were polled about their observations and opinions related to climate change. The vast majority...





  68. 2012-10-01 Soil quality, also known as soil health, is the capacity of the soil to function – how well it fills the roles we need it to, whether in a natural or managed ecosystem. There are a variety of measures used to gauge soil health and although we can use these characteristics as indicators of soil...





  69. 2012-10-01 This article is from ECHO Asia Note #15 Editor: Between 1997 and 2009, Kirby Rogers worked as part of a team to establish an agriculture-based business called Natural Products (NPI) in Bokeo, Laos. Much of this effort involved promoting soybean as a local cash crop as well as developing related...





  70. 2012-07-01 Introduction 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...





  71. 2012-07-01 This article is from ECHO Asia Note #14 Editor: Dr. Dick Tinsley is an Emeritus Professor with Colorado State University. With decades of experience as an advisor to smallholder agriculture development projects, he was worked in numerous locations across Asia and Africa. In this article, Dr....





  72. 2012-04-01 Introduction In many parts of tropical Asia, especially on rainfed farms, there has been an explosion of acreage planted in maize. The increase in commercial maize production is driven by growing livestock feed demand, and is displacing many traditional crops, including the staple upland rice....





  73. 2012-04-01 The cool, dry season offers the best window for vegetable production in the tropics, assuming an adequate water supply. Pest and disease pressures are relatively low and temperatures are moderate. By contrast, the rainy season brings a combination of high temperatures and humidity that encourages...





  74. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #12 Introduction When you come across an especially promising local variety of a crop grown in your area, how can you enable other farmers to try out this variety? If a farmer gives you 30 seeds of an exceptional variety, how might you go about distributing...
  75. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #12 In 2010 the ECHO Asia Impact C enter, along with lead partner, Pennsylvania State University, and Maejo University, was awarded a CRSP Horticulture Exploratory Project grant with major support from USAID. Entitled, "Strengthening Indigenous Informal Seed...





  76. 2011-07-01 Introduction During the late rainy season, the permanent hill fields that surround a cluster of hilltribe villages in the Chiang Dao district of northern Thailand radiate various hues of green. These verdant fields, belonging to ethnic Lisu, Lahu, Akha, Palaung and Karen farmers, are covered in a...
  77. 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,...





  78. 2011-04-01 This article is from ECHO Asia Note #9 Rick Burnette wrote an article for Issue 6 (July 2010) of ECHO Asia Notes, titled "Charcoal Production in 200-Liter Horizontal Drum Kilns." My article takes the charring process a step further by exploring the rapidly re-emerging world of biochar. Biochar is...
  79. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #8 Editor: Abram serves as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow andInstructor with the International Sustainable DevelopmentStudies Institute in Chiang Mai. He also assists the ECHO AsiaRegional Office as a technical advisor. Introduction and Background Saving your...





  80. 2011-01-01 This article is from ECHO Asia Note #8 Introduction The genus Zanthoxylum (familyRutaceae) contains a fascinatinggroup of plants found around theworld from the tropics to temperatezones. With over 200 species,ranging from small shrubs to largetrees, Zanthoxylum spp. arecharacterized by sharp...





  81. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #7 Editor: Due to the length of this article, only a portion isincluded in ECHO Asia Notes. The full article, includingillustrated steps related to the assembly of 200- liter drumkilns as well as charcoal and wood vinegar production, canbe accessed via the web...





  82. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #7 Prakrit Khamduangdao was looking for an alternative to agriculturalchemicals to control pests in his vegetable farm. However, he was notcompletely satisfied with various botanical pest control measures beingpromoted in northern Thailand. He reports that even...





  83. 2010-07-01 This article is from ECHO Asia Note #6 The arrival of a new crop No one seems to know whymembers of the Lisuhilltribe in northernThailand refer to a certain field crop with brilliantyellow flowers as Japanesesesame. The seeds of thiscrop yield quality cooking oil, but the plant looksnothing like...





  84. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #6 One of the easiest and most effective ways to improve and build soilfertility in any gardening situation is to use a method known as sheetmulching. Thick layers of mulch are placed directly on the soil,simulating the thick leaf litter and humus found in...





  85. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #5 Communicating technical information among different language groups is challenging. For example, despite being familiar with the scientific, English and Tagalog common names for eggplant, how might an Asian development worker know what the Indonesians call...





  86. 2010-04-01 This article is from ECHO Asia Note #5 Across Asia, small institutions such as children's homes play an essentialrole in caring for orphans and other young people at risk. Likewise, hostels (i.e., boarding facilities) provide disadvantaged students with safe places tostay in order to further...





  87. 2010-01-01 This article is from ECHO Asia Note #4 Does rice straw have any value? Looking at the practices of most farmers, it seems not! The burning of rice straw is a common sight during the harvest period in many parts of Asia. Yet a number of farmers think otherwise. One of them is Isidro Prado from...





  88. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #4 Working together with Thai Care, the children's ministry of the Rain Tree Foundation, Meribah Ram Pump is engaged in various community development projects in northern Thailand. A major focus is to make simple, sustainable technology, such as ram pumps and...





  89. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #3 Crotalaria juncea, or sunn hemp, is a member of the pea family (Fabaceae) grown in many countries as a green manure or forage crop. Originating in South Asia, but with a common cultivar developed in Hawaii, it is a fastgrowing, drought-tolerant and...





  90. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #3 Rugged northeastern Myanmar is home to the Lahu, Shan, Akha, Palaung and various other ethnic groups. With few paved roads and only a small percentage of the Shan State's population connected to the electrical grid, infrastructure serving the locals is still...





  91. 2009-07-01 This article is from ECHO Asia Note #2 In a 2001 ECHO Development Notes article, “SRI, the System of Rice Intensification: Less can be more,” ECHO first reported on SRI’s radical rice production steps including: Transplanting rice seedlings when the first two leaves have emerged, usually sometime...





  92. This article is from ECHO Asia Note #2 With regard to SRI, the previously mentioned "SRI Homepage/System of Rice Intensification", a joint collaboration of Association Tefy Saina and CIIFAD, offers a wealth of SRI-related material, particularly on its "SRI Practical and AV Material" page . The...