Raised beds must be 20 to 30 centimetres high, 80 to 100 centimeters wide and the furrows 30 to 40 centimeters wide. The beds can be 50 to 100 meters long depending on the slope of the field. Because the beds are wide, water is channelled faster through the land, while seeping into the soil and reaching the roots of the crop directly. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
By applying a range of agroecological practices, you can avoid disease infestation in your rice crop. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
Access Agriculture wins International Innovation Award for Sustainable Food and Agriculture Access Agriculture has won the prestigious International Innovation Award for Sustainable Food and Agriculture in the category “Award for innovations that empower youth in sustainable food systems” based on its model of young entrepreneurs. The jury panel, chaired by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Government of Switzerland, announced the winners at the World Food Forum ...
By combining different organic methods, you will harvest a lot more rice and make more money. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
With pitcher irrigation, round porous clay pots are buried into the soil near the crop and filled with water. The water seeps out slowly through the porous walls of the pot and reaches the roots of the plants. As the plants consume the water, more water will seep out from the pot. In this way, the pot provides exactly the right amount of water needed for the plants. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
Dirty drinking water, unclean surroundings, and improper food cause many diseases in chicken. Clean the coop area and remove the poop and spoiled feed every day. You can purify the drinking water with turmeric powder or potassium permanganate. Feed chickens a balanced diet. Add some garlic or onion to the feed to build up their immunity. Leaves of bitter medicinal plants help to prevent intestinal parasites. Deworm the chickens with the help of papaya sap, betel nut or pomegranate fruit peel. Pr...
Usually, farmers fatten male sheep and goats because they grow faster. To fatten the animals, it is important to find the right animals. To fatten sheep and goats, also give them protein rich feed for about 3 to 6 months. Along with good food, you must also make sure that the animals are kept in a healthy environment. Vaccinate and give them deworming tablets every three months to help keep them healthy. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org...
For healthy crops you need a healthy soil, because a healthy soil contains many good microbes and earthworms. To prepare biofertilizer for half a hectare, you need 10 kg fresh cow dung, cow urine, flour from chickpeas or another pulse, jaggery or unrefined sugar, and a handful of healthy soil. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
Rabbits are easy to keep and require little space. However, as rabbits reproduce quickly, farmers may find it hard to sell the rabbits or meat. In this audio podcast, we will learn how to make sausages from rabbit meat. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
Based on how much milk each cow gives you can calculate the amount of balanced feed needed for your cows. You should also feed your cow green grass each day. This helps to increase the total quantity of milk as well as the amount of fat in the milk. It is also good for their digestion. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
The clod breaker is a simple wooden tool made out of a cylindrical log with iron spikes. It can be pulled by animals or even by an adult person. By driving the clod breaker over your field in opposite directions, the soil will become loose, aerated and absorb more water. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
Baobab fruit juice made from the pulp is very healthy, and can be added to porridge and sauces. However, the quality of the pulp can be greatly affected if fruits are not handled well during and after harvest. When baobab pods are damaged and have splits in the shell, moisture and insects can easily get to the pulp and spoil it. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
Compared to other foods, baobab pulp contains very high levels of minerals such as calcium, iron and magnesium as well as vitamin C. Furthermore, it is rich in fibre. It is good for human health and reduces the risk of diseases. Due to these properties, baobab fruits are often called a super food. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
Farmers in Uganda started taking care of pigs in their sties because of problems with the pigs that were free roaming. Farmers would not know where the pigs had gone and what they had eaten or whether they had contracted any disease. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
You can make a cage from bamboo to contain the crabs. Soft crabs must be separated so they do not fight and damage each other. Give each crab half of a tiny fish per day. If the crab has not eaten its food, it is sick and must be removed. In 10 to 15 days, the crabs will have a hard shell and can be sold. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
Vermiwash is the liquid that is collected after water passes through compost made by earthworms. It is rich in plant growth hormones, micro-nutrients, and major nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
In this audio podcast, we will learn how to recognise Newcastle disease, and the signs, causes, prevention, control and management of this devastating disease. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
Cactus pads are rich in minerals like calcium, phosphorous and magnesium, and have moderate levels of protein and fibre. You can start harvesting cactus pads one year after planting and harvest pads every 4 months as per your needs. Cactus will give fodder for more than 20 years. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
Green gram or mung bean seed and grains need special care during harvesting and storage. Coat the seed with vegetable oil and store them in an earthen pot. Add neem leaves and dry red chillies. Cover the pot with a cotton cloth and a wire mesh to keep out rodents. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
Bloat is caused by eating too much wet grass during the rainy season. In the stomach, the wet grass ferments and releases gas which becomes like bubbles and cannot escape. It is also caused by a sudden change in diet or by eating overripe or fermented fruit, young sorghum leaves and vegetables like cabbage or cauliflower. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
Too much drought can slow down growth and cause young fruits to fall. Water your okra regularly to avoid slowing down its growth. Get rid of weeds. Nourish okra crops by periodically applying a little compost, well-rotted manure or litter around the base of each okra plant. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
In Benin, producers tell us how to plant okra properly. Put no more than 2 to 3 seeds in each hole and plant at proper spacing to let in air and allow the plants to develop well. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
Dried mango crisps are a tasty and a healthy snack that can be sold even out of season at a good price. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
If proper care is taken at harvest, losses can be minimized, consumers will have better quality fruit, and the farmers will earn more money. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
Coating seed with good microbes and organic fertilizer protects crops from diseases and gives them a healthy start. You can also prepare your own organic solution with cow dung, cow urine, lime, cow milk or yoghurt and water. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
By keeping live barriers with flowers around your fields, you help to protect the wasps and the other good insects. And it is easier to produce quinoa without insecticides while conserving our fertile soil. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
Birds learn quickly and will come back, so regularly change the way you scare birds. All farmers in your community should plant their bean crop within a period of two weeks so that the beans are all growing at the same time, so most of the crop survives. By having banana and flowering plants nearby your fields the birds will less disturb the beans. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
Mastitis makes the teat painful, so cows do not want to get milked. If not treated soon, the other teats will also become affected and the udder may get damaged. When a cow has mastitis, her milk is not good to drink. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
When you pick your tomatoes, if you want to keep them longer, you have to find a way of reducing the temperature. As availability of electricity at village level can be a problem, ways have to be found to lower the temperature of this fragile crop. Some farmers at Dambatta in Kano State, Nigeria have used local mud bricks to make a very effective cooling chamber. Download the full audio podcast in different languages at: www.accessagriculture.org
