The Access to seeds index report 2016 found that seed firms focus their research efforts on major cash crops, such as maize and rice. But they rarely strive to develop better varieties of seeds that are important to female farmers in developing countries, such as sweet potato or peanuts, the …
Our livestock is increasingly being raised indoors and fed on concentrate feed that is often imported. Intensive production of chickens, pigs and dairy cows is based on a few breeds worldwide. These developments are risky, as we and future generations are losing the potential to adapt livestock production systems to …
Farmer of the Year, Amy Hepworth, says, “the organic movement is wonderful. It got us off the worst chemicals, and we’ve never gone back. Right now we have the most abundant and safest food supply in human history. We need to continue to employ applied science to improve and heal …
The Agricultural Research Council (ARC), one of South Africa’s key weapons in the fight against the current drought, has seen its net surplus decline by 300% during 2014/2015. While still in the black the ARC has experienced a 300% decrease in its surplus from R137m to R34m for the …
B4FA Fellow Noah Nash files a video report: The Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI) has completed it second stage confined field trials a Roundup Ready Herbicides Genetically Modified Cotton variety which seeks to monitor the effects of glyphosate formulations when applied on weed and the cotton plant as means …
B4FA Fellow Noah Nash reports: small holder farmers in rice production in the northern region have been advised to adopt nursing and transplanting of rice cultivation to avoid over crowding and also increase crop yield on their farms. The Project Manager under Integrated Agricultural Productivity Improvement and Marketing Project, …
Informed by the need to guide farmers on proper seed choice, the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) in partnership with the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) have developed an online application, MbeguChoice, which already boasts a database of over 200 commercialized crop varieties, including 61 varieties …
B4FA Fellow Noah Nash reports: Akdi Christopher has advocated educating farmers on the potential dangers in the misuse of chemical fertilizer on crops and the soil. According to him, if not managed properly, chemical fertilizer can lead to crop distraction, negative growth effects, and high pollution levels in water …
Farmers can easily tell the type of soils on their farms by simply observing the type of weeds that grow in it. This is a cost-free and accurate method of soil sampling that can save farmers from hefty laboratory test costs, while still allowing them to determine the kinds of …
Kenyan children are among those set to benefit from a new set of materials that explain the importance of soil in crop production. This is as nations target children in the role they play as future food producers. With 50 per cent of the global population being youth of less …
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