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CTA Publications

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  1. How To Keep Bees And Process Honey
    This 8-page fold-out leaflet, practical for use in the field and easy to read, covers the subject of bee-keeping and honey processing. It gives some background to the subject, outlines processes and provides tips, tables and explanatory line drawings.





  2. Trench Gardening
    2013-01-20 Making a trench bed What do you need to start a garden? Lots of enthusiasm and, in the beginning, some hard work. A piece of ground as little as twenty square metres will ensure that your family always has something fresh to eat; a larger area makes it possible to grow enough vegetables to sell....





  3. How To Control The Mango Fruit Fly
    2013-01-01 This 8-page fold-out leaflet, practical for use in the field and easy to read, covers the subject of controlling the mango fruit fly. It gives some background to the subject, outlines processes and provides tips, tables and explanatory line drawings.





  4. Linking Smallholder Farmers To Markets
    2009-01-01 This 12-page fold-out leaflet, practical for use in the field and easy to read, covers the subject of linking smallholder farmers to markets. It gives some background to the subject, outlines processes and provides tips, tables and explanatory line drawings.





  5. How to control Striga and stemborer in maize
    2007-01-20 This 8-page fold-out leaflet, practical for use in the field and easy to read, covers the subject of controlling Striga and stemborer in maize. It gives some background information, outlines the processes and provides tips, tables and explanatory line drawings
11 more CTA Publications

GODAN Open Data Management in Agriculture and Nutrition

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  1. Lesson 3:5 Developing Strategies for Implementing Open Data Plans





  2. Lesson 2:1 Discovering Open Data





  3. Lesson 1:1 What is Open Data





  4. Lesson 3:2 Managing Dynamic Datasets





  5. Lesson 3:3 Creating and Managing Open Data Repositories
16 more GODAN Open Data Management in Agriculture and Nutrition

VITA - Volunteers in Technical Assistance

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  1. Seeds, Weeds, and Pests
    This seed cleaner was developed in Afghanistan to remove round seeds of weeds from wheat grains. The round seeds could not be separated by a sieve because they were the same size as the wheat grains. The cleaner described here takes advantage of the round shape of the weed seeds to separate them...
  2. Poultry Raising
    The brooder is heated by a regular electric light bulb, placed under the brooder floor. Depending on the temperature rise required, the wattage of the light bulb will have to be chosen by experimentation. The metal floor and roof prevent predators such as rats from entering the brooder. If...
  3. 1995 Publications Catalog
    1995-01-01
  4. Renewable Energy Dictionary
    1995-01-01 Soon after beginning a major program in renewable energy in 1979, VITA (Volunters in Technical Assistance) found that many of the technical terms commonly used in renewable energy literature were not understood by many of the laypeople for whom the information was meant. VITA also realized that...
  5. Automotive Operation And Maintenance
    1992-01-01 The intent is to offer suggestions to drivers or mechanics who operate in an area where service facilities and technical assistance are not readily available and they must be their own advisers on every problem that may arise. In the event that readers happen to have some service facilities at...
131 more VITA - Volunteers in Technical Assistance

Haitian Network Documents

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  1. Vetiver Latrine Guide
    A “how to” guide to successfully install a natural, sustainable latrine using vetiver grass The use of vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) replaces the need for a concrete block lined pit, creates privacy and actively helps decompose the waste. Jiji grass (Achnatherum splendens) can be used...





  2. Abundance Agroforestry - A Syntropic Farming Guidebook
    2019-01-20 Reviewed by Dawn Berkelaar ECHO has an extensive network of agricultural experts working in diverse areas of production and development. Many members contribute to our various publications and resources, often writing or contributing to our existing documents. Some provide self-developed...

Feed the Future Publications

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  1. How to Process Jack bean (and other types of beans) as human food
    Jack bean is an excellent plant for enriching soil, because it grows under very difficult conditions. However, the beans contain toxins that normally make them unsuitable for human consumption. This document describes how to germinate jack bean to remove the toxins and increase the beans’...





  2. Minimal Soil Disturbance and its Effect on Soil Moisture Availability
    This short document contains graphs that show how zero tillage leads to increased water infiltration and increased water retention in soil.





  3. Green Manure/Cover Crop approach in RAMA-BC
    This document distinguishes between ‘anchor’ cover crops (that are intercropped with a main crop such as maize) and ‘secondary’ cover crops (that don’t compete with the main crop because they have a short life cycle, and that can help cover the soil at the start of the growing season). The...





  4. “Push and Pull” in Combatting Fall Army Worm and Witchweed (Striga)
    In the Push-Pull system, crops that repel pests and/or attract pests’ predators are intercropped with maize, to ‘push’ pests away from the main crop. Plants that attract pests are planted around the field, to ‘pull’ pests away from the maize. Incorporating legumes in this system means that soil...





  5. Farmer Own Soil Fertility Analysis
    Four nutrient deficiencies--phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, and magnesium--can be diagnosed by observing maize leaves. This document includes photos of a healthy maize leaf and of maize leaves demonstrating each of these nutrient deficiencies. It also contains suggestions for how to address each...

General Technical Documents

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  1. Dryland Farming: Crops & Techniques for Arid Regions
    In every region of the world it is necessary to find or develop appropriate techniques for agriculture. A large part of the surface of the world is arid, characterized as too dry for conventional rain fed agriculture. Yet, millions of people live in such regions, and if current trends in...





  2. ECHO quick photo guide of insect pest damage vs. other crop damage
    2021-04-07 Insect feeding damageor other insect activity can look similar to many bacterial, fungal, or viral diseases or to plant nutrient deficiency symptoms. Before taking action against an assumed insect pest, verify that the symptoms you observe are not caused by a bacterial, viral, or fungal...





  3. Technical Sheet for the Intensive Rice Cultivation System (IRS) in Timbuktu, Mali
    2020-10-20 French only





  4. Soil Testing Guidelines - CFGB
    2020-04-20 Soil infertility is a key constraint to improving crop production for small-scale farmers. Soils throughout Canadian Foodgrains Bank members’ program areas are degraded and deficient in nutrients and organic matter. Soil testing measures the soil’s health and nutrient holding capacity and...
  5. Permaculture For Refugees in Camps
    2018-02-20 PermacultureForRefugees (P4R) has released their first booklet in a series to bring permaculture solutions to refugee situations. Permaculture for Refugees in Camps is a 20 page how-to guide outlining a positive approaches to transforming refugee camps. It is the culmination of ideas, experience...
3 more General Technical Documents

ECHO Technical Notes

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  1. TN #16 A Beginners Guide to Small-Scale Tropical Agriculture
    So you want to help people in the tropics. Beautiful! The tropics are waiting for you. No matter what your abilities, you can make life better for others in the tropics. Your concern for the physical and spiritual well-being of people can be translated into fruitful service. Your first asset is...





  2. TN #98 Integrated Pest Management
    2022-05-20 The current global situation calls for a multi-pronged approach to pest management. To be widely applicable, this approach must provide farmers with options to control pests at various scales of production (from small farms to very large operations) with a diversity of resources. Integrated pest...





  3. TN #97 Small-Scale Nursery Management
    2021-03-29 Cultivating plants, sharing seeds and cuttings with neighbors, and seeking better crop varieties are as old as agriculture. We use the word “nursery” for places where we care for and nurture things that are precious and vulnerable, like children and plants. Creating habitats to grow healthy...





  4. TN #96 Earthbag Seed Banks
    2020-06-29 Seed storage in the tropics has been a frequent topic of ECHO publications and trainings due to its importance to the smallholder farmer. Access to quality seeds is imperative for agronomic and horticultural crop production. While on-farm seed saving benefits the smallholder farmer, cooperative...





  5. TN #95 100-Fold Vegetable Gardens with Low-Cost Wicking Beds
    2019-07-23 I discovered 100-fold gardens while researching ways to irrigate plants directly in the root zone. I wanted to know how to practically and affordably control some of the variables that influence plant growth, such as water availability and soil fertility. I read about “wicking beds,” which are...
40 more ECHO Technical Notes

ECHO Development Notes (EDN)

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  1. EDN Issue #158
    2023-01-06 Is Drip Irrigation Right for Me? Recap of Options for Storing Grains Echoes from our Network: Hermetic Sealing in Haiti From ECHO's Seed Bank: 'Starfighter' Lettuce Books, Websites, and Other Resources:Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE)





  2. EDN Issue #157
    2022-10-03 Bioliquid Fertilizer Update Considerations for crop selection Echoes from our Network:Tithonia and neem fermented liquid for termite control From ECHO's Seed Bank: ‘Asia Cayenne’: A Mild-Tasting Chili Pepper Books, Websites, and Other Resources:VITA resources revivedandThe Fertilizer and Seed...





  3. EDN Issue #156
    2022-07-01 Extending Postharvest Life of Fresh Fruit: Harvest for Quality Chicken Compost System Echoes from our Network:Microcontroller use From ECHO's Seed Bank:Allium cepa ‘Awahia’A Short-Day Onion Option Books, Websites, and Other Resources: Discount on Roland Bunch's Second Edition of "Restoring the...





  4. EDN Issue #155
    2022-04-12 Low-Cost Microcontrollers: Applications for Small-Scale Agriculture Echoes from our Network: A Deep Litter System for Natural Chicken Production From ECHO's Seed Bank: 'KDV-1' Maize Books, Websites, and Other Resources:WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal PlantsandCanadian Foodgrains Bank Video...





  5. EDN Issue #154
    2022-01-12 Extending Postharvest Life of Fresh Fruit: Harvest at the Right Time Echoes from our Network: Homegarden Agroforestry From ECHO's Seed Bank:Chipilín Books, Websites, and Other Resources:CTA publications,CVM publications, and App Translation
63 more ECHO Development Notes (EDN)

Food Plant Solutions - Publications

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  1. Potentially Important Food Plants of Democratic Republic of Congo
    2022-12-01 This book is designed as a simple introduction to the more common food plants of DR Congo. It is hoped people will take greater pride and interest in these plants and become confident and informed about how to grow and use them. Many of the local food plants that occur in every country are very...





  2. Brief Guide for Togo
    2022-01-01 This book is designed as a simple introduction to the more common food plants for healthy diets in Togo. It is hoped people will take greater pride and interest in these plants and become confident and informed about how to grow and use them. Many of the local food plants that occur in every...





  3. Leafy Greens and Vegetables in Cameroon
    2022-01-01 This book is designed as a simple introduction to the more common leafy greens and vegetables of Cameroon. It is hoped people will take greater pride and interest in these plants and become confident and informed about how to grow and use them. Many of the local food plants that occur in every...





  4. Fruit and Nuts of Cameroon
    2022-01-01 This book is designed as a simple introduction to the more common fruits, nuts, and seeds in Cameroon. It is hoped people will take greater pride and interest in these plants and become confident and informed about how to grow and use them. Many of the local food plants that occur in every...





  5. Food Plants For Healthy Diets In Cameroon
    2021-02-01 This book is designed as a simple introduction to the more common food plants for healthy diets in Cameroon. It is hoped people will take greater pride and interest in these plants and become confident and informed about how to grow and use them. Many of the local food plants that occur in every...
4 more Food Plant Solutions - Publications

CFGB Conservation Agriculture Newsletter

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  1. CFGB CA News Volume 8 Issue 3 - September, 2022
    2022-09-20 Inside this issue : CA Plus Enhances Irrigation Efficiency NatureBased Solutions Partner Profile: Anglican Development Services Central Rift, Kenya ALTA Travel Schedules

Using ECHO Resources

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  1. ECHOcommunity Mobile App
    2021-01-20 Available on iOS 10.0+and Android 5.0+ Android version updated 8/2022 for Android 11, 12, 12.1 (available soon) Search "echocommunity" in the App Store on your iPhone or in Google Play on your Android phone. ECHO has provided resources to farmers and development workers for 40 years....

ECHO Best Practice Notes

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  1. BPN #2 - Farmer-Centered Climate Change Mitigation
    2020-12-14 ECHO recognizes climate change as a profound reality faced by small-scale farmers. Many of our publications have focused on helping farmers cope with related challenges such as heat and drought.Increasing farmer resilience and minimizing risk have been key elements of the practices we have...





  2. BPN #7 - Selecting Legumes as Green Manure/Cover Crops
    2017-05-26 By integrating legumes into cropping systems, small-scale farmers in low-resource settings can invest in the long-term health and resilience of their soils. Success or failure depends largely on choosing the right legume(s). With that in mind, this document presents insights on legume selection...





  3. BPN #6 - Conservation Agriculture
    2016-09-28 Farmers in many parts of the world, because of human population growth, have little choice but to crop their land continuously, with scarce resources to replace nutrients withdrawn by each successive crop. Crop residues are often lost as a source of organic matter and mulch, usually through...





  4. BPN #5 - Seed Storage in the Tropics
    2016-03-22 Yearly production of grains, pulses, and vegetables depends on a reliable supply of quality seed. This is true for the farmer growing a crop to feed their family as well as for the agricultural worker evaluating and growing out seeds of a new crop species or variety that could improve lives. In...





  5. BPN #4 - Institutional Agricultural Design
    2014-04-01 ECHO frequently receives questions from members of our network, asking how available land could be used to grow food and/or create income to augment an otherwise non-agricultural project. Broadly speaking, they are asking how to begin an institutional agriculture project—a coordinated agriculture...
1 more ECHO Best Practice Notes

LEGS Publications and Resources

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  1. Gender and Livestock in Emergencies
    2020-10-20 A Discussion Paper for the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) Karin de Jonge and Lucy Maarse The aim of this Discussion Paper is to outline the major issues at the crossroads of gender and livestock in the context of humanitarian response, for the Advisory Committee of LEGS...





  2. The Quality of Veterinary Pharmaceuticals
    2020-10-20 A Discussion Paper for the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) Holly Hufnagel The objective of this discussion paper is to inform the LEGS Technical Advisory Committee on issues relating to the quality of veterinary pharmaceuticals for livestock responses in emergency situations....





  3. Livestock Insurance
    2020-09-20 A Discussion Paper for the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) Yacob Aklilu This paper was commissioned to assess livestock insurance schemes and explore what evidence exists regarding the effective implementation of livestock insurance schemes to support the livelihoods of...





  4. Livestock and Nutrition
    2020-09-20 A Discussion Paper for the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) Kate Sadler This discussion paper was commissioned by LEGS to review the key issues relating to nutrition in the context of livestock-based emergency interventions, with particular attention to the following key...





  5. LEGS Drought Tool
    2018-03-20 A LEGS-based preparedness, planning and response tool for improved resilience in the drylands of the Horn of Africa The Drought Tool is structured as follows: the background section provides an overview of recent droughts in the HoA, looks at the costs of drought, and introduces the LEGS Core...
1 more LEGS Publications and Resources

Conservation Agriculture Core Training Guides

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  1. Conservation Agriculture - Core Lesson Farmer Booklet
    2020-04-20 Guide Book alsoavailable in Amharic /Chichewa /Kinyarwanda; Posters also available in Amharic / Kiembu / Kikuyu / Kikamba / Kinyarwanda / Chichewa /Alur; Farmers' Booklet also available in Kinyarwanda The source documents (.docx and .pub)of these materials are available in the CFGB database. The...





  2. Conservation Agriculture Facilitator’s Guidebook
    2020-04-20 Guide Book alsoavailable in Amharic /Chichewa /Kinyarwanda; Posters also available in Amharic / Kiembu / Kikuyu / Kikamba / Kinyarwanda / Chichewa /Alur; Farmers' Booklet also available in Kinyarwanda The source documents (.docx and .pub)of these materials are available in the CFGB database. The...

ECHO West Africa Notes

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  1. ECHO Notes de l'Afrique de l'Ouest Numéro 3
    2019-07-22 Le système de riziculture intensive (SRI) Qu'est-ce que le SRI ? Les étapes de mise en œuvre du SRI L'irrigation des plants Le sarclage et le sarclo-binage, quels sont les avantages ? Le rendement du SRI Etude comparée entre le SRI et la pratique traditionnelle de riziculture Intérêt du SRI...





  2. ECHO Notes de l'Afrique de l'Ouest Numéro 2
    2018-01-03 Techniques de production avicole traditionnelle epublication:Options de restauration des sols improductifsetOptions où l'eau est rare





  3. ECHO West Africa Note Issue 1
    2017-08-01 Foundations For Farming, an alternative for small-scale farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa How to prepare compost in 3 weeks? The preparation of organic liquid fertilizer eBook Release:Fundamentals of Agricultural Development epublication

Agrodoks

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  1. Agrodok 055, Beef Production
    2016-01-01 Beef, meat from cattle, is produced worldwide in an enormous variety of systems; by nomads in semi desert areas, to intensive dairy farmers who sell male calves for their meat and cull cows that no longer produce enough milk, as well as ranchers whose main aim is to produce meat. The main aim of...





  2. Agrodok 053, Crop Residues for Animal Feed
    2015-01-01 Especially in Stall-Feeding The idea for this booklet on straw feeding emerged some years ago during a meeting, while discussing an Agrodok on dairy cattle husbandry. That Agrodok was to have a chapter on animal feed, especially fodders such as grasses and crop residues. However, this would have...





  3. Agrodok 054, Edible Insects in Africa
    2015-01-01 An Introduction to Finding, Using and Eating Insects When you first saw the title of this book, you may have found the idea of eating insects unfamiliar or strange. Actually, we all eat insects every day without knowing it. Insects or parts of insects are present in almost all processed food....





  4. Agrodok 051, Improving Lowland Rice Cultivation
    2014-01-01 Useful Management Practices for Smallholders in Tropical Africa This Agrodok on lowland rice is primarily meant for smallholders in tropical Africa, because the advocated cultivation and processing practices reflect the main circumstances encountered by rice farmers on this continent. The aim of...





  5. Agrodok 052, Backyard Grasscutter Keeping
    2014-01-01 This Agrodok provides up-to-date information on grasscutter farming to benefit the informed farmer and extension and rural development officers. 1 Introduction 8 It targets farmers wishing to diversify their farms as well as their families’ diet, and those considering growing grasscutters for the...
49 more Agrodoks

ECHO Summaries

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  1. Farmer Engagement in Agriculture Extension
    2015-08-05 Good intentions and viable solutions will have little impact unless we engage with farmers in ways that are meaningful to them. Farmers put a great deal of confidence in what they learn from fellow farmers’ experiences, and they are more likely to trust what they see over what they hear....





  2. Effective Use of Workshops in Agriculture Extension
    2015-07-14 Workshops are an often-used and effective tool that extension workers can use to teach new skills to groups of farmers. This document, drawn from the USAID/MEAS Technical Note on Presenting Workshops to Adults, explains how a workshop setting differs from that of a classroom/teaching setting, and...





  3. Participatory Methods and Tools in Community Development
    2015-05-19 A participatory learning approach, applied at each stage of a community development project, is crucial to reaching the level of stakeholder involvement needed for lasting, positive change. The use of participatory survey and planning methods in the development process encourages community...





  4. Gender Equality in Agriculture Extension
    2015-05-01 This article draws from the MEAS Brief # 2 Reducing the Gender Gap in Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services: How to Find the Best Fit for Men and Women Farmers. Many of the gender-related topics and lessons discussed in the MEAS Brief also apply to the transfer of knowledge and resources...





  5. Climate Change and the Role of Development Workers in Helping Rural Agriculture Communities Adapt
    2015-04-30 This document draws from the MEAS brief #3Adaptation under the New Normal of Climate Change: The Future of Agricultural Extension and Advisory Services. Written for extension and advisory service providers, the MEAS brief contains insights helpful to practitioners working to develop strategies...
1 more ECHO Summaries

Christian Veterinary Mission (CVM) Publications

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  1. Raising Healthy Poultry
    1990-01-19 W. Malcolm Reid (1910-1990) was Professor Emeritus of Poultry Science (Parasitology) at the University of Georgia. He saw a need for a book dealing with basic poultry production and recruited others to help him develop one. He knew firsthand the value of poultry as a source of food and manure for...

Books

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  1. Guide d'aide à la décision en agroforesterie : tome 1 & tome 2
    1993-01-01 deux tomes [301 pp. ;284 pp.] Collection Le Point Sur Ce livre en deux tomes présente des informations, des données techniques, des exemples d'améliorations possibles, des expériences susceptibles d'apporter une aide pratique et quotidienne à tous ceux qui sont professionnellement engagés dans...





  2. La production des semences à petite échelle avec l'àmélioration des variétés de céréales et de légumineuses à graines
    2004-01-01 La production de semences et l'entretien des cultivars végétaux par les petits paysans a reçu de plus en plus d'attention cette dernière décennie. La dominance croissante d'entreprises multinationales pour le commerce de semences, la controverse au sujet de l'inénierie génétique et la...
  3. La médecine naturelle tropicale: IV Le SIDA et la médecine naturelle
    2005-01-01 Un livre de référence pour les soignants des patients atteints du SIDA. Cette brochure décrit comment la "médecine naturelle", c'est-à-dire. L'utilisation pratique de plantes qui poussent ou peuvent être cultivées dans les pays tropicaux, peut offrir un soutien traitement aux malades du SIDA et...
122 more books
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  1. Sustainable Food Value Chains Knowledge Platform
    This platform is based on FAO’s sustainable food value chain (SFVC) framework. The SFVC framework integrates two concepts that have become popular in development thinking and practice over the last decade: sustainability and value chains. These concepts are not always well understood and may be...





  2. Urban and peri-urban agriculture
    Urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA)can be defined as practices that yield food and other outputs through agricultural production and related processes (transformation, distribution, marketing, recycling…), taking place on land and other spaces within cities and surrounding regions. It involves...





  3. La Maison de l’Artemisia
    La Maison de l’Artemisia is a French humanitarian association promoting the use ofArtemisia annuaandafrain the fight against malaria, targeting the most vulnerable populations in the world. These two plants have been used for centuries in Traditional Medicine in China and East Africa.
279 more links

Presentations

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  1. Possibilities for producing off-season tomatoes based on organic manure for improve and support the standard of living of rural populations in cropping systems of small scale in Gambia (West Africa)
    2010-09-21





  2. Skills transfer to women



  3. Evolution du Systeme de Riziculture Intensif (SRI) compare' a la Pratique Paysanne
34 more presentations

Plant Information Sheets

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  1. Prairie Acacia
    Acacia angustissima grows as a thornless shrub or small tree to an average of 2-7 meters tall with a single short trunk. It is a legume, capable of fixing nitrogen in nodules on its roots if the appropriate strain of Rhizobium bacteria is present in the soil. It is often found in tropical...
  2. Acacia mangium
    Acacia mangium can grow to be a tall tree up to 30 m. It is a fast-growing tree that can tolerate acidic and degraded soils. This tree grows best with moderate rainfall and full sunlight. It is one of the major leguminous species used in plantation forestry programs throughout Asia and the...
  3. Vegetable Amaranth
    Amaranthus spp. is an annual, erect herb (up to 1 m tall) grown for its edible leaves Leaves grow up to 8 cm in length and are present in an alternate arrangement along the stem. Small flowers are borne on slender spikes within inflorescences up to 12 cm long. Fruit are small, compressed,...
36 more plant information sheets

Videos

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  1. SAWBO - Resettlement Guide for People Affected by Dam Development
    When the government gives someone permission to use your land or natural resources, which may require you to leave your land they must discuss options to avoid and minimize the negative impacts. They must give you information prior to decisions being made and give you and your community an...





  2. SAWBO - Survival Gardening: How to Create Compost (2D)
    Compost can be used to improve the quality of your soil. You can use plant materials, animal manure and kitchen scraps to create compost. Compost will add nutrients and organic matter to your soil. This animation explains the process of creating and storing compost. Scientific Animations Without...





  3. SAWBO - Survival Gardening: How to Create Compost (2D) HHI
    Compost can be used to improve the quality of your soil. You can use plant materials, animal manure and kitchen scraps to create compost. Compost will add nutrients and organic matter to your soil. This animation explains the process of creating and storing compost. Scientific Animations Without...
53 more videos