សេចក្ដីប្រកាសព័ត៌មានសង្ខេបដែលផ្ដោតលើបទពិសោធន៍របស់សមាជិក ECHOcommunity: លោក ទុនទុន (Tuntun) និង ថោងស៊ី (Thaung Si) 2020-04-08

នៅពេល​ដែល​ខ្ញុំ​ដើរ​ក្នុង​កសិដ្ឋាន​ជាមួយនឹង​លោក Tuntun នៅ​តំបន់​ជនបទ​នៃ​ប្រទេស​មីយ៉ានម៉ា ខ្ញុំ​មិន​ជួយ​អ្វី​បាន​ក្រៅ​តែ​ពី​ការញញឹម​ដោយសារ​តែ​គាត់​បាន​បង្ហាញ​ខ្ញុំ​ប្រកប​ដោយ​មោទនភាព​អំពី​ធ្យូងជីវសាស្ត្រ​(ដែល​ផលិត​ពី​រុក្ខជាតិ​សម្រាប់​ប្រើ​លើ​ដី​ដើម្បី​បំបាត់​ឧស្ម័ន​កាបូនិក​ពី​ក្នុង​បរិយាកាស)​ដែល​ឥឡូវនេះ​គាត់​កំពុង​ផលិត និង​ប្រើប្រាស់​ជា​ល្បាយ​នៅក្នុង​ផើង​សម្រាប់​កូនឈើ​ហូប​ផ្លែ​របស់​គាត់។ ជំនួសឲ្យ​ការដុត ឥឡូវនេះ​គាត់​បំប្លែង​វត្ថុធាតុដើម​ជា​កាកសំណល់​សរីរាង្គ​របស់គាត់​ពី​កសិដ្ឋាន​ឲ្យ​ទៅជា​ប្រភព​ធនធាន​ដ៏​មាន​តម្លៃ​មួយ​ប្រភេទ​ដែល​គេ​អាច​ប្រើប្រាស់​ដើម្បី​បង្កបង្កើន​ផល​ដំណាំ (ជំនួសឲ្យ​ការបាត់បង់​ឧស្ម័ន​កាបូនិក​របស់​គាត់​ចូល​ទៅ​ក្នុង​បរិយាកាស​តាមរយៈ​ផ្សែង។

 

រយៈពេល​ប្រហែល​ជា​មួយ​ឆ្នាំ​កន្លង​ទៅ លោក Tuntun បាន​ចូលរួម​ក្នុង​សិក្ខាសាលា​មួយ​ស្ដីពី​ការសន្សំ​គ្រាប់ពូជ​នៅ​ពីយិនអូល្វីន (Pyin Oo Lwin) និង​បាន​សិក្សា​ស្វែងយល់​អំពី​របៀប​ផលិត​ធ្យូងជីវសាស្ត្រ​នៅក្នុង​​វគ្គ​មួយ​ក្នុង​ចំណោម​បណ្ដា​វគ្គសិក្សា​សាមញ្ញៗ​ទាំងអស់។ ភ្លាមៗ​នោះ គាត់​បាន​វិល​ត្រឡប់​ទៅ​ផ្ទះ​វិញ ហើយ​បាន​ព្យាយាម​សាកល្បង​ធ្វើ​វា​ដោយ​ខ្លួន​គាត់​ដែល​សម្រេចបាន​ជោគជ័យ​យ៉ាង​ខ្លាំង​រហូត​មក​ដល់​ពេល​នេះ។ ឥឡូវនេះ លោក Tuntun ក៏​បាន​បង្កើត​ទំព័រ Facebook មួយ​ដែល​គាត់​ចែករំលែក​ព័ត៌មាន​អំពី​បច្ចេកទេស​កសិកម្ម​របស់គាត់​ជាមួយនឹង​កសិករ​និយាយ​ភាសា​ភូមា​ផ្សេងៗទៀត ដោយ​ពន្យល់​អំពី​ការប្រកបមុខការ ឬ​វិជ្ជាជីវៈ​ដូចជា​បញ្ហា​បង្កើត​ធ្យូង​ជីវសាស្ត្រ​នៅ​ក្នុង​ចំណោម​ពួកគេ!

East Africa   Latin America and ...   West Africa   Asia  

Career Opportunity: ECHO Asia Seed Bank Supervisor 2020-04-03

The primary purpose of this role is to lead and coordinate effective operations of the ECHO Asia Seed Bank according to the goals and objectives of the Asia Regional Impact Center. Housed at the ECHO Asia Farm, the Seed Bank primarily serves the needs of network members, as well as other like-minded organizations and individuals operating in the Asia region.

Asia   Seed Bank  

ECHO Asia Note #41 available 2020-03-19

Featured in this Asia Note

Download ECHO Asia Note #41

Black Soldier Fly System of the Frangipani Langkawi Organic Farm

[Editor’s Note: Anthony Wong the Managing Director of the Frangipani Langkawi Resort in Langkawi, Malaysia and is a longtime steward of green initiatives in Malaysia and the region. Using constructed wetland systems, grey water at his hotels are cleaned and recycled, while large amounts of food waste are up-scaled using an innovative Black Soldier Fly system. Mr. Wong was a recent speaker at the ECHO Asia Agriculture & Development Conference in 2019 and has many years of practical hands-on experience.]

Integrating Black Soldier Flies on the Farm

Excerpt: The BSF or Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) brings great potential to any farming system through its ability to consume on-farm waste and produce a highly nutritious feed source. The larvae of the BSF can be grown using nearly any organic waste product, and can be used to up-cycle waste materials into a valuable protein source. BSF have the ability to break down waste resources that cannot be directly fed to humans or livestock, or even worms in a vermicomposting system, thereby making these systems valuable in tightening the nutrient cycle on any farm. In addition to the feed that the larvae becomes, the secondary advantage is their ability to rapidly break down food waste to produce a valuable by-product that can be used as an organic soil amendment. 

[Read the Full Article]

Career Opportunity: ECHO Asia Agricultural Training Coordinator 2020-03-04

The purpose of this position is to strengthen the capacity of ECHO to deliver ‘high-impact trainings and learning events for improved food production and livelihoods’ among its network members and like-minded organizations. The position has a pivotal role in ECHO’s Training and Learning Program held at its Small Farm Resource Center and Seed Bank in Chiang Mai, Thailand and overseas within the Asia region. Highly competent in Training Management, this person is equally equipped with agricultural technical knowledge and skills, which will be handy in delivery of trainings related to agricultural and community development. This position will be based at the ECHO Farm.

EDN #146 Now Available 2020-03-01

In this issue:

Download EDN 146


Low Oxygen Methods for Insect Control in Seeds

Tim Motis

Excerpt:

Seeds are typically stored for a time before being planted or consumed. Any insects present in that seed, if not controlled, can quickly multiply and cause significant damage. (See Image)

Many storage pests originate in the field. Seeds may appear to be free of insects at the point of harvest, but eggs and larvae from the field may still be present. Insects can also be introduced when seeds are put into previously infested seed containers or grain bins. Insect damage reduces seed germination and quality and is a major cause of post-harvest seed loss. Most insect-related postharvest seed loss is caused by various species of beetles (Order Coleoptera) and larvae of moths and butterflies (Order Lepidoptera). This article focuses on weevils, which are a specific kind of beetle.

[ Read the full article ]

From the ECHO Research Blog: Vacuum sealing for seed preservation 2020-01-17

Postharvest seed loss due to insect damage is problematic for farmers as well as seed banks. One approach to control insects in a container of seeds is to lower oxygen levels using vacuum drawn with modified bicycle pumps, brake bleeder pumps, or other devices (see ECHO TN 93).

Air contains 21% oxygen by volume, meaning 100 liters of air is comprised of 21 liters of oxygen. Research has shown that insect mortality occurs when 5% (or less) of a container’s volume oxygen is occupied by oxygen (Njoroge et al., 2019). How do you know if your vacuum is strong enough to achieve such low levels of oxygen?

New ECHO Internship Opportunities 2019-12-18

The ECHO Global Farm in Fort Myers, Florida is now accepting applications for its 14-month internship program, with positions beginning in June and September 2020 (Position Titles: Appropriate Technology Intern, Community Garden Intern, Semi-Arid Intern, and Rainforest Intern. Candidates must be US citizens or legal permanent residents to apply.) Applications close February 1, 2020.

Two of the positions offered have a specialized focus on technology and community outreach.

State of Land in the Mekong Region - Brief 2019-12-02

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 Mekong region is exceptional for its social and ecological richness. Home to 237 million people, the region includes 329 ethnic groups speaking 410 distinct languages, making the region one of the most ethnically diverse in the world. The Mekong is also a global biodiversity hotspot, with a high degree of ecological and agricultural diversity.

Asia   Land Development  

EDN #145 Now Available 2019-10-22

In this issue:

Download EDN 145


Pest Prevention The Foundation of Integrated Pest Management

Stacy Swartz

Excerpt:

When the topic of agricultural pest management is mentioned, most people think first about monitoring for pests or intervening to reduce pests: scouting, pest identification, and/or application of pesticides are some specific practices. However, prevention is an often-overlooked key strategy that farmers can use to minimize the likelihood of pest problems. This article will explore the role of prevention in a pest management plan.

Smallholder farmers in the tropics face increasingly overwhelming hurdles. Population growth, a volatile global climate, and the need for long-term productivity make sustainable food production challenging. Integrated pest management is a platform to equip farmers with diverse decision-making skills. When farmers focus on knowledge and preventative measures, they begin to feel in control of their production, and their mindset about pest management changes from reactionary to preparatory.

[ Read the full article ]

TN #95 100-Fold Vegetable Gardens with Low-Cost Wicking Beds 2019-09-18

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 watered from below as water moves up towards plants’ rooting zone from a reservoir lined with plastic. Watering from below prevents water loss while maintaining constant soil moisture and supplying water and nutrients in accordance with plant needs. 

The wicking beds that I read about were primarily built above ground and used expensive containers and other materials. Proponents recommended potting soil to fill the beds. I began experimenting with local materials to reduce the cost of the beds. I did not want to have to purchase expensive containers or soil, so I decided to dig the beds 30 cm into the ground. That way, the ground would serve as the container, and we could sieve the soil from the hole and use it as the growing medium; it ends up being a fine growing medium that remains friable and that wicks water and nutrients well. We used the rocks and other large objects that were left in the sieve as part of the filler for the bottom of the beds. We were also able to dispose of old tin cans, bottles, broken glass, bones, etc. in the bottom part of the beds.