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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 #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...





  3. 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...





  4. TN #94 Parasitic Plants in African Agriculture
    2019-03-21 This Technical Note provides an overview of parasitic plants of agricultural significance in Africa. Parasitic weeds cause drought stress and stunted crops. Affected plants include cereal grains (e.g., sorghum [Sorghum bicolor] and maize [Zea mays]) and grain legumes (e.g., cowpea [Vigna...





  5. TN #92 Bamboo for Construction
    2018-05-17 Many plants deemed as invaluable for the smallholder farmer offer nutritious food for the family, fodder for animals, or timber for construction. Remarkably, bamboo offers all three of these assets from the same perennial plant! This Technical Note will focus on how to most effectively harvest,...
38 more ECHO Technical Notes

General Technical Documents

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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. 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...
  5. 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...
6 more General Technical Documents

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...

Using ECHO Resources

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  1. ECHOcommunity Mobile App
    2021-01-20 Available on iOS 10.0+and Android 5.0+ Search "echocommunity" in the App Store on your iPhone or in Google Play on your Android phone. ECHO is excited to introduce our new mobile app! We represent a network of nearly 20,000 members and we have provided resources to farmers and development workers...

ECHO Development Notes (EDN)

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  1. EDN Issue #150
    2021-01-20 Perennial Vegetables and Nutrition From ECHO's Seed Bank:Factors to Consider when Selecting a Pigeon Pea Variety Echoes from our Network: 2020 ECHO International Agriculture Conference Books, Websites, and Other Resources:ECHOcommunity Mobile App Announcement





  2. EDN Issue #149
    2020-10-16 Farmer-Centered Climate Change Mitigation:Part 2 of 2 From ECHO's Seed Bank:A Seed Trial Report - How Seeds from ECHO Grew in a Dry-Season Garden in Uganda Echoes from our Network: Grafting Tamarillo and Other Solanaceous Crops for Nematode Resistance Books, Websites, and Other Resources:AT Fair...





  3. EDN Issue #148
    2020-07-17 Farmer-Centered Climate Change Mitigation:Part 1 of 2 Are Crickets a Practical Source of Protein in Tropical Countries? From ECHO's Seed Bank: Cowpea Varieties for Warm Rainy Season ECHOes from our Network: Emergency Gardens in a Quarantine World Books, Websites, and Other Resources:New ECHO...





  4. EDN Issue #147
    2020-04-14 Responding in the Case of an Epidemic or Pandemic A Tip of the Hat to the Tippy Tap Promoting Biodiversity on Maize Smallholdings: Importance of Birds From ECHO's Seed Bank:Fast-Growing Plants for Household Food Supply Echoes from Our Network: 100-Fold Gardens in Honduras Books, Web Sites, and...





  5. EDN Issue #146
    2020-01-27 Low Oxygen Methods for InsectControl in Seeds ECHO International Agriculture Conference 2019:Topic Summaries Echoes from our Network:Roger Gietzen on the topic of syntropic farming Books, Web Sites and Other Resources: Vetiver Latrine
55 more ECHO Development Notes (EDN)

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

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 author's dropbox....





  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 author's dropbox....

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

Food Plant Solutions - Publications

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  1. Food plants for healthy diets in the Western Pacific
    2016-09-20 This book is designed as a simple introduction to the more common food plants for healthy diets inthe Western Pacific. 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...
  2. Potentially Important Leafy Greens and Vegetables in the Western Pacific
    2016-09-20 This book is designed as a simple introduction to the more common leafy greens and vegetablesof the Western Pacific. 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...

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

Books

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  1. Composition and nutritional value tables of raw materials intended for farm animals
    2004-03-10 French only. Resulting from the joint efforts of Inra and the French Association for Animal Production, these new tables present the composition and nutritive value of the raw materials used for feeding the major farm animal species. These data reflect the changes in both raw materials and...





  2. Restoring the Soil - Second edition
    2019-05-21 Now available through Amazon as well as the ECHO Bookstore Smallholder farmers around the world face some of the harshest growing conditions globally, yet they produce the majority of the world’s food. Soils in these areas often lack nutrient and water holding capacities, due to erosion or poor...





  3. Pig Farming in the Tropics
    2011-01-20 Smallholder pig rearing is becoming a resurgent interest area for both farmers and farmer advisers. With its helpful, practical and up-to-date advice on breeding, nutrition, housing and the management and economics of pig farming, this booklet provides you with all the information you need to...
18 more books
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  1. Managing aphids in beans and vegetables - video
    AccessAgriculture Training Video You can easily control aphids by using some organic practices, such as sprinkling ash, spraying a neem solution or planting trap crops. Available languages Arabic Bambara Bangla Burmese Chichewa / Nyanja Dioula English French Hausa Kiswahili Luganda Marathi Mooré...





  2. Good handling of tomatoes - video
    AccessAgriculture Training Video As soon as you pick your tomatoes their quality can only ever decrease. The best you can do is to slow down the reduction of quality, by following some practices which reduce damage and harm. The key to getting good quality tomatoes to sell starts with the...





  3. Staggering production of tomatoes - video
    AccessAgriculture Training Video If you are growing tomatoes you need to make sure that you don’t just grow when everyone else is, or you will probably suffer from very low prices. Working in a group and staggering your production can provide a constant market supply of fresh tomatoes. Available...
183 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