Overcoming data sharing challenges: Lessons from OFRA
Between 2013 and 2017, CABI delivered a collaborative project, Optimizing Fertilizer Recommendations for Africa (OFRA). The project had a goal of improving the capacity of National Agricultural Research Institutions in developing fertilizer recommendations for efficient and profitable fertilizer use in 13 sub-Saharan African countries, within the framework of Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) practices under smallholder farming.
‘Going viral’ – how popular music videos help bring soybean farming knowledge to thousands in Ghana
Development communication is an important tool for sharing information with small-scale farmers, writes Duncan Sones. Usually, the goal is to reach as many of the right people as possible, that’s to say to go viral with your communication. After all, you want your information to be seen by many and to make the biggest change…
Conservation of beneficial insects through NEFR installation in cotton crop
Cotton crop is the main source to produce the fiber, cotton seed cake, and for animal feed to support an increase in milk production and oil in good quantities. The sticks of cotton crop also support in burning fires for cooking purpose in the rural areas of Pakistan in places where other resources are not…
Training of organic cotton farmers for seed multiplication
Organic cotton refers to naturally cultivated cotton without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals, such as fertilizer or pesticides or transgenic technology, to secure sustainable, ecological and biodynamic agriculture. Organic cotton also promotes and enhances biodiversity and biological cycles and is beneficial to human health and the environment.
Mr Nutri Bean: Educating children to increase consumption of iron and zinc rich beans
The higher iron and zinc rich beans called NAROBEAN 1, 2, 3, 4C and 5C can significantly improve nutrition and are particularly beneficial for children and expectant mothers.
Aflatoxins: A peril which limits the export of maize crop from Pakistan
The agriculture sector is one of the most climate-sensitive sectors of Pakistan’s economy. It responds to temperature, precipitation, soil radiation, etc., which are directly associated with climate change. Rising temperature, uneven distribution of precipitation, floods, droughts, and other climatic disasters have affected human life along with socio-economic sectors of the world.
Nature holds power to minimise impacts of climate change
After a further series of stark warnings about climate change from prominent scientists, and the experience of clear ‘runaway’ climate change impacts culminating in the Siberian heatwave this summer, the need to act on climate change has never been more urgent. Relying on technology The world faces the dual task of rapidly and radically reducing…
Improving market access for peppercorn farmers in South East Asia
For many years, Vietnam has been the world’s main exporter of pepper. In 2018, exports of pepper from Vietnam accounted for 25% of the global market. In the same year, Vietnam’s total pepper production was nearly 40% of the world’s total pepper output. Vietnam’s pepper is exported to 109 countries and territories including the United…
As a diamond cuts a diamond, ‘good fungus’ will reduce ‘bad fungus’ in maize crop
CABI, along with its partners Rafhan Maize Products Co. Ltd and with the support of the National Agricultural Research Centre (CDRI, ASI), are busy evaluating the efficacy of AflaPak™ in Pakistan – a biological control agent/product for outcompeting the strains of aflatoxin producing Aspergillus flavus in maize.
A lesson in ‘resilience’: realities and misconceptions
Resilience is about changing in response to a disturbance; changing the ways parts of the “system” are connected, emphasizing some and de-emphasizing others. It’s the capacity to absorb disturbance and re-organize to keep functioning in the same way.