Curated Content

The book contains seven chapters that exhaustively covers the subject matter and make a smart proposition on the plausible pathway to ensure that agricultural technologies delivers a vibrant and economically sustainable agrarian sector.

The CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB) is a broad alliance of research-for-development stakeholders and partners. The shared purpose is to tap the underutilized potential of root, tuber, and banana crops for improving nutrition and food security, increasing incomes and fostering greater gender equity – especially amongst the world’s poorest and most vulnerable populations. CGIAR is a global research partnership for a food-secure future. Its science is carried out by 15 Research Centers in close collaboration with hundreds of partners across the globe.

This document is the product of 30 years of practical eld experience in several countries across all continents, and the work of a large number of development actors and practitioners. Farmer Field School programmes in these countries have been implemented and developed with and by farmers, with support and contributions from local and national governments, farmers’ organizations, NGOs, scientists and with contributions from several development partners: Australia, the European Commission, the Global Environment Facility, IFAD, the Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden, the World Bank and many others.

Dominant weed species in smallholder farming systems are broadleaved annuals and perennials, and grasses. The most common and difficult to control broadleaved weed species on smallholder farms are Commelina benghalensis (Wandering dew), Ricardia scabra (Mexican clover), Cyperus esculentis (Yellow nutsedge), Cyperus rotundus (Purple nutsedge) and Striga asiatica (Witchweed). The common grasses on smallholder farms are Eleusine indica (Rapoko grass) and Cynodon dactylon (Couch grass). These weed species are found in all agro- ecological regions of Zimbabwe and other southern African countries.

Launched in 2006, the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa (DTMA) project aims
to mitigate drought and other constraints to maize production in sub-Saharan Africa, increasing maize yields by at least one ton per hectare under moderate drought and with a 20 to 30% increase over farmers’ current yields, bene ting 30-40 million people in 13 African countries.1 The project brings together men and women farmers, research institutions, extension specialists, seed producers, farmer community organizations, and non-government organizations. It is jointly implemented by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), in close collaboration with national agricultural research systems in participating nations. Millions of farmers in the region are already bene ting from the outputs of this partnership, which includes support and training for African seed producers and promoting vibrant, competitive seed markets.

Manual seeding of crops into residues is relatively easy and can be done by several methods: with a hoe or pointed stick (top photo), digging of basins or zai pits (center photo), or using equipment such as the jab planter (bottom photos). The simplest of these are the hoe or pointed stick: small holes are made at the required spacing and seed placed in these, preferably with fertilizer or manure placed in another hole a few centimeters away.

This manual is the product of many years of collaboration with colleagues interested in village chicken research and development and village chicken farmers from various parts of the world. Our thanks go to all the people who have worked with us in Bhutan, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nigeria, The Philippines, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, The Gambia, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

A Farm Animal Genetic Resources Project conducted by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and other partners to conserve indigenous livestock breeds in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam has been recognized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as one of eleven global projects ‘assisting farmers in developing diversified and resilient agricultural systems to ensure communities and consumers have more predictable supplies of nutritious food.

Agroforestry is a recently coined term derived from agriculture and forestry. It describes practices developed and employed by farmers over many centuries to cultivate trees on farmland in different combinations with crops and livestock. From the pure agricultural perspective, agroforestry is about recognizing and promoting trees on farm; from the strict forestry perspective, it is about recognition and rights for the tree-based systems and livelihoods that farmers/agroforesters have created and can expand with appropriate support. Whilst agroforestry is an amalgam of agriculture and forestry, rather than treating these as separate land uses, institutions, policy domains and fields of science we integrate them in a landscape approach. Most importantly though, apart from bio-geophysical perspectives, agroforestry is often an entry point to progress social, economic, farmer welfare, market, environmental stewardship and political goals.

This manual is intended to help rural advisory and agricultural extension workers guide farming communities in the establishment of agroforestry prac ces in rice-produce on landscapes in Southeast Asia. It sets out the steps to be taken to successfully integrate trees in rice- elds and associated farms and landscapes and presents prac cal tools that can be used by extensionists when supporting farmers who are implementing agroforestry practices on their farms.

The ultimate aim of this guide is to support farmers in increasing the overall productivity of their farms while increasing resilience to climate change, improving the health of the surrounding environment, and enhancing the livelihoods of their communites.