Agricultural Input, Service Providers and NGOs

Purpose: To expand innovations in agriculture insurance and ensure quality implementation on the ground through the coordination of the Global Action Network, to help accelerate the availability and adoption of agriculture (index) insurance as part of a broader risk management strategy.

To bridge the gap between research and practice in rice production, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) developed the Rice Knowledge Bank (RKB)—a digital extension service that provides practical knowledge solutions, specialized for small-scale farmers in developing countries.

RKB showcases rice production techniques, agricultural technologies, and best farming practices based on IRRI’s pool of knowledge from research findings, learning and media resources, and in-country projects.

This technology description introduces crop rotation as a fundamental principle of conservation agriculture. The basic principles and aspects to consider when transitioning to crop rotation are discussed. Crop rotation is the alternation of subsistence, cash and green manure/cover crops (GMCCs) with different characteristics, cultivated on the same field during successive years, and following a previously established sequence.
This technology is part of a series on conservation agriculture.

Shamba Shape Up is produced by The Mediae Company, an organisation dedicated to addressing the informational needs of East Africans through sustainable media productions that are entertaining, educative and help improve livelihoods.

Other Mediae shows include the popular soap drama Makutano Junction, the children’s educational series Know Zone, and more recently, Don’t Lose the Plot, which aims to encourage youth into agribusiness.

This publication provides practical and comprehensive information to IPM workers in rice fields throughout tropical Asia. It briefly discusses rice plant structure and growth stages and stresses their relation to pest management. There are separate sections on cultural control of rice pests, resistant rice varieties, natural enemies of rice insect pests, and pesticides. The biology and management of the major groups of rice pests — insects, diseases, weeds, and rodents — are discussed in separate sections. Finally, integrated control measures for the entire rice pest complex and the implementation of IPM strategies at the farmer level are described.

CABI and FRI’s Upscaling Technologies in Agriculture through Knowledge and Extension (UPTAKE) project uses SMS messages to increase awareness and adoption of agricultural technologies in maize value chains. The project seeks to strengthen the adoption of improved maize varieties. Continuous learning and improvement of the SMS campaign strategy is at the foundation of the success of the project. Lessons from farmers, extension agents and the entire maize value chain are being incorporated in the system regularly.

The main purpose of Tsetse Plan is to provide a computerised simulation of the interactive help that would be available if farmers, an NGO or general veterinarian were able to chat with a tsetse control specialist on-site, to assess the situation in their area, draw up the strategy for bait control, identify technical specifications prepare a budget and provide general notes on implementing the plan.

4R Nutrient Stewardship is a new innovative approach for fertilizer best management practices adopted by the world’s fertilizer industry. This approach considers economic, social and environmental dimensions of nutrient management and is essential to sustainability of agricultural systems. The concept is simple—apply the right source of nutrient, at the right rate, at the right time and in the right place—but the implementation isknowledge‐intensive and site‐specific

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.

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.