National Media

TORS Development and Validation of the CCARDESA Gender Policy

The use of digital media in collection and disseminating information on various farming technologies and interventions has improved accessibility of information and feedback. It involves the collection and transmission of digitized content through the internet or computer networks and offline mobile applications (app). This includes text, audio, video, and graphics. The Agriv1(agriculture extension application) and Ulimi ndi Nyengo (web-based platform that transmits agriculture advisory services) were rolled out to perform stated actions. The agriculture extension applications and one of the social media platforms, Facebook were used in the dissemination of information through digital media. This form of technology through which information was shared provided end users or project beneficiaries’ easy access to vital information on interventions being implemented by the project.

Despite the adaptation and mitigation measures that have been put in place to counter the negative effects of climate change and food insecurity, more than 57.8 million people in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) population need food assistance in 2023 due to poor harvests (APA 2023). In Botswana, alone, close to 37,000 people need food assistance (FAO, 2022). This comes against the backdrop of declining agricultural productivity attributed to several factors including high cost of inputs, high incidence of pests and diseases, low input use and extreme weather conditions such as droughts, floods, and erratic rainfalls (FAO 2022).

This document summarises the FSRP programme

Five officials comprising of three (3) Information technology Officers from the Ministry of Agriculture Food Security and Nutrition (MAFSN); One Information technology Officer from DAR as well as the ITKM Specialist from APPSA Project Implementation Unit (PIU) attended the website training in Maseru, Lesotho from the 10^th – 11^th May, 2023. The training was designed to improve the skills on the customization and administration of the DAR website to respond to growing demands from external and internal stakeholders. Five officials comprising of three (3) Information technology Officers from the Ministry of Agriculture Food Security and Nutrition (MAFSN); One Information technology Officer from DAR as well as the ITKM Specialist from APPSA Project Implementation Unit (PIU) attended the website training in Maseru, Lesotho from the 10^th – 11^th May, 2023. The training was designed to improve the skills on the customization and administration of the DAR website to respond to growing demands from external and internal stakeholders.

The Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute, through its new variety introduction and evaluation programme, have identified a tomato variety Jupiter adapted to both humid and sub-humid regions of the island. Jupiter is a semideterminate cooking tomato variety with high-yielding potential and suitable for both fresh market and processing. The plant bears long oblong fruits which are preferred by growers and highly appreciated by consumers.

Onion 243 is a short-day yellow hybrid variety with high yield potential and is suitable for storage. Plants have a uniform fall over of leaves at maturity. Bulbs are globular, uniform, medium-sized, and firm. Yield is comparable to hybrid varieties which are commercially cultivated locally. The variety adapts well to onion-growing regions except in coastal areas having sandy soil.

Guidelines for Extraction of Tomato Seeds

Fluazifop-P-butyl 150 g/L is a systemic, post-emergence herbicide that can be used for the control of annual and perennial grasses. Trials carried out at the FAREI on the effect of fluazifop-P-butyl on these two types of grasses have shown that the herbicide is not phytotoxic to crops such as potato, onion, carrot, creepers, peanut, and banana, as well as non-gramineae ornamentals. Weeds turn yellow or red and weed control is usually completed within 3 to 5 weeks after application

Background: Crop yields in the semi-arid regions are low due to climatic and soil related constraints. Soybean as one of the most important legume crops grown worldwide, has a role to contribute nitrogen to improve nutrient poor soils in Africa. A study was conducted to examine the effects of Bradyrhizobium spp inoculations on the growth and yield of soybean varieties in a glasshouse.

Methods: The study was arranged in a randomized complete block factorial design, with factor A being two soybean varieties (Bimha and Status) while factor B was inoculation using four Bradyrhizobium strains and the uninoculated control.

Result: Bradyrhizobium inoculation significantly (P<0.001) affected days to 50% flowering, days to emergence, nodule number, root dry weight and grain yield and yield traits. Parameters that were affected by both inoculant strain and variety included days to 50% flowering, days to emergence, number of pods per plant, pod weight and number of seeds per pod. The interaction effect of variety and Bradyrhizobium inoculant strain was observed only on number of pods per plants. Our study shows that soybean grows well when inoculated with Bradyrhizobium inoculants, in semi-arid conditions of Botswana.