Guidelines in using the Maligaya Flatbed Dryer
FarmFriday has this to share to our readers who have installed the maligaya flatbed dryer or planning to install one. Here’s a few reminders from PhilRice: Check/monitor the temperature of drying air, air static pressure at the plenum, and grain depth when operating the dryer. When drying palay for seed purposes, the temperature should not […]
Managing your pigs with the LongArm
Say you have a thousand head pig farm going, and you’re alone to do all the work. How would you herd your pigs from one place to another? Enter canadian pig farmer Mary Haugh. She came up with “The Longarm”, “a roller that dispenses a swath of red cloth–a sort of farm version of the […]
Legowo System for Fish-Rice Intercropping
Fish and rice is always a tasty combo right? FarmFriday shares this farming method developed by the Assessment Institute of Agricultural Technology (AIAT), Ungaran, Indonesia. Thanks again to FFTC. Learn how to setup the Legowo System here….
Building a Biogas Plant to Supply a Farm Household
Farm technology again for FarmFriday courtesy of FFTC Archives. This is a concise howto on building a small Biogas plant that can supply the energy needs of a farm household. This technology was developed by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry Extension, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam.read the full howto on Building a […]
Multi-Purpose Paddy Sowing Machine
FarmFriday is back again after a long rest 🙂 and today we feature this machine developed by the Department of Agriculture of Thailand. We got this from our friends over at FFTC. This machine attempts to resolve the following problem encountered using manual sowing “for a consistent spread, farmers have to constantly cast the seeds […]
Radically Rethinking Agriculture for the 21st Century
As the year draws to a close, FarmFriday leaves you with this interesting bit from ScienceMag. Food for thought as another year is about to start. Happy New Year everyone and may we all have a peaceful, just and bountiful year ahead… Population growth, arable land and fresh water limits, and climate change have profound […]
Precision Agriculture and Food Security
FarmFriday is here and glad to share this article to help you brush up on latest agri technologies in use and how they can be instrumental in attaining food security… Abstract Precision agriculture comprises a set of technologies that combines sensors, information systems, enhanced machinery, and informed management to optimize production by accounting for variability […]
The miracle of Brazilian agriculture
FarmFriday, shares this thought-provoking article from the The Economist about Brazil’s success in developing its vast savannah into one of the world’s great breadbasket. Make sure to read the article comments for some interesting viewpoints. The increase in Brazil’s farm production has been stunning. Between 1996 and 2006 the total value of the country’s crops […]
Examples of mechanical dryers in Southeast Asia
Farm Friday found this bit in the IRRI Knowledgebank about dryers that have gained popularity in usage in SEA. “The dryers featured here are not neccessarily the best technical solution but, because they are accepted by the users, they seem to offer a good compromise between drying cost and benefits in terms of higher quality […]
Creating the "Ideal Crop"
FarmFriday shares this interesting article by Elizabeth Pennisi in ScienceMag about the scientific community’s efforts in creating “the ideal crop” and “developing new technologies for a better farming future” Substantial improvements are needed in current crops to achieve higher yields and sustainable farming. To achieve those gains, agricultural companies have turned to robotics and other […]
Super dense livestock herding to combat desertification
Here’s an interesting article from fastcompany.com about reversing desertification. The project, the winner of the 2010 Buckminster Fuller Challenge evangelizes the approach called “holistic management” in combating desertification. “The core of Holistic Management is simply grazing local livestock in super dense herds that mimic the grazing patterns of big-game (which have since disappeared). Those livestock […]
Filipino rice farmers’ socioecon status is improving
FarmFriday shares this interesting newsbit we picked up from PhilRice about a research they conducted that showed Filipino rice farmers have steadily improved their socio-economic status over the past 10 years or so. Any reactions? There is a steady improvement in the social and economic status among Filipino rice farmers and their household for the […]
Korea shares japonica rice variety with filipino farmers
For FarmFriday we share this interesting newsbit we found in our inbox from IRRI. IRRI News | 04 May 2010 | Los Baños, Philippines Rice growers in Bohol, an island province of the Philippines, are expecting higher rice yields and income thanks to new japonica rice varieties developed in collaboration with Korea and the International […]
International Agri Policy marginalizes farmers
FarmFriday shares this interesting newsbit from IPS. This highlights again the need to support agriculture in general and smallholder farmers in particular. IPS|By Stephen Leahy How’s this for short-sighted: A billion people go hungry every day, food prices have climbed 30 to 40 percent, climate change is reducing agricultural production – and for the past […]
Report on the Future of Family Farming Conference
FarmFriday shares this nugget. Available for download is the report of the ileia organised conference on the Future of Family Farming. ileia organised a conference on the Future of Family Farming, on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. Keynote speakers like Camilla Toulmin from the UK, K.S. Gopal from India and Olufunke Cofie from Ghana […]
A look at FAO's Gender and Land Rights Database
We’ve been clicking stuff ”round the FAO Database and its been an interesting time so far. Good for FarmFriday. The coolest feature was the ability to choose and create 3 types of report in a kind of mix and match way. Give it a try! pay a visit to the FAO Gender and Land Rights […]
IFAD President pushes for more efforts in linking smallholder farmers to private sector
FarmFriday highlights this is very interesting newsbit from IFAD with its President Kanayo F. Nwanze pushing for more efforts to linking smallholder farmers to the private sector: “In Davos, I intend to show business leaders how linking smallholder farmers to the private sector is key to building the economy of developing countries. The private sector […]
Keeping your fruit orchard bird free
What’s worse than schoolkids raiding your treasured fruit orchard? why, those pesky fruitbirds of course! FarmFriday shares this interesting research paper in the Japanese Journal of Farm Work Research entitled Protection of Citrus from Bird Damage by a Dog. The text is in japanese but the abstract is in english: Effectiveness of a dog (Canis […]
PhilRice debuts precision seeder
We like farm equipments especially local inventions so for FarmFriday we showcase this updated version of the seeder produced by PhilRice. If you would like to know more or are interested in buying this machine please contact 0920-911-1398. Even with low-cost drum and precision seeders around capable of seeding rice seeds in rows at 20 […]
A look at public–private partnerships for agricultural innovation
FarmFriday presents this report from ELDIS about the growing trend in public-private partnership in Latin America. Might provide us Asians some new perspective or approaches in agricultural development work. Abstract This report outlines how public-private partnerships (PPPs) constitute a new mode of operation in many fields of development, including the development of innovation in developing […]
All is well in Marinaleda, Spain
FarmFriday brings this interesting and inspiring article from the NYTimes about a socialist town in Spain that’s been doing really well despite the economic challenges currently gripping Spain. Laura Leon | New York Times MARINALEDA, Spain — The people of this small Andalusian town have never been shy about their political convictions. Since they occupied […]
Producing more while spending less
From Philrice comes this interesting story… His is the story of the proverbial “turning setbacks into opportunities”. For half of his life, a man as blessed as Hermie Saclayan, 64, of San Mateo, Isabela is now literally reaping the fruits of the sweat of his brows. During his early years in rice farming, Saclayan learned […]
Nitrogen Fixing Tree Start-up Guide
For FarmFriday we have this comprehensive 12-page guide from Agroforestry.net. This introduces nitrogen fixing trees and their products and uses in tropical agroforestry. Extensive charts for species selection are included. Download the Nitrogen Fixing Tree Start-up Guide here… Visit www.agroforestry.net for more info and agroforestry publications
IFAD InnoWat: Water retention and harvesting
Its summertime in most of southeast Asia these time around and water worries are becoming once again topics of discussions. Here’s an interesting read from IFAD about one their water projects. Water retention and harvesting Context An estimated 40 per cent of the world population lives in arid and semi-arid areas. Rainfall is limited and […]
