English (en) | Change Language

ECHOcommunity Resources in English

Back to all languages

Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets

Back to Top



  1. Capsicum annuum
    Edible:Fruit, Leaves, Herb, Spice, Vegetable An annual plant up to 1.5 m high. The leaves can be long and sword shaped or oval to rounded. The leaves can be 12 cm long. The flowers are produced singly, and are yellow or white. They are bell shaped. The flowers are 1.5 cm across and in the axils...



  2. Citrus sinensis - Orange
    Edible Portion:Fruit, Herb, Fruit Skin, Spice, Flowers An evergreen tree up to 8-10 m high. It spreads to 4 m across. The stem is short, stout and spiny. It has a dense, roundedcrown. The leaves are dark green, sword shaped and tapering towards the tip. They are 5-15 cm long. The leaves have a...



  3. Cocos nucifera - Coconut
    Edible Portion: Nuts, Sap, Cabbage, Nuts milk, Apple, Palm heart, Flowers A palm with an unbranched trunk. The trunk has ring-like leaf scars along it. At the base it is swollen and surrounded by a massof roots. They grow to about 25 m tall. Dwarf varieties have been produced. The fronds are 2-6...



  4. Brassica nigra
    Edible:Leaves, Seeds, Herb, Spice, Flowers, Vegetable, Oil A cabbage family herb. It is an annual plant. It grows about 1-3 m high. The leaves are stalked and clasp the stem. The upper leaves are sword shaped. Leaves are 10-20 cm long. Flowers are yellow. The fruit is a pod. It is erect, smooth...



  5. Boesenbergia rotunda
    Edible:Rhizome, Root, Tubers, Leaves, Spice A part of the ginger family. The plant continues to grow from year to year. The plant is 30-50 cm high. The roots are like a long orange brown group of fingers. These rhizomes are the size of fingers. They are 6-10 cm long and 1 cm wide. Inside the...
962 more Food Plants International - Plant Fact Sheets

ECHO Asia Note Articles

Back to Top





  1. Op-Ed: Forage Plants for Improved Human Development
    This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 33. I read David Price’s concerns about promoting invasive forage plants in Asia Note #25 [Eds’ Note: AN #25 was written in response to AN #23] and would like to respond based on my own experience and observations. My reply will be based on the following...





  2. Creating a Low-Cost Seed Dryer for Use in Local Seed Banks
    This article is from ECHO Asia Note # 31. Saving your own seeds can be a cost-effective way to access crop seed for future planting and to help maintain the planet’s plant biodiversity. Whether you plant your own saved seeds, give them away to friends and neighbors, or distribute them through...





  3. Producing the Biocontrol Fungi Trichoderma and Beauveria
    This article is from ECHO Asia Note #20 In nature, dozens of species of harmful fungi can quickly kill a plant, including Fusarium spp., the causal agents of Fusarium wilt, and Phakospora pachyrhizi, the causal agent of soybean rust. Fungi are unable to produce nutrients on their own, so they...





  4. Research Note: Creating an Optimum Potting Mixture for Resource-Constrained Growers
    This article is from ECHO Asia Note #19 In a tropical setting, growing seedlings can be a difficult task. A major factor of concern for nursery production is water-logging (Zhu, 2007). During the rainy season, oversaturated soils can effectively suffocate root systems of a seedling by restricting...





  5. A Toolkit of Resilient Agricultural Responses to Climatic Challenges in Tropical Asia
    This article is from ECHO Asia Note #16 During the 2012 ECHO Agriculture Workshop in Yangon, 63 attendees representing at least 25 agriculture and community development organizations from across Myanmar were polled about their observations and opinions related to climate change. The vast majority...
100 more ECHO Asia Note Articles

MissionAssist Books - Crafts and Skills

Back to Top
  1. Mixed Fruit Juice
    Two women sell passion fruit and pineapple mixed juice. One has not made it correctly so it makes her customers ill. The other knows how to make it safely and she tells the other woman what to do. Full instructions on how to manufacture mixed juice are included in the appendix. This uses material...





  2. How to Make Indigo Dye
    This book explains how to make indigo dye: the best plants to use and the equipment needed. Written and illustrated for MissionAssist. This edition published in the United Kingdom in 2020 by MissionAssist.





  3. How To Make Green Mango Chutney
    Howto make chutney from green, unripe mangoes or tomatoes. This material was taken fromFootsteps- the literacy publication of TEAR Fund - with kind permission.This edition was published in the United Kingdom in 2019 by MissionAssist.





  4. How To Make Bricks
    This describes how to make bricks from clay, water and other materials using a wooden or metal mould and how to build a kiln or pit and bake bricks in it. This has been adapted fromBrick Making, originally produced by the Research & Development Center at Central Luzon State University,...





  5. How to Make a Water Filter
    How to make a simple filter to give clean drinking water, using locally available materials such as clay pots, sand, stones and gravel. Adapted from CLEAN WATER FOR ALL, produced by The Church Missionary Society (CMS), 2005. This edition was published in the United Kingdom in 2019 by...
55 more MissionAssist Books - Crafts and Skills

MissionAssist Books - Health and Hygiene

Back to Top





  1. Disability: Walking
    For children with conditions that make it difficult for them to walk, a few simple aids can make all the difference; this book explains how they can be used. It uses material fromFootsteps 108, the literacy publication of Tear Fund with kind permission This edition published in the United Kingdom...



  2. Disability: Vision Impairment
    This book gives a brief overview of the most common diseases and problems affecting eyes, along with a description of their causes and possible treatments. It also offers practical advice on how best to manage everyday life with impaired vision or even total loss of sight. This book uses material...





  3. First Aid
    Basic instruction for people who have no medical knowledge on how to care correctly for sick or injured persons whilst awaiting the arrival of medical experts. This uses material fromFootsteps 18- a literacy publication from TEAR Fund used with kind permission. This edition published in the...





  4. How Your Diet Contributes to Good or Bad Health
    This book gives advice on how to have a healthy diet. It explains the symptoms of a bad diet, especially for children. It describes foods that give strength and energy to the body. It also describes those that protect from illness. It explains symptoms of certain illnesses that an unhealthy diet...





  5. Protein-Packed Porridge
    Emphasising the importance of good nutrition for young children, this book includes 3 recipes for protein-packed porridge. It uses material fromFootsteps 52and65, the literacy publications of Tearfund with kind permission Additional illustrations by MissionAssist This edition published in the...
44 more MissionAssist Books - Health and Hygiene

Research - Posters

Back to Top



  1. Poster - Oxalates Present in Monstera Fruit and Plant Matter
    Plants contain oxalates for a few reasons. The first is that plants do not have an excretory system like animals, so oxalates allow plants the ability to bind up excess calcium (Webb 1999).Plants high in oxalates can have negative effects on the ability of animals to absorb calcium after eating...





  2. Poster - Cyantesmo Paper for Detecting Cyanide
    Some tropical crops contain cyanogenic glycosides, toxic substances that release hydrocyanic acid (HCN; also referred to as cyanide) when cells are crushed. Consuming these plants without cooking them can cause cyanide poisoning, with varying effects depending on cyanide levels and how long a...



  3. Poster - Seed Storage: Effectiveness of containers on temperature and relative humidity control
    After modifications to the ECHO Global Seed Bank storage unit, seed storage techniques already in use were assessed for effectiveness in achieving appropriate seed storing conditions within the renovated cooling and dehydrating system.Seed type influenced the effect of container on relative...



  4. Poster - Soil Salinity Measurement Trial
    Salt buildup typically occurs in dry areas where evaporation exceeds precipitation. Over time, as water evaporates, the minerals left behind begin to accumulate. Plants need a certain amount of soluble salts, but when the salt content of soil water is greater than that of the water inside plant...



  5. Poster - Maize/Legume Intercrop Based on IITA 2-4-2 Design
    The 2:4 maize–double cowpea system consists of 4 rows of cowpea and 2 rows of maize, all planted on the same day. The second cowpea crop is planted after the first has been harvested (about 60 days after planting).1 The maize and cowpea are densely planted. The objective of this trial is to gain...
22 more Research - Posters

ECHO East Africa News

Back to Top





  1. East Africa Newsletter Issue 14
    In this issue: 1. Nutrition in dryland areas symposium 2.Nanenane Agricultural show 3. Appropriate technology 4. ECHO EA seed bank updates 5..Parthenium 6. Upcoming events 7. News in brief





  2. ECHO East Africa Newsletter Issue 2
    In This Issue Seed Bank Update Students Visit ECHO EA Local CA Training Events Staff Transitions Resources for Organic Certif. The Debate over GMOs New Online Resources





  3. ECHO East Africa Newsletter Issue 12
    In this issue: Nanenane Agricultural show Appropriate technology ECHO EA seedbank updates Highlights Innovation News in brief ECHO RIC‟s Best Practices



  4. The chaya delivery model at homes has yielded great results
  5. East Africa Announcements
    2021-03-17
11 more ECHO East Africa News

ECHO East Africa Notes

Back to Top





  1. EAN Issue #2
    A Combination of Approaches to Conserve Soil and Water Tephrosia: A Multipurpose Tree for GM/CC, Soil Conservation and IPM



  2. EAN Issue #7
    Families Benefited with Dairy Goats Project A Research Project:Packed Biogas in Bags Green Manure/ Cover Crops: jack bean



  3. EAN Issue #5
    Moving towards energy self-sufficiency: addressing challenges to biogas technology uptake for improving rural livelihoods Improving soil nutrients by planting Jack Bean Parthenium hysterophorus



  4. EAN Issue #4
    New seed to try: Banana Passionfruit Sweet Potato Varieties in East Africa Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease in East Africa A Focus on Perennial Vegetables



  5. EAN Issue # 9
    Food from the Wild Sweet Potato Promoting Biodiversity on Maize Smallholdings
7 more ECHO East Africa Notes

General Technical Documents

Back to Top



  1. Vermiculture_Garden_Composting
    Benefits 1. Efficient recycling of clean vegetable residues. 2. Feed and multiply earthworms to populate a garden area of up to 1000 sq. ft. (32’ X 32’). 3. Protect young worms from animal predators. 4. Worm numbers per bed increased 25 fold, over 6 months at ECHO in N. Fort Meyers, FL. 5....



  2. Problem: Damping Off
    Compiled by Gabe LePage, ECHO Florida Intern, 2018 Causes: Soil Borne Pathogens Seed Borne Pathogens Factors: Excessive Soil Moisture Excessive Overhead Misting Lower soil temperatures before emergence Higher soil temperatures after emergence



  3. Building the Bank
    A community seed bank can compare favourably with its High-Tech cousin.





  4. Strengthening Informal Indigenous Seed Systems in Southeast Asia
    With support from USAID’s Horticulture Collaborative Research Support Program (Hort CRSP), Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization’s Asia Impact Center (ECHO Asia), Maejo University, Thailand, and the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) initiated efforts in 2010 to begin strengthening...



  5. Creating Nursery Potting Mix
    An ECHO developed resource.
80 more General Technical Documents

MissionAssist Books - Illness and Disease

Back to Top





  1. Cholera
    This booklet describes what cholera is; what you can do to stop people catching it; how to recognise if someone has it and how to help them get better. This booklet uses material from a number of web sites and from the United Kingdom Food Standards Agency with kind permission. This edition...





  2. Glandular Tuberculosis
    This booklet contains notes on the prevention and treatment of glandular tuberculosis. This has been adapted from "La Tuberculosis Pulmonar" (Pulmonory Tuberculosis) by the Ministry of Health of Peru, in collaboration with SIL Peru. Text and illustrations 1976 Ministry of Health of Peru and SIL...





  3. Living with Diabetes
    This book gives advice on how to live with diabetes and other non-communicable diseases. Adapted from "Footsteps 87", the literary publication ofTearfundwith kind permission. This edition published in the United Kingdom in 2021 by MissionAssist.





  4. Dengue Fever
    There is no cure for dengue fever but this book gives details on how to help people suffering from the disease. This uses material from "Dengue Fever" by Three Strands Consulting Services Pvt. Ltd. with kind permission. 2018, Chiranjib Chatterjee This edition published in the United Kingdom in...





  5. Aids and How to Avoid It
    Advice on how to avoid sexually transmitted diseases. Adapted from "Aids and How to Avoid It" by SIL, Burkina Faso and shared under a CC:BY-NC 4.0 licence. Text and illustrations 1992 SIL International. This edition published in the United Kingdom in 2020 by MissionAssist.
14 more MissionAssist Books - Illness and Disease

ECHO Research - Guidance

Back to Top



  1. Toward more Fruitful Agricultural Experimentation
    For many of us the idea of “research” is scary. We are not trained in it. We picture rigorous statistical analyses that we are unfamiliar with. We have seen glossy scientific journals with technical words that we do not understand. Besides, isn’t our goal to directly help smallholder farmers? Why...



  2. Formalizing Your Research: How to Carry Out an Agricultural Experiment
    As you work in agricultural development, there may be times that you find yourself wondering about the answer to a specific question you have. For example, should plants be spaced 30 cm or 60 cm apart to achieve the highest yield? Which one of three tomato cultivars would grow best in a...



  3. Using Science to Help the Poor: Low-budget Research Ideas
    2000-10-20 Halfway through my doctoral studies in biochemistry I had an opportunity to travel to a developing country to visit some missionaries and the people they served. Thanks to that visit I began my “mid-life” crisis in my mid-twenties. My research at Indiana University was in what one would call “...

Zambia Agribusiness Society - ZAS

Back to Top



  1. Farming Edible Snails – RIRDC
    This booklet describing possible techniques for production of edible snails has been prepared by Sonya Begg following a visit to the International Snail Farming Institute and attendance at an International Conference of Snail Farmers in Italy. The location was selected because of the snail...



  2. Turkey Farming In Kenya – ZAS



  3. Stock Feed Making and Feed Formulation – Presentation – ZONFA
    Workshop objectives: Train participants on how to make their own stock feed Understand the benefits of making pelleted feeds over mash or crumbs Participants should be able to significantly reduce the stock feed expense



  4. Small-Scale Poultry Keeping – Brooding and Rearing Chickens – NSW DPI
    The period from hatching until the chickens no longer require supplementary heat is called the ‘brooding period’ and usually lasts for 3–6 weeks, depending on seasonal temperatures and the type of housing. Chickens need supplementary heat when they hatch, because they are unable to maintain their...



  5. Manual on Catfish Hatchery and Production – FAO
    Fingerling production and availability of quality fish feeds have been bottlenecks for development of fish farming inNigeria for the past 40 years. Over the past several years, private sector fingerling production has increased from more than 30 million per year in 2001 to more than 30 million...
108 more Zambia Agribusiness Society - ZAS

ECHO Technical Notes

Back to Top





  1. A Beginners Guide to Small-Scale Tropical Agriculture
    So you want to help people in the tropics. Beautiful! The tropics are waiting for you. No matter what your abilities, you can make life better for others in the tropics. Your concern for the physical and spiritual well-being of people can be translated into fruitful service. Your first asset is...
  2. Nephrolepis biserrata
    Edible:





  3. Bamboo Load-Centered Wheelbarrow
    2023-12-20 A standard wheelbarrow, with the wheel at the front, places about half the weight of the load on the operator. A load-centered wheelbarrow places the wheel in the center of the load, shifting 90% or more of the weight to the wheel instead of the operator. This allows the device to be used for...





  4. Animal Production Litter Systems
    2023-11-21 Litter systems are an approach to hygienic, integrated animal production in which animals are raised in an enclosed space on a floor of organic bedding. Systems with thick bedding material are sometimes called deep litter systems. Litter systems allow you to prioritize animal health by providing...





  5. Black Soldier Fly Larvae Production
    2023-06-09 This guide expands on a summary by Chalermliamthong and Trail (2021) of the black soldier fly larvae production system at the ECHO Asia Small Farm Resource Center in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The production system there serves as an approach for scaling up larvae production as an alternative protein...
97 more ECHO Technical Notes

MissionAssist Books - Agriculture and Farming

Back to Top





  1. How to Manage Bees
    This explains how to manage bees: planning the work, inspecting the hive and understanding what you see. This uses material from "Basic Beekeeping Manual 1: How to Manage Bees" by Pam Gregory, who offers this as her gift to beekeepers in developing countries. (The content of the text in this case...





  2. Pig Farming
    A book about pig farming, taking you from choosing a site to keep pigs, deciding which breed to buy, feeding and caring for them and finally butchering them to obtain delicious meat. Additional sources of online help are listed and an easy recipe for cooking pork is included. Adapted from a...





  3. An Easy Way to Water Seeds
    Use a tin can or plastic bottle as a mini-reservoir alongside your seeds or seedlings. This uses material taken fromFootsteps- the literacy publication of TEAR Fund - with kind permission. This edition was published in the United Kingdom in 2019 by MissionAssist.





  4. Gardening for Better Nutrition
    This book shows how crops grown in home gardens can add important nutrients to the family diet; there is also a recipe for a soup you can make from some of those home-grown crops. It uses material fromFootsteps 52, the literacy publication of Tearfund with kind permission Illustrations by...





  5. Small Livestock - Guinea Pigs
    Guinea pigs are easy to raise for households and small-scale farmers, as they are very productive, reproduce rapidly and produce good quality meat and fur. This uses material from "Footsteps 10" - the literary publication ofTear Fund, with kind permission. Illustrated by MissionAssist. This...
51 more MissionAssist Books - Agriculture and Farming

CAN Nutricion

Back to Top





  1. Diabetes - How to prevent and live healthy with diabetes? Hospitalito, Kaqchiquel
    Spanish with Kaqchiquel Organización: Hospitalito de Atitlán





  2. Complementary Food - Poster Recipes for a 6-month-old baby
    Organización: ODIM





  3. Complementary Food - Unit 4. Complementary Feeding
    Ministerio de Salud Pública y Asistencia Social





  4. Complementary Food - First Month Meal Plan
    Organización: ODIM





  5. Complementary Food - Poster Porridge mirror, nutritive density
    Organización: ODIM
3 more CAN Nutricion

MissionAssist Books - Information and Education

Back to Top





  1. Animals-Giant Tortoise
    There are about 49 different species of tortoise all over the world. The smallest are the padlopers of southern Africa. These are about 10 - 15 centimetres long. The largest tortoises live in the Aldabra and Galapagos islands. This book focuses on the two and largest species of tortoise, called...





  2. Water Pumps - Solar-power
    Solar-Powered water pumps: fresh water brought to you by the sun.This book, the fifth in a series on water pumps, explains how solar-powered pumps work and illustrates the different types available to assist in the provision of clean drinking water for the community, also water for livestock and...





  3. Water Pumps - Hydraulic
    Hydraulic ram water pumps. This book explains how hydraulic ram pumps (hydrams) work and how to install and use them. Other books in this series: Book 1 — An Overview of the Different Types of Pumps Book 2 — Human-Powered Pumps for Domestic Use Book 3 — Human and Animal Powered Pumps for...





  4. Water Pumps - Domestic
    Water Pumps - human-powered for domestic and community use.This book, the second in a series of five, focuses on human-powered pumps, their specifications and applications, from single household use to pumps which can supply a whole village. Other books in this series: Book 1 — An Overview of the...





  5. Water Pumps - Irrigation
    Water Pumps - human and animal powered for irrigation.This book, the third in a series about different types of devices for pumping water, focuses on human and animal powered pumps for use in irrigation. Other books in this series: Book 1 — An Overview of the Different Types of Pumps Book 2 —...
51 more MissionAssist Books - Information and Education

Feed the Future Publications

Back to Top





  1. How to Process Jack bean (and other types of beans) as human food
    Jack bean is an excellent plant for enriching soil, because it grows under very difficult conditions. However, the beans contain toxins that normally make them unsuitable for human consumption. This document describes how to germinate jack bean to remove the toxins and increase the beans’...





  2. Minimal Soil Disturbance and its Effect on Soil Moisture Availability
    This short document contains graphs that show how zero tillage leads to increased water infiltration and increased water retention in soil.





  3. Green Manure/Cover Crop approach in RAMA-BC
    This document distinguishes between ‘anchor’ cover crops (that are intercropped with a main crop such as maize) and ‘secondary’ cover crops (that don’t compete with the main crop because they have a short life cycle, and that can help cover the soil at the start of the growing season). The...





  4. Farmer Own Soil Fertility Analysis
    Four nutrient deficiencies--phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, and magnesium--can be diagnosed by observing maize leaves. This document includes photos of a healthy maize leaf and of maize leaves demonstrating each of these nutrient deficiencies. It also contains suggestions for how to address each...





  5. “Push and Pull” in Combatting Fall Army Worm and Witchweed (Striga)
    In the Push-Pull system, crops that repel pests and/or attract pests’ predators are intercropped with maize, to ‘push’ pests away from the main crop. Plants that attract pests are planted around the field, to ‘pull’ pests away from the maize. Incorporating legumes in this system means that soil...
1 more Feed the Future Publications

ECHO Asia Seed Fact Sheets

Back to Top



  1. Crotalaria juncea
    General description and special characteristics – Sunn hemp is an erect, Photo: ECHO Asia staff annual legume with rapid, vigorous growth, bright yellow flowers, and plump,pubescent seed pods. The plant generally grows unbranched from the ground to approximately 60 cm (2 ft.) up the stem. Above...



  2. Cosmos sulphureus
    General description and special characteristics – Annual semi-hardy herb up to 1-2 m tall with bright orange or yellow flowers. Variety – Thung Khang Tong, a local Thai variety



  3. Benincasa hispida
    General description and special characteristics – Wax gourd is an annual squash-like vine, with large, soft, hairy leaves. Fruits are large, oblong, 25-120 cm long, usually hairy when young, and with a waxy covering when ripe. Fruit may weigh up to 40 kg, though 10 kg is normal. They have solid...



  4. Amaranthus tricolor
    General description and special characteristics – An upright branched annual of which the young leaves and stems are eaten like cooked spinach. Amaranthus tricolor originates from tropical Asia and is one of the major leafy vegetables in South and Southeast Asia. Varieties – Tigerleaf: green leaf...



  5. Coccinia grandis
    General description and special characteristics – Ivy gourd is a perennial vine with white, star shaped flowers and cucumber-like fruit which is green when immature and bright red when ripe. It is naturalized or native in Southeast Asia and East Africa, but is listed as an invasive weed in...
56 more ECHO Asia Seed Fact Sheets

Haitian Network Documents

Back to Top





  1. Vetiver Latrine Guide
    A “how to” guide to successfully install a natural, sustainable latrine using vetiver grass The use of vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides) replaces the need for a concrete block lined pit, creates privacy and actively helps decompose the waste. Jiji grass (Achnatherum splendens) can be used...





  2. Raj Powerpoint
    A powerpoint explaining rabies in general and in Haiti, how to combat it, signs, what do do if you are bit etc.





  3. Maladi Nou Ka Anpeche Nan Ayiti Ak Vaksen - Illnesses we can prevent in Haiti
    A creole document describing illnesses in Haiti that can be prevented with vaccine available in Haiti





  4. ENSÈK NAN JADEN NOU - Insects in our gardens
    Creole Document - Insects in our gardens





  5. GID ELVAJ KOSHON Kèk ti konsèy pou elvè koshon - Guide to raising piglets
    Creole Document - Guide to raising piglets
20 more Haitian Network Documents

USAID Sector Environmental Guidelines & Resources - SEG

Back to Top





  1. USAID SEG Construction
    Virtually all small-scale development activities—including aspects of housing, sanitation, water supply, roads, schools, community centers, storage silos healthcare, energy—involve construction. USAID’s global construction and rehabilitation portfolio includes small projects (e.g., individual...





  2. USAID SEG Crop Production
    USAID seeks to facilitate inclusive and sustainable agricultural productivity growth to lift people out of extreme poverty and hunger, giving them the ability to move beyond subsistence and engage in their local, national, and/or global economies. Best achieving these critical development...



  3. USAID SEG - Dryland Agriculture
    The world’s drylands include hyperarid, arid, semi-arid and dry subhumid areas where rainfall is highly variable, droughts are common and water is the principal limiting factor for agriculture. Dryland soils, which are characterized by low levels of moisture, organic matter, and biological...



  4. USAID SEG Ecotourism
    Ecotourism can contribute to economic development and the conservation of protected areas by generating revenues that can be used to sustainably manage protected areas, and by providing local employment and a sense of community ownership. However, without careful planning and management that...





  5. USAID SEG Energy
    Renewable energy can have numerous benefits, such as increased energy access in developing countries, public health improvements, climate change mitigation, etc. However, for those benefits to be realized, several sustainability considerations must be addressed in the design. This guideline is...
9 more USAID Sector Environmental Guidelines & Resources - SEG

Mkulima Mbunifu (MkM)

Back to Top
  1. MkM Toleo la 75
    Desemba 2018,Toleo la 75 Mkulima Mbunifu (MkM) ni jarida linalotoa elimu ya kilimo.
  2. Mkm Toleo la 130
    Februari 2024,Toleo la 130 Mkulima Mbunifu (MkM) ni jarida linalotoa elimu ya kilimo.
  3. Mkulima Mbunifu
    2020-06-01 Juni, 2020,Toleo la 93 Mkulima Mbunifu (MkM) ni jarida linalotoa elimu ya kilimo.



  4. MkM Toleo la 1
    2011-07-01 Karibu mkulima uelimike Magonjwa ya kuku Unaweza kupata nakala yako Njia rahisi ya kutengeneza mbolea maji Jinsi ya kuzuia magonjwa ya kuku Faida za kutumia mbolea mboji Mahitaji ya ng’ombe ili aongeze maziwa Washirika wa Mkulima Mbunifu Namna ya kuwavutia nyuki

CTA Publications

Back to Top



  1. Medicinal Plants
    The valuable medicinal properties contained in certain plants are not, however, in doubt. In recent years, for example, the Chinese plant Artemisia annua, has become the essential ingredient in a new generation of anti-malaria drugs. The plant is now being grown in East African countries to...





  2. How To Keep Bees And Process Honey
    This 8-page fold-out leaflet, practical for use in the field and easy to read, covers the subject of bee-keeping and honey processing. It gives some background to the subject, outlines processes and provides tips, tables and explanatory line drawings.



  3. Marketing Animals And Milk
    This 8-page leaflet, practical for use in the field and easy to read, helps pastoralists understand markets for animals and milk. It gives background information on types of products, market chains, adding value and different types of markets. Marketing processes are clearly outlined, along with...



  4. 10 Ways To Improve Milk Marketing
    2014-01-01 This 8-page leaflet, practical for use in the field and easy to read, describes 10 ways that pastoralists can make more money from their milk. Ideas include splitting the herd, organising a marketing group and starting a small processing plant. Illustrated throughout with line drawings, further...



  5. Services For Marketing Animals And Milk
    2014-01-01 This 8-page leaflet, practical for use in the field and easy to read, describes the services that pastoralists need to market their animals, milk and hides effectively. It gives information on markets, financial services, transport, market facilities and processing plants. Tips, including on...
18 more CTA Publications

Food Plant Solutions - Publications

Back to Top



  1. Potentially Important Food Plants of Chad
    This book is designed as a simple introduction to the more common food plants ofChad. It is hoped people will take greater pride and interest in these plants and become confident and informed about how to grow and use them. Many of the local food plants that occur in every country are very good...



  2. Potentially Important Food Plants of Malawi
    This book is designed as a simple introduction to the more common food plants of Malawi. It is hoped people will take greater pride and interest in these plants and become confident and informed about how to grow and use them. Many of the local food plants that occur in every country are very...
  3. Fresh Food for Families Event Guidelines
    Imagine - You are an immigrant to a country which, in contrast to all that you are familiar with, is in a different climate, with different soils, and different plants which will flourish in these conditions. You are keen to be a good provider for your family and the idea of growing fresh fruit...
  4. Rwanda Food Plant Solutions
    Potentially important food plants of Rwanda Food plants for healthy diets in Rwanda Also available in:Kinyarwanda (rw) Potentially important leafy greens and vegetables in Rwanda Potentially Important Fruit, Nuts and Seeds of Rwanda Good gardening and growing root crops in Rwanda If you...
  5. Western Pacific Food Plant Solutions
    Potentially Important Food Plants of the Western Pacific Potentially Important Fruits and Nuts of the Western Pacific Potentially Important Leafy Greens and Vegetables in the Western Pacific Also available in:Français (fr)Bislama (bi) Food plants for healthy diets in the Western Pacific Also...
139 more Food Plant Solutions - Publications

ECHO Recipes

Back to Top
  1. Breads
  2. Drinks
  3. Main Dishes - Starch
  4. Soups
  5. Desserts
8 more ECHO Recipes

GODAN Open Data Management in Agriculture and Nutrition

Back to Top





  1. Lesson 3:3 Creating and Managing Open Data Repositories





  2. Lesson 2:1 Discovering Open Data





  3. Lesson 4:4 Semantic Interoperability





  4. Lesson 3:5 Developing Strategies for Implementing Open Data Plans





  5. Lesson 3:4 Advocate for Capacity Development on Open Data
16 more GODAN Open Data Management in Agriculture and Nutrition

Resources for Schools and Teachers

Back to Top



  1. Designing Experiments – Science Level: Middle School
    Students will investigate recent field research studies on the ECHO-Florida Global Farm and the ECHO-Asia Regional Impact Center and then design their own experiments. Activity 1 ECHO-Florida initiated a multi-year gliricidia intercropping trial. Researchers are trying to determine if the shade...



  2. A Pre-Visit Plan -- Please discuss this very important information with your students before you visit. 
    Frequently asked questions about ECHO, the farm visit, and safety rules for enjoying the ECHO-Florida Global Farm experience...



  3. Sweet Harvest! Math Level: Middle School
    Students will convert the annual sugar cane harvest data from weight to liquid measure, calculate the number of containers needed (gallons, quarts, and pints) for sale at a farmers’ market, and form a business plan including the calculation of costs and profits. An extension activity includes...



  4. Animals on the Farm – Science and ELA Level: Elementary-Middle School
    During the ECHO tour, students saw several members of the animal kingdom which play an important role on small-scale farms. After creating a graphic organizer, students will write stories, poems, construct posters, or design illustrated brochures or information sheets describing “How to Raise”...



  5. Gone Fishing! Math Level: Middle School
    Students will analyze data from the annual Tilapia harvest comparing the pond raised fish to the aquaponics grown fish. Guess what they found?
6 more Resources for Schools and Teachers

Christian Veterinary Mission (CVM) Publications

Back to Top



  1. Raising Healthy Sheep
    This handbook will help the sheep producer select production goals, select the type of sheep most suitable for a particular area, and will serve as a guide for the production of healthy sheep.Sheep are one of the most common livestock and among the first to be domesticated. They are very...





  2. Raising Healthy Goats
    2006-01-20 The author's sincere desire in preparing this booklet is that it will serve to be readily used as a reference and aid in the raising of goats. Veterinary information and assistance are in short supply or nonexistent in many areas of the world. The author has endeavored to write this booklet in a...



  3. Disease and Parasite Prevention
    2006-01-20 Why do our farm animals get sick and how can we keep them healthy?" This is a question veterinarians and other specialists who work with small farmers hear frequently. Most of these farmers work very hard, giving time, effort, and loving care to their animals in the hope that their farm will be...



  4. Slaughter and Preservation of Meat
    2005-01-20 All countries have animals that are raised as a source of nutrition. It may be an individually raised animal, or a small herd, that meets the need of meat protein for the people. With this comes a means of slaughter. The proper methods for preparation of meat for human consumption are important...



  5. Raising Healthy Fish
    2004-01-20 This booklet was prepared as an aid for people working in areas where there are limited resources for information and assistance. CVM's main purpose is to provide some common basic practices for fish farmers to use, in order to establish a good, sound and economically viable aquaculture.
8 more Christian Veterinary Mission (CVM) Publications

Amaranth to Zai Holes

Back to Top
  1. Poem by Larry Fisher
    After 15 years of EDN, I guess it is not too much to include a bit of levity. Economists, agronomists and planners of late Have discovered a new way to pontificate. Beyond mere jargon, like "Success Enhancement," "Integrated Development," and "Rural Advancement." Working in all their infinite...



  2. Chart 13 - A Comparison of Special Purpose Trees
    1996-10-19



  3. Chapter 10. Food Science
    1996-10-19 The goal of most agricultural development is to improve people's nutrition, with an increase in quality, quantity, and diversity of food produced. Each issue of ECHO Development Notes discusses plants and techniques which can enable farmers to produce more food of higher nutritional value. Beyond...



  4. Chapter 8. Plant Protection and Pest Control
    1996-10-19 Protecting plants from pests, diseases, and predators is part of any agricultural system. Start by promoting healthy soil which grows strong, resistant plants, and learn about timing and conditions of disease and pest outbreaks. Attention to cultural controls, such as field preparation and...



  5. Chapter 10 Table 1. Relative Nutrient Values of Fruit
    1996-10-19
40 more Amaranth to Zai Holes

VITA - Volunteers in Technical Assistance

Back to Top



  1. Technology Transfer through VITA
    From Human Factors, 1968 A description of VITA at that time.



  2. VITA resources revived on ECHOcommunity
    Originally published by Volunteers in Techical Assistance between 1959 and 2005, an impressive collection of 137 VITA documents in 6 languages (English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish) have been republished. This list includes titles like: Understanding Evaporative Cooling,...
  3. Poultry Raising
    The brooder is heated by a regular electric light bulb, placed under the brooder floor. Depending on the temperature rise required, the wattage of the light bulb will have to be chosen by experimentation. The metal floor and roof prevent predators such as rats from entering the brooder. If...
  4. Seeds, Weeds, and Pests
    This seed cleaner was developed in Afghanistan to remove round seeds of weeds from wheat grains. The round seeds could not be separated by a sieve because they were the same size as the wheat grains. The cleaner described here takes advantage of the round shape of the weed seeds to separate them...





  5. Renewable Energy Dictionary
    1995-01-01 Soon after beginning a major program in renewable energy in 1979, VITA (Volunters in Technical Assistance) found that many of the technical terms commonly used in renewable energy literature were not understood by many of the laypeople for whom the information was meant. VITA also realized that...
133 more VITA - Volunteers in Technical Assistance

ECHO Asia News

Back to Top



  1. Developing Community Seed Banking Practices through Low-Cost Appropriate Technology Use
    This article by ECHO Asia Staff membersPatrick Trail, Yuwadee Danmalidoi, and Boonsong Thansrithong, appeared in ARI's'Eudoo' Journal of Rural Future Study(May, 2021) A number of motivations exist for saving seed at the community level, including crop biodiversity preservation, food sovereignty...





  2. Integrated Pest Management – IPM / Biopest
    An overview of the workshop topics including integrated pest management, natural herbicides, Beuveria, Trichoderma, etc.





  3. Substances Used for Biopest Management





  4. ECHO quick photo guide of insect pest damage vs. other crop damage / BIOPEST



  5. Asia News #10
    2016-11-20
9 more ECHO Asia News

COMPAS - Newsletter for Endogenous Development

Back to Top



  1. 05 Endogenous Development Magazine 2009 #5
    Methodologies to support endogenous development The social mobilisation approach facilitates community change in Sri Lanka Promoting health care in India - by reinforcing local health traditionsrang Ghanaian community approach AGRUCO's methods strenthen self esteem and cultural identity Reviving...



  2. CM8 Strengthening Local Economies
    In this issue, several authors indicate the causes of poverty in their area of work. For example Barkin (p.41) points at the processes of cultural oppression and agricultural modernisation that affected the indigenous peoples in rural Mexico; Satheesh (p.20) presents the influence of the Public...



  3. Book 021 Dialogues Within and Between Different Sciences: Issues and Strategies from Endogenous Perspective
    2021-01-01 This paper presents the following questions in an inter-cultural perspective: What are importantant differences in worldviews and how do these affect the ways of knowing? What is knowledge and what is science? What types of relationships can exist between dominant science and the different local...



  4. Book 015 Towards Co-Creation of Sciences #15
    2012-01-01 The objective of this book is to stimulate co-creation of sciences through an inter-cultural and inter-scientific dialogue – a dialogue in which each way of knowing expresses itself, where differences are positively and respectfully considered, and where options for complementarity (and aspects...



  5. Book 019 CAPTURED End Evaluation Synthesis Report
    2012-01-01 This report provides the summary findings of the CAPTURED End Evaluation. In addition, three country evaluation reports have been produced, based on the work of the CAPTURED partners in Bolivia, Ghana and India. As noted in the ToR document, the purpose of this evaluation of the Program for...
34 more COMPAS - Newsletter for Endogenous Development

Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement (TOAM) Publications

Back to Top





  1. TOAM Poster - How do organic farmers benefit from biodiversity
    How do organic farmers benefit from biodiversity? Biodiversity fights pests, improves soil, and increases food security. Kilomohai Training Materialshttp://www.kilimohai.org/kilimohai/training-materials
  2. TOAM - How can I control pests and diseases in a natural way?
    Farmers consider crop-reduction organisms to be pests and diseases. Insects, birds or other animals are considered pests whenever they cause damage to crops or to stored harvests. Fungi, bacteria and viruses are identified as diseases, when they invade or alter vital plant growth activities or...
  3. TOAM - Biodiversity
    Swahili download only Kilomohai Training Materialshttp://www.kilimohai.org/kilimohai/training-materials





  4. TOAM - Agroforestry Systems
    Poster - Benefits of agroforestry systems. Increase the productivity of your farmland by introducting trees. Kilomohai Training Materialshttp://www.kilimohai.org/kilimohai/training-materials





  5. TOAM Poster - How to make a natural pesticide
    Poster - How to make a Natural Pesticide. Some natural pesticide ingredients and the pests they repel. Kilomohai Training Materialshttp://www.kilimohai.org/kilimohai/training-materials
6 more Tanzania Organic Agriculture Movement (TOAM) Publications

Using ECHO Resources

Back to Top
  1. ECHO Florida Programs
  2. ECHO Florida Community Garden Program



  3. ECHOcommunity.org
  4. ECHOcommunity legal and privacy notices
    The security of the users and members of ECHOcommunity is of utmost importance to us. These resources outline the policies that govern our data collection, the legal terms by which you may use this website and affiliated services, and what privileges are afforded to members. Please read these...





  5. ECHOcommunity Mobile App
    2021-01-20 Available on iOS 10.0+and Android 5.0+ Android version updated 2/2024for Android 13, 14. Search "echocommunity" in the App Store on your iPhone or in Google Play on your Android phone. ECHO has provided resources to farmers and development workers for over 40 years. ECHOcommunity.org contains...

SAWBO Publications

Back to Top



  1. SAWBO Collaboration Document
    Scientific Animations Without Borders (SAWBO) is a Michigan State University based program. SAWBO transforms extension information on relevant topics such as agriculture, health and women’s empowerment, into 2D, 2.5D and 3D animations, which are then voice overlaid into a diversity of global...



  2. SAWBO One-Page Brochure
    Scientific Animations Without Borders (SAWBO) transforms expert knowledge into educational animations, which are then translated into multiple languages from around the world. We use a rigorous co-creation and review process to create highly accurate content.



  3. Breaking out: the turning point in learning using mobile technology
    2021-03-23 Despite considerable research on YouTube as a digital media platform, little research to date has quantified the device-type used to access that online media. Analyzing access-device data for videos on one YouTube video channel—Scientific Animations Without Borders (SAWBO), which produces...

FAO Publications

Back to Top



  1. Adopted International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (Last updated 2023-07)
    Parent page Adopted Standards (ISPMs)



  2. A data portrait of smallholder farmers
    The FAOSmallholder Farmers’ Dataportrait is a comprehensive, systematic and standardized data set on the profile of smallholder farmers across the world. It can generate an image on how small family farmers in both emerging and developing countries live their lives. It is about putting in...





  3. Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture (AGORA) User guide
    2022-01-20 FAO. 2022. Access to Global Online Research in Agriculture (AGORA) User guide. Rome. https://doi. org/10.4060/cb8611en AGORA is a programme of Research4Life – a public-private partnership between Cornell and Yale Universities, FAO, the International Association of Scientific, Technical and...



  4. Urban and peri-urban agriculture sourcebook
    2022-01-20 FAO, Rikolto and RUAF.2022.Urban and peri-urbanagriculture sourcebook– From production to food systems.Rome, FAO and Rikolto. https://doi.org/10.4060/cb9722en The purpose of this book is to set out the key lessons learned and to provide recommendations and guidance based on existing cases and...



  5. Top 10 Benefits of Pastoralism
    2021-01-01 This publication provides information on the top 10 benefits Pastoralism on a community and the environment.Pastoral activities span more than 100 countries, and contribute to global development and food security. This presents opportunities for securing widespread benefits of pastoralism and its...
9 more FAO Publications

Food Plants International - Posters

Back to Top





  1. Edible Fruits of Zimbabwe



  2. Pandanus Fruit and Nuts in Papua New Guinea

Food Plants International - Publications

Back to Top



  1. Fruit trees in arid areas of Ghana
    Ghana has a population of about 30 million people. There are slightly over 1,200 edible plant species currently growing in Ghana. But life gets more difficult in the drier Sahel zone to the north of the country. There are possibly 4-5 million people who live in this more arid zone. Tree are...



  2. Edible leaves in Vietnam
    2024, Bruce R French, Food Plants International Some are used as vegetables Some for flavouring Some are used to make tea drinks They are added to soups and stews Usually it is the young leaves that are used Often a mixture of leaves are eaten together Normally cook all leaves to remove bacteria...



  3. Brief Guide for Magdelana Milpas Altas region
    2024-05-01 This book is designed as a simple introduction to the more common food plants for healthy diets in Magdelana Milpas Altas region. It is hoped people will take greater pride and interest in these plants and become confident and informed about how to grow and use them. Many of the local food plants...



  4. Miombo Woodlands Fruit Trees
    2013-01-20 These trees are adapted to poor soils, so grow less-well with fertilisers and irrigation.

Sustainable Nutrition Manual, 2nd Edition (2016)

Back to Top



  1. SNM Flyer Malawi Food List (2022.07.18 updated)
    Extracted from SNM Part 3 Health Designs Appendix 1&2



  2. Sustainable Nutrition Manual Part 3 Healthy Designs
    2016-01-20 HealthyDesigns is about designing for sustainable living. This book brings parts 1 and2together and guides you to make a personalised plan for SustainableNutrition. This book ispractical to design everything on your land. There islots of information in the appendicesabout foods of Malawi and...





  3. Sustainable Nutrition Manual Part 2 Healthy Environments
    2016-01-20 HealthyEnvironments is about natural systems and sustainability. You will learn abouttheNature Cycle and the Water Cycle and natural sustainable systems. You willbe introduced toPermaculture ideas and gain an understanding of the benefitsof diversity in Nature. *Sustainable Nutrition Manual...



  4. Sustainable Nutrition Manual Part 1 Healthy Humans
    2016-01-20 HealthHumans isaboutthe human body and nutrition. You will also learn about foodchoicesand the benefits of diversity in diet. It has lots of useful ideas toimprove life and manydelicious recipes and suggestions for tasty, healthymeals. *Sustainable Nutrition Manual (SNM): Food, Water, Agriculture...

Practical Action: Technology Challenging Poverty

Back to Top



  1. Drying of Foods
    There are two main reasons for drying food: to prevent (or inhibit) the growth and activity of micro-organisms and hence preserve the food to reduce the weight and bulk of food for cheaper transport and storage. This technical brief describes some of the requirements for proper drying and...



  2. Small-Scale Drying Technologies
    Globally, drying is the most widely used method for preserving foods for use in the home or for sale. When drying foods such as fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs and nuts value is added by dryingand in such cases an investment in improved drying technologies may be economically viable. This...



  3. Biogas
    2007-01-01 Biogas is a well-established fuel for cooking and lighting in a number of countries. It is a gas mixture comprising around 60% methane and 40% carbon dioxide that is formed when organic materials, such as dung or vegetable matter are broken down by microbiological activity in the absence of air,...

World Bank Group - Open Knowledge Repository

Back to Top



  1. The Little Data Book on Financial Inclusion 2022
    “World Bank. 2022.The Little Data Book on Financial Inclusion 2022. World Bank, Washington, DC. World Bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/38148 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.” The Little Data Book on Financial Inclusion 2022 is a pocket edition of the Global Findex Database 2021. The...



  2. Working with Smallholders : A Handbook for Firms Building Sustainable Supply Chains
    2019-01-20 “International Finance Corporation. 2019.Working with Smallholders : A Handbook for Firms Building Sustainable Supply Chains. Washington, DC. International Finance Corporation. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/29764 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.” The purpose of Working with...

ICIPE Publications

Back to Top



  1. Biopesticides as effective tools for the control of ticks
    Ticks and tick-borne diseases cause great economic loss to livestock in the world and have adverse effects on them in several ways and even leads to their death. Ticks parasitise a wide range of vertebrate hosts and transmit a variety of pathogenic agents than any other group of arthropods. The...



  2. Plant-Parasitic Nematodes and Food Security in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA)
    Nematodes are difficult to diagnose due to their nonspecific, cryptic disease symptoms, lack of apparent damage, limited diagnostic capabilities, and inadequate understanding of nematodes and expertise to manage the pests. Nematodes are often misdiagnosed or attributed to other causes.





  3. Integrated Pest Management for Brassica Production in East Africa A Guidebook
    2013-01-20 Many of the important agricultural and horticultural crops cultivated worldwide belong to the genus Brassica. The main brassicas grown in East Africa are cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata); kale, also called choumolea (B. oleracea L. var. acephala); Chinese cabbage (B. campestris L....



  4. A Field Guide to the Management of Economically Important Tephritid Fruit Flies in Africa 2006
    2006-01-20 This field guide provides agricultural scientists, extension workers and quarantine specialists with information on the life cycle, damage symptoms, distribution and host plants of major fruit fly species of fruits and vegetables in Africa. The purpose, tools and methodology for fruit fly...

Infonet Biovision Publications

Back to Top



  1. Diseases of Sheep & Goats in East Africa
    Diagnostic chart based on disease signs and observations



  2. Diseases of Cattle in East Africa - Diagnostic Chart
    2016-02-20 Diagnostic chart based on disease signs and observations



  3. Enhancing Tree Planting - Consultancy Report
    2012-01-20 Infonet-Biovision, an initiative of Biovision Farmer Communication Programme, provides small-scale farmers, communities, NGOs, and trainers with practical information and knowledge on simple, workable and ecologically compatible practices and methods that sustain farming and household incomes. It...



  4. Training for IPM in Mango Production in East Africa
    2005-01-20 Mango is one of the most important fruit crops in the tropical and subtropical lowlands. It is a fruit growing in popularity worldwide and well suited to East Africa as a commercial crop. These guidelines are for farmer-to-farmer leaders of a training programme. They are accompanied by a field...

Grower Talks

Back to Top



  1. Grower Talks - Insecticide, Miticide, and Fungicide Guide
    GrowerTalks magazinemay be the best-known greenhouse trade publication in the world. While it’s published in America’s Midwest, just outside of Chicago, its reach and influence is global, with its editors historically on the road and in the air to find the stories, trends and news. ARTICLES FROM...



  2. Grower Talks - Insecticide, Miticide, and Fungicide Guide
    2021-01-01 GrowerTalks magazinemay be the best-known greenhouse trade publication in the world. While it’s published in America’s Midwest, just outside of Chicago, its reach and influence is global, with its editors historically on the road and in the air to find the stories, trends and news. ARTICLES FROM...

USAID Crop Publications

Back to Top



  1. Farmers Handbook for Onion Production
    Onions are one of the oldest vegetables in continuous cultivation, dating back to at least 4,000 BC as recorded by ancient Egyptians. This fact is documented in the Bible and Holy Quran. » The common dry onions (Allium cepa), a member of the Amarylli-daceae family, originated in central Asia...



  2. Chili Production Manual - Chili Production, Harvest & Post-Harvest Management
    USAID - Pakistan - Chili Production, Harvest & Post-Harvest Management



  3. Onion Production: Planting Through Harvest - USAID
    2012-01-20 This manual was prepared to assist USAID-Inma field staff in working with cooperating growers. It does not cover all issues or answer all questions. The USAIDInma horticulture team or Ministry of Agriculture specialists can be consulted to answer additional questions. Onions clearly represent an...

International Biochar Initiative

Back to Top



  1. IBI Technical Bulletin #104
    Biochar has been shown to be beneficial for growing crops. For farmers and gardeners, biochar provides a unique opportunity to improve soil fertility for the long term using locally available materials. Used alone, or in combinations, compost, manure, and/or synthetic fertilizers are added at...



  2. IBI Technical Bulletin #103
    Biochar is mostly composed of highly stable forms of black carbon and it can be used as a tool for carbon sequestration in soil. There is also interest in using biochar to create permanent landscape art, including as part of projects (such as 350.org) aimed at raising public awareness about...



  3. IBI Technical Bulletin #102
    Biochar should always be tested for safety before applying to soil (see IBI Technical Bulletin #101: Quick tests to determine whether a biochar material contains compounds that are potentially harmful to plants). Biochar is not a single material and can vary in its composition according to how it...





  4. IBI Technical Bulletin #101
    Biochar can be made from a wide variety of feedstocks and under a wide variety of conditions, yielding a wide variety of potential product characteristics. Not all biochars are suitable for soil application as supplied. This Technical Bulletin covers two rapid tests that can be used to assess the...



  5. The Use of Biochar in Composting
    2015-02-20 Marta Camps, Massey University; and Thayer Tomlinson, International Biochar Initiative February 2015 Both compost and biochar production are methods to utilize and recycle organic wastes. This paper provides information on the use of biochar in composting and highlights the potential benefits,...
7 more International Biochar Initiative

Tropical Production Systems

Back to Top





  1. Technical Note - Collection of Two Native Cultivars of Phaseolus lunatus f. microcarpus in the Guatemalan Humid Lowland Tropics.
    This Technical Note reports on the seed collection of 2 native cultivars of the “Sieva” group, during the major dry period in years 2008 and 2009. The cultivars were collected in the Humid Lowland Tropics in Southeastern Guatemala in Q’eqchi’ Mayan communities in the regions of Sumach-Rio Pita,...





  2. AGRO ETHNO ECOLOGY: Foodcrop-Livestock-Forestry Production in the Humid Lowland Tropics. Mesoamerican Edition 2015
    This technical manual focuses on the development, compilation, validation, and transfer of sustainable and profitable foodcrop-livestock-forestry management practices that favor rural families with limited financial resources on less-fertile hill-lands in the Humid Lowland Tropics; giving...





  3. AGRO ETHNO ECOLOGY: Foodcrop-Livestock-Forestry Production in the Humid Lowland Tropics. Amazonian Edition 2016
    This technical manual focuses on the development, compilation, validation, and transfer of sustainable and profitable foodcrop-livestock-forestry management practices that favor rural families with limited financial resources on less-fertile hill-lands in the Humid Lowland Tropics; giving...

Seeds for a Future Publications

Back to Top



  1. The Program In Detail
    This PDF goes into greater detail about the Seeds for a Future Program, and what we’ve learned and incorporated along the way.



  2. Vivir Mejor - An Integrated Approach to Chronic Malnutrition and ‘Living Better’ in Rural Guatemala
    Daillen Nordell Culver, Originally submitted August 2020,MSc International Development, University of Edinburgh,School of Social and Political Science Chronic malnutrition’s disproportionate impact on indigenous Guatemalans remains an obstacle to rural development. Emerging research suggests the...



  3. The INCAP Research Study of SfF Programs
    During 2014 – 2017, the Institute for Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP) scientifically documented Seeds for a Future’s Integrated Program, and its positive health impacts for the Program’s participants.

ECHO Development Notes (EDN)

Back to Top



  1. EDN Issue #165
    2024-08-01 Towards the use of Biopesticides Echoes from our Network: Fall Armyworm Question and Answerwith Dr. Allan Hruska, Ph.D. From ECHO's Seed Bank: Cucurbita Mochata 'Thai Kang Kob' Open-source Journals:The Journal of Agriculture of the University of Puerto Rico and Ag4Dev





  2. EDN Issue #164
    2024-06-03 Poly-propagators Coffee Parchment as a Feed Supplement for Dairy Cattle Echoes from our Network:Paddy Rice Seed Assessment Using Salt and Eggs From ECHO's Seed Bank:Wild Marigold for Natural Pest Control and More Books, Websites, and Other Resources:Compendium of Forgotten Foods in Africa





  3. EDN Issue #163
    2024-04-01 Harvesting and Drying Considerations for Quality Moringa Leaf Powder Echoes from our Network:Options for Snail Control From ECHO's Seed Bank:Jute Mallow ‘Thai‘ Books, Websites, and Other Resources:ECHOcommunity Mobile App – Plant Records Tutorial





  4. EDN Issue #162
    2024-01-01 Contour Cultivation and Live Barriers for Small-Scale Farmers Taro (Colocasia esculenta) From ECHO’s Seed Bank:Oven-Dried Rice as a Desiccant for Seed Drying Books, Websites, and Other Resources: ECHOCommunity Mobile App - Resource Management





  5. EDN Issue #161
    2023-10-02 Factors that Impact Seed Germination Echoes From our Network: Moringa Spacing Considerations From ECHO’s Seed Bank: Clay Beads for Drying and Preserving Seeds Books, Websites, and Other Resources:Aprovecho.org-Information onFuel-Efficient Cookstoves
171 more ECHO Development Notes (EDN)

ECHO Research Newsletter

Back to Top



  1. May 2024 ECHO Research Newsletter
    2024-05-02 April 2024 is the first issue of ECHO Research Newsletters. To correspond with ideas and feedback about the topics ofthis newsletter, email publishing@echonet.org. Engagement Opportunities: Monitoring and evaluation, Plant nutritional information Knowledge Exchange: A research round table and...

CFGB Conservation Agriculture Newsletter

Back to Top





  1. CFGB CA News Volume 10 Issue 2 - April, 2024
    2024-04-01 Inside this Issue: Creating an Enabling Environment for Conservation Agriculture Soil Ecosystems are Bolstered by Conservation Agriculture Practices Partner Profile: ADRA ALTA Travel Schedule





  2. CFGB CA News Volume 10 Issue 1 - January, 2024
    2024-01-01 Inside this Issue: AdvocatingforConservationAgriculturePromotion Introducing Lidet Sitatow, Agriculture and Livelihoods Technical Advisor for Ethiopia Fall Armyworm Management Update Partner Profile: Anglican Development Services - Central Rift, Kenya





  3. CFGB CA News Volume 9 Issue 3, September 2023
    2023-09-20 Inside this issue: Green Manure Cover Crops for Regions with Bimodal Rainfall Scaling Conservation Agriculture-based Sustainable Intensification in Ethiopia (SCASI) CA Farmer Profile: Asnakech ALTA Travel Schedule





  4. CFGB CA News Volume 9 Issue 2 - June, 2023
    2023-06-20 In this Issue: Farming as a Business Telling the Story with Photographs Partner Profile - ODE, Burkina Faso CA Farmer Profile And much more!!





  5. CFGB CA News Volume 9 Issue 1 - March 2023
    2023-03-01 Inside this Issue: Conservation Agriculture in Wet Environments Tips for Effective Storytelling CA Farmer Profile: Chrissie Stackio, Malawi Partner profile: Brethren in Christ Church
28 more CFGB Conservation Agriculture Newsletter

Practical Action Publications

Back to Top



  1. Pastoralism, Uncertainty and Development
    2023-01-20 In the drylands and mountains where pastoralists live, uncertainty is everywhere. In these settings, negotiating access to resources, navigating volatile markets, making use of varying social relations in times of stress, and responding to conflict and complex political dynamics is essential if...



  2. Sustainable Livelihoods and Rural Development
    2015-01-20 The message of Sustainable Livelihoods and Rural Development is clear: livelihoods approaches are an essential lens on questions of rural development, but these need to be situated in a better understanding of political economy. The book looks at the role of social institutions and the politics...

ILEIA Newsletter - LEISA Magazine - Farming Matters

Back to Top



  1. ILEIA legacy is living on
    2022-12-20 ILEIA - Centre for Learning on Sustainable Agriculture, had its start in 1984. It started from the observation that family farmers in remote, diverse and risk-prone farming conditions did not benefit from ‘modern’ agriculture based on external inputs: chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and...



  2. FM 2020 Farming Matters Vol 36 #1
    2020-01-20 In this issue: Agroecology and feminist economics The path to feminist agroecology The economic potential of agroecology in Europe The rise of rural women's movements in Southern Africa Care ethics in agroecology Highland agriculture Growing equity through agroecology in Uganda



  3. FM 2018 Farming Matters Vol 34 #1
    2018-03-20 Community supported agroecology thriving in China Farmers ensure safe water for New York City Agroecology is the way forward for Africa Organic and agroecology Women in Brazil build autonomy with agroecology Land grabbing threatens agroecology Rice Intensification in India Peasant agroecology in...



  4. FM 2017 Farming Matters Vol 33 #1
    2017-04-20 Agroecology for food sovereignty Food versus the big city of Istanbul Human-centred agriculture fighting exploitation and racism Food sovereignty taking root in women's knowledge Locally rooted ideas and initiatives from the field The vitality of everyday food Food sovereignty stories from...



  5. FM 2016 Farming Matters Vol 32 #4
    2016-12-20 Listening to pastoralists Pastoral Parliament - a platform to be heard and seen Migrant shepherds sustain pastoralism in the Mediterannean Pastoralists' breeds represent generations of knowledge Pastoralist women have the capacity to lead Adapting traditional land goverance in Somalia...
131 more ILEIA Newsletter - LEISA Magazine - Farming Matters

LEISA India Publications

Back to Top



  1. Building farm resilience – September 2022 – Issue 24.3
    2022-09-20 We have come a long way on the path of development, which we can be proud of. But development comes with a huge cost in terms of its effect on environment, climate and communities. Farmers, already a vulnerable lot, become more vulnerable when they have to deal with the aberrations in climate,...



  2. Agroecology education – June 2022 – Issue 24.2
    2022-06-20 Education in any discipline needs to foster continuity and change. In applied sciences like Agriculture, Engineering, needs to be responsive to changing needs from the field. In case of agriculture, farming is pursued by rural majority, many of them illiterate too. They are the actual ‘...



  3. Urban Agriculture – March 2022 – Issue 24.1
    2022-03-20 When we first conceived urban agriculture as a potential theme, we were aware of some known initiatives across country both in urban and peri urban areas. However, it was heartening to see the wonderful response – individual efforts; efforts galvanised by State support; social media enthusiasm in...

ECHO Asia Notes

Back to Top



  1. AN Issue #48
    2022-03-03 Featured in this AN Playing with Water Wheels: Exploring Low-Cost Methods for Pumping Irrigation Water A 'Successful Failure': Introducting SALT Technology in Northern Thailand Virtual Training Opportunities- email us at echoasia@echocommunity.org



  2. AN Issue #47
    2021-09-15 Featured in this AN Establishing a Scaled-Up Black Soldier Fly System An Innovative 'Do-All' Biochar Burner Design



  3. AN Issue #46
    2021-06-14 African Swine Fever Virus: Overview and Prevention on the Small Farm [Editor’s Note: For questions, comments, or personal experience on this topic visit ECHOcommunity Conversations: African Swine Fever Virus] [Example] Small FarmBiosecurity Plan for the Prevention of African Swine Fever I Suspect...



  4. AN Issue #45
    2021-03-01 Featured in this AN Stingless Beekeeping (Meliponiculture) on Java [Editor’s Note: For questions, comments, or personal experience on this topic visit the echocommunity ‘conversations’ forum Meliponiculture: Stingless Beekeeping.] Production of Vegetable Fern (Diplazium esculentum Reytz.) Under...



  5. AN Issue #44
    2020-12-14 Featured in this AN The Martinez Airlift Water Pump Do All Parts of the Chaya Plant Contain Cyanide? Cyantesmo Paper for Detecting Cyanide
43 more ECHO Asia Notes

ECHO Best Practice Notes

Back to Top



  1. Best Practices for Tropical Dryland Agriculture
    2021-12-16 It is estimated that drylands occupy 40% of the earth’s surface.Drylands are regions where the average annual precipitation is less than 65% of the average annual potential evapotranspiration (an Aridity Index of < 0.65). The FAO Aridity Index is defined as a 30 year average of annual...





  2. Farmer-Centered Climate Change Mitigation
    2020-12-14 ECHO recognizes climate change as a profound reality faced by small-scale farmers. Many of our publications have focused on helping farmers cope with related challenges such as heat and drought.Increasing farmer resilience and minimizing risk have been key elements of the practices we have...





  3. Selecting Legumes as Green Manure/Cover Crops
    2017-05-26 By integrating legumes into cropping systems, small-scale farmers in low-resource settings can invest in the long-term health and resilience of their soils. Success or failure depends largely on choosing the right legume(s). With that in mind, this document presents insights on legume selection...





  4. Best Practices in Conservation Agriculture
    2016-09-28 Farmers in many parts of the world, because of human population growth, have little choice but to crop their land continuously, with scarce resources to replace nutrients withdrawn by each successive crop. Crop residues are often lost as a source of organic matter and mulch, usually through...





  5. Seed Storage in the Tropics
    2016-03-22 Yearly production of grains, pulses, and vegetables depends on a reliable supply of quality seed. This is true for the farmer growing a crop to feed their family as well as for the agricultural worker evaluating and growing out seeds of a new crop species or variety that could improve lives. In...
3 more ECHO Best Practice Notes

World Health Organization Publications

Back to Top





  1. State of the World's Hand Hygiene: A Global Call to Action to Make Hand Hygiene a Priority in Policy and Practice
    2021-10-15 This report is the first of its kind. It brings together various data sets to present the current status of hand hygiene, highlight lagging progress, and call governments and supporting agencies to action, offering numerous inspiring examples of change. During the COVID-19 pandemic, hand hygiene...

Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards Publications and Resources

Back to Top



  1. LEGS Participatory Techniques Toolkit
    2021-05-20 LEGS Participation Mini Module Suji Omeno In this Mini Module, LEGS provides key techniques to aid and facilitate community participation. Some of the techniques includeFocus Group Discussions,Key Informant Interviews,Proportional Piling, Simple Ranking,Pairwise Ranking,Matrix Scoring,Historical...





  2. Gender and Livestock in Emergencies
    2020-10-20 A Discussion Paper for the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) Karin de Jonge and Lucy Maarse The aim of this Discussion Paper is to outline the major issues at the crossroads of gender and livestock in the context of humanitarian response, for the Advisory Committee of LEGS...





  3. The Quality of Veterinary Pharmaceuticals
    2020-10-20 A Discussion Paper for the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) Holly Hufnagel The objective of this discussion paper is to inform the LEGS Technical Advisory Committee on issues relating to the quality of veterinary pharmaceuticals for livestock responses in emergency situations....





  4. Livestock Insurance
    2020-09-20 A Discussion Paper for the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) Yacob Aklilu This paper was commissioned to assess livestock insurance schemes and explore what evidence exists regarding the effective implementation of livestock insurance schemes to support the livelihoods of...





  5. Livestock and Nutrition
    2020-09-20 A Discussion Paper for the Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) Kate Sadler This discussion paper was commissioned by LEGS to review the key issues relating to nutrition in the context of livestock-based emergency interventions, with particular attention to the following key...
7 more Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards Publications and Resources

Aprovecho Publications

Back to Top



  1. Clean Burning Biomass Cookstoves
    2021-01-20 Appendixes featuring CAD drawings of the • Natural Draft Sunken Pot Rocket Stove • Kirk Harris Natural Draft Top Lit Up Draft (TLUD) Stove • Side Feed Bottom Air Forced Draft Rocket Stove • Top Lit Forced Draft Stove • Charcoal Stove



  2. Clean Burning Biomass Cookstoves
    2021-01-20 Since its inception, the stove movement has consistently maintained that the users and local stakeholders must be the drivers of innovation. The German development agency, GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), and many other organizations, have made it clear that...

Greenhouse Management

Back to Top



  1. Greenhouse Management -September 2021
    2021-01-01 Greenhouse Managementmagazine is the leading trade publication serving greenhouse growers. Growers depend on us because of the in-depth educational content we provide month after month. Our team provides the most up-to-date independent research, trends reports and relevant business information...

ECHO Research Notes

Back to Top





  1. ECHO Research Notes Volume 2
    2021-01-01 ECHO ResearchNotes are topic-specificpublications about crops and agricultural practicesimportant to those working in the tropics and subtropics. Our material is authored by ECHO staff (past and present) as well as outside writers, all with experience and knowledge of their subject. These...





  2. ECHO Research Notes Volume 1
    2020-01-01 ECHO ResearchNotes are topic-specificpublications about crops and agricultural practicesimportant to those working in the tropics and subtropics. Our material is authored by ECHO staff (past and present) as well as outside writers, all with experience and knowledge of their subject. These...

Other Farmer Training Guides

Back to Top



  1. Safe and Effective Grain Storage - Facilitators Guide
    2020-04-20 The editable source documents (.docx and .pub)of these materials are available in many other languages fromthe CFGB database. The source documents are updated periodically so check here for the most current formats. We encourage you to adapt the source for your purposes. Learning Outcomes –...



  2. Insect Identification and Monitoring - Facilitators Guide
    2020-04-20 The editable source documents (.docx and .pub)of these materials are available in many other languages fromthe CFGB database. The source documents are updated periodically so check here for the most current formats. We encourage you to adapt the source for your purposes. Learning Outcomes –...



  3. Soil Conservation and CA - Facilitators Guide
    2020-04-20 The editable source documents (.docx and .pub)of these materials are available in many otherlanguages fromthe CFGB database. The source documents are updated periodically so check here for the most current formats. We encourage you to adapt the source for your purposes. Learning Outcomes –...



  4. Integrated Soil Fertility Management - Facilitators Guide
    2020-04-20 The editable source documents (.docx and .pub)of these materials are available in many other languages fromthe CFGB database. The source documents are updated periodically so check here for the most current formats. We encourage you to adapt the source for your purposes. Learning Outcomes –...



  5. How to experiment on your farm - Facilitator's Guide
    2020-04-20 The editable source documents (.docx and .pub)of these materials are available in many other languages fromthe CFGB database. The source documents are updated periodically so check here for the most current formats. We encourage you to adapt the source for your purposes. Learning Outcomes –...
6 more Other Farmer Training Guides

Conservation Agriculture Core Training Materials

Back to Top





  1. Conservation Agriculture Facilitator’s Guidebook
    2020-04-20 The editable source documents (.docx and .pub)of these materials are available in many other languages fromthe CFGB database. The source documents are updated periodically so check here for the most current formats. We encourage you to adapt the source for your purposes. Conservation Agriculture...





  2. Conservation Agriculture - Core Lesson Farmer Booklet
    2020-04-20 The editable source documents (.docx and .pub)of these materials are available in many other languages fromthe CFGB database. The source documents are updated periodically so check here for the most current formats. We encourage you to adapt the source for your purposes. Why Use Conservation...

CAN Culinaria

Back to Top





  1. Chaya Recipe Book
    2019-11-20





  2. Healthy cookbook for children
    2019-01-20 RECETARIO WUQU’ KAWOQ Versión 2018-2019 Elaborado por: Valeria Morales. Spanish Only.

ECHO West Africa Notes

Back to Top





  1. ECHO Notes de l'Afrique de l'Ouest Numéro 3
    2019-07-22 Le système de riziculture intensive (SRI) Qu'est-ce que le SRI ? Les étapes de mise en œuvre du SRI L'irrigation des plants Le sarclage et le sarclo-binage, quels sont les avantages ? Le rendement du SRI Etude comparée entre le SRI et la pratique traditionnelle de riziculture Intérêt du SRI...





  2. ECHO Notes de l'Afrique de l'Ouest Numéro 2
    2018-01-03 Techniques de production avicole traditionnelle epublication:Options de restauration des sols improductifsetOptions où l'eau est rare





  3. ECHO West Africa Note Issue 1
    2017-08-01 Foundations For Farming, an alternative for small-scale farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa How to prepare compost in 3 weeks? The preparation of organic liquid fertilizer eBook Release:Fundamentals of Agricultural Development epublication

Haiti Development Notes

Back to Top





  1. Nòt Devlopman Ayiti - Haiti Development Notes Issue 5
    2019-03-20 Kreyòl





  2. Nòt Devlopman Ayiti - Haiti Development Notes Issue 4
    2018-12-20 Kreyòl





  3. Nòt Devlopman Ayiti - Haiti Development Notes Issue 3
    2018-08-20 Kreyòl





  4. Nòt Devlopman Ayiti - Haiti Development Notes Issue 2
    2018-04-20 Kreyòl





  5. Nòt Devlopman Ayiti - Haiti Development Notes Issue 1
    2018-01-20 Kreyòl

Postharvest Education Foundation Publications

Back to Top



  1. 100 under $100: Tools for Reducing Postharvest Losses
    2019-01-20 This book features many videos, effective teaching tools not only for readers but for this author. I literally watched people from all walks of life who have posted videos of themselves demonstrating useful skills and scientific concepts. (I screened **dozens** of onion and garlic braiding videos...



  2. Small-Scale Postharvest Handling Practices: A Manual for Horticultural Crops
    2015-11-20 Effective management during the postharvest period, rather than the level of sophistication of any given technology, is the key in reaching the desired objectives. While large-scale operations may benefit from investing in costly handling machineryand high-tech postharvest treatments, often these...

ECHO Latin America and Caribbean Notes (LACN)

Back to Top





  1. LACN Issue #4
    2018-02-22 Green Leafy Vegetables and Powders for Improved Nutrition in Honduras Member Highlight: Elioena Arauz,Artists for Soup, Nicaragua Echoes from our Network: Deep Litter System ECHO Resource Highlight: Green Leafy Vegetables Technical Note Spotlight: "Linking Smallholder Farmers to Markets"





  2. LACN Issue #3
    2017-12-04 ECHO in Latin America and the Caribbean Experimenting with Medicinal Plants in Matagalpa, Nicaragua Staff Highlight Tech Note Spotlight: "Introducing new seeds overseas" Tech Note Spotlight: "Introduction to Tropical Root Crops" Echoes from our Network Resources: Wuqu' Kawoq (The Maya Health...





  3. LACN Issue #2
    2017-07-31 Las Cañadas Agro-ecological Chickens Module Introducing New Team Leader: Cecilia Gonzalez Tech Note Spotlight: "Cafeteria Feeding" of Chickens From ECHO's Seed Bank: Ethiopian Kale Member Highlight: Javier Ignacio Silva Rivera Our Vision:Honoring God by Empowering the Undernourished with...





  4. LACN Issue #1
    2017-03-30 Making Silage in Vichada Tech Note Spotlight: Biosand Water Filter Echoes from our Network: Member Highlight Adria and Job From ECHO's Technical Respose Team: Appropriate forage crops for clay soils From ECHO's Seed Bank: Forage peanut

Agricultural Risk Assessment and Management

Back to Top



  1. Risk Assessment/ Measurement and Prioritization in Agriculture
    2017-01-20 A Comprehensive Agricultural Risk Assessment Survey should include key informants like those listed below, to assess risk at both: the farmer/ARE level and the value-chain level. It will never be possible to include all the informants listed below, but the best risk assessment resulting in the...



  2. Agricultural Risk Management Services: A Key to Increasing Financial Inclusion of Farmers
    2013-03-13 Within the internationally recognized field of agricultural risk assessment and management, riskscan be evaluated according to three basic criteria : 1. Impact: In other words, how severe will the risk event be if it actually happens? Some risks can destroy the whole year's farm income and even...



  3. Ag Risk Assessment Prioritization Worksheet
    2013-01-20 This information in this worksheet is bestused in conjunction with the other Risk Management materials provided by Steve Hodges, Managing Director/Consultant,African Agriculture Risk Management Services, Uganda. Steve spoke at the 2012 ECHO International Agriculture Conference



  4. Ag Risk Management Planning Process and Scoring Grid
    2013-01-20 Risk Management Planning assumes that assessment of risks has taken place, and that risks have been prioritized according to severity, likelihood, and manageability of the risks. The resulting risks can then be placed on the scoring grid below and actions identified to address the risks. Once...



  5. Ag Risk Assessment Practical Exercise Koboko
    2013-01-20 This Risk Assessment Exercise is bestused in conjunction with the other Risk Management materials provided by Steve Hodges

Agrodoks

Back to Top





  1. Agrodok 055, Beef Production
    2016-01-01 Beef, meat from cattle, is produced worldwide in an enormous variety of systems; by nomads in semi desert areas, to intensive dairy farmers who sell male calves for their meat and cull cows that no longer produce enough milk, as well as ranchers whose main aim is to produce meat. The main aim of...





  2. Agrodok 054, Edible Insects in Africa
    2015-01-01 An Introduction to Finding, Using and Eating Insects When you first saw the title of this book, you may have found the idea of eating insects unfamiliar or strange. Actually, we all eat insects every day without knowing it. Insects or parts of insects are present in almost all processed food....





  3. Agrodok 053, Crop Residues for Animal Feed
    2015-01-01 Especially in Stall-Feeding The idea for this booklet on straw feeding emerged some years ago during a meeting, while discussing an Agrodok on dairy cattle husbandry. That Agrodok was to have a chapter on animal feed, especially fodders such as grasses and crop residues. However, this would have...





  4. Agrodok 051, Improving Lowland Rice Cultivation
    2014-01-01 Useful Management Practices for Smallholders in Tropical Africa This Agrodok on lowland rice is primarily meant for smallholders in tropical Africa, because the advocated cultivation and processing practices reflect the main circumstances encountered by rice farmers on this continent. The aim of...





  5. Agrodok 052, Backyard Grasscutter Keeping
    2014-01-01 This Agrodok provides up-to-date information on grasscutter farming to benefit the informed farmer and extension and rural development officers. 1 Introduction 8 It targets farmers wishing to diversify their farms as well as their families’ diet, and those considering growing grasscutters for the...
50 more Agrodoks

ECHO Summaries

Back to Top



  1. Analyzing and Supporting Gender Responsive Value Chains
    2015-08-05 The complexity of the global food system creates a diverse group of actors ranging from smallholders to large corporations involved in the agriculture sector. Each of the many actors in an agriculture value chain has different needs, objectives, strengths and weaknesses. With women accounting for...





  2. Farmer Engagement in Agriculture Extension
    2015-08-05 Good intentions and viable solutions will have little impact unless we engage with farmers in ways that are meaningful to them. Farmers put a great deal of confidence in what they learn from fellow farmers’ experiences, and they are more likely to trust what they see over what they hear....





  3. Effective Use of Workshops in Agriculture Extension
    2015-07-14 Workshops are an often-used and effective tool that extension workers can use to teach new skills to groups of farmers. This document, drawn from the USAID/MEAS Technical Note on Presenting Workshops to Adults, explains how a workshop setting differs from that of a classroom/teaching setting, and...



  4. Lessons from Small Farm Resource Centers
    2015-07-13 Based on a MEAS paper entitled, The Current and Future Roles of Small Farm Resource Centers in Extension and Advisory Services: Synthesis Report from Seven Case Studies in Southeast Asia, this document highlights key take-a-ways of an assessment by ECHO of seven SFRCs in Southeast Asia. Through...



  5. Teaching in Field Settings
    2015-06-03 Field-based teaching provides first-hand experience about the subject matter being discussed. An on-site encounter allows farmers to observe innovations in practice, discuss them, and ask questions. Farmers exposed to new ideas will be much more likely to understand and apply the information if...
7 more ECHO Summaries

Heifer International - Selected Publications

Back to Top



  1. Integrated Smallholder Dairy Farming Manual - 2015
    2015-01-20 Dairying as an enterprise has got a place alongside other viable tools of poverty alleviation, besides creating job opportunities to jobless families in Tanzania. Statistics from the ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development show that there are about 800,000 improved dairy cattle in...





  2. Pig Husbandry Manual
    2010-01-20 Pig farming in Tanzania has primarily been for a long time of backyard and informal sector producers. However in order to secure both food and nutritional security to rural Tanzania households, there is a need of embracing integrated approaches in livestock farming. Pig farming in Tanzania is...





  3. A guide for better dairy goat rearing - 2010
    2010-01-20 Swahili only Mwongozo wa ufugaji bora wa mbuzi wa maziwa
  4. A Guide to Improved Dairy Cattle Rearing
    2010-01-20 Swahili Only Ufugaji bora wa ng'ombe wa maziwa-2
  5. A Guide to Keeping Local Chickens
    2008-07-20 Swahili Only Kitabu cha kuku wa asili
5 more Heifer International - Selected Publications

CAN Agricultura

Back to Top





  1. A garden for all - Self-instruction manual
    2014-01-20 5ta Edición revisada y ampliada Chile Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Alimentación y la Agricultura Spanish Only.

USDA Agriculture Handbooks

Back to Top



  1. Tropical Nursery Manual
    2014-01-20 A Guide to Starting and Operating a Nursery for Native and Traditional Plants This handbook was written for anyone endeavoring to start and operate a nursery for native and traditional plants in the tropics. Because the tropics cover a vast area of the world, however, the scope of the handbook is...



  2. The Woody Plant Seed Manual
    2008-07-20 This handbook on the seeds of woody plants would not be possible if not for the pioneering work of many individuals in past years. They worked without the modern laboratory and information retrieval services that we now routinely use and take for granted. Their early efforts in the first half of...



  3. Tropical tree seed manual
    2002-01-20 File: Download [PDF File] 38MB Author(s): Vozzo, J. A.,United States. Forest Service. Subject(s): Trees -- Tropics -- Seeds.,Trees -- North America -- Seeds.,Tropical plants -- Seeds -- Identification.,Tropical plants -- North America -- Seeds -- Identification. Format: 899 p. Coverage: tropics...



  4. Perennial edible fruits of the Tropics : an inventory
    1987-01-19 File: Download [PDF File] Author(s): Martin, Franklin W.,Campbell, Carl W.,Ruberte, Ruth M.,United States. Agricultural Research Service. Subject(s): Plants, Edible -- Tropics.,Tropical fruit. Format: 247 p. Coverage: tropics Language: English Publisher: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural...



  5. Tropical yams and their potential. Part 5, Dioscorea trifida
    1978-01-19 File: Download [PDF File] Author(s): Martin, Franklin W.,Degras, Lucien. Subject(s): Yams. Format: iv, 26 p. Language: English Publisher: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Year: 1978 Series: USDA agriculture handbooks Rights: This item is authored by federal employees as part of their official duties...
6 more USDA Agriculture Handbooks

World Agroforestry Center

Back to Top



  1. Nursery management, tree propagation and marketing
    2013-01-20 Munjuga MR, Gachuiri AN, Ofori DA, Mpanda MM, Muriuki JK, Jamnadass RH, Mowo JG. 2013.Nursery management, tree propagation and marketing: A training manual for smallholder farmers and nursery operators. Nairobi: World Agroforestry Centre



  2. Good Nursery Practices: A Simple Guide
    2008-01-20 Mbora A., Lillesø J-PB., Jamnadass R. 2008. Good Nursery Practices: A Simple Guide. Nairobi. The World Agroforestry Centre. 36 pp. Agroforestry plays an important role in the socio–economic development of communities, as trees planted on farms provide timber, fuelwood, fodder, fruits, medicine,...



  3. Allanblackia propagation protocol
    2008-01-20 As part of Novella Africa programme on ‘Domestication of AB Trees in Africa’, ICRAF aims to develop jointly, with national partners in participating countries, options for appropriate propagation and management practices for AB trees, to enhance the efficiency, level and stability of tree...



  4. Good Tree Nursery Practices
    1999-01-19 Good tree nursery practices for research nurseries is more than a checklist of do’s and don’t’s for nursery managers and researchers. It presents concise but thorough information on all aspects of raising high-quality planting stock, with lists of contacts and nursery suppliers. In addition to...

A Natural Farming System For Sustainable Agriculture In the Tropics

Back to Top



  1. Sustainable Agriculture Book - Tables_Figures_Glossary
    2005-01-20 Tables, Figures, Glossary



  2. Sustainable Agriculture Book - Chapter 7 Crop Rotation
    2005-01-20 Proper crop rotation is Fundamental #1. It will beat the disease and pest cycle while promoting nutrient cycling. This is a forgotten age-old method to assure the health of future crops. It is of the utmost importance to minimize nutrient loss for long-range success. When the same plant is...



  3. Sustainable Agriculture Book - Introduction
    2005-01-20 When you live in the developing world, you start to see things differently. I started visiting this country on short-term visits with Christian groups in 1995. I surveyed the rural areas and worked with people who were trying to make a difference with the knowledge they had. It’s hard to ignore...



  4. Sustainable Agriculture Book - Chapter 11 Green Fertilizers
    2005-01-20 Green fertilizer is Fundamental #5. It feeds the next crop efficiently. As you plow crop residue into the soil it will eventually become humus and fertilizer for following crops. It is a form of composting, in which materials do not need to be transported to a mixing/composting site. You could...



  5. Sustainable Agriculture Book - Chapter 12 Mulching
    2005-01-20 Mulching is Fundamental #6. It will conserve topsoil and moisture, as well as provide fertilizer. When straw or crop residue covers the topsoil, it holds it in place while stopping raindrops from compacting soil. Areas with heavy rain require more plowing. It also slows down rain run off so that...
24 more A Natural Farming System For Sustainable Agriculture In the Tropics

Books

Back to Top



  1. The great mango book
    2001-01-09 Mangoes have dazzled palates across the globe for centuries with their aroma, taste, texture, and seemingly endless shapes, sizes, and colors. The Sanskrit word for mango is amra, meaning "of the people," and in India alone there are over 350 varieties. Author and renowned chef Allen Susser's...



  2. The Role of Smallholder Farms in Food and Nutrition Security
    2020-05-15 Food and nutrition security has become one of the most important items on today’s international political agenda and a serious issue for governments around the world. Despite the availability of enough food globally, over a billion people continue to suffer from the lack of nutritious food. The...



  3. Evaluating technology for new farming systems: case studies from Philippine rice farms
    1983-01-01 Otoand Tigbauan, Iloilo. Topics include socioeconomic environment, historical technologies, labor, basic resources, and more. 110p. Index. References. 2 copies
7288 more books
Back to Top



  1. Forgotten food crops in sub-Saharan Africa for healthy diets in a changing climate
    Forgotten food crops in sub-Saharan Africa for healthy diets in a changing climate , van Zonneveld, M. ,Kindt, R. ,McMullin, S. ,Achigan-Dako, E.G. ,N’Danikou, S. ,Hsieh, W.-h. ,Lin, Y.,Dawson, I.K. ,PNAS 2023 Vol. 120 No. 14 e2205794120 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2205794120 As climate changes...
  2. Modern Processing of Indian Millets: A Perspective on Changes in Nutritional Properties
    Gowda NAN, Siliveru K, Prasad PVV, Bhatt Y, Netravati BP, Gurikar C. Modern Processing of Indian Millets: A Perspective on Changes in Nutritional Properties. Foods. 2022 Feb 9;11(4):499. doi: 10.3390/foods11040499. PMID: 35205975; PMCID: PMC8871339. Globally, billions of people are experiencing...



  3. Smart Management of Malnutrition Using Local Foods: A Sustainable Initiative for Developing Countries
    Amadou Issoufou , Lawali Sitou ,Smart Management of Malnutrition Using Local Foods: A Sustainable Initiative for Developing Countries,Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Vol 6,2022,URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2022.725536,...
3783 more links

Presentations

Back to Top
  1. Challenges Facing Smallholder Farmers in Asia
    2023-10-20 If we seek to serve smallholder farmers and their communities, it is essential that we first ask to understand the challenges they face. Join me as I walk through my own journey of discovery in this realm and the surprising answers I have learned from smallholder farmers across Asia. This talk...



  2. Biological, Business Feasibility and Sustainability Analysis of Small Scale Decoupled Aquaponic System Producing Lettuces and Tilapia in PT. Tanikota Agribudaya Edulestari (PT. TABEL), West Java, Indonesia
    2023-10-17



  3. Salam Growing Centers’ “Young Farmers Program” - Reviving Millennial and Gen Z Participation in Sustainable Agribusiness
    2023-10-17
1096 more presentations

Plant Information Sheets

Back to Top
  1. Abyssinian Gooseberry
  2. Acacia mangium
    Acacia mangium can grow to be a tall tree up to 30 m. It is a fast-growing tree that can tolerate acidic and degraded soils. This tree grows best with moderate rainfall and full sunlight. It is one of the major leguminous species used in plantation forestry programs throughout Asia and the...
  3. Adzuki Bean
    Adzuki bean is a bushingor vining, nitrogen-fixingannual plant that is moderately drought tolerant. This bean grows best in temperate climates or higher altitudes in the tropics. The young pods, fresh seeds, and dry beans are used for human consumption.
716 more plant information sheets

Videos

Back to Top
  1. Navigating ECHOcommunity.org
    This video is a screen share showing some ways to navigate ECHOcommunity.org to find resources.
  2. Navigating ECHOcommunity
    This video is a screen share showing some ways to navigate ECHOcommunity.org to find resources.
  3. Poly-propagators
    A poly-propagator is an appropriate technology for multiplying plants that are most easily propagated under very humid conditions. Poly-propagators have a frame constructed with wire, bamboo, wood, or other supportive materials. Use what you have! The exterior of poly-propagators is made of clear...
590 more videos