Agricultural Education

Hey farmers, tell us what you're planting this season we advise you.

Maize price has been revised from k160/50 as announced before to k180/50kg...(FRA)

Correct...

For any crop project to be successful 3 components must equally do their job perfectly I.e:
🌽Soil
🌽Farmer
🌽Seed

Article: Agronomist Gerald Nazareth

DID YOU KNOW THAT ANTS 🐜🐜🐜
ARE VERY IMPORTANT AND HAVE POSITIVE IMPACTS IN FARMING...(SOILS)
🐜 See what they do;

Ants aerate the soil — digging tunnels that carry water, oxygen, and nutrients to plant roots.

They also speed the decomposition of organic material, such as leaves and dead insects, thereby fertilizing plants.

Many ants are predators and feed on insects that attack plants in the process of gathering food.

Good morning farmers?

BACKYARD GARDENING.
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A “Backyard Garden” simply refers to a home garden that can supply your family with fresh greens and vegetables daily.

Making a garden near your home can help you to:

• Have access to supply of fresh vegetables and fruits

• Saves time and money for not going to the market

• Have a healthy family -Lowers the cost of providing your family with healthy, organic vegetables. Organic produce means healthy produce, free of harmful pesticides and chemicals that are harmful to both health and environment.

• Provides wholesome activity and lasting memories for your children

In order to establish a backyard garden these are the following factors to consider

• Garden Layout: Setting and Size -Garden Size, Orientation to Sun and Shade, Proximity to Trees and Roots systems, Slopes, irrigation

• Garden Bed and Soil preparation

• Growing Your Garden: What to plant; Planting Basics

• Enjoying the Bounty: Simple Maintenance, harvesting and storing

Backyard gardening is a way of addressing food security and health related issues.

By eating fresh fruits and vegetables grown near our homes, we are promoting a healthy lifestyle.

When using empty containers such as buckets, dishes, wheelbarrow, saucepan, plastic water bottles etc, it helps saves the environment because these materials can be recycled and not being wasted or dump into rivers.

Therefore, the information given out will be of benefit to those who put into practise home gardening

APHIDS
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What are Aphids?

These are small, soft-bodied insects that feed by sucking the nutrient-rich liquids out of plants.

HOW TO CONTROL THEM .
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Try spraying infested plants with a strong stream of water; sometimes all aphids need is a blast to dislodge them. Typically, they are unable to find their way back to the same plant.

Neem oil, insecticidal soaps, and horticultural oils are effective against aphids, but these substances need to come into contact with the aphids in order to work. Be sure to follow the application instructions provided on the packaging.

You can often control aphids by wiping or spraying the leaves of the plant with a mild solution of water and a few drops of dish soap. Soapy water should be reapplied every 2-3 days for 2 weeks.

2021/2022

Very true mama...

Farming has always been an essential part of our country Zambia. I love to see things like this.

Pig Diseases, their Prevention and Control

How to tell that a pig is in bad health

General signs: dullness, loss of appetite, labored or rapid breathing, sudden deaths, loss of weight, low weight gain and fever usually manifested by shivering of the pig.

Signs expressed on the skin: reddening of the skin or skin discoloration, loss of hair and hardening of some parts of the skin, itching and cracking of the skin.

Other signs: lameness, cough, abnormal nasal discharges, diarrhea with a putrid smell, abnormal content and color of f***s and abortions.

Common diseases of pigs

Pig diseases can be caused by bacteria, viruses, protozoa, nutritional deficiencies, poisonous substances, internal and external parasites.

Bacterial diseases include swine erysipelas, swine dysentery, infectious poly-arthritis etc.

Viral and mycoplasma diseases include African swine fever, swine influenza, enzootic pneumonia of pigs, vesicular exanthema of swine, transmissible gastroenteritis etc.

Helminthiasis as a health problem in pigs is mainly caused by worms like the lungworm, ascaris worm etc.

Nutritional diseases include piglet anemia, parakeratosis etc.

External parasitic infections include mange, lice, jiggers etc.

Disease prevention and control

Housing and ventilation

The house should facilitate proper cleaning, disinfection and maintenance of sanitary conditions. Good ventilation is essential in disease control and air must move through the building such that foul air is replaced with fresh air.

Proper manure disposal

Disease causing agents may be contained in urine, f***s, exhalation and nose and mouth discharges. These may act as media for growth of disease causing agents. Excrement must be removed frequently from the immediate surroundings. Manure may be heaped so that the heat generated kills the parasites and microbes. It is recommended that manure be kept in a covered concrete pit and the manure in the put sprayed with insecticides to inhibit development of diseas