The African Orphan Crops Consortium (AOCC) has begun sequencing, assembling and annotating the genomes of 101 traditional African food crops in order to improve their nutritional content. The data is intended to guide orphan crop breeding programs and assess genetic diversity in African crops. The genetic markers will be used…
The nutritious advantage of indigenous vegetables and crops can be enjoyed outside of harvesting season due to several preservation methods. Indigenous vegetables and crops are a healthy alternative or addition to conventional crops, and can be cultivated or even be found in the wild for free. By preserving them for…
Solanaceous crops, like African eggplant, need to be rotated and cannot return to the same field (or the same garden patch) until 2 or 3 seasons have passed. Factor this into your medium-term plan. LAND PREPARATION Plough, disc and ridge if you prefer to follow conventional cultivation practices. A more…
It is common knowledge that farming is an unforgiving business and that it is common sense to test seed before you plant a crop. The earlier you find problems, the more easily you can solve them. GERMINATION TEST Randomly select 100 seeds from the top, the middle and bottom of…
The Malawian government has bowed to pressure to recognise the importance of locally grown crop seed alongside commercially produced varieties. It is still unclear what impact the development will have on the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa’s (COMESA) harmonisation of national seed laws. Non-governmental organisations fiercely lobbied to…
The current buzz around diversity is not just trendy scientific talk. It really is important in agriculture to diversify your farming operation. If all your eggs are in one basket and you drop the basket… well, you know the deal. If all your lands are planted to maize and the…
