Cowdung stops snakes from feeding on fish.

Cowdung stops snakes from feeding on fish. Placing cow dung in a pond repulses snake predators as snakes are common in fish ponds along rivers and other forest-surrounding areas. Insects, fish and other reptiles like frogs are the main source of food for snakes. Snakes love fish, but hate cow-dung smell. A fish pond is more susceptible to snakes because the population is high within this water restricted area. This makes the snakes reside inside the pond or nearby areas. But a sack of about 10kg places in one corner of the fishpond could repulse these predators, according to a farmer;Jared Mogaka . Mogaka, who runs integrated farms in Nakuru, said the use of chemicals in taming predators presents a risk to consumers and the environment. While the dung is fresh, it releases a strong decomposing smell that persists even after it has been placed in the water because it is moist. Cowdung and chicken droppings are commonly immersed in one corner of fish ponds as manure to support the growth of planktons. source

Human urine is best fertilizer for fish pond.

Human urine is best fertilizer for fish pond. A new research shows that ponds fed with human urine generate food for fish faster by four days, while saving farmers at least 24kg of commercial fertilizer required after every two weeks. The research, which was published in the Ecological Engineering journal, said that the readiness to release the rich nitrogen and other ions in the human urine quickened the propagation process of the plankton. The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) states that at least 24kg of commercial nitrogenous fertilizer must be applied per acre every two weeks to facilitate growth of zooplanktons,which are colonies of green microscopic organisms that are major sources of food for fish. A new research by the University of Kalyani, India, says half a liter of human urine is required for every 4,500 litres of water to trigger multiplication of zooplankton in four days. The research compared half a kilo of human urine with cowdung, vermicompost, chicken drippings and cow urine. In the various setups, Moina micrura plankton grew four days earlier in the human urine than the others. also

Farmer uses fish waste to grow vegetables.

Farmer uses fish waste to grow vegetables. Dickson Mosota opted out of buying nitrogenous fertilizers for his vegetable garden,he eliminated these costs by tapping fish pond water for irrigation as well as for the supply of nutrients. Fish waste are rich in urea, which is a compound of nitrogen and other elements. Nitrogen is one of the basic mineral elements responsible for the vegetative growth in crops. It is a macro nutrient in photosynthesis, the process of making food in green plants. Dickson Mosota realized that when he used the water from his integrated fish pond, the vegetables on top of the chicken and rabbit hatch did well. Chickens and rabbits drop their faecal matter into the water to support the growth of algae for the fish. When the fish excrete, the accumulating waste has other minerals elements that accelerate the growth hormones in the crops. Nitrogen is the main component in urea. The farmer drains the 4m by 8m pond monthly besides the regular circulation. more

Drying vegetables increases shelf life to over eight months.

Drying vegetables increases shelf life to over eight months. Dried vegetables can last for more than eight months without expiring/spoiling.The inclusion of a solar drier into production has increased the shelf-life of vegetables from two days to more than eight months, allowing Kisii County farmer, Jared Otundo, sell his vegetables for longer and faraway. Otundo says drying the black night shade and spider flower vegetables has helped him reduce rotting losses to zero.Unlike fresh vegetables that require disposal within two days, he can hold on until when the market fetches more. During rainy seasons, the oversupply of the vegetables lead to low prices. This is his time of accumulating and drying the two varieties and stocking. The solar equipment has a special chamber for blowing away moisture. The vegetables lose the moisture, but the colour remains the same. After packaging and sealing in labeled polythene bags, the cargo is less bulky for transporting. source

New approach to evaluating agricultural development programs.

New approach to evaluating agricultural development programs. A new research has shown that involving locals in figuring out how to improve their farming and fishing methods provides more lasting and widespread benefits than just introducing new technologies or methods. As the old saying goes, teaching someone to fish is far more helpful than just giving them a fish. Now, research from WorldFish and MIT takes that adage a step further: Better yet, the study found, is working with the fishermen to help develop better fishing methods. The findings are described in the journal Agricultural Systems, shows that over the last few decades has shown that bringing about improvements in agricultural systems is a highly complex challenge, with many interrelationships and feedbacks determining how well new methods and devices take hold or provide a real improvement. Yet government agencies as well as research and nonprofit organizations still mostly evaluate the success of their programs using simple metrics that overlook much of this complexity. more

High levels of antibiotic-resistance in Indian poultry farming raises concerns.

High levels of antibiotic-resistance in Indian poultry farming raises concerns.A new study from India raises questions about the dangers to human health of farming chicken with growth-promoting antibiotics -- including some of the same drugs used in raising millions of chickens in the United States and worldwide. The study, led by researchers from the Center for Disease Dynamics, Economics & Policy (CDDEP) and published in Environmental Health Perspectives, found high levels of antibiotic-resistant pathogens in chickens raised for both meat and eggs on farms in India's Punjab state. The study has serious implications, not only for India but globally, as Overuse of antibiotics in animal farms endangers all of us. We must remove antibiotics from the human food chain, except to treat sick animals, or face the increasingly real prospect of a post-antibiotic world.more

Aquaponics at Home: A Modern Farmer Review of Turnkey Aquaponics Systems for All Levels.

Aquaponics at Home: A Modern Farmer Review of Turnkey Aquaponics Systems for All Levels. Aquaponics—an environmentally-friendly mash-up of aquaculture and hydroponics—is just beginning to take off at a commercial level. But for homesteaders and hobbyists, it’s more feasible than ever to raise catfish and tomatoes together, whether in your garden, greenhouse, or a sunny window. Poopy fish water provides irrigation and nutrients to the produce, which in turn filter the water for the fish. more