Zambia Agribusiness Society

The post today is on a crop with a long and tortuous path, and one that isn’t finished not by a long shot. Garlic is such an amazing plant with a multitude of uses that I was excited when I first tried growing it. The excitement was short lived however as when the plants were dug as their tops died down. I found bulbs that were not substantially bigger than the ones I had planted. This was in my old intensive style garden that relied on truckloads of mushroom compost and regular irrigation. When facing a failure like this there are a lot of different ways to respond. One option I have become fonder of as I get older is to simply give up on that particular plant and focus my energy on something that is more sincerely rewarding. The opposite extreme is to throw everything and the kitchen sink at the problem, hoping that if you just add enough of the right ingredient or work hard enough at the right technique then the problem can be solved. With biological systems there are a multitud

On the basis of organic matter content, soils are characterized as mineral or organic. Mineral soils form most of the world’s cultivated land and may contain from a trace to 30% organic matter. Organic soils are naturally rich in organic matter principally for climatic reasons. Although they contain more than 30% organic matter, it is precisely for this reason that they are not vital cropping soils. This soils bulletin concentrates on the organic matter dynamics of cropping soils. In brief, it discusses circumstances that deplete organic matter and the negative outcomes of this. The bulletin then moves on to more proactive solutions. It reviews a “basket” of practices in order to show how they can increase organic matter content and discusses the land and cropping benefits that then accrue. Soil organic matter is any material produced originally by living organisms (plant or animal) that is returned to the soil and goes through the decomposition process (Plate 1). At any given time

I have a confession to make: I hate bugs. They give me the goosebumps and shudders like everyone else, but they also make me crazy. I don’t necessarily scream when I see a spider dropping from the ceiling or cry at the sight of ants marching across my floor, but I do start performing karate moves that I have never actually learned. The other day, a spider found its way onto my lap, and I lost consciousness for several minutes, but I am told that I beat the spider repeatedly, even after it was obviously dead; my bruised leg is my only memory of the event. Again, bugs make me crazy. So when it comes to controlling pests in the city, I want to do it efficiently and naturally. I want them out of my place without exposing my family to harsh chemicals. A small part of me even wants the creepy things to live a long, happy life elsewhere. If you are in need of some serious pest control, here are five healthy concoctions you can make right at home that won’t harm you or the bugs. 1. Essential

  The humble carrot is a great example of how a single species can express itself in many different ways. The humble carrot is a great example of how a single species can express itself in many different ways. The wild species from the Middle East from which carrot is derived is barely more of a root than a parsley plant and like many modern vegetables started as a medicinal herb. The oldest barely domesticated forms show increasing root size and a wider variety of colours, including white, yellow, orange, red, purple and black. As the crop was taken outward to Europe and Asia its diversity of forms increased, with roots the size of a man’s arm to tiny round shapes. The final push toward industrial salad types saw plants with rapid growth and high fertiliser response under perfect conditions (regular watering and perfect sandy soil) allowing crops of tender and mild tasting roots suitable for munching straight from the bag to be churned out year round. For a long time I suspected thi