Zambia Agribusiness Society

Diamondback moth larva and adult The diamondback moth (DBM) is a lepidopteran insect and is of economic importance in brassicas i.e. cabbage , broccoli , brussel sprout and cauliflower. Appearace: The diamond back moth is a small, greyish brown, night fly with one-inch wingspan. When it is at rest the moth, hold its wings together, roof like, over its back. When in this position a pattern of three diamond shape spots can be seen along the top of the moth's body. The small caterpillar are 3 / 8   inch long at maturity pointed at both ends and range in colour from cabbage green to yellow. When disturbed, larvae rapidly wiggle their bodies back and forth, often causing them to fall off plants. Symptoms and effects : Diamondback moth larvae feed on Cole crop leaves between the large veins and midribs. They prefer to feed on the lower leaf surface, leaving the upper epidermis intact thereby creating a “window-panning” effect. Severe feeding damage will stunt cabbage and cauliflower

Moringa oleifera is a tree that’s native to parts of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, and is also cultivated in Central America and parts of Africa. It’s sometimes called the drumstick tree because of the shape of its long seed pods. Moringa trees grow quickly and don’t need much water, which makes them easy to cultivate. Moringa oleifera is a plant that has been praised for its health benefits for thousands of years. It is very rich in healthy antioxidants and bioactive plant compounds. So far, scientists have only investigated a fraction of the many reputed health benefits. Here are 6 health benefits of Moringa oleifera that are supported by scientific research. 1. Moringa oleifera is very nutritious Almost all parts of the tree are eaten or used as ingredients in traditional herbal medicines. Moringa leaves are rich in many important nutrients, including protein, vitamin B6, vitamin C, riboflavin and iron. 2. Moringa oleifera is rich in antioxidants An

This is the type of muscular disease that mainly affect the poultry limbs (wings and legs) and disallow free movement of chicken from one place to another. It is sometimes referred to as locomotor disease. Signs in Sick Chickens Signs may vary, but usually chickens lie down because they cannot stand erect. They are reluctant to move or limping when movement is compulsory. Nervous signs may include staring into the sky for not knowing where they are, pulling the head and neck over their backs, paralysis and sores on the breast muscles from lying down. Other signs are crooked toes, swollen hocks, hyper-extended or rubbery legs. Causes There are many different types of organisms that can cause nervous signs and lameness. These include: Bacteria (Salmonella, Botulism). Viruses (Newcastle disease, Marek’s disease, avian encephalo-myelitis). Fungi (Aspergillus) . Treatment A complete hygiene and disinfection programme should be planned together with the animal health technici

Bumblefoot (ulcerative pododermatitis) is a bacterial infection and inflammatory reaction on the feet of birds, rodents, and rabbits. Pododermatitis is referred to as "sore hocks" when it affects a rabbit and "bumblefoot" when it affects a bird. We centralise our discussion on birds as it majorly affect male, heavy birds. Bumblefoot is a common infection for domesticated poultry and waterfowl such as chickens, ducks and quails. Causes Injury to the lower surface of the foot due to walking on rough perches, splinters, wired floors, and poor litter of bedding quality; then infected with staphylococcus bacteria. In other words, constant walking on hard, rough, or sharp surfaces, birds can develop small wounds on the bottom of their feet. These wounds are very susceptible to infection by opportunistic bacterial pathogens, chiefly Staphylococcus aureus. Signs Some of the major signs are lameness, swelling of the foot pad and hard, pus filled abscess on the foo

The fragile nature of chickens has made their production a meticulous one. Chickens need adequate care and attention to enhance their productivity. Irrespective of the type or nature of production, a poultry farm must have medication schedule that shows different drugs to be administered in certain period. Part of this schedule is the use of antibiotics and other immune-boosting poultry drugs. The use of antibiotics for chickens is part of poultry production medications. An antibiotic is a drug that inhibits or kills the growth of pathogenic bacteria within the chicken. It is used to treat diseases and respiratory infections that may be caused by bacteria. The use of antibiotics in poultry production has been regulated to conform to the healthy living of human consumers and also to reduce toxicity in the chicken. There are different types of antibiotics used in poultry; some have been observed to have detrimental effects on human’s health owing to their residual effects but under co

Ms. Rajareega at her farm in Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu seen manufacturing the botanical pesticide. Organic practices avoid investment in costly chemicals. There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that in the past 4 - 5 decades there has been an excessive dumping of chemical toxins on the soil. As a result the soil has become barren and ground water toxic, in many places. Contrast this  with organic inputs that are safe, nontoxic, and cost much less. For example, if using chemical pesticides and fertilizers for growing a crop in a hectare works out to about Rs.6, 000 - 7,000 the cost of growing the same crop using organic inputs may come to only about Rs.500 – Rs. 1,000, according to Ms. Rajareega of Raasi organic farms at Muthupatti village in Sivaganga district, Tamil Nadu. Lower cost Even if some critics say that organic farming cannot provide the same high yields as chemical farming, the organic farmers argue that at least their land is safe; that they have not inve

Are you scooping the armyworms or you are closing the source? Having armyworms in your field is not a real problem, it’s just a symptom of a problem. If you want to deal with armyworms, deal with the root cause. In most cases we are good at dealing with the symptoms. If I was to ask you a question if you are in the boat, and it starts leaking what would be the best solution, scooping the water or closing the leakage? I know many will say closing the leakage. But the fact is when we talk about armyworms many of us are scooping them not closing the source. We should deal with the root cause. Pests are causing a lot of damage and loss to many farmers if you are not dealing with them permanently. It has taken me three solid years to know how to deal with armyworms. And here is the solution I have found working best. In my field armyworms are a strange thing. I don’t recommend spraying I recommend a real solution, a real solution is to deal with them before they attack. I will

Wheat is the most important grain crop and a staple food for more than one-third of the world population. The major area of the wheat in Pakistan lies in Punjab followed by Sindh. However, the yield per hectare is slightly higher in Sindh as compared to Punjab. It ranks first as a cereal crop in the country being followed up by rice only in acreage and production. Wheat crop is subjected to several diseases, which are responsible for reducing its overall production to a great extent because wheat plants in all stages of growth and all-natural environments are subject to various mechanical, environmental, physiologic and biological stresses that interfere with their normal growth and development. Weather, toxicants, pollutants, insects, viruses, fungi, nematodes, bacteria and weeds are primary hazards to wheat production. The actual number of wheat diseases is unknown, nearly 200 have been reported. Over 100 infectious diseases caused by pathogens and with weeds are parasitic and tran