Zambia Agribusiness Society

Potatoes are vegetables, but they contain a lot of starch (carbohydrate) that make them more like rice, pasta and bread in terms of nutrition. Much like rice, wheat and maize (corn) , potato crops are an important part of the world’s diet. The word potato comes from the Spanish word patata. Potato plants are usually pollinated by insects such as bumblebees. Potatoes contain a variety of vitamins and minerals. Different types of potatoes There are thousands of different potato varieties but not all are commercially available, popular ones include Russet, Yukon Gold, Kennebec, Desiree and Fingerling. While the role of genetic modification is up for debate, research has led to genetically modified potato varieties that have potential benefits such as increased protein and resistance to viruses. Based on 2010 statistics, China is the leading producer of potatoes. Potatoes don’t store very well after purchase but they are relatively easy to grow. Potato storage facili...

Okra is a vegetable that keeps on giving all summer long. When you harvest a pod, another grows in its place. It's related to the hibiscus plant and produces similarly beautiful flowers. Okra grows best in hot climates, but even if you live in a Northern region, you can grow okra by starting it from seed indoors and transplanting when the weather warms up. Planting Okra 1. Determine how to start your seeds: If you live in a place with hot summers and mild winters, it's easiest to plant okra in your garden patch, rather than starting it indoors. You'll want to plant the okra seeds in early spring, after the last frost of the year, when the temperature doesn't dip below 55 degrees Fahrenheit at night. If that doesn't happen until late spring or early summer where you live, then it's better to start your seeds indoors 2 - 3 weeks before the last frost. When the seedlings are sturdy and the weather warms up, you'll transplant them to your garden patch. T...

Underfeeding Overfeeding Not dividing the herd into different feeding groups Zero watering or providing low quantities of water Solutions When feeding it is important to know dry matter intake which is given in animal nutrition formulae. It is important in calculating how much feed your animal will consume. Dry matter content found on the leaflet of the feedstuffs we as farmers buy, help in these calculations. Dry matter is the amount of feedstuff remaining after all the free moisture is evaporated out. Calculating dry matter helps reduce feeding losses and improve feeding efficiency It also helps in dividing the herd into different feeding groups It gives great opportunity to reduce feeding costs Always compare feedstuffs on dry matter basis for: All budget exercises Ration formulation Purchasing of feed Dry matter intake is affected by quality of feed, physiology of the animal, environmental factors, stress and diseases. In addition, it is important to know the primary limiting nutri...

Cassava farming is mainly done to produce food items, solvents, alcohol, glucose, animal feed, energy, fertilizers, and some extra by-products. Nigeria tops the list of cassava production, all over the world and Thailand tops the list of cassava production on the Asian continent. Cassava is believed to have originated from South Africa. The scientific name of cassava is Manihot esculenta. Cassava leaves and tubers are the important part of the plant, which is used mostly by people for cooking or in other forms. Roots of this commercial crop are mainly consumed because there are an excellent source of starch along with vitamin ‘C’, calcium, phosphorus, etc. A good combination of all these nutrients have lots of health benefits. Roots are about 1mm thick in size and have brown colour outside. However, the commercial cassava plants have larger roots having a bigger diameter and larger length. Commercial cassava farming can create a huge profit if a suitable variety of cassava is cul...

It is said that coccidiosis spreads faster in intensive system of rearing, but this cannot be the only reason why free-range chickens hardly come down with coccidiosis. It is believed that the access of free range chickens to some herbs make them overcome problems with coccidiosis and other common poultry diseases. Well, the good news is that the wonder plants have been sorted out. And one of them is bitter leaf. Giving chickens bitter leaf extract in their water has been proven to take care of coccidia. You will soon find out how. How to extract bitter leaf for coccidiosis treatment I still don’t know why some people would prefer to use their hands to squeeze out the juice from bitter leaf. Here in this article, I will be explaining how I did the extraction with a kitchen blender for coccidiosis treatment. Gather some bitter leaves. The quantity depends on the volume of juice you are hoping to get and the number of chickens you want to treat. Remove the leaves from...

Tumble mustard Weeds are defined as plants that interfere with human activities. Invaders are a type of weed species that has been brought to our country from another part of the world, and have begun to spread into our environment where they interfere with the ecosystem. These plants present a great threat. Impacts of Invasive Species Invasive species have many negative impacts on our livelihoods and our natural ecosystems. These include: Loss of Biodiversity – When invasive weeds enter an ecosystem they replace the indigenous plants that have historically grown there. This can lead to local extinctions of indigenous plant species. Many bird, insect, and other animal species will not be able to feed or live on invasive weeds, and will be forced to leave the area to find a better ecosystem to live in. Ecological Imbalance – When invasive weeds replace indigenous plants they cause an ecological imbalance by changing natural cycles. Many indigenous species, such as the Australian ...

Venturing into catfish farming is one of the most lucrative agricultural livestock businesses. A lot of catfish farmers are really making a lot of profits from their catfish farms. But one of the major challenge most catfish farmers are facing is disease control. In this article we are going to look at some of the major diseases that affect catfish production. Some of the Major Diseases of Catfish The following are some of the major catfish diseases that can affect catfish production: 1. Catfish crack head disease : Crack head disease is the most common catfish disease in ponds. The particular cause of this disease is not yet understood unlike earthen ponds and natural water bodies. But a lot of people have said that adverse water quality due to over feeding is the main cause and also unbalanced nutrients in the diet of the food of the catfish can also be the cause. The following are the symptoms of the disease on affected catfish: ·       ...