Zambia Agribusiness Society

Today we will be discussing about one of the most ruthless diseases in poultry production. What is Newcastle Disease? Newcastle Disease is a highly contagious viral infection that affects many species of domestic and other bird species with virulent Newcastle disease virus (NDV). Domestic fowls, turkeys, pigeons are most susceptible while a mild form of the disease affects ducks, geese, quail and guinea fowl. It is a worldwide problem that presents primarily as an acute respiratory or digestive disease, or diarrhoea may be the predominant clinical form an ad drop in egg production, profuse diarrhoea followed by collapse, or long-term nervous signs (such as twisted necks), if the birds survive. Severe forms of the disease are highly fatal. What Causes Newcastle Disease? Newcastle Disease is caused by a paramyxovirus that can vary in pathogenicity from mild to highly pathogenic. Onset of the disease is rapid, and signs appear throughout the flock within 2 to 12 days (averag...

Onions are a great crop for the small scale farmer. They're a kitchen staple and play a role in a great number of recipes. You can grow your basic yellow onion, or any of a number of fanciers and heirloom varieties, depending on your market. Planting: Onion sets should be planted from mid-March to mid-April. Gently push onion sets into the soft soil so that just the tip shows. Firm up the soil around them. If planting from seed, sow seeds a half inch deep from late February through early April. Onion sets should be planted 10cm apart from each other in rows 30cm apart. Onion seeds should be sown in rows 20cm apart. Thin weaker seedlings, first to 5cm apart and then to 10cm apart. Growing notes: Onions does best in sunny, sheltered sites with well-drained, well-worked soil. Ground with fresh manure can cause onions to rot. Onions also like being directly in the soil the best and don't thrive as well in containers or raised beds. Pests and problems: Birds are known to...

Whether grown in a garden, a barrel, old tires or a grow bag, potatoes need to be covered with loose organic material periodically, or hilled up. This addition of organic material encourages the potato tubers to grow deep and wide and allows new potatoes to form on top of maturing potatoes. Depth and darkness improve the flavour of potatoes. Potatoes grown too close to the surface and receiving too much sunlight will grow bitter and contain chemicals that can be toxic. Covering potato plants Traditionally, in March to May seed potatoes are planted 1½ to 2 feet (46 to 61cm) apart in a 6 to 8 inch (15 to 20cm) deep trench. They are covered with soil or organic material, such as sphagnum peat moss, mulch or straw and then watered deeply. In early spring, Mother Nature may do much of the watering. When the potato vines grow to about 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20cm) above the soil surface, more soil or organic material is hilled up around the young potato seedlings so that only the top lea...

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 ...

Beetroot farming has become more popular recently. It is very easy to grow, requires little attention, and the season is long. It has a rich earthy flavour and vibrant colour and is delicious either in salads, or as a cooked vegetable. Beetroot is relatively straight forwards to grow and accordingly it is very popular, with a unique flavour and colour to add to salads and juice. Beetroot is biennial which is grown like an annual vegetable which should be grown in damp areas. Once the beetroot is ready, harvest by lifting the leaves then cut them off, and store on a damp newspaper. The beetroot should then keep for 2 to 3 months. It has a wide variety of uses in the kitchen which means that you are unlikely to waste any of it. It can be used in soups, salads and chutneys and also juice, it is also good served as a hot vegetable, and the high sugar content means that it can be used as a good base for homemade wine. Beetroot juice is extracted from raw beetroot and is rich in potass...

The skill of Azolla’s symbiont, Anabaena, to sequester atmospheric nitrogen has been used for thousands of years in the Far East, where Azolla is extensively grown in rice paddies to increase rice production by way of more than 50%. Rice is a vastly important staple in many tropical and temperate areas of the arena. Billions of folks depend on the crop to survive and hundreds of thousands at the moment are threatened by meals shortages which might be expanding each and every 12 months. World rice production was approximately 645 million tonnes in 2007. At least 114 nations grow rice and greater than 50 have an annual manufacturing of 100,000 tonnes or extra. Asian farmers produce about 90% of the full, with two countries, China and India, growing more than half the total crop. Nitrogen is the only maximum proscribing factor in rice cultivation, strongly affecting the crop yield. Azolla substantially will increase the volume of nitrogen fertilizer available to rising rice and it h...

Goat farming is becoming very popular day by day in Africa. Goats are among the main meat and milk producing animals. Due to its high demand and good economic prospects, commercial goat farming under intensive or semi-intensive system has been gaining momentum for the past few years. Commercial goat farming has been driving many modern farmers, professionals, ex-serviceman, unemployed educated youths and famous businessman to take up the goat enterprise on a commercial scale. High demand for goat and goat products with potential of good economic returns of their initial total investment. The producers are being interested more by the emerging favourable market conditions and easy accessibility of improved goat farming technologies. As a result, numerous commercial goat farms have been established in almost all countries throughout the world. Benefits of commercial goat farming: Commercial goat farming is a great and guaranteed profitable business idea. Capital required ...