Guidelines for Cultivating Jatropha

Our good friend Dr. William D. Dar; director general of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropic (ICRISAT) in India, recently sent us the guidelines for the production of Jatropha curcas(tawwa-tawwa in Ilocano) to help Filipino farmers, government agencies, and institutions interested in cultivating Jatropha.

He said that although the guidelines are not exhaustive and made for India, these would still be very helpful because there are only few studies on Jatropha and these could apply in the Philippines. We are therefore reproducing the ICRISAT guidelines with minor revision.

• Jatropha can be grown on degraded lands that are not suitable for growing agricultural crops. Good quality farmlands must be spared for growing food crops.

• The lands for Jatropha cultivation should be developed with suitable soil and water conservation measures to ensure that enough rainwater is stored in the soil and soil loss is minimized. Rainwater conservation measures such as continuous contour trenches (CCT), staggered contour trenches, gully control structures like loose boulder structures, and rainwater harvesting ponds must be applied.

• Avoid growing Jatropha in water-logging-prone and sodic soils with pH above 9. Under waterlogged conditions, these plants succumb to wilt disease. Well drained soils with slightly acidic to alkaline pH are suitable for cultivating Jatropha.

• Selection of right seeds is very critical as there are no improved cultivars and the plants have long life (30+) years. Seeds with over 35 percent oil content are well-developed and bold (>60 g seed weight for 100 seeds), and newly harvested should be used for plantation establishment. Estimation of oil content arid germination test is very essential. Storing seeds for longer period decreases seed viability, and well-tested seeds with germination rate of over 75 percent should be used for seedling production.

• Seedlings should be grown in a nursery and should be planted in the main field when they are 40 to 50 cm tall. Direct seeding can also be done under field conditions, but germinating seeds could be damaged by birds and rats resulting in poor crop establishment.

• Seedlings in the nursery can be grown in polyethylene bags filled with well-mixed soil, sand, and farm manure in equal proportion. Diammonium phosphate (DAP) may be added at 1 g for every 2 kg of nursery medium. To minimize seed wastage, soak the seeds in water overnight. The soaked seeds can be sprouted on moist filter paper or in old clothes at room temperature. Keep the seeds moist during the sprouting process to ensure enough humidity. Sow the sprouted seeds in polyethylene bags. Seeds soaked in cow dung slurry for 12 hours show early and enhanced germination.

• Inoculate seedlings with suitable arbuscular mycorrhizal culture to obtain healthy seedlings.

• Seedlings can also be grown from cuttings, but these seedlings do not develop taproot and are prone to damage by strong wind. Seedlings grown from seeds have well-developed taproot and stand against strong winds.

• When planting Jatropha, dig pits at 2 x 2 or 3 x 2 m depending on the soil and rainfall situation. Row to row spacing of 3 m enables machinery operations for inter row cultivation. Pits of 30 x 30 x 45 cm can be excavated; fill each pit with 1 to 2 kg of farm manure and 50 g of DAP for better plant stand. Then apply 5 to 10 g of methyl parathion (2%) dust or 5g of phorate, lOG while filling the pit to keep away termite damage to seedlings.

• Nursery grown seedlings can be transplanted in the pits at the onset of the rainy season when the soil is wet.

• Once established, Jatropha plants generally survive well unless affected by disease such as wilt or infested with stemborer. The plants drop all their leaves during dry season, leaving the main stem naked:

• The onset of rains or availability of soil moisture through irrigation initiates sprouting of new flushes of leaves and flowering buds.

• During the first year when the plants shed their leaves, prune plants at 0.5 to 0.6 m height from the ground to promote profuse branching and in turn more flowering buds. Annual pruning of the branches after leaf shedding needs to be done for better flowering and fruiting.

• Every year once the rainy season sets in, fertilize each plant with 100g urea and 38g single supe-rphosphate.

• The leaf miner Scutellera nobilis is a serious pest in Jatropha plantations during flowering and fruit development stages. The leaf miner seems to be severe during the onset of the rainy season and during the active growth stage of the plants.

• During first year of plant growth, supplemental irrigation during dry summer increases the survival rate and improves plant growth.

• In between Jatropha rows, grasses or short duration hardy legumes can be grown to improve soil fertility and to be a source of fodder for livestock.

• Jatropha generally starts yielding during the third year in the semi-arid tropics, but with better moisture, fruiting could start early. Likewise, increased yields can be obtained through supplemental irrigation.

However, exact yield potential as well as water and nutrient requirements of Jatropha are yet to be established.

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Growing Moringa Oleifera

Moringa is an ideal plant to grow indoors or in your own backyard.  In fact, in the Philippines that is exactly what they do. You can pick its leaves and make it part of a delicious fresh salad, use it in one our many moringa recipes, (It goes especially well with chicken). Or you can dry the leaves to make a delicious green tea. You can also make tea with the leaf powder in a traditional coffee maker.  If you have enough leaf, you can dry it and make it into moringa powder, like we do, and use it ‘s concentrated nutrition to balance your diet for increased energy and sense of well being. The possibilities are endless. 

For those of you that live in the United States, particularly the southern and western states, you are in luck and can grow Moringa outside.  Moringa doesn’t like the cold and loses it leaves in the winter. For those of you that have a true winter, where it freezes and snows, we recommend that you plant Moringa in pots, keeping them outside in the spring and summer and bring them inside when it gets cold. A greenhouse is ideal in most areas. The plant will die if it freezes completely but it can withstand a mild frost nonetheless. Moringa loses its leaves when the average temperature drops below 70 degrees.

The 12 Species of Moringa are among the heartiest in the Fauna kingdom.  The most common species is Moringa Oleifera. Most research done in the areas of nutrition, water purification. live stock feed, vegetable dyes, herbal medicine and oil production are based on the Oleifera species. It is also the most plentiful.  So, when we refer to Moringa we are referring to Moringa Oleifera. 

Moringa grows in a variety of climates and substandard soils and it is as fast growing as it is hearty. Normal growth ranges from 3-5 meters per year if left uncropped. It is one of the fastest growing biomasses on the planet when properly nourished.  The seed stock from Moringa Farms has varieties known to grow 7 meters in one year if left unchecked. A fully mature Moringa tree can grow to 35 feet.

Commercial Moringa plantations usually crop the trees so they don’t exceed 3-4 meters. Such a height allows the harvesters reasonable access and the cropping encourages horizontal growth enabling. 

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Goat Registration

(All Thing Goats) Now that the kids have arrived, it’s time to consider registration. While that seems an easy enough decision, there are things that should be considered.

In order to register a goat, one or both of the parents must already have been registered or a pedigree (geneaology of the goat) available that can trace parentage back to registered goats. If neither parent is registered with one of the goat associations, the kids can not be registered.

Consider why you want to register your goats. If the goats will be used for show, in most locations, they must be registered to be entered into competition. If the kids are intended for sale, registration will bring a higher price. However, if you’re going to wether the bucklings and keep them for personal use, you might want to rethink a decision to spend the money to register them. If you’re raising goats as pets, is there really a need to have them registered?

Registration is an individual decision based upon multiple reasons so it’s best to think it through, decide how beneficial registration will be for you and the future of your herd and go forward with a solid plan.

The National Dairy Goat Association provides registration under one canopy for dairy breeds including Alpine, LaMancha, Nigerian Dwarf, Nubian, Oberhasli, Saanen, Sable and Toggenburg. Goats with clear parentage can be registered online. For those requiring more documentation, forms are available for download at the NDGA website. Registration requirements are fairly stringent so check out the FAQ prior to attempting registration. Membership is  not a requirement for registration but registration fees are discounted for members.

The American Boer Goat Association allows registration online for purebred goats as well as does with 50% or more verifiable Boer blood. The requirements for registering percentage Boer bucks are different but the standards can be found on the ABGA website and are very clear.

The International Kiko Goat Association is one of two registering entities for Kikos in the US. 

They register purebred as well as percentage goats. The Registration section of the IKGA website is a wealth of information for anyone considering registering a Kiko or Kiko cross.

There are also registries for pygmies, nigerian dwarfs and fainting goats as well as smaller, usually regional, registries that may suit the needs of the goat herder who wants to register kids. 

When considering whether to register or not register, consider the future of your herd, your goals, your plans for excess kids and the financial considerations of registered vs unregistered so you can make an informed decision.

Poultry Farming

Introduction of Poultry Farming

People have been eating eggs and chicken for hundreds of years now, so breeding hens for this purpose has been there for several years too. However, as an organised industry, poultry farming is a relatively new concept.  This is a direct result of urbanisation. Earlier, villages used to be self-sufficient as far as their poultry needs were concerned. Any surplus would be sold to nearby towns. But as the size of towns and cities grew, so did the demand for many things, poultry being one among them. Addressing this need, enterprising people began to breed hens in order to sell eggs and chicken. Thus the concept of a commercial poultry farm and a poultry farmer came into being.

Poultry farming is a business that can be started out on a low capital investment. Undoubtedly a lot of hard work is involved, but the substantial returns more than compensate for it. 

Types of Poultry farms    

Different types of poultry farms cater to different segments of the market. Breeding farms are set up for the sole purpose of hatching and raising poultry for sale to other farmers. The farmers who buy poultry from these farms set up broiler farms. Broiler chickens are reared just for their meat. The usual procedure is to procure day old chicks, keep them for six weeks and market them. During the time that they are in the farm, their feeding, supplements, etc. is closely monitored. Another type of poultry farm is layer farm, where chicks are raised for the purpose of egg production.

Nature of work on a poultry farm

The type of work on a poultry farm will necessarily depend upon the type of farm it is. If the farm is a breeding farm or a hatchery then the work will involveprocurement of eggs from a reliable source, ensure proper conditions for hatching, etc. Day-old chicks are sold to broiler farms and layer farms. So contacts for immediate sale of chicks is essential. In broiler farms and layer farms, feeding is an important aspect of the work at the farm. The birds need abalanced diet in the right quantity for a disease free growth. Improper diet can result in the outbreak of a disease. So the feed given to the birds should be specially formulated keeping various factors in mind. This, in fact, is such a specialised area that large corporate houses are in the area of manufacturing animal feed. A lot of planning and research goes into the manufacture of animal feed, to suit specific areas and ensure optimal production. 

Another important aspect of poultry farms is disease control. Adequate precautions need to be taken to keep diseases at bay. For this, a farmer needs to be well informed about vaccines, deficiencies and how to counteract them, basic hygiene to be followed, etc. For example, in a poultry farm where hygiene is considered important, anyone entering the place where the birds are kept, is required to wash his feet and footwear in antiseptic solution. This is to ensure that the visitor does not carry any impurities inside. This is but one aspect of farm management. Ensuring adequate water supply and the right amount of feed supply to the birds, keeping a look out for any sick bird, etc. are all a part of the daily work which goes on in a poultry farm.

There are other specialised areas of functioning required in a poultry farm. These specialisations are vaccinations, artificial insemination, research on feed formulation, managing the amount of light the birds are exposed to (this has an effect on productivity too), use of feed additives, etc.  The farmer may be able to handle these areas on the basis of experience and may call in experts from time to time. However those planning to start afresh may even go in for specialised training in poultry farming.

Academic Training  

Training courses in poultry farming can be undertaken at government research institutes.  These courses help make farming more efficient and profitable.

Prospects 

A person looking for employment in this field has many options in front of him or her. Those with a leaning for entrepreneurship may start out with a small scale farm on their own and gradually expand activities. Those who want to gain experience in the field before starting out on their own, or those who do not want the risks that are attached to a business, may join a large poultry farm or a hatchery as an employee. As animal feeds is a very specialised area, people trained in poultry farming can find employment with companies engaged in the manufacture of animal feeds. Such companies engage trained people to oversee manufacture and also to visit farms and give advice to farmers to tide over specific problems. Feed analysis laboratories also need the services of trained personnel. The other areas where this type of specialisation can be put to use are veterinary hospitals or pharmaceutical concerns.

The emergence and popularisation of an urban lifestyle has led to an ever increasing demand for poultry products. Hence the potential in this field is tremendous. There are new avenues, like the processed food industry for example, coming up. 

The risk factor for a poultry farmer is also high. Market fluctuations or even bad luck in the form of outbreak of disease can cause financial losses.   However, when all goes well there are quick and high returns. And highs and lows are, after all, part of any business enterprise.

Canola: An Emerging Oil Seed Alternative

Overview

Canola is rapidly gaining acreage as a rotation alternative with small grains and other crops. Grown in several regions of the U.S., canola has strong demand as a healthy vegetable oil. Canola’s main selling point has been its low level of saturated fats, making it popular as a cooking oil and for use in processed foods. Many movie theatre chains have even switched to making popcorn with canola oil instead of imported coconut oil. This increasing acceptance of canola oil among American consumers has led to expanded production opportunities for U.S. producers, and yet the growth in acreage has not kept up with demand. U.S. production has been increasing and is now more than a million acres. In 2002, the U.S. is expected to import more than 1.5 million acres worth of canola, primarily to Canado. Canola oil has also become popular with consumers in many other parts of the globe, and export opportunities mal become available.

Canola can be grown with conventional grain crop equipment, though adjustments need to be made for its small seed size. Both spring and winter (fall-planted) types of canola are available, but normally winter canola will yield best in Missouri. Growing winter canola is much like growing winter wheat. Canola has an advantage over winter wheat in that it often matures earlier by a week or more. This is good for double cropping. On the negative side, canola has to be planted earlier than wheat, and this can cause challenges in fitting it into a rotation. Canola yields a little less than wheat, but has a higher price and usually has a greater net profit, depending on cost of transporting it to a buyer.

Fumigation to control insects in stored grain

The major advantage of fumigation with phosphine (often referred to as ´bombing´ or ´gasing´ using Fostoxin, Fumitoxin etc) is that insects can be controlled without moving the grain. See below for dose rates and other critical recommendations.

General information on phosphine fumigation

Phosphine gas moves readily through grain from the point of application. Phosphine leaks quickly through holes in silos or sheeting. Wind and large temperature changes accelerate phosphine loss. Most phosphine is lost within four days from fumigations in ordinary, unsealed storages.

Insects are killed slowly by phosphine gas. The fumigant must be kept in contact with the insects for at least 7 days to kill all stages of the insect´s life cycle that usually exist in stored grains. Fumigation in ordinary, unsealed storages will kill some adults but most eggs, larvae and pupae will survive to continue the breeding cycle. A silo that is built to be sealed gas-tight is needed to contain sufficient phosphine concentration for long enough to kill all stages of the insects.

Fumigation gives no residual protection to stored grain. In other words, insects will begin breeding, after the phosphine gas concentration has dropped to low levels.

Phosphine fumigant itself leaves minimal residues, and is acceptable to most markets. However, the solid powdery residues left by phosphine generating tablets when they are mixed with the grain are a concern to some markets. It is against label recommendations to mix solid phosphine generating tablets directly into the grain.

Phosphine is effective against insects in most types of grain. But some commodities (for example, oilseeds - linseed, cottonseed) soak up phosphine very quickly, leaving little to kill insects. 

Applying phosphine

Most grain growers use phosphine-generating tablets when fumigating. These tablets react with moisture in the air to release phosphine gas. Up to three days is needed to release all the gas, longer if the grain is cool or very dry. The gas then moves through the grain, usually within a day in volumes up to a hundred tonnes.

The problem of tablet residues in the grain can be avoided by putting tablets on trays, suspending trays in the head space or placing trays on the grain surface. An alternative to using tablets is to use phosphine products which are sold as bag chains, belts or blanket formulations. Do not place tablets in heaps on trays - as the tablets on the top smother the tablets underneath preventing full gas release.

Warning: Do not add water to tablets. This causes a dangerous, quick release of gas which is less effective against insect pests.

Do not enter a fumigated storage to retrieve the spent fumigant formulation - phosphine is toxic to humans. Once the full exposure period plus airing period has passed, the spent formulation can be removed from outside the silo and buried. Some phosphine will be given off by the spent formulation dust, so do not carry it in a confined space.

Alpaca Fun Facts

Alpacas are one of the easiest animals to raise. They are virtually disease free and are very easy on their environment. They are also one of the cutest.

Having alpacas as pets is a great way to lower blood pressure. It is also a great way to get more exercise, as there will be many more trips out to the pens just to see them. Listening to them hum to each other is also very soothing.

Alpacas are raised mainly for their fleece, so there is no need to slaughter them. Their fleece is sheared once a year (usually in the spring) and sold as raw fleece or processed and made into yarn. For alpaca owners that are also very craft oriented, they also earn income through the sales of knit and crocheted items made from their home-grown alpaca yarn.

Alpacas have great memories; they remember which fence sags enough to get over or which gate has been left open. It can be quite entertaining to get them back in their pens, especially when they would rather cool off in a big puddle in the middle of the driveway.

When they do make their escape, the nice thing about them is they will stay together. This is not quite so nice when the whole herd decides to take a walk on a busy highway. A word to the wise: have a gate at the end of the driveway to avoid such scary moments.

They get along relatively well with most farm animals. Cats amuse them, while pot bellied pigs annoy them; especially amorous teenage pigs. They are rather curious and will follow cats around; and will also jump when they come across a cat in the long grass. Truth be told, the cats can jump pretty high as well.

Male alpacas do not appreciate being pushed off a girl they are trying to breed. It is hard to convince 200 lbs of testosterone he is with the wrong girl. The look they give is enough to make even the bravest person leave them alone. A face full of regurgitated grass is not something anyone wants.

Alpacas have their own distinct personalities and have no qualms about showing anyone who is the boss. It is rather entertaining (and sometimes frustrating) to watch the head female run from place to place trying to claim the newest pile of hay or oats that has been dropped in the pen.

Even with the little escapades and bits of attitude from the bossy ones, raising alpacas is a very rewarding lifestyle. Starting with a few animals is best; the herd can be increased as years go on.

They also make great lawnmowers; this works best if they are halter broke and tethered so they do not eat the vegetables in the garden. Tethering them also keeps them away from dangerous plants to them, such as Bleeding Hearts.

Raising alpacas is very rewarding; there is never a dull moment when they are thrown into the mix. Enjoy!

How to Pluck a Chicken

If you are raising chickens for meat, you're getting your chickens more humanely and in a more sustainable way than you would if you simply bought it from the grocery store.

However, you'll need some basic skills when the time comes to kill and butcher your chickens. One important skill that many people lack is plucking a chicken. If you do it wrong, this task can be unpleasant and inefficient.

However, if you know how to do it right, plucking a chicken can be fast an easy. Here's a quick guide on how to pluck a chicken.

The traditional way to pluck a chicken involves plunging it into boiling water before you begin plucking.

Get a large pan (big enough for the whole chicken) and fill it with water. Bring it to a boil, then take it outside, or boil the water over a propane stove outdoors.

Put on thick rubber gloves and hold the dead chicken by the feet. Immerse it in the hot water. Use a wooden spoon or stick to keep the chicken from floating to the top. Older chickens may have to be soaked for a little longer.

Once the chicken's feathers are soaked thoroughly, remove the chicken from the water. Don't leave it in too long - five seconds to a half minute is usually enough.

After all, you don't want to cook the chicken. Then, grab a handful of feathers and begin pulling them out.

Plucking can take anywhere from five minutes to a half hour, depending on how good you are at plucking. Be more careful when plucking young chickens, as their skin may tear.

If pulling out feathers becomes difficult, consider soaking the chicken in hot water again. Wear rubber gloves to keep your hands from getting sore while you pluck your chicken.

There's a pretty good chance those first few chickens will be hard to pluck. The good news is that it doesn't make them inedible.

You'll get the hang of it after you pluck a few. The faster you work, the easier the feathers will come out, because the skin will still be loose. Of course, the more pinfeathers there are, the harder this will be. Once all the feathers and pinfeathers are out, there will still be some light "hairy" feathers on the chicken. These should be scalded off over an open flame. A gas flame or even a barbecue lighter will do the trick. Then you're done plucking a chicken, and it's time to move on to butchering.


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Speckledhen's Ten Commandments of Good Flock Management

1) Keep a clean, dry environment...change bedding as needed, watch out for leaky waterers/windows/roofs, etc.

2) Fresh air/ventilation is essential..poop and respiration add moisture in the air. Ventilation overhead, not at roost or floor level.

3) Provide fresh water, daily. Would you take a sip out of the waterer? If not, clean it.

4) Give fresh, nutritious food, formulated for the age/function of the birds

5) Provide a safe, predator-proofed, uncrowded coop and run...they depend on you for protection

6)  Periodically, check over each bird in the flock for lice, mites, wounds, etc.

7) Practice good biosecurity..disinfect shoes before and after visting the feedstore and shows, quarantine new birds, etc Under no circumstances, sell, trade, or give away a bird that shows sign of infection or has contacted another bird who shows signs of infection, or comes from a flock that has shown signs of infection, now or in the past.

8) At the first sign of respiratory illness, i.e., discharges from nose or eyes or bad smell, cull, cull, cull...birds don't get colds, per se; they contract diseases, many of which make them carriers for their lifetime. That means they are able to infect others even if they seem to recover themselves. See Rule #7.

9)  Do not medicate unnecessarily, including wormers and antibiotics

10) DO YOUR RESEARCH! There are numerous books and articles profiling poultry management and poultry disease. Read, study and then formulate a plan of action, should the worst happen, before it happens.

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Different Kinds of Pest Control

eHow.com:- Pesticides, or pest control products, are used in the regulation and management of insects, mice, ants and other species that invade our homes and gardens. There are numerous pest control products available for home use, with several different formulations. Therefore, it is important to understand how each formulation works to determine the best treatment option.

Wettable Powder Insecticide

Wettable powder insecticides are used extensively by pest control professionals. Wettable powder insecticides offer exceptional knock-down capabilities, as well as a 90-day residual effect. Wettable powders do not dissolve when added to water; they actually float around inside the solution. The extra knock-down power of wettable powders make them a great choice for treating spiders, centipedes, millipedes, German cockroaches and other common household pests. The disadvantage of wettable powder is that is will leave a visible residue on dark surfaces,; however, it is not a stain. In addition, wettable powders are often more expensive than liquid concentrates, but professionals feel it is worth the cost. Popular brands include Demon WP, Cynoff WP and Saga WP.

Soluble Powder Insecticide

Soluble powder insecticides easily dissolve in water and form an invisible pesticide solution. Acephate Turf and Orthene PCO are the most common soluble powders used in pest control. Acephate Turf is intended for outdoor use only, but should not be used around edible food crops. Orthene PCO is not labeled for use in homes, but is a popular choice for treating restaurants and hospitals because it is extremely effective against German roach infestations. Soluble powders produce a strong odor.

Emulsifiable Insecticide

Emulsifiable insecticides are liquid concentrates added to water to form a solution. Emulsifiable insecticides dry clear and provide 28 to 31 days of residual treatment. These insecticides are safe for indoor and outdoor use and, because they are more cost-effective than wettable powders, they are a good choice for large surface areas. Demon EC is a good choice for treating bedbugs, lice, flies, gnats, fleas, carpet beetles, ticks, termites and other household pests. Other good emulsifiable concentrates include Viper and Cynoff EC.

Microencapsulated Insecticide

Microencapsulated insecticides deposit microscopic particles of insecticide on surfaces where it is sprayed or applied. A microencapsulated insecticide provides a longer residual effect than emulsifiable concentrates and does not leave a visible residue. These particles burst when stepped on by pests or when the pests groom themselves. The tiny particles can easily penetrate cracks and crevices. Popular microencapsulated formulas include Suspend SC, Demand SC and Tempo SC.

Other Furmulations

Other pesticide formulations include baits, crystals, aerosoles, powders and granules.