Backgrounders
Backgrounders are brief introductions to important and technical topics and Answers to frequently asked questions share key information on a topic.
Use this information to plan an episode or series of episodes on the topic, to prepare for an interview, or to answer questions from callers.
- All
- Agriculture
- Aquaculture
- Children and youth
- Climate change
- Community development
- Crop production
- Energy
- Environment and climate change
- Gender equality
- Health
- Hygiene and sanitation
- Land issues
- Livestock and beekeeping
- Marketing and market information
- Nature-based Solutions
- Nutrition
- Post-harvest activities
- Social issues
- Soil health
- Trees and agroforestry
- Water management
Harvest Fresh Vegetables for Several Months
If you grow garden vegetables, then you know that gardening is a good way to save money and supply nutritious food for your family. Many garden vegetables can be planted over a period of two to three months. If you sow your seeds a few at a time over those months, you can harvest the…
Use Hot Peppers to Protect Stored Grain
Here’s an easy way to protect stored grain from insects such as weevils. This method is popular with farmers in the state of Bendel, in northern Nigeria. After you harvest your grains, dry them thoroughly. The grains should be dry enough so that when you bite them, they make a sharp cracking sound. If they…
Improve Manure to Make Better Fertilizer
If you are a farmer then you already know that by adding fertilizer to your soil you can increase yields and improve the quality of your crops. You can buy fertilizers that are made from chemicals. But you can also use things that you have around your home or farm to make your own fertilizer.…
Sunchokes Provide Food for People and Animals
Here’s news about a low work, perennial vegetable called a sunchoke (Helianthus tuberosus). That’s right, this is a perennial vegetable. That means that you don’t have to replant it every year – it seeds itself again and again. And it doesn’t need much care while it’s growing. All you have to do is reap the…
Tips About Tools and Transplants
Care of tools Are your tools in good shape? Are you taking good care of them? The care that you take with your tools directly affects your own health and safety. You can learn a lot about the condition of your farm tools by examining them. For example, have a look at the handles. If…
Equipment to Start Beekeeping
A few beehives can be an important addition to your farm. Bees produce honey and wax. You can sell the honey and wax to earn some money. And there are other benefits that honey bees bring. Bees pollinate crops. That means that they carry pollen from plant to plant which helps the new fruits and…
A Simple Way to Feed Baby Rabbits
Many times rabbit farmers lose young rabbits within five days of birth because the mother rabbit refuses to feed her young. The mother might be unwilling to feed her babies because she is nervous from too much heat or noise. As a farmer, you should do everything you can to make sure that the mother…
How farmers can prepare for El Niño
If you farm in a region that is affected by El Niño, you are probably preparing for uncertain weather conditions. You may be expecting very wet weather or very dry weather. Perhaps you are already feeling the effects of heavy rains or drought. What steps can you take to make sure that you still have…
What is El Niño?
It blows hot. It blows slow. It brings fire and rain, feast and famine. It affects weather around the world. It is called El Niño*. But what exactly is El Niño? Fishers off the far west shores of South America were the first to notice a dramatic climate change and name it. Usually, the currents…