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
  • 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

How Trees Help Crops

Perhaps you or other farmers in your region practice a type of farming called slash and burn (shifting cultivation).  This is done by cutting down the forest, burning the trees, and planting crops on the land the trees were on.  After a few growing seasons, shrubs and trees are allowed to grow again while another…

A few farming hints

Save and edit this resource as a Word document. A. Snails as fish feed and fertilizer Lung Chieng is a farmer in northeastern Thailand. He has fishponds on his farm and grows fruit trees on the bunds that separate the ponds. Many snails live beside the ponds in the moist areas under the fruit trees.…

Use Bones to Make Fertilizer

When you cook chicken or other meat, you often have bones left over.  You can use these bones to make good fertilizer for your garden.  It’s easy and doesn’t cost any money.  All you have to do is boil the bones in a pot of water, dry them, and crush them. First collect the bones. …

Preventing accidents and some hints on first aid

Save and edit this resource as a Word document Content: Accidents and accident prevention are discussed and hints are given on first aid so that, if an accident occurs, people will know what to do. Is there anything worse than having one of your children or someone else in your family suffer, or perhaps die…

Better Carrots from Your Own Seed

Powell:  Our subject today is carrots, and I’m going to tell you how you can save money by growing your own really good carrot seeds. Now if you’ve tried producing carrot seeds before, you may have noticed that the crop of carrots that grew from your own seeds was not quite as good as the…

Pesticide safety, part 2: Preparing and applying pesticides

Suggested introduction We at this radio station are part of a worldwide information network that gathers farming information from developing countries all over the world. It’s the Developing Countries Farm Radio Network, sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency, Massey Ferguson, and the University of Guelph. Through this Network, we bring you information on health…

Pesticide safety, part 1: Handle with care

Suggested introduction We at this radio station are part of a worldwide information network that gathers farming information from developing countries all over the world. It’s the Developing Countries Farm Radio Network, sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency, Massey Ferguson, and the University of Guelph. Through this Network, we bring you information on health…

Preventing insect pest damage to crops

Suggested introduction We at this radio station are part of a worldwide information network that gathers farming information from developing countries all over the world. It’s the Developing Countries Farm Radio Network, sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency, Massey Ferguson, and the University of Guelph. Through this Network, we bring you information on ways…

Knowing insect life cycles helps you control pests

Suggested introduction We at this radio station are part of a worldwide information network that gathers farming information from developing countries all over the world. It’s the Developing Countries Farm Radio Network, sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency, Massey Ferguson, and the University of Guelph. Through this Network, we bring you information on ways…

Care of a Newborn Calf and its Mother

Here’s Barbara Peacock with some hints about care of newborn calves. Peacock:   Today I have some hints for anyone who has one or more cows and wants them to produce strong healthy calves that don’t get sick easily. To begin with, to have a healthy newborn calf, the calf’s mother must be healthy while…