You are looking at scripts about Trees and agroforestry
Trees and Rain
FADE IN THEME MUSIC AND CONTINUE UNDER DIALOGUE. ANNOUNCER: Today you are going to hear some thoughts about the effect of trees on rain. These thoughts are based on the observations of some farmers in the countries of Guatemala and Mexico. FADE OUT MUSIC. Many farmers study the relationship between trees and rain, and they…
Compost a Friend to Trees
We all need friends. Even trees need friends. And trees do have a lot of friends, including rain, sun, and the insects that pollinate tree flowers. But what about compost? You might know that compost is a friend to vegetables. It helps them grow large and healthy. But did you know that compost is also…
Protect Tree Seedlings from Termite Damage
Termite damage can be a major problem when growing trees. It is a concern for many small-scale farmers who want to plant trees on their land. Using chemicals to control termites can be expensive. But there are tested, local techniques to improve the survival rate of your tree seedlings. And they are less costly and…
Windbreaks Protect Crops and Soil
Here’s some information of special interest to farmers who live in places where the soil is dry. Have you noticed that the soil blows around your fields? Are your crops stunted? Have they stopped growing? You are not alone. Many farmers worry that they will have to keep moving to find better land for farming….
A Woman Farmer Fallows with Trees
Jennifer Zulu is a farmer in a small village in Zambia. She is the mother of five children. Jennifer works a small piece of land, about two hectares, that was loaned to her by her brother. She works it alone. She grows maize, cotton and groundnuts. When the rains are good she can grow enough…
How to Plant Bamboo Cuttings
The bamboo plant has many uses. It can be used to carry water, as a building material, and to control erosion on riverbanks. Yet not many farmers grow it. It just grows wild. Most types of bamboo grow shoots from underground stems called rhizomes. These shoots grow into tall, above-ground trunks. If you are planning…
Live Fences Protect Crops and Plants
In Burkina Faso, a country in West Africa, deforestation and soil erosion are having a disastrous impact on the environment. Reforestation programs have been introduced to reverse the damage. But many of these programs are expensive and the newly planted trees are often destroyed in the first year by village cattle. It is estimated that…
Let’s Save our Tropical Forests
Tropical forests. Since the beginning of time they have been a peaceful paradise of huge trees, leafy plants and more birds, animals and insects than you can imagine. But, tragically, these forests are disappearing at an alarming rate, about 30 hectares a minute. In fact, 32 million hectares of tropical forests are destroyed each year….
Agroforestry in Semi Arid Areas
Kenya’s semi‑arid areas are under increasing ecological pressure due to growing population and a lack of arable land. Grazing lands are threatened in places where the number of cattle, goats, and sheep is now more than twice the recommended maximum for the type of land. Rainfall is low, the land produces little, and there are…
Hints
Harvesting fruit the easy way By Livai Matarirano, Zimbabwe Harvesting fruit from tall trees can be a problem. Some people ask young children to climb the trees and harvest ripe fruit. If the children don’t have a basket they throw the fruit to the ground. The child may fall and injure a leg or hand…