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Archive November 1999

Who's who in post-harvest operations?

Need the advice of an expert in processing sorghum (at right), storing kiwi fruit, drying cassava, or ridding logs of huhu beetle larvae? Look no further than Who's who in post-harvest, a very user friendly database from FAO's Information Network on Post-harvest Operations (INPhO). The database contained - at last count - information on 120 experts from institutions and private companies in 29 countries, including including their address, working languages, area of expertise and years of experience. The database can be searched by country, institution, language and commodity group. There's also a registration facility allowing other post-harvest experts to add their profile to the Who's who.


Deficit irrigation boosts yield, saves water

A research programme coordinated by the FAO/IAEA Joint Division (AGE) has shown how "deficit irrigation" - in which crops are irrigated less during plant growth stages that are relatively insensitive to water stress - can help farmers maximize crop production while making optimum use of scarce water resources. The programme used neutron moisture meters to monitor soil water retention and redistribution within and below the rooting zone of crops, and labelling with 15N (a non-radioactive nitrogen isotope) to monitor the behaviour of fertilizer and soil nitrogen under different combinations of deficit irrigation and fertilizer practices. For a full report on Crop yield response to deficit irrigation, contact AGE's Soil and Water Management and Crop Nutrition Section.


Harmonization of phytosanitary measures

Representatives of some 80 countries meeting at FAO headquarters in Rome have taken further steps towards international harmonization of phytosanitary measures. The International Plant Protection Convention's Commission for Phytosanitary Measures (ICPM), which met on 4-8 October, adopted Guidelines for the establishment of pest free places of production and pest free production sites and a Glossary of phytosanitary terms, to be used in national legislation and other international agreements. It set up a working group to study phytosanitary aspects of genetically modified organisms, biosafety and invasive species, gave priority to developing an international standard on non-manufactured wood packaging, and agreed to investigate its role in the area of technical assistance to developing countries. Additional funds for the ICPM's recommended work plan were pledged by the USA, Australia and the North American Plant Protection Organization. Full ICPM documentation available here.


Agricultural marketing, rural finance now in Chinese

FAO technical information on agricultural marketing and rural finance is now available in Chinese on the web site of our Agricultural Support Systems Division (AGS). On the marketing side, the new pages cover marketing information systems, marketing extension, urban food supply, input marketing, inventory credit and Asia's food marketing agencies. The rural finance pages cover general principles, the FAO MicroBanking System, a joint FAO/GTZ programme on "Agricultural finance revisited" and the Asia Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit Association. Readers of Chinese should consult our list of sites for fonts and software, or go directly to the Chinese pages on marketing and rural finance.


Graphic support for animal breeding strategies

AG's Animal Production and Health Division is developing computer software to help countries prepare farm animal breeding strategies. Seven experts from developed and developing countries met in Italy in September to draft strategy guidelines and conceptualize a computer-aided, graphic decision-support system. The prototype system will allow decision-makers to review policy, operational and technical options at each step in the decision-making process. The expert meeting followed a four-day workshop on animal breeding strategies for lower-input production environments, attended by participants from 22 countries, covering all developing regions. For more on animal genetic resources, visit our Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS).


E-conference on highland livestock production systems...

Our Animal Production Service (AGAP) is holding an electronic conference, ending 15 November, on research and development challenges into the next millennium for mountain and highland livestock production systems. The conference is intended to broaden participation in an international symposium - sponsored by FAO, ILRI, CIP and ICIMOD - to be held in Pokhara, Nepal, on 7-10 December. On the symposium's agenda: to evaluate technology options that optimize highland production systems, develop R&D approaches to increase household food security while protecting natural resources, and put together a livestock action plan for the International Year of Mountains in 2002. For details, contact Pradeep Tulachan at ICIMOD (tulachan@icimod.org.np).

...and tropical silage

Silage is forage, crop residues and agricultural by-products preserved by fermentation in airtight conditions - for example, in a silo. While it is an integral part of livestock feeding systems in temperate countries, its use in the tropics is often restricted to high-return enterprises, particularly the dairy industry. An email conference organized by AG specialists in Grassland and pasture crops and Feed resources is reviewing ways of expanding tropical silage use in livestock production, especially for the benefit of smallholders. The ongoing conference involves more than 350 subscribers from 68 countries. View seven papers and 13 posters, starting here.

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