Botswana College of Agriculture

The information environment of agricultural stakeholders in Botswana

2012-02-07T09:24:00.000+02:00

The study surveyed the agricultural information needs, information sources used and the awareness of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA)’s products and services by the various agricultural stakeholders in Botswana. The survey covered 52 agricultural researchers/educators, 30 extension agents, 54 students, 12 commercial farmers, and 45 subsistence farmers. Data collection instruments used for the study were the questionnaire, interview and focus group discussions. The findings reveal that the agricultural stakeholders in Botswana had a wide range of information needs, especially on government programmes, farm problems and identification of market for agricultural products. The prominent information sources used were the Internet, journal articles and technical papers. The study also revealed that most of the stakeholders were not aware of CTA’s products and services and that the Spore magazine was the product mainly used. The Question and Answer Service was rarely used by the stakeholders. The study recommends that the Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA) Library should be selected as the agency to provide agricultural information services to all the stakeholders in Botswana, given its rich information resources in agriculture, and that CTA should reappraise its services in Botswana by ensuring that its services are well utilized by agricultural information stakeholders.

It is too early for salary increment - Khama

2012-02-06T16:29:00.001+02:00

Mmegi Online

Addressing a Kgotla meeting here yesterday, Khama said people must understand that though there was a slight improvement, Botswana still had a deficit. "Remember that we still have a deficit," he said. "The key thing is that we do not want to lay workers off. Take note of this before making any proposal for an increment."

MORINGA (MORINGA OLEIFERA LAM.): A REVIEW (V.E. Emongor)

2012-02-05T10:43:00.001+02:00

Acta Horticulturae

The moringa tree (Moringa oleifera Lam.) is the most “underutilized” multipurpose tropical crop. The leaves, tender pods and seeds could serve as a valuable source of nutrients for all age groups. The leaves, tender pods and seeds are sources of vitamins, minerals and proteins. The leaves and branches can be used as feed for livestock and fish. Due to the high nutrient content of the leaves, moringa can be incorporated into the mulching system. The dry seed suspension is a known natural coagulant and coagulant aid with antibacterial activity. Dry moringa seeds can be used in place of alum to treat turbid water and reduce bacteria in drinking water. Moringa leaf powder can be used as a supplement to boost or stimulate the immune system of HIV/AIDS positive people. Moringa seed contain oil that can be used for various industrial purposes and as vegetable oil for human consumption or as biofuel. Global industrialization and the increasing demand for environmental friendly products make moringa have great potential as a source of pharmaceuticals, dyes, biofuel, human food, animal and fish feed, and water purification products.

Forage resources’ utilization for livestock and game farming in Botswana

2012-02-05T10:30:00.001+02:00

Fora ge resources’ utilization for livestock and game farming in Botswana (A.A.Aganga , U.J.Omphile and K. Dipheko)

An overview is given of forage resources as utilized by grazing livestock and game animals in Botswana. The forage resources of Botswana comprise mostly natural rangelands with little cultivated pastures and they are classified into three different types including, 1. Grasses and grass like plants, 2. Forbs and weeds, and 3. Shrubs and trees. The value of these forage plants varies widely and is influenced by many factors, some of which are fixed and others controllable. Grazing animals in Botswana have been maintained on feedstuffs that come from natural rangeland. Forage utilization within the communal zones is uncontrolled, while the commercial system follows "reasonably acceptable levels of management. Natural pastures serve as pre-requisite for cattle production and therefore the same importance attached to cattle production should also be attributed to rangeland resources. Unfortunately, there is considerable evidence to indicate that the productivity of the range is declining rather than increasing to match the steadily increasing livestock population.

HIGH LEVELS OF RAPD AND SSR MARKER DIVERSITY IN LANDRACES OF WATERMELON (CITRULLUS LANATUS) IN SOUTHERN AFRICA (C. Mujaju, G. Werlemark, L. Garkava-Gustavsson, H. Nybom)

2012-02-05T10:25:00.001+02:00

HIGH LEVELS OF RAPD AND SSR MARKER DIVERSITY IN LANDRACES OF WATERMELON (CITRULLUS LANATUS) IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

Previous studies have reported relatively low levels of genetic diversity in cultivated watermelon. The investigated material has, however, consisted mainly of US plant introductions and modern watermelon cultivars linked to breeding programmes for disease resistance. By contrast, germplasm maintained in the putative centre of origin in southern Africa, could be expected to display considerably higher variability. Three different sampling strategies have been used to collect plant material of both wild and cultivated forms of cow-melons (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides) and of sweet watermelons (C. lanatus var. lanatus, only known from cultivation); (1) in-depth sampling in the fields of one village in Zimbabwe, (2) medium-scale sampling across the water-melon growing districts in Zimbabwe, and (3) broad-scale sampling across southern Africa (Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe). Two molecular markers have been, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and simple sequence repeats (SSR) also known as microsatellite DNA. Similarity matrices obtained with RAPD and SSR, respectively, were highly correlated, suggesting that for some applications, the less demanding RAPD can be a useful alternative, especially in developing countries. Considerable amounts of genetic diversity was found at all levels, including within-accessions (half-sib families), and sweet watermelon accessions appear to contain almost as much variability as cow-melon accessions.

PRELIMINARY NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS OF MARULA (SCLEROCARYA BIRREA) FRUITS FROM TWO KENYAN PROVENANCES (H. Jaenicke, M. K. Thiong'o)

2012-02-05T10:23:00.001+02:00

PRELIMINARY NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS OF MARULA (SCLEROCARYA BIRREA) FRUITS FROM TWO KENYAN PROVENANCES

Sclerocarya birrea, the marula tree, is a medium-sized dioecious tree, indigenous to the miombo woodlands of Southern Africa and the Sudano-Sahelian range of West Africa. The local populations value the yellow, aromatic and fleshy fruits, which are eaten fresh or processed into juices and alcoholic beverages. The seed kernels are high in protein and fat and constitute an important emergency food. We have initiated a thorough nutritional analysis of S. birrea fruits and seeds (nuts). Initial results from bulked samples from the Kitui and Kibwezi provenances in Kenya show similar to higher values for vitamin C, protein, important nutritional minerals and carbohydrates than values published for fruits from Botswana, Namibia and South Africa. Our study suggests that the Kenyan material is of equal quality to the fruits marketed in Southern Africa. This finding has interesting implications for the future development of widespread commercialization by small-scale farmers. The study also gives an indication of the wide genetic variability of wild material from which superior provenances or individuals can be selected for further improvement of the species.

THE EFFECT OF PLANTING DATE, SET SIZE, AND SPACING ON THE YIELD OF ONION (ALLIUM CEPA) IN BOTSWANA (M.E. Madisa)

2012-02-05T10:18:00.001+02:00

THE EFFECT OF PLANTING DATE, SET SIZE, AND SPACING ON THE YIELD OF ONION (ALLIUM CEPA) IN BOTSWANA

Experiments with planting dates and with sets of different sizes were carried out in Botswana in order to increase the yield and to reduce the seasonality of short-day onions. The mid-March planting gave the highest yield of 43.0 t/ha compared with 23.6 t/ha for the February planting and 31.2 t/ha for the April planting. The February planting produced 24% bolting plants, whereas, the March planting gave 7% and the April planting gave no bolters. Although late planting reduced bulb disorders, it also reduced bulb sizes and consequently led to low yield. In an experiment comparing three sizes of onion sets for planting, the optimum size was 0.75–1.0 in. with a yield of 45.4 t/ha. The 0.5–0.75 in. size gave 30.6 t/ha while 1.0–1.25 in. gave 37.6 t/ha. In a spacing trial with cultivars Granex 33 and Texas Grano, the treatments had no effect on yield, but influenced the bulb size.

PRODUCTION AND MARKETING PROBLEMS IN SMALL SCALE HORTICULTURAL FARMING IN BOTSWANA (S.P. Baliyan, D.L. Kgathi)

2012-02-05T10:10:00.001+02:00

PRODUCTION AND MARKETING PROBLEMS IN SMALL SCALE HORTICULTURAL FARMING IN BOTSWANA

Production and marketing problems faced by subsistence horticulture farmers in Botswana hinder the potential production which forces the country to import 80% of the fruit and vegetable demand. The local farmers fail to compete with the high quality and low priced imported vegetables. The problems in disposing off the horticultural produce depress the farmers and this negatively affects local horticultural production and farm income. Commercialization of the small horticultural sector requires the development of market-oriented production, as opposed to the occasional sale of subsistence surplus. Success in commercializing this sector depends on the orientation of production to meet market demand and on the removal, or reduction, of a broad range of production and marketing constraints. A survey based study was conducted in Botswana in the year 2007-08 focusing on the identification of the problems associated with small scale horticultural production and marketing, their causes and possible suggestions thereof. Pareto analysis was used to prioritize (ranking) the problems and their causes. A total of ten problems in horticultural production were identified and, poor access to inputs, high fuel costs, pests and diseases, high input costs, insufficient infrastructure, lack of finance, shortage of skilled labour, and breakdown of irrigation systems were found to be the major production problems (85.23% contribution). Out of the seven problems identified in horticultural marketing; insufficient production and inconsistent supply of local produce, high transportation costs, poor marketing infrastructure, high competition with imports, and lack of marketing skills were the major marketing problems (84.36% contribution). The causes of each of the marketing problems were also identified and ranked. Subsidized fuel price, increase area under cultivation, effective implementation of efficient cropping plan, easy access to finance, building new market places, proper dissemination of market information, establishment of Agro Service Centers and revision of existing import policy were among the suggestions to minimize the marketing problems in Botswana.

CHEMICAL THINNING OF MORULA (SCLEROCARYA BIRREA SUBSPECIES CAFFRA) FRUIT USING BENZYLADENINE (O.G. Moatshe, V.E. Emongor, O. Oagile)

2012-02-05T10:04:00.001+02:00

Acta Horticulturae

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of benzyladenine (BA) on fruit set and quality of morula (Sclerocarya birrea subspecies caffra). Benzyladenine was applied when the fruitlets were 8-10 mm in diameter at concentrations of 0, 50, 100 or 150 mg L^-1. Benzyladenine application significantly (P<0.001) reduced fruit set of morula trees by between 48-67%. Application of BA to morula fruit trees significantly (P<0.001) increased fruit size (length and diameter), density and weight. However, BA application had no significant effect on the fruit length-to-diameter (L:D) ratio. Benzyladenine significantly (P<0.01) increased the fruit endocarp but decreased mesocarp of morula fruit by the same margin (1.1-6.3%). Suggesting that BA-induced increase in fruit weight was attributed to increase in the endocarp. Application of BA to morula trees resulted in fruits with significantly (P<0.05) higher soluble solids content, titratable acidity and citric acid equivalent compared to control unsprayed trees. Morula trees sprayed with BA had significantly (P<0.001) higher leaf area, total leaf chlorophyll content, chlorophyll A and chlorophyll B, respectively than unsprayed trees. Benzyladenine also promoted morula fruit colour development. The results of this study showed that BA has the potential to be used as a chemical thinner of morula or chemical agent that improves fruit quality. However, further research on concentration and timing of application needs to be done.

Nutrient Balance of Tswana Goats Fed Cenchrus ciliaris Hay as Basal Diet and terminalia serecia or Boscia albitrunca as Suplement

2012-02-05T10:01:00.001+02:00

Acta Horticulturae

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of benzyladenine (BA) on fruit set and quality of morula (Sclerocarya birrea subspecies caffra). Benzyladenine was applied when the fruitlets were 8-10 mm in diameter at concentrations of 0, 50, 100 or 150 mg L^-1. Benzyladenine application significantly (P<0.001) reduced fruit set of morula trees by between 48-67%. Application of BA to morula fruit trees significantly (P<0.001) increased fruit size (length and diameter), density and weight. However, BA application had no significant effect on the fruit length-to-diameter (L:D) ratio. Benzyladenine significantly (P<0.01) increased the fruit endocarp but decreased mesocarp of morula fruit by the same margin (1.1-6.3%). Suggesting that BA-induced increase in fruit weight was attributed to increase in the endocarp. Application of BA to morula trees resulted in fruits with significantly (P<0.05) higher soluble solids content, titratable acidity and citric acid equivalent compared to control unsprayed trees. Morula trees sprayed with BA had significantly (P<0.001) higher leaf area, total leaf chlorophyll content, chlorophyll A and chlorophyll B, respectively than unsprayed trees. Benzyladenine also promoted morula fruit colour development. The results of this study showed that BA has the potential to be used as a chemical thinner of morula or chemical agent that improves fruit quality. However, further research on concentration and timing of application needs to be done.

New drug could cure nearly any viral infection - MIT News Office

2012-01-16T06:21:00.000+02:00

New drug could cure nearly any viral infection - MIT News Office

2012-01-16T06:19:00.000+02:00

New drug could cure nearly any viral infection - MIT News Office

POULTRY WASTE MANAGEMENT IN BOTSWANA: A REVIEW

2012-01-15T18:15:00.000+02:00

ABSTRACT: A literature review was conducted to identify methods that are used to dispose of poultry waste in Botswana. It appears that the predominant methods of poultry waste disposal in Botswana are direct disposal at the landfills, application as a fertilizer in gardens or farms, burning and compositing. The use of poultry manure and/or litter to raise fertility status of the soil appears to be appropriate given that soils in Botswana are generally poor in plant nutrients, especially phosphorus. Given the high feed costs in Botswana it is suggested that the use of poultry manure and/or litter as livestock feed should be considered in areas where foot and mouth disease (FMD) is endemic such as Chobe and North West Districts, as meat from these districts does not enter the European Union market.

PERFORMANCE OF GUINEA FOWL (NUMIDA MELEAGRIS) FED VARYING PROTEIN LEVELS

2012-01-15T18:02:00.000+02:00

ABSTRACT: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different protein levels on growth of guinea fowl keets (Numida meagris) of the same age under intensive system in a typical poultry house from 6th week to 12th week of age. They were fed commercial broiler starter for two weeks and maintained on same diet of 18% crude protein for 5 weeks of age and given water ad libitum. The birds were separated into three pens. One hundred and twenty old guinea fowls were assigned at grower period on 3 dietary protein levels of 14, 16 and 18% crude protein (CP) on same metabolizable energy level of 2800 kcal/ kg. The study was conducted in Kgatleng District in Botswana used to test the performance of the female birds. The birds were killed at the owner’s farm by cutting the neck through the jugular vein. There was significant difference (P<0.05) in feed intake between the three treatments. The internal organs for the treatments were not significantly different.

Review of Sweet Sorghum: A Potential Cash and Forage Crop in Botswana

2011-11-23T08:04:00.000+02:00

Assessment of Students’ Usage of Computers Technologies by Program at Botswana College of Agriculture

2011-11-19T11:43:00.000+02:00

Ed/ITLib Digital Library → Assessment of Students’ Usage of Computers Technologies by Program at Botswana College of Agriculture

A survey of 120 students who frequently visit the Information Technology (ICT) laboratory at Botswana College of Agriculture was conducted to establish the activities which students of different educational programs in the college perform. Respondents indicated that 80% of their time in the laboratory was used for communication purposes, followed by 70% doing assignments, and 20% preparation for presentations. Respondents also indicated that most of the communication they carry out during their visit to college IT laboratory was mainly sending e-mails, followed by face-book, and last was the use of Skype. The study revealed that there was no difference on the use of technology by students at Botswana College of Agriculture by gender and program of study. It was concluded that the use of computers in lives of learners was an essential aspect for learning and therefore BCA should strengthen its IT laboratory to enable studs use the resources. A study of the same nature may be needed for faculty members.

HEAT AND MOISTURE PRODUCTION OF W-36 LAYING HENS AT 24°C TO 27°C TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS

2011-11-19T11:42:00.001+02:00

HEAT AND MOISTURE PRODUCTION OF W-36 LAYING HENS AT 24°C TO 27°C TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS

This study was conducted to quantify heat and moisture production (HMP) of W-36 laying hens in their prime laying phase (27 to 33 weeks of age) using four large-scale indirect animal calorimeters. Two experiments were conducted involving two groups of hens. The hens were exposed to conditions of 24°C to 27°C and concomitant relative humidity (RH) of 45% to 65% for six weeks. In each experiment, a total of 216 laying hens were used, with 54 hens housed in each of the four calorimeters at the cage stocking density of 435 cm2 hen-1 (67 in.2 hen-1) that was typical of industry practice. Total heat production (THP), room-level latent heat production (LHP), and room-level sensible heat production (SHP) were expressed as daily time-weighted average (TWA), with an average of 16 h light and 8 h dark. The results showed that HMP was similar for the 24°C to 27°C temperature range. THP, LHP, and SHP, in W kg-1 (mean ±SE) were, respectively, 6.1 ±0.3, 2.3 ±0.2, and 3.8 ±0.1 for the daily TWA; 6.5 ±0.3, 2.4 ±0.2, and 4.1 ±0.1 for the light period; and 5.4 ±0.3, 2.2 ±0.2, and 3.2 ±0.1 for the dark period. The HMP data contribute to the design and operation of ventilation systems in modern laying hen housing.

INFLUENCE OF DIETARY CALCIUM LEVELS ON BONE DEVELOPMENT IN BROILER BREEDER HENS

2011-06-25T12:04:00.000+02:00

INFLUENCE OF DIETARY CALCIUM LEVELS ON BONE DEVELOPMENT IN BROILER BREEDER HENS

Effect of benzyladenine (BA) on fruit set and mineral nutrition of morula (Sclerocarya birrea subspecies caffra)

2011-05-30T09:37:00.000+02:00

A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of benzyladenine (BA) on fruit set and mineral nutrition of morula (Sclerocarya birrea subspecies caffra). Benzyladenine was applied when the fruitlets were 8 to 10 mm in diameter at concentrations of 0, 50, 100 or 150 mg/l. Application of BA to morula fruit trees significantly (p < 0.001) reduced fruit set of morula trees by between 48 to 67%. Morula tree sprayed with BA had significantly higher leaf and fruit mineral content than control trees. The fruit calcium (Ca) (p < 0.05), magnesium (Mg) (p < 0.05), nitrogen (N) (p < 0.01) and potassium (K) (p < 0.001) increased significantly with increasing BA concentrations. The results showed that BA can be used as a chemical agent to reduce crop load and improve the morula tree mineral uptake and mineral partitioning to the leaves and fruits.

Key words: Sclerocarya birrea subspecies caffra, benzyladenine, fruit set, mineral content.

BMC, farmers could lose P450m in 2011

2011-05-10T12:03:00.000+02:00

BMC, farmers could lose P450m in 2011: "The Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) and its farmers could lose up to P450 million due to the suspension of exports to the lucrative EU market, a situation that will only be worsened by the recent outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)."

RESEARCH OPINIONS IN ANIMAL & VETERINARY SCIENCES

2011-05-03T16:21:00.000+02:00

RESEARCH OPINIONS IN ANIMAL & VETERINARY SCIENCES

Effectiveness of field practical training for competence acquisition among students of Botswana College of Agriculture

2011-05-03T16:01:00.000+02:00

Effectiveness of field practical training for competence acquisition among students of Botswana College of Agriculture

Knowledge and Utilization of Authentic Assessment Techniques by Lecturers in Botswana College of Agriculture

2011-05-03T15:46:00.000+02:00

Knowledge and Utilization of Authentic Assessment Techniques by Lecturers in Botswana College of Agriculture

Desalination race Lifts Ancient African Infrastructure

2011-03-21T15:22:00.000+02:00

Water & Wastewater International

ICTs and Small-Scale Agriculture in Africa: A Scoping Study

2011-03-19T11:47:00.000+02:00

ICTs and Small-Scale Agriculture in Africa: A Scoping Study

Knowledge and utilization of job enrichment techniques among district agricultural officers in Botswana

2011-02-19T13:58:00.000+02:00

Knowledge and utilization of job enrichment techniques among district agricultural officers in Botswana

In Botswana, agricultural extension services delivery is faced with problems of inadequate skilled manpower to carry out research and disseminate information to farmers and existing staff are not motivated to perform at optimum level, hence performance with productivity declines over time.

Structuring jobs and roles correctly is very important in elevating the motivation of employees, which is addressed by job enrichment. Using a random sampling technique, this study examined the knowledge and utilization of job enrichment techniques among District Agricultural Officers (DAOs) in Botswana.

Data were collected with a structured questionnaire that has a reliability coefficient of 0.85 and were analyzed with frequency counts, percentages correlation and multiple regressions. The result shows that the knowledge of job enrichment techniques was moderate among district officers. The use of job enrichment techniques was facilitated by the organization structure for extension delivery in Botswana.

Important predictors of job enrichment utilization are information sources on job enrichment (t = 2.79), educational level (t = 2.07), age (t = - 2.86) and years of experience (t = 2.89). The paper recommends that training should be provided to DAOs on job enrichment and other job- related concepts in order to improve performance among extension agents.

Yolk sac utilization in ostrich (Struthio camelus) chicks

2010-11-15T16:14:00.000+02:00

247 (application/pdf Object)

LEA, BCA team up to boost ‘agro’ industry

2010-08-04T13:42:00.000+02:00

LEA, BCA team up to boost ‘agro’ industry

Evaluation of the livestock management and infrastructure development support scheme in seven districts of Botswana

2010-05-13T13:08:00.000+02:00

Evaluation of the livestock management and infrastructure development support scheme in seven districts of Botswana

On-line guide to scientific writing

2010-05-13T12:41:00.000+02:00

On-line guide to scientific writing

Plants can grow quickly or ward off hungry insects, but not both

2010-03-26T08:43:00.001+02:00

Plants can grow quickly or ward off hungry insects, but not both

Move over predators: Plants can control the food chain too -- from the bottom up

2010-03-26T08:43:00.000+02:00

Move over predators: Plants can control the food chain too -- from the bottom up

2010-03-26T08:42:00.000+02:00

Move over predators: Plants can control the food chain too -- from the bottom up

Quality of a tomato depends more on temperature than on natural light

2010-03-26T08:39:00.001+02:00

Quality of a tomato depends more on temperature than on natural light

PHOSPHORUS LEVELS IN SHOOTS OF BAMBARA GROUNDNUT IN BOTSWANA SOILS - Journal of Plant Nutrition

2010-03-26T08:39:00.000+02:00

PHOSPHORUS LEVELS IN SHOOTS OF BAMBARA GROUNDNUT IN BOTSWANA SOILS - Journal of Plant Nutrition

CEDA - News and Events

2010-03-26T08:38:00.000+02:00

CEDA - News and Events

The versatile Gakale has sat on other Boards such as Air Botswana, Botswana Vaccine, Botswana College of Agriculture Council, Southern African Center for Cooperation in Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Training (SACCAR) and Veld Products Research, Botswana. He was also a member of several professional bodies/committees such as Botswana Technology Center, Executive Committee of the Special Program for African Agricultural Research (SPAAR), World Bank and the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC).

Botswana, Agriculture Jobs; Looking for a job as a laboratory technician and/or scientific officer,

2010-03-26T08:37:00.001+02:00

Botswana, Agriculture Jobs; Looking for a job as a laboratory technician and/or scientific officer,

Give graduates jobs.

New Agriculturist - Focus on 094 Focus on Wild trees Where

2010-03-26T08:37:00.000+02:00

New Agriculturist - Focus on 094 Focus on Wild trees Where

Implementing a common library system for the Lesotho Library Consortium

2010-03-26T08:33:00.000+02:00

Implementing a common library system for the Lesotho Library Consortium

Donkeys and development socio-economic aspects of donkey use in

2010-03-26T08:32:00.000+02:00

Donkeys and development socio-economic aspects of donkey use in

Department of Waste Management and Pollution Control

2010-03-26T08:30:00.000+02:00

Department of Waste Management and Pollution Control
BCA Environmental Day

Loan sharks target vulnerable tertiary students

2010-03-26T08:29:00.000+02:00

Loan sharks target vulnerable tertiary students
Botswana Accountancy College (BAC) offers about 55 beds, which are strictly reserved for first year students only. The number of beds offered by Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA) and the Institute of Health Sciences (IHS) is still to be confirmed.

Botswana Journal of Biotechnology

2010-03-26T08:26:00.000+02:00

Botswana Journal of Biotechnology
D you recognise the familiar surnames?

Botswana to oppose ivory trade ban

2010-03-12T20:44:00.000+02:00

Botswana to oppose ivory trade ban

Botswana seeks to host agricultural centre

2010-03-12T20:18:00.000+02:00

Botswana seeks to host agricultural centre

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' PERFORMANCE IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY AT BCA

2010-01-19T11:18:00.000+02:00

UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' PERFORMANCE IN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY AT BCA

Effects of land cover/ land use changes on water quality in artificial wetland in the Limpopo basin A case study of Botswana (Gaborone, Bokaa, Shashi and Letsibogo Dams)

2010-01-15T16:36:00.000+02:00

Effects of land cover/ land use changes on water quality in artificial wetland in the Limpopo basin A case study of Botswana (Gaborone, Bokaa, Shashi and Letsibogo Dams)

The increased human and animal populations; and other agricultural and industrial activities pose potential problems of elevated water requirements and also pollution of both surface and underground scarce water sources. Pollution is mainly by human and industrial waste and siltation due to changes in land use / land cover. We believe that this project will support water resources management in Botswana by developing a technology based on earth observation EO techniques. This technology will rely on continued use EO (supply of satellite data), and it should make water management efficient and robust.

Objective:
To develop an ANN model relating various land use / land cover characteristics with that of some predominant water quality parameters in the reservoir waters of Gaborone dam and use the model to simulate some future scenario that are likely to emerge due to on going rapid expansion and economic activities taking place in the catchment area.

Methodology:
Catchment characteristics and land use / land cover changes shall be derived from satellite imagery. Moreover, we shall attempt to correlate other satellite sensors output with actual water quality characteristics i.e. turbidity (calibration). It is proposed to develop a multiple input feed forward type of ANN model with suitable number of hidden layers, suitable number of neurons in each layer, appropriate transfer functions and a proper training algorithm. Once, the model is capable of replicating the observed water quality parameters, then a suitable forecasting algorithm will be chosen to forecast future scenario on a short time domain. This could serve as a guideline in formulating land use policies

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Botswana College of Agriculture - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2009-04-08T22:39:00.002+02:00

Botswana College of Agricultureor BCA was established by an act of the Parliament of Botswana on 31 May 1991. ...

Suitability of Underground Water for Irrigated Agriculture in Some ...

2009-04-08T22:36:00.001+02:00

The study was carried out to ...

Unami Hulela - LinkedIn

2009-04-08T22:35:00.002+02:00

Unami Hulela. DR at Botswana College of Agriculture. Botswana ... Botswana College of Agriculture. (E-Learning industry). Currently holds this position ...

Educational Institutions If you and your Spouse/Common-law partner ...

2009-04-08T22:35:00.001+02:00

...Botswana College of Agriculture. •. University of Botswana. Bulgaria. •. American University in Bulgaria. Eritrea. •. University of Asmara. Ehtiopia ...

Gender ownership patterns of livestock in Botswana

2009-04-08T22:32:00.000+02:00

Department of Agricultural Economics, Education and Extension, Botswana College of Agriculture, University of Botswana, Gaborone oioladeleATbca.bw, ...

University of Botswana

2009-04-08T22:30:00.000+02:00

... and Botswana College of Agriculture and Colleges of Education. Placement description: Botswana provides unique opportunities in the areas of ...

INFLUENCE OF SOWING DATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL ...

2009-04-08T22:29:00.003+02:00

Present address: Department of Crop Science and Production, Botswana College of Agriculture, University of Botswana, P/B 0027 Gaborone, Botswana. ...

PEEPA More Than Just Selling State Assets - Botswana Gazette

2009-04-08T22:29:00.001+02:00

...outsourcing of non-core duties at the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) and outsourcing of catering services at the Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA). ...

Relationship between Forecast Grades and Component Scores of the ...

2009-04-08T22:28:00.002+02:00

Botswana College of Agriculture. Email: mthobegaATbca.bw. Trust Mbako Masole. Botswana Examinations Council. Email: tmmasoleATgov.bw. Abstract ...

Directory of open access journals

2009-04-08T22:27:00.000+02:00

Secondary effluent water was sampled every month for one year, from a breather pipe on the pivot irrigation system at the Botswana College of Agriculture, ...

Mokalake denies charges

2009-04-08T22:26:00.001+02:00

The Assistant Minister of Education and Skills Development Mr ... that there are some teachers who were sent to Botswana College of Agriculture ...

Highlights (and a few low points) of Camp GLOW

2009-04-08T22:24:00.000+02:00

After attending a few days of camp with the kids from Stepping Stones, I jetted off to Botswana College of Agriculturefor Camp GLOW with youth from Baylor Teen Club. The camp consisted of 54 kids from 12 different villages/towns ...

Remote weather stations give farmers timely advice

2008-08-11T04:08:00.002+02:00

Remote weather stations give farmers timely advice

from Agriculture News - Topix

For apple growers like Abby Jacobson, making or losing money depends as much on what they don't do as what they do.

Cllr asks ministry to engage youth

2008-08-11T03:52:00.001+02:00

Cllr asks ministry to engage youth
Dailynews, Botswana - 8 hours ago
He explained that the Botswana Agricultural College had stopped offering certificates in this field and that the diploma graduates assigned to serve in that ...

Prioritise agriculture - Debswana

2008-08-11T03:51:00.000+02:00

Prioritise agriculture - Debswana
Mmegi Online, Botswana - Jul 16, 2008
The BATA National Agricultural Show was held last week at the Botswana College Agriculture (BCA) in Sebele. The show was sponsored by Debswana, ...

Teachers urged to improve agriculture

2008-08-11T03:49:00.001+02:00

Teachers urged to improve agriculture
Dailynews, Botswana - Jul 13, 2008
... Challenges Into Opportunities”, and Debswana, Ministry of Education and Skills Development, Botswana College of Agriculture and CEDA sponsored it. ...

Ranches critical in combating diseases - 02 June, 2008

2008-06-09T08:10:00.002+02:00

He proposed that the Ministry of Agriculture should engage graduates from Botswana College of Agriculture on temporary basis to supplement extension workers countryside, particularly when there were problems such as the outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

Ranches critical in combating diseases - 02 June, 2008

2008-06-09T08:10:00.000+02:00

Parliament passes draft tertiary policy

2008-06-03T23:31:00.000+02:00

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeMeanwhile debating the Draft Tertiary Education Policy Ngwaketse West MP, Mr Mephato Reatile said it was about time Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA) ...

Insects (the original white meat)

2008-06-03T22:57:00.000+02:00

Because the caterpillar metamorphoses in soil, it used to be “taboo to dig the worm that has gone underground,” notes O. Ricky Madibela, formerly at the Botswana College of Agriculture in Gaborone. Today, however, people excavate dirt around mopane trees for this “seed of the next generation” of caterpillars. And that, he argues, is unsustainable.

Should BCA Students Be More Involved In National Agricultural Activities?

2008-05-11T19:52:00.002+02:00

Not to say that retakes are any good, but recently I had a very interesting conversation with one of the In-Service students at BCA. This guy has been out there doing a lot of field work of massive importance to the nation at large if not to the world really. Disease control was one of his major responsibilities. He mentioned how they have had to go out there for months and remain under quarantine. It was very interesting learning from him the ups and downs of field work.

During the conversation which involved more than just us, we all agreed that it may be of great significance for students to be called out to do emergency disease control. This would not only benefit them but obviously the nation at large. None of us would like to see Botswana banned from exporting beef if not other livestock products.

But really, how likely is this to be implemented given the constraints?

time-Lined Google News about BCA

2008-05-11T19:44:00.001+02:00

Recent Articles Acknowledging BCA

2008-05-11T19:41:00.000+02:00

Minister explains agriculture college status 10 March, 2008

2008-03-19T11:30:00.001+02:00

PARLIAMENT - The future of the Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA) will be evaluated as and when government reviews its tertiary education set up, according to the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Johnny Swartz.

He also told Parliament last week that all views of stakeholders will be taken on board before a final decision is made, explaining that BCA was established by an act of Parliament, as a parastatal and an associate of the University of Botswana.

He said in 2004 the Task Force on the Establishment of the second university considered the fate of the institution with extensive consultations and that its governing council has been briefed regarding the views of the BCA community.

During the consultations three scenarios emerged and these were: BCA moves to Palapye and become part of the Botswana International University of Science and Technology.

However he noted that this was the least favoured option, as it was felt that establishing the infrastructure in Palapye and moving delicate laboratory and research equipment would be very costly, some of it would be damaged in transit.

Another scenario, he said was to make BCA an integral part of UB. Although not favoured by the majority, this was considered as a possible option.

The third was that BCA continues as it is presently constituted to allow it to grow into a fully fledged university of agriculture in the future.

Minister Swartz noted that, as a strong agricultural industry is a key to development, it was felt this option would ensure adequate support to the industry.

Several countries in Africa and elsewhere have established agricultural universities, he said. MP for South East North Mr Olebile Gaborone had asked for a briefing on the future of BCA. BOPA

W.K. Kellogg Foundation Granted BCA $560, 000.00 in 1991

2008-02-15T11:54:00.001+02:00

In 1991, WKKF allocated a commitment amount of $560, 000.00 to Botswana College of Agriculture to improve the lives of rural farm families through support of inservice and continuing education programs for extension personnel. More information can be obtained from Gail McClure, the Grantee Project Manager.

WISARD Project Server - Botswana College of Agriculture ...

2008-01-31T07:05:00.001+02:00

Botswana College of Agriculture: Department of Crop Science and Production - executed projects. including sub-organisations. found: 1 ...

Botswana has potential in netball ( 04 July, 2007)

2008-01-06T11:07:00.000+02:00

GABORONE - Britian Under 21 netball coach Jess Garland has praised the Botswana team, despite thrashing her side 37-29, at Botswana College of Agriculture on Friday.

The games were concluding the Safari tour that was held for a week in Botswana by some British delegates.

The aim of the tour was to enhance the profile of netball in Botswana, especially for the national team and to launch the Re Ba Bona Ha development programme.

In an interview, Garland said that she has realised that Botswana had a potential in the sport.

She said Botswana needed to have frequent preparation games instead of holding clinics after a long time.

Batswana children that we met are enthusiastic yet there is less motivation. The standard of play at grassroots level is amazing, Garland said.

Concerning the national teams play Garland said speedy shooters impressed her. She said her side played defensively in the first inning and became inconsistent in the following innings.

She said she was delighted by their play, especially that most of her team have never toured before.

They played well especially that Botswana team is among the 16 countries that will participate in the World championships in November, she said.

The local teams coach Setshedi Botlhole-Mmopi said her teams performance has shown her that it had a lot to do.

She said they needed international preparation games to enable them do well at the coming World Champions.

I have to keep to the same players all the time because others are not consistent. So as it is the players have to get enough training to enable me to be free to substitute, Mmopi said. She said she is hoping that the association will draw an early preparation plan. Other than that the local team would never make a mistake to exclude players such as Portia Rasekhumba who played a vital role in their victory.

Gaedupe Ramaja and Kagisano Mawela complimented her efforts by making strategic passes and denied their opponents a chance to possess the ball.

The sisters made it for the country and the person who seemed to read their intentions well was Britians Katy Rose who often disorganised them, snatching the ball away from them.

Farm to School Cookbook Published

2007-11-06T03:32:00.001+02:00

Better student nutrition and a boost for farm sales are the dual aims of a new groundbreaking book, Fresh From the Farm: The Massachusetts Farm to School Cookbook. The book, which is now available online through the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources website, is a tool for school food service staffs, training them how to work with farm-fresh food and introduce more local produce into school lunches. The book contains 46 recipes using seasonal produce, many emphasizing valued-added farm produce such as already sliced carrots or peeled butternut squash, to ease school preparation time. The book also contains educational tips on preparing fresh produce and seasonal buying, along with resources for procurement from nearby farms.Related ATTRA Publication: Bringing Local Food to Local Institutions

Certificate does not guarantee success

2007-10-30T11:29:00.000+02:00

New graduates of the University of Botswana and Botswana College of Agriculture have been warned that a certificate does not guarantee success in ... See all stories on this topic

BCA Holds Memorable Culture Day on ALLAFRICA.COM

2007-10-30T11:27:00.000+02:00

10 October 2007Posted to the web 10 October 2007
Maureen Odubeng
Batswana who are concerned that Setswana culture is rapidly disappearing due to Western influence, especially amongst the youth, will be happy to learn that there are still many young people eager to preserve their cultural heritage.
The mushrooming of traditional groups comprising mostly young people, some of whom have already done Botswana proud by selling Setswana culture outside our borders, is a clear testimony of this regeneration currently sweeping the nation.
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Last Saturday, the Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA) joined the campaign to preserve/promote culture by organising a successful Culture Day characterised by Setswana dishes, beverages, and traditional displays, spiced with traditional music.
However, while the turnout, especially by the students, was a bit disappointing it did not deter the few youngsters who attended the event from enjoying themselves.
Being an agricultural college, most of the displays leaned a little towards farming practices. On display were articles like Kika and Motshe, (traditional utensils used for grinding sorghum), Leselo, another traditional item used to separate the powder from milled sorghum from the granules. Other items included traditional mats made from cattle hides, and bows and arrows, which are popular among the Basarwa, for hunting.
The BCA venue also had a Kgotla setting, with a fire, and big three-legged pots that are used to prepare food for people attending a major event. The food served at the event included serope (offals), comprising mainly of tripe, and intestines), bogobe (sorghum), just to mention a few. The event also had traditional beer (bojalwa jwa setswana) to set the mood for interested individuals. The traditional brew was served in traditional containers (diphafana), and one could get a sense of the old Setswana traditional gathering, where elderly men would sit around drinking from one container, passing it around until they finished the beer/beverage and had it replenished. The youngsters seemed to enjoy the traditional brew, which is made from sorghum. The organisers also included, Chibuku on the beverages' list.
The day however was not only characterised by food and beverages. There was also entertainment in the form of traditional music and marimba. One particular group, which performed on the day worth noting, is Manong Cultural Group from Mankgodi. The upcoming group has a number of songs that will surely keep Setswana cultural music followers on their toes. The group started off with a beautiful introductory song, which announced their arrival, saying: "We are bringing you Setswana culture." Putting real life issues into their lyrics, the group also performed a song about a pregnant girl trying to blame the pregnancy on an ex-boyfriend she had previously dumped for other man. He clearly tells the girl to go back to the man who did it and stop harassing him, as he was not responsible for the pregnancy.
Another lovely song the group gave, was Mathidiso, which related things that happen in real life, saying "Matshidiso, when you came here you were a friend of mine but now you seem to be interested in my sister" with the lyrics explicitly discouraging the young man from flirting with the sibling.
Relevant Links
Southern Africa Arts, Culture and Entertainment Botswana
Another exciting performance was by Karabo Bakang, a student at BCA, who played segaba, a traditional instrument. His performance was simply heart-warming as he rendered two songs Jeso Wa Galalela, and Basimane le Basetsana.
The gathering also watched a marimba performance by Marulamantsi Junior Secondary School marimba group. The day also had Setswana poetry among other traditional performances in the line-up.
Meanwhile, BCA Student Representative Council (SRC) President Ronald Medupe, expressed concern that the students did not attend the Culture Day as expected, noting that Setswana cultural activities like agriculture faced extinction. He also noted that this was BCA's first attempt to revive this important day, which was last celebrated at the college in 1995.
...See all stories on this topic

Botswana College of Agriculture on stackyard.com

2007-10-30T11:25:00.001+02:00

Much of Botswana is covered with ancient windblown Kalahari sands and the fossilised remains of a former desert. Landlocked, and roughly central to the southern African sub-continent, Botswana extends through nine degrees of latitude. These factors tend toward considerable variation in climate, but a low average rainfall. A very flat country with hilly areas along the Limpopo valley in the east, Botswana is semi-arid with rainfall figures of between 600 mm in the north to 200 mm in the south-west. Temperatures can be quite extreme - small quantities of water may freeze overnight in winter (June, July) while in October and November day temperatures can reach 40?C or more.

The Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA) was established on 31st May 1991 when Act No.9 - Botswana College of Agriculture Act 1991, enacted by Parliament of Botswana came into effect. The college is a body corporate, and hence a parastatal under the Ministry of Agriculture and an associate institution of the University of Botswana. BCA took over all the assets and liabilities of the former Botswana Agricultural College, which was abolished on coming into effect of act No.9 establishing BCA into its place.

Benedict Kayombo of Botswana College of Agriculture

2007-10-30T11:24:00.000+02:00

Benedict Kayombo, Botswana College of Agriculture, Gaborone, Botswana, NR for Botswana (LM) picture published by waswc.

Botswana College of Agriculture on WISARD Project Server

2007-10-30T11:23:00.000+02:00

Botswana College of Agriculture: Department of Crop Science and Production - executed projects. including sub-organisations. found: 1 ...

Botswana has potential in netball

2007-10-30T11:22:00.000+02:00

GABORONE - Britian Under 21 netball coach Jess Garland has praised the Botswana team, despite thrashing her side 37-29, at Botswana College of Agriculture ...See all stories on this topic

Botswana college of Agriculture on Botswana Web Directory

2007-10-30T11:15:00.000+02:00

Botswana focused web directory categorized listings of business and services, Botswana College of Agricilture, exist to produce high quality graduates, ...

Graduation passes, reality sets in

2007-10-22T11:34:00.000+02:00

Republic of Botswana - Gaberones,Botswana
... a lot of graduates from the University of Botswana and Botswana College of Agriculture have been thrust into the harsh realities of the job market, ...
See all stories on this topic

UB Celebrates 5,000 Graduates

2007-10-11T11:05:00.001+02:00

Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone) via allafrica.com

11 October 2007, Chandapiwa Baputaki

The University of Botswana (UB) and the Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA) this weekend hold a joint graduation ceremony at the UB stadium on Saturday.

The director of Public Affairs, Samuel Moribame says that 4, 675 graduates will receive their certificates. 202 of these will be from the Botswana College of Agriculture. "These numbers represent an increase of over 1, 000 from last year's graduating class," Moribame said.

Four candidates will receive doctoral degrees (PhDs), two will get Phil degrees and 191 will be admitted for masters degrees. Some 3, 100 candidates will receive bachelors degrees.

Honorary doctorate degrees will be conferred upon six people who played a major part in the development of the university. Former chairpersons of the University of Botswana Council, Ponatshego Kedikilwe, Lawrence Lekalake and Lebang Mpotokwane will get doctorates in law. Former Vice-Chancellors, Professor Thomas Tlou and Prof Sharon Siverts will receive honorary Doctorates of Letters. The former Coordinator of the Botswana University Campus Appeal (BUCA), Potlako Molefhe, will receive an honorary degree, Doctor of Laws. The deputy
vice-chancellor for academic affairs, Professor Frank Youngman, will read the citation for the six honorary graduands.

The chancellor, President Festus Mogae, will address the university community and graduates. The Vice-Chancellor, Bojosi Otlhogile will also speak and a graduating student will give a valedictory speech for the first time in the history of the university.

The BDF Band and the UB Choir will entertain the audience. The ceremony will be the grand finale of the year-long celebrations to mark the 25th anniversary of the inauguration of the university.

BCA Cultural Day 2007 (6th October 2007)

2007-10-09T10:09:00.000+02:00

This day saw the best of BCA. It all started awhile back when the rush began. Initially the dream was big and ideas a were running wild. With time though everything seemed to fall into place if not out of favour. Gradually the coming of the day approached. Prior to the day a lot happened behind the scenes thanks to BCA's SRC. But then later the SRC was assisted by cultural experts from the college itself. In fact we are proud to sa ythat we have some of the best culturalists at BCA.

Its a pity the staff of BCA was not that involved. I can imagine when this gets to them, things like we never know would probarbly crop up. Or some other excuse. Anyway, it would really be nice to work wit hthem in future. In fact the whole idea behind all this was for them really. We had figured that enough was enough, that previously entertainment was mainly targeted the youth meaning the students of the college. But this time around this entertainment amongst its many goals, was to involve parents, elders and the college staff. Eish, anyways things did not work according to plan so, take it from me, it was our fault that those targeted people were not involved in the end. Guess have to admit this for future success.

Anyways, the day started off a bit later than expected, what with the sports tournaments that were going on at the same time. P.S. we managed to do really well in volleyball. Yeah we rock right there. Anyways the day was really student driven. The SRC president gave a rather appropriate welcome note. Following was some of the best events I haven't witnessed in a while. Yeah what with Diathoteng's performance and the marimba. In fact the marimba was great and I could never have enough of it. there was a theatrical performance as well, care of the one and only B-Crazy. Eish the dude was no less that a saviour that day. No wonder he missed like most of his important stuff prior to the day. He was rushing around making things happen. Big up to ya mate. In fact I have very high hopes in your which is rather odd cause I never seem to expect much from anyone really.

Anyways the day really went on sweet. I should say that the highlight of my day was Ghost's performance. Ghost is from Heaven Sent Records, an old but still upcoming label. Eish, the dude was fly and he ryhymed to the day. In fact, I had only one rule for Ghost, "keep it cultural" in fact he did, I still got one of his choruses "kante ke eng kante ke eng............go tlhakatlhakana og sa lomagana go sanne one thing". Thats the Ghost for you. Anyway I plan to see more of the Ghost in the future. I strongly believe if we are to develop naytalent, we should begin locally and with him it shall be. So here comes Friday Battles, care of B-Crazy. Once more I will emphasise that we keep it all cultural.

ONe of the best perfornances that we did not seem to get much of was that by the relatively unknown "Desert Egos". At first I couldn't figure out what "Desert Egos" was all about unitl the Ghost himself, who did not know them as well sort of gave me a hint. Well I should admit from his point of view, I got the impression they would be more m'rappers than a kwaito trio. Eish, given the situation those dudes were rocking. I swear most probarbly better than most local kwaito artists really. I see big things for these guys. So best of luck y'all. Their song was more celebration and fun. I could feel it. And yes I was very sober and I loved it.

I should also admit that this weekend I learnt a few things. One outstanding one is the Herero culture. I dunno about you but to me I have simply been acknowledging their existance and that was just the end of the story for me. Yeah! that may not go down well with a lot of people, but what would you rather hear? The truth or the coating? I really loved the impulsive performance by the Herero ladies. Your also rocked! In fact other than the Kgatleng remembrance of his exellency Rre Linchwe, the Herero dance introduced to us indiginous yet modern Herero music that was intergrated with the original Herero dance. I would got a lot further to see them do it again. Please do some. In fact, in the memory of the Herero ladies, there will soon be pictures fro mthe day featuring the ladies themselves and the wonderful landscape of BCA.

In all, the day could have been a lot more than it ended up as. In fact I take that back. Given the limitations including time and financial muscle, the day was no lessthan a beautiful celebration of who we are, where we come from and where we hearding. To all who missed, make sure you put the next date for the coming cultural day on your calendar. This may be sooner than expected. However, since this cultural day concided with the cultural Letsema, maybe before we go back to the fields, we will do something. It would be nice really.

Thanks to all who played both major and minor roles in preparation for the day. Much thanks to our sponsors including BBL. To BBL, you rock. I would never forget to thank those that helped form the Oodi community, some of whom work and study at BCA. Big up to the excellent ladies fro mBBS. To them, look up, tommorow is now! Massive respect for the well behaved audience minus the few inebriated young lads who could be hear whispering off campus.

P.S: Congrats to the reighning sports queen our very own Rati. Gal I always believed in you that you had it in you. Rock on miss. Your man gotta be proud of you. To those who lost in the sports tournament, you also winners! If you learnt from the loss, then you are definitely winners. Okay now back to academics. See you on my next break.

Media Reporting on FAO Evaluation Misleading, Team Leader Says

2007-09-16T05:56:00.000+02:00

Leif Christoffersen, leader of the team that has produced the first working draft of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Independent External Evaluation (IEE), has criticized media coverage of the draft report. Coverage by the media was “highly selective and cited mainly negative observations,” Christoffersen said. He said that while “It is true that the IEE found many and major defects in FAO and that recommendations have been formulated to address these . . .The report is entitled: ‘FAO: The Challenge of Renewal’ and that is the message that we would hope to see conveyed to global citizenry by the media.” The press release can be viewed online at the link below.

UN Report Warns Many Farm Animals Face Extinction

2007-09-16T05:55:00.000+02:00

A new report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says that a growing number of farm animals worldwide are in danger of extinction, based on a global analysis of farm animals. The report says that of the 3,000 breeds reported between 1999 and 2006, 45 percent are either at risk or already extinct. An average of one breed a month disappears from the planet forever, according to the FAO. It says that the threat is especially acute in developing countries, which are home to 70 percent of the world's remaining livestock breeds, and which are least able to afford to protect them. Ed Rege, who heads the office of biotechnology at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), and who contributed to the FAO report, blames the problem on over-reliance on a handful of farm animal species. "Countries are opting for short and quick measures such as replacing their breeds with high producing but obviously less adapted breeds from the north," Rege says. The FAO report recommends that farmers be given financial incentives to keep raising and selling their native breeds. The report also urges more research to determine which breeds will adapt best to climate change, and calls for the expansion of animal gene banks for those livestock species at greatest risk. The article can be viewed online at the link below.

Marker Free GM Soybean Produced by Gene Excision

2007-09-16T05:53:00.000+02:00

Researchers at DuPont have developed marker-gene-free glyphosate-tolerant genetically modified (GM) soybeans using a new self-activating gene excision system. The glyphosate tolerance and marker genes were introduced together with a gene coding for the enzyme Cre recombinase, which acts to instantly remove itself and the marker gene upon induction. The article says that unlike other approaches to producing marker-free plants, this gene excision system delivers precise outcomes and does not require additional manipulations of the transformation and regeneration process. The self-activating gene excision strategy is currently being applied to numerous plants like maize, cotton, peanut, and many coniferous trees. The article can be viewed online at the link below.

Agriculture Minister to students - Take advantage of professions in agriculture

2007-09-16T05:37:00.000+02:00

CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (SEPTEMBER 14, 2007) -- Minister of Agriculture in the Nevis Island Administration Hon. Robelto Hector appealed to agriculture students from two of the islands secondary schools to take advantage of the varied professions offered in the field of Agriculture. He made the call on Thursday September 13, 2007, at the start of a four-day workshop on Budding and Grafting at Prospect.

The workshop which was a collaborative effort of the Department of Agriculture and the Schools Agricultural Programme has been facilitated by Food and Agriculture Organisation sponsored Cuban Fruit Tree Specialist, Mr. Pedrosa Benigno. It commenced on September 13 -14 and will continue on September 20-21.

“There are a lot of opportunities in agriculture and it is one of the easiest fields for you to have a scholarship in. There is the East Caribbean Institute for Agriculture and Forestry in Trinidad where you can also move forward to do a degree in this area. There is also the Guyana School of Agriculture and the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. We have a great relationship with the University and a number of students who have moved into the profession have gone to that university and they have done well.

“I want you not to think only of what skill you would learn today budding and grafting but I want you to start to prepare yourself for the profession… We are not in agriculture on this island for fun. The nation that has food security or is attempting in some way to produce food for its people is a secured nation. As students use this opportunity to focus and I want you all to take the workshop serious, this is not a ‘lime’,” he said.
A section of students at the Budding and Grafting Workshop at Prospect.

The Agriculture Minister also told the students that the workshop was a testimony of the commitment and collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Schools Agriculture Programme.
Meantime, Director of Agriculture Dr. Kelvin Daly regarded the workshop as a small step in the right direction which had future benefits for Nevis. He reassured the students that if they became farmers there was nothing wrong with the profession but that the Department was in the process of moving farming into a technological age where proper science was used.

He referred to a number of upcoming projects which included the construction of an Agro processing plant and an operational greenhouse at the Prospect Agricultural Station.

“By next year summer there will be an operational green house where we would not have to be working land. We will have a green house where persons can grow crops for extended periods of time and so we are moving in that direction simply because we are trying to attract a younger group of persons into the profession. You are more apt to want to be some place in air condition, dress up nice and come to work, nobody want to get their hands dirty too much.

“But we are moving in a direction where we are trying to attract young farmers into the profession so that you can feel proud to say I am a farmer. So if you have any inclination or need any more information about professions that are being offered in agriculture there is a whole lot, it is not just getting out there and planting stuff,” he said.

Also in 2008 Dr Daly said plans were also afoot for the establishment of a tissue culture and soil testing facility. He told the participants that once they had any aptitude in science then the soil and tissue testing lab would be suitable area of agriculture for most of them.

Facilitator Mr. Benigno explained that the workshop would teach the participants common preparation techniques used in fruit trees to obtain new plants with the purity of the mother plant which was impossible to obtain from preparation by seeds.

“To reach success in this technique it is necessary to establish a well conditioned nursery to learn the budding and grafting types and practise them to gain skill in the ..to make a graft or bud.

“It is also very important to make correct management of all the activities involved in the nursery taking into account that the fruit tree is a living being that needs care seven days a week and sometimes we forget it and the plant suffer. These techniques are not difficult to learn,” he said.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Mr. Pearlivan Wilkin told the students that the area of budding and grafting offered an opportunity to earn money and they should take advantage of it. He also urged them to take advantage of the summer attachments available at the Department which offered them an opportunity to learn about agriculture and a weekly stipend of $150.

The opening ceremony was chaired by Agro forestry Officer at the Department of Agriculture Mr. Floyd Liburd.

"Mouta kgola ya tlala o e uta a e lebesitse babo"

2007-09-14T11:54:00.000+02:00

Batswana betsho, Motlapele a re "Mouta kgola ya tlala o e uta a e lebesitse babo".Seo se supa ka botlalo gore a mma a ruri ano manontlhotlho a dirilwe ka maikaelelo a goisa sone seromamowa ko Batswaneng ka kakaretso mo dintlheng tsotlhe tsa leftshe ka bophara. Nngwe ya dipilara tsa Tebelopele 2016 ke go aga Sechaba Se Se Rutegileng, Se Se itseng. Ke ka moo ke reng se e a gonna one morudiso o o tla a nyitamisang maikaelelo a go nna jalo, ka gore Batswana gongwe le gongwe ko ba leng teng ba tlaa tswelela ka go ithuta ka phuthologo le go dira ka bonokopila ba itse tse di diragalang ko morago sehularong sa bone. Le fa morogo wa ngwana o sa tlhophiwe ditlhokwa, weno one ga ona sepe selabe. Le fa gontse, jalo akanyetsang go tsenya thulaganyo ya Pitso Ya Balemi gore re nne re utlwe gore lone leuba le amile jang bontsi ba Batswana ba ba ikaegileng ka temo thuo. Ke a le akgola Motlhakola o Montsho!! Ka re le ka moso. Ditiro Edwin Mogotlhwane :: Unibesiti Ya Bradford :: 2004-02-22::01:47:18

Akanyetsang le tsa Pitso ya Balemi gore re nne re ulwe go re lone leuba le amile jang bontsi ba Batswana ba ikaegileng ka temo thuo.Ditiro Edwin Mogotlhwane :: Bradford (United Kingdom) :: 2004-02-22::00:58:32

IIFT to Set Up Centre for Consumer Affairs (Business Standard)

2007-09-14T11:41:00.001+02:00

The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) has asked the Department of Consumer Affairs to create a new center for consumer affairs, to consider issues such as labeling, content-listings on food products, and the identification of genetically modified (GM) food products. The center, which is to be established in a few months, will perform in-depth study into how Indian consumers can be kept informed about what they consume. IIFT Director K.T. Chacko commented that “In an increasingly globalised world where more and more brands are coming up, there is a need to list out the areas in which work needs to be done to suggest policy changes.” The IIFT will provide the infrastructure for the new consumer affairs center, and the Department of Consumer Affairs will supply all necessary data. The article can be viewed online at the link below.

Alleviating Peanut Allergy Using RNAi (Crop Biotech Update:

2007-09-14T11:39:00.000+02:00

U.S. researchers reports they have developed genetically modified (GM) peanut plants that have significantly lower levels of an allergen normally found in peanuts, called Ara h 2. Peanut allergies are one of the most common types of food allergies, causing more than 100 deaths a year in the U.S. The researchers used RNA interference (RNAi) technology to develop the GM peanut variety. Their research findings are published in a recent edition of the Plant Biotechnology Journal. Similar studies are now being conducted to “silence” other food allergens using RNAi. The article and a link to the scientific abstract are available online at the link below.

Global Food Crisis Looms as Climate Change and Population Growth Strip Fertile Land (The Guardian: Ian Sample)

2007-09-14T11:32:00.001+02:00

Researchers from around the world convened at a recent UN-backed forum in Iceland on sustainable development, to address the UN’s millennium development goals to halve hunger and extreme poverty by 2015. The experts said that to keep up with the growth in human population, more food will have to be produced worldwide over the next 50 years than has been produced during the past 10,000 years combined. But in many countries a combination of poor farming practices and deforestation will be exacerbated by climate change to steadily degrade soil fertility, leaving vast areas unsuitable for crops or grazing. The experts called on countries to impose strict farming guidelines to ensure that soils are not degraded so badly they cannot recover. Approximately 40% of the world's agricultural land is seriously degraded, estimates indicate. Among the worst affected regions are Central America, where 75% of land is infertile, Africa, where a fifth of soil is degraded, and Asia, where 11% is unsuitable for farming. The UN Millennium Ecosystem Assessment ranked land degradation among the world's greatest environmental challenges, saying that it destabilizing societies, endangering food security, and increasing poverty.

Kubere Information Centre enhancing access to agricultural information through ICTs

2007-09-14T11:21:00.000+02:00

Mon, 2007-09-10 01:41.
“Quite a number of developmental services pass us by because we lack information,” explains an elderly woman in Apac District, Northern part of Uganda. Women in rural Apac District have complained of the wide gap in the use of ICTs which has left them lagging behind in development at the expense of men. It is upon this backdrop that Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) established Kubere Information Centre (KIC) in March 2005 to ensure equity in the rural people’s access to information through ICT.

In the baseline survey that was conducted, it was discovered that majority of women in this region have access to radio. Thus KIC made community radio a major tool for information dissemination. “KIC has partnered with Radio Apac to host experts on a variety of issues including those using indigenous knowledge. Beneficiaries after forming groups are given radio cassette players to ensure they listen to the talk shows and discuss the knowledge thereafter. The information is broadcast in the local dialect. It has thus become a technical Centre for Rural and Agricultural Co-operation,” explains Lucy Orech an Information Officer with KIC.

The centre is also partnering with other telecentres like the Busoga Rural Open Space Development Initiative (BROSDI) to collect agricultural information. “Through partnership with Busoga Rural Open Space Development Initiative, a telecentre in Eastern Uganda, information on issues like market prices is translated into local languages and disseminated through SMS on mobile phones,” Orech adds.

Using the World Space radio information is downloaded and relayed to the local people at a convenient time. The centre uses CD ROMs to backup all information that is disseminated. The internet is used basically to communicate with partners.

Strategies“Kubere Information Centre partners with experts at all levels including the ‘local experts’ from the community who use indigenous knowledge especially in agriculture to generate content,” Lucy explains. Since everything is meant for the community, community members are heavily involved in all the activities. All group meetings are recorded either on video or audio for future reference.

“Once one of the group members comes across useful information in a foreign dialect, it is upon the centre to ensure this information is translated and repackaged to fit the community needs,” Lucy adds. Despite use of radio for dissemination, the content is still largely done using the face to face strategies.

ChallengesInternet connectivity is still a problem but through partnering with the Technical Centre for Rural and Agricultural cooperation, the centre staff have been able to access internet at a subsidized rate.

Lucy also explains that most of the rural women still have a fobia for ICTs. They look at ICTs as machines meant for the literate. “Despite the centre aiming to increase women’s access to ICTs, majority of the participants in the centre programmes are men. Women are left to play the kitchen role and do the garden work,” she adds. Among other challenges are lack of exchange programmes for centre staff which can expose them and help the centre perform better. And the voluntary nature of most of the activities doesn’t motivate many of the grassroots people.
Achievements- The centre has trained over 360 women in the use of different ICTs. - The Information Gap between the general community and the rest of the world is reduced- The rural world have opportunity to share their local content.

Hive Scourge? Virus Linked to Recent Honeybee Die-Off

2007-09-14T11:10:00.001+02:00

A little-known virus has been identified as the possible cause of recent unexplained disappearances of honeybees in the U.S. During the past year, an estimated 23 percent of U.S. beekeeping operations saw worker bees vanish for no obvious reason, a phenomenon being called colony-collapse disorder. Now, a “massive” genetic analysis of bees and the organisms that live in their bodies suggests a tie to Israeli acute-paralysis virus (IAPV), says Diana Cox-Foster of Pennsylvania State University in University Park. She and her colleagues detected IAPV in 83 percent of samples of bees from faltering colonies but in only 5 percent of samples from colonies without symptoms. Their findings will be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Science. It is not yet certain whether IAPV contributes to colony collapse or just shows up as a consistent indicator. The article can be viewed online at the link below.

Philippines Awaits Golden Rice Release in 2011

2007-09-14T11:10:00.000+02:00

Gerard Barry, coordinator of the Golden Rice Network, has said he hopes that Philippine government agencies, particularly the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines (NCBP), will approve the commercial release of "Golden Rice" by the year 2011. Golden Rice is a genetically modified (GM) rice that contains increased levels of vitamin A, iron, and zinc. The article says that the company Syngenta is mainly responsible for the Golden Rice SGR1 technology, which it donated to the Golden Rice Humanitarian Board in 2004. The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is now working to breed Golden Rice traits into the Philippine's most popular rice variety (PSB Rc82), as well as into new, high-quality, multi-disease resistant varieties. This includes the creation of a new “3-in-1” rice variety that combines the Golden Rice traits with resistance to the Tungro virus and bacterial leaf blight. The article says that PhilRice has been "working double time" to secure regulatory approval for Golden Rice. It is expected that multilocation field trials of elite rice lines will begin in 2010 to gather agronomic and biosafety data. The article can be viewed online at the link below.

Transgenic Maize Is More Susceptible to Aphids

2007-09-14T11:09:00.000+02:00

Researchers at the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland report they have found five out of six Bt maize varieties tested to be significantly more susceptible to the aphid Rhopalosiphum maidis, as compared to conventional varieties. The research findings have been published in the journal Public Library of Science (PLoS) ONE. The Swiss researchers say that reduced resistance to the Rhopalosiphum maidis aphid would be a problem in regions where the aphid is a significant agricultural pest. Where this is not the case, however, the researchers said that the lowered resistance could actually be a benefit because aphids produce a sugar-rich substance called honeydew that attracts beneficial insects. The researchers guess that the presence of Bt toxin in insect resistant genetically modified (GM) plants may act to alter the plant’s chemistry, thereby reducing resistance to the Rhopalosiphum maidis aphid. The article can be viewed online at the link below.

Cleistogamy Allele for Gene Containment in GM Rice

2007-09-14T11:02:00.000+02:00

Japanese researchers have identified a “cleistogamous” mutant rice variety with malformed petals and normal stamens. Cleistogamy describes the characteristic of certain plants, mostly legumes, that have non-opening, self-pollinating flowers. Self-pollination is believed to be an efficient strategy for preventing gene flow from genetically modified (GM) crops. The researchers found that the cleistogamy in the mutant rice variety was caused by a “point mutation” in the SUPERWOMAN1 (SPW1) gene, known to be responsible for specifying the identities of petals and stamen. The article says that since this mutation does not affect other agronomic traits, it can be used in crosses to produce GM rice varieties that do not create environmental issues. The researchers’ findings have been published in the Plant Biotechnology Journal. The article and a link to the scientific abstract are available online at the link below.

Monsanto Invests Millions in New GM Soy

2007-09-14T11:01:00.000+02:00

Monsanto has announced that it plans to invest US$28 million over five years in a new genetically modified (GM) soy variety for use in Brazil. Monsanto’s new variety is to combine herbicide resistance with resistance to the Velvetbean caterpillar, the major soybean pest in both Brazil and Argentina. The president of Monsanto Brazil, Alfonso Alba, told reporters that the GM soy variety would bring economic benefits worth US$1 billion a year to Brazil, given current productivity losses of seven percent due to the Velvetbean caterpillar. The article can be viewed online at the link below.

Office receives 245 LIMID applications (13th September, 2007)

2007-09-14T10:53:00.000+02:00

MOLEPOLOLE - Veterinary officials have received 245 applications for Livestock Management and Infrastructure Development (LIMID) programme since April.

In an interview, LIMID Officer, Mr Moreri Gaopalelwe, said the district committee recommended 56 applications to the ministry where only 17 for small stock were approved.
Mr Gaopalelwe said about 10 applications were mistakenly rejected at the Molepolole office. However, the office had since appealed to applicants to come forth so that their applications could be processed again.

He said applicants water right certificates indicated that the boreholes were for domestic use and when they made some enquiries, they were told the boreholes could also be used for watering domestic animals.

He said it was difficult to get back to the applicants because there were no contacts except through the post office which also took long for such farmers to come back to them.
This follows an appeal at Khunou ward workshop organised by the Minister of Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, who is also Molepolole South MP, Mr Daniel Kwelagobe last week.

The aim was to teach residents about new governments poverty alleviation programmes such as ALDEP, Young Farmers Fund and LIMID.

Mr Gaopalelwe said 165 applications were received for poultry projects and the district committee recommended only eight for Tswana chickens and two for guinea fowls; and were still awaiting response from the ministry for final approval.

He said the district committee also made one recommendation each for three proposals for borehole drilling, kraal and crush and chuff cutters.

He said applications that were referred from the ministry were lacking some vital information needed to process the applications.

Some important information, he said, include water right certificate, land board certificate and or covering letters from headmen where by farmers made agreements with the owners of boreholes to water livestock.

He said some names on the water right certificate differed with the names of the one who signed for agreement and those who had made agreements with borehole syndicates signed without showing that he or she was signing on behalf of the syndicate.

He explained that applications that exceeded the limit were rejected at district level. BOPA