Practical articles for crop, soil, and farm decisions

• Choosing seeds for an irregular season — Choose seeds for an irregular season by matching crop duration, stress tolerance, seed quality, planting dates, and a replanting reserve to local conditions.
• Reduce post-harvest losses with better storage — Reduce post-harvest losses with careful drying, sorting, and storage that protects crops from moisture, pests, and damage.
• UpyaChat: an ecosystem approach for the field — Shared project spaces help advisors, cooperatives, finance teams, and field staff connect knowledge to the realities of agricultural and climate adaptation programmes.
• After extreme rain: how to protect your field — After extreme rain, the first 48 hours matter. Use this field guide to check drainage, erosion, crops, inputs, and the next decision without making damage worse.
• False-start rains: plant, wait, or stagger your sowing? — An early rain can start a crop well or leave seedlings exposed to a long dry spell. Use field checks, a practical seed reserve, and clear decision rules to choose whether to plant, wait, or stagger sowing.
• El Niño: your farm action plan for the next 30 days — When El Niño strengthens, a general checklist is not enough. Use this 30-day farm action plan to prioritise water, drainage, crop, livestock, and cash decisions based on the risks in your area.
• El Niño 2026: 8 things to do now to protect your farm — El Niño is strengthening in 2026 and can bring hotter temperatures, rainfall deficits, irregular rainy seasons, or intense rainfall depending on the region. These eight steps help farmers prepare before the risk becomes a crisis.
• Organic fertilization techniques: choosing the right source and timing — Organic fertilization can supply nutrients while improving soil structure and biological activity. Compost, manure, green manure, residues, and carbon-rich amendments each behave differently and must be matched to crop demand, soil tests, moisture, and application risks.
• Crop rotation in practice: examples for more resilient farms — A well-designed crop rotation breaks pest and disease cycles, spreads labor and water demand, improves soil cover, and uses different root and nutrient patterns. The right sequence must also fit the local climate, markets, equipment, and livestock needs.
• Dynamic rotational grazing: managing pasture as a living system — Dynamic rotational grazing adjusts animal movement, paddock size, rest periods, and stocking pressure to the actual growth of the pasture. It can improve forage use and soil protection when water, fencing, animal needs, and recovery are managed together.
• Direct seeding in practice: what no-till requires from the whole farm — Direct seeding places the crop into undisturbed soil with minimal surface disruption. It can protect soil structure and residues, but success depends on planter setup, weed control, rotation, moisture, residue management, and careful monitoring during the transition.
• Keyline design and infiltration earthworks: working with the landscape — Keyline design reads the shape and flow of a landscape to slow, spread, and infiltrate rainfall. Baissières, contour bunds, terraces, and other earthworks can support this strategy when they are surveyed, placed, and maintained for the local soil and storm risk.
• Compost heap or compost pit: which method fits your farm? — Compost can be made in a heap or in a pit, but the two methods manage air, water, heat, labor, and drainage differently. Choose the system that matches your climate, materials, space, and ability to turn and monitor the compost.
• Push-pull pest management: how the system works in the field — Push-pull is an integrated pest management strategy that combines a repellent intercrop with an attractive trap crop. It can reduce pressure from specific pests while also supporting soil cover, fodder, and farm diversification when the design fits the local system.
• Integrated pest management: protect crops with better decisions — Integrated pest management combines accurate identification, regular scouting, prevention, biological control, and targeted interventions. The goal is not to eliminate every organism, but to keep pest damage below an unacceptable level.
• Cover crops in practice: permanent cover versus intercrop cover — Cover crops can protect soil, improve infiltration, and support nutrient cycling, but permanent groundcover and seasonal intercrop cover require different designs and management. This guide focuses on the technical decisions that determine whether they help or compete with the cash crop.
• The benefits of agroforestry for resilient farms — Agroforestry combines trees with crops, livestock, or both to improve soil protection, microclimate, biodiversity, and farm resilience. The right design depends on species, spacing, water, and management goals.
• Why irrigation alone cannot solve climate water stress — Irrigation can protect a crop during dry periods, but it cannot replace a resilient water system. Improve infiltration and use regenerative hydrology structures to keep more rainfall in the landscape.
• Soil conservation techniques that protect the farm over time — No-till, soil cover, and higher organic matter can reduce erosion, improve water management, and support stronger roots. The best starting point depends on your soil, climate, and farm cycle.
• How to read a soil report without jargon — A soil report is only useful if it leads to decisions. Focus on pH, organic matter, phosphorus, potassium, and the balance between soil constraints and crop goals.
• Why maize leaves turn yellow and what to check first — Yellow maize leaves can point to nutrient stress, waterlogging, root damage, or pest pressure. Start with the fastest field checks before you spend money on inputs.
• What to check before signing an agricultural loan — A farm loan should be tested against seasonality, downside scenarios, and repayment timing. The right question is not only whether you can borrow, but whether you can repay under pressure.