CLIMATE-CHANGE DESERVES NEW IDEAS........... Transplanting sorghum and millet seedlings  is an old idea with a new and relevant application if you do it from pre-rains nurseries.

CLIMATE_ CHANGE EFFECT BUSTER--TRANSPLANTING

Small-scale subsistence farmers practicing rainfed farming in some semi-arid regions experience poor yield stability and regularly risk total crop failure due to erratic and unreliable rainfall. Research conducted by CAZS-Natural Resources, Bangor University in Zimbabwe and Ghana showed that transplanting sorghum and pearl millet seedlings can  reduce the time to maturity in the field by up to two weeks and increase grain yields significantly. In 2007 AA International Ltd supported the FAO Emergency Unit in testing this practice in two regions of Eritrea, with results again indicating that transplanting can significantly increase production for smallholder farmers facing erratic and unreliable rainfall patterns.

We have two documents describing this technique available for download (or free of charge if you contact us). To find out more go to Climate Change Effects Ameliorating Techniques 

Do you have experience that you would like to share with development projects? We are looking for experienced professionals to work with TechTalk, our  online question and answer service for rural development projects.

AA International Ltd trained MoA and FAO-SIFSIA crops and food supply assessors prior to an Assessment conducted in Nov/ Dec 2009. The Assessment Mission Report was written by AA International's Director, Ian Robinson, from the information obtained by the trained teams and from reports prepared by FAO-SIFSIA, Khartoum. The Mission Highlights are given here and access to the approved version of the report may be found in the Crop and Food Supply Assessments Section of the website: