AgriGuide
E-TIC
E-TIC Sahel InfoHubs
Senegal and Mali
Initiative de
Avec le soutien de
ICVolunteers
AgriGuide: Best Practices for Organic Farming, 29 July 2012
________________________________________________________________________
Copyright © 2012 ICVolunteers
Compilation and writing: Sigfrido Romero, Viola Krebs, Namory Diakhaté
Editing: Diego Beamonte, Viola Krebs, Camille Saadé, Lana Melle, Shindouk Mohammed
Lamine
French translation: Cindy Bellemin-Magninot
English translation: Kate O' Dwyler, Amy Louise Viana Lima
Illustrations: Matilde de Fuentes de Medem, Abdou Kane Ndaw, Miranda Todd
Photos: Viola Krebs
________________________________________________________________________
2
ICVolunteers
AgriGuide: Best Practices for Organic Farming, 29 July 2012
________________________________________________________________________
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................................... 3
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 5
GLOSSARY OF TERMS .................................................................................................................... 7
ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................................... 11
BEST PRACTICES ORGANIC PRODUCTION ............................................................................... 13
WORKING STEPS ................................................................................................................................ 13
RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................................................................ 14
FARMERS’S BOX FOR LEARNING AND SHARING ................................................................... 17
IDENTIFIED FOOD AND CASH CROPS ........................................................................................ 19
CEREALS ......................................................................................................................................... 19
Maize ........................................................................................................................................................ 19
Millet ......................................................................................................................................................... 24
Rice ........................................................................................................................................................... 25
Sorghum ................................................................................................................................................... 29
Wheat ....................................................................................................................................................... 37
Fonio ......................................................................................................................................................... 41
VEGETABLES ..................................................................................................................................... 44
Cabbage ................................................................................................................................................... 44
Carrot ........................................................................................................................................................ 45
Onion ........................................................................................................................................................ 46
Salad/Lettuce ............................................................................................................................................ 47
Tomato ...................................................................................................................................................... 48
ROOTS AND TUBERS ........................................................................................................................... 50
Cassava .................................................................................................................................................... 50
Potato/Sweet potato ................................................................................................................................. 55
FRUITS ............................................................................................................................................ 57
Mango ....................................................................................................................................................... 57
Watermelon .............................................................................................................................................. 61
Banana production ................................................................................................................................... 62
PULSES ........................................................................................................................................... 81
Cowpea Bean ........................................................................................................................................... 81
Groundnut ................................................................................................................................................. 83
NUTS .............................................................................................................................................. 88
Cashew nuts ............................................................................................................................................. 88
FIBERS ............................................................................................................................................ 91
Cotton ....................................................................................................................................................... 91
PESTICIDES: COMPOUNDS, USE AND HAZARDS ..................................................................... 96
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 96
HUMAN HEALTH AND PESTICIDES ............................................................................................................ 96
CONSEQUENCES OF CHANGING TO AN ORGANIC CROP PROTECTION SYSTEM ...................................................... 96
________________________________________________________________________
3
ICVolunteers
AgriGuide: Best Practices for Organic Farming, 29 July 2012
________________________________________________________________________
Outline of the chapter ............................................................................................................................... 97
Strengthening knowledge in farmers’ communities ................................................................................. 97
PESTS AND PEST MANAGEMENT .............................................................................................................. 98
Pests which damage individual plants in a crop ...................................................................................... 98
Crop damage ............................................................................................................................................ 99
Shifting to non-chemical methods ............................................................................................................ 99
Recognizing the most important pests ................................................................................................... 100
Planning, implementing and experimenting ........................................................................................... 100
HERDING PRACTICES ................................................................................................................. 112
Access to water ...................................................................................................................................... 112
Access to food ........................................................................................................................................ 112
Animal health .......................................................................................................................................... 113
Nutrition and human health .................................................................................................................... 113
Meat consumption and health ................................................................................................................ 113
Useful studies ......................................................................................................................................... 114
FISHING PRACTICES ................................................................................................................... 115
Quality in regards to presence and health of fish ................................................................................... 115
Overfishing and stock management ....................................................................................................... 115
Fishing strategies ................................................................................................................................... 115
Nutrition / human health ......................................................................................................................... 116
Pollution absorption and mercury levels ................................................................................................ 116
Pregnant women and fish ....................................................................................................................... 116
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................ 117
________________________________________________________________________
4
ICVolunteers
AgriGuide: Best Practices for Organic Farming, 29 July 2012
________________________________________________________________________
INTRODUCTION
Organic agriculture (OA) is a holistic approach promoting and enhancing agro-ecosystem
health, including biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil biological activity. OA emphasizes
the adoption of best management practices in preference of off-farm inputs, taking into
account that regional conditions require locally adapted systems. This strategy is
accomplished by adopting best agronomic practices to fulfill any specific function within
the farming system.
Practices of organic farming vary worldwide. Some farmers follow the strict production
guidelines of a particular regulatory code while others develop their own independent
systems and practices. However, all organic farming systems share common goals and
practices:
No use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, and genetically modified organisms
(GMOs);
Protection of soils from erosion, nutrient depletion, and structural break down;
Promotion of biodiversity, favoring the growth of different crops rather than mono-
culture;
No drugs such as antibiotics and
This resource originates from http://www.agriguide.org…. Click on this link to download from the source. If the original link doesn´t work, click on the image in the box on the right and download a copy.