New video on how African rice farmers can reduce Striga problems in their crop
November 12, 2015
A farmer-to-farmer instruction video on the parasitic weed Striga and soil management in upland rice has been produced by the Africa Rice Center(AfricaRice) and its partners as part of the African Development Bank-funded project ‘Support to Agricultural Research for Development of Strategic Crops in Africa (SARD-SC).
Striga is a widespread problem in upland rice in sub-Saharan Africa. The video explains the agronomic principles that help rice farmers to reduce Striga problems in their crop. The 21-minute video shows four different principles that contribute to a reduction in Striga infestation:
1. Crop rotation or intercropping, including leguminous species
2. Direct seeding in previous crop residues without soil tillage
3. Fertilizing the soil with chemical and organic fertilizers, and
4. The use of a Striga-resistant rice variety
The first three practices also strongly benefit soil conservation and soil fertility. Farmers describe in their own words their experiences with these practices and explain why and how it is done.
The video is a product of a close collaboration among AfricaRice, the French agricultural research for development organization (CIRAD), the national program of Madagascar (FOFIFA) and the Association of Direct Seeding in Madagascar (GSDM). The video is available in five languages, English, French, Malagasy, Swahili and Portuguese on AfricaRice YouTube site.
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