Winrock volunteers, like Dr. Jonathan Deenik and Dr. Glen Fukumoto, are helping to #endhunger by building farmers’ resilience through improved soil fertility management and composting applications. On a recent technical assistance assignment in Myanmar, the volunteers had the opportunity to work closely with two farmer organizations. The organizations attracted approximately 130 farmers, local government agents, and NGO professionals to the workshops and demonstrations; covering topics on soil fertility management, livestock waste management, and composting.

Dr. Deenik is a soil fertility expert and defines soil fertility “as the ability of the soil to supply essential plant nutrients and soil water in adequate amounts and proportions for plant growth and it is the foundation of productive, vibrant cropping systems. Soils, however, vary dramatically in their ability to store and supply elements essential for good crop growth. A sandy soil has limited capacity to store and supply plant nutrients whereas a finer soil with proportionately more clay will typically store and supply more nutrients. Soil fertility assessment is typically conducted through soil testing, which involves a series of chemical analyses to determine soil nutrient availability.  

On this assignment in Hmawbi Township, I provided training in soil fertility assessment to two sets of farmer groups. Training participants at both sites brought soils from their respective farms and we tested the soils for pH (acidity) and available nitrate, phosphorus and potassium using my mobile soil testing equipment. The reflectoquant® technology uses different test strips for nitrate (N), phosphate (P) and potassium (K) coupled with a portable spectrophotometer to acquire concentration values for each nutrient. The participants went through the extraction and filtering steps, and then used the test strips and the spectrophotometer to the assess NPK status of their soils.

The farmers easily grasped the simple procedures and eagerly brought their soil samples forward for testing. With results for their soils in hand, I also provided them with the appropriate knowledge to interpret the test results and make fertilizer recommendations. After compiling the results, I highlighted the fact that many of the farmer’s soil samples were acidic to very acidic. Soils from paddy rice fields tended to show low nutrient status whereas soils from intensively managed vegetable fields were typically higher in nutrients – especially phosphorus. On the soils with low nutrient status, I presented some options for appropriate soil amendments including compost, manure, and synthetic fertilizers and presented some simple calculations to estimate the amount of amendment to add. In cases where soils had high nutrients, I emphasized to the farmers that fertilizer additions in these soils could be reduced to prevent nutrient loss to the environment with considerable savings to the farmer.

Access to simple, rapid, and reliable soil testing will have far-reaching impacts improving the livelihoods of rural Myanmar farmers empowering them to make sound fertilizer decisions that increase crop production while protecting soil and water resources.”

Dr. Deenik observing participants soil testing skills.

Dr. Fukumoto is an animal science specialist whose work focuses on on-farm projects in co-composting and nutrient management data collection. He describes composting as “one of the great wonders of the biological world. It is a natural process of aerobic microbial degradation of organic matter resulting in a stable and valuable soil amendment. 

During the second workshop series, we discussed the possibility of including a compost demonstration with Dr. Thet Khaing, Project Management and Communication Specialist for the Winrock International Asia F2F Myanmar field office. Dr. “TK”, as we affectionately call him, is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and provides volunteers with wealth of knowledge about all things Myanmar – from culture and history to arts and crafts, and recommendations to the best restaurants in town. The host farm was eager to support the last-minute addition of a compost demonstration to the workshop agenda. With the farm manager, I discussed the logistics of the demonstration: dimensions and design of the compost bin, requirements for carbon and nitrogen materials, water, and tools that were needed to build the compost pile. Everything was purchased, gathered and ready the next day.

“Built with locally sourced and natural materials, this was one of the most beautifully constructed compost bins I’ve worked with.” Glen Fukumoto

I worked with the farm crew, mostly through crude hand signals, and we completed the coolest compost bin I’ve worked on: woven bamboo side panels, custom-made bamboo aeration pipes, and a bamboo structural frame. Rice husks were used as the carbon resource and the nitrogen was provided by poultry manure. I had hoped for a beautiful day for the outdoor demonstration; well, at least no rain during the build. Thankfully, it didn’t rain during the demonstration, but working in the hot and humid weather with my shoes anchored in the sticky clay mud, and being surrounded by over 70 eager farmer participants, many seeing a compost pile being built for the first time, was just another great experience of delivering practical information and introducing innovative and age-old technologies for rural agricultural development.

The recycling of farm by-products and livestock waste through simple on-farm composting systems can help to replace a portion of the chemical fertilizers and improve the biological health of the soils to improve crop production, as well as to reduce the pollution potential of animal manure runoff into water resources in the region. In addition, the compost can be an integral part of the nutrient management plan of farms considering a transition to organic farming systems.” 

I have participated in nearly 50 F2F Assignments in the past 22 years but this is my first visit to Bangladesh. The level of poverty, the small farms, the density of agricultural activities, and the tropical conditions were all that I expected and more. However, I was not prepared for the Bangladesh people. I found the people of the Satkhira region of southwest Bangladesh delightful. They were open, courteous, sharing, appreciative, diligent, and smart. I will look forward to a return visit in the future.

My assignment focused upon a 5-day training of small scale youth farmers in basic techniques for commercial vegetable seed production. Rice and jute are the primary cash crops of the region, but we focused upon tomato, pepper, eggplant, cucumber, pumpkin, and gourd seed production. After reviewing basic plant biology, I covered seed production technology. The final day concluded with a field trip to a government-operated rice breeding project and foundation seed producer. Although on a much grander scale, participants were able to see basic processes, seed treatments, seed testing, and storage of agricultural seed in their home territory.

Dr. Williams shows the farmers the symptoms of insect attacks and prevalence of powdery mildew problems on cucumber leaves during a field visit

Dr. Williams shows another farmer the damage and color change on eggplant leaves due to an aphids’ attack

The conditions were not perfect. The electricity went on and went off and temperatures in the seminar room were sometimes hot, but no one complained. Participants came up to me many times and said how much they enjoyed the presentations and appreciated the information I was sharing with them. During the field visits, farmers showed enthusiasm for information and techniques in plant protection and cultivation.

The experience was truly humbling. I sincerely hope my efforts will help some of the Bangladeshi people to attain their goals and dreams.

Dr. Williams shows a group of farmers how to get rid of unwanted plants from any kind of orchard during a practical training session

In honor of International Youth Day, we would like to highlight an interesting and impactful youth-focused assignment completed in Nepal. Farmer-to-Farmer (F2F) volunteer, Dr. Tiffany Drape, arrived in Ramechhap district in March 2016 to provide a training of trainers on youth facilitation and agriculture-based entrepreneurship development to staff and members of 4-H Nepal and the Youth Partnership for Development and Peace Nepal (YSP-Nepal). It is important to note that 4-H Nepal is the first registered 4-H organization in South Asia, and Winrock Farmer-to-Farmer training laid the groundwork for Nepali youth development professionals to create the national program. Therefore, I was excited about the opportunity to meet with Lok Raj Awasthi, President of 4-H Nepal, to discuss the organization, as well as to learn more about the impact of Dr. Drape’s training.

Mr. Awasthi explained the most important topics covered by Dr. Drape were business planning, profit and loss statements, sustainability, and communication skills. Many of the 4-H Nepal members already had their own agriculture businesses. However, he stated, “Farmers had no plan and didn’t keep records. But after the training many farmers are keeping records and now have a business strategy.” 4-H Nepal has since reached about 120 other national members with similar training on agricultural entrepreneurship development.

Dr. Drape’s training with 4-H Nepal members. (Lok Raj Awasthi is also featured standing at the front of the room).

Later, in July 2016, 4-H Nepal hosted its first Youth Agriculture Entrepreneurship Conference (article here: 4H Nepal youth entrepreneurship conference). One of the goals of this conference is to empower more youth to engage in the agriculture sector. The conference was attended by more than 200 young farmers and the Vice President of Nepal. It featured sessions focused on progressive agro-based enterprise practices, where Dr. Drape’s training materials were utilized. This is the type of ripple effect you hope to see for any F2F assignment, but it is even more exciting to hear that the training has reached many more youth and has furthered the working relationship with 4-H Nepal. Mr. Awasthi noted, “This type of youth conference is just a stepping stone towards a progressive future for Nepal’s agriculture sector. We hope that we are able to provide a platform where young entrepreneurs could form a network and help each other.” We at F2F are looking forward to seeing even more great work on youth agricultural entrepreneurship development implemented through 4-H Nepal and hope Dr. Drape’s training will continue to benefit youth that are looking to start or build their own businesses.

Dr. Drape distributing completion certificates to 4-H members following her training.

This week’s blog comes from F2F Volunteer, Dr. Malcom Manners, an expert in nursery management and tropical fruit propagation methods. He is a professor and Chairman of the Horticulture Department at Florida Southern College and has completed over 16 volunteer consulting trips around the world. 

In late May and early June, 2017, I worked on a Farmer-to-Farmer project with Winrock in the Mandalay area of Myanmar. I’ve worked on numerous other F2F projects, and several of them have involved mango. I have to say this was among the best projects with which I’ve ever been involved!

I flew to Yangon via Orlando, Seattle, and Seoul, arriving late in the evening. I was met at the airport by Winrock staff and taken directly to my hotel. I had a chance to rest the following morning, then meet with the in-country staff in the afternoon. There, we planned out the exact itinerary for the project. The next morning, we flew to Mandalay, where we met with a couple of lead farmers, to interview them about what they perceived to be their major challenges, and what they’d like to get out of the workshops. Their concerns were very similar to those listed in the scope of work, so I felt well-prepared.

Mango basket

The next day was the first of a two-day training. We really didn’t know how many people would attend — 40 had preregistered, but they thought more would show, perhaps as many as 60. But when the crowd started arriving, more and more came, until we had 150 attendees! We had to move the meeting out of the planned building into an outdoor area. That caused some concern, in case it rained, but it ended up okay. We spent that day talking about nursery production of mango trees — variety selection (for local vs. export markets), seedling production for grafting, grafting techniques, and care of the grafted plants until they are ready for the orchard. The group was particularly interested in grafting. Mango trees in Myanmar are mostly grown from seed, and seedling trees take several years to get into production, growing far too tall for convenient harvesting or spraying. A grafted tree can be kept much shorter and will bear its fruit closer to the ground, and in fewer years, than would a seedling. Also, grafting guarantees that the tree will produce exactly the variety of fruit that the grower wants. Compared to other fruit trees, mango is also rather picky about how you graft it, and many propagators consider it challenging, to get a good rate of success. So we spent a lot of time talking about the fine points of the procedure, and the crowd was on the edge of their seats, in rapt attention! As a college professor, I can only wish my regular students had such enthusiasm for and fascination with the topics we discuss! We ended the day with live demonstrations of the methods we had discussed. A local TV station made a video of the entire event, and I was interviewed by them during lunch time.

Dr. Manners demonstrating grafting techniques for mango trees (recorded my local media).

The following day, we had nearly as many people show up for training, so again we were in the outdoor site. This time we did get a bit of rain, but not enough to shut down the program. We discussed production in the orchard — planting trees, tree spacing, plant nutrition and fertilizer programs, pests and diseases and their management, appropriate irrigation practices, and pruning techniques for mango trees. Again, the crowd was totally engaged, and we had another great day!

Bagged fruit to protect against fruit fly infestation

We had originally planned to go to another town to do a similar training, but the hosts there were not able to meet with us, so we changed the schedule a bit to visit with some orange and tangerine growers in Shan State, which is in a higher-elevation area and has a cooler climate. We had a good visit there with a nurseryman, and again, discussed grafting methods for citrus, as well as characteristics of fruit varieties and rootstocks. We also visited some orchards for a discussion of production problems. This was really a discovery mission, with the idea of developing a future scope of work for the area.

From there it was back to Yangon to work on the final report. I’m delighted with the outcome of this project — I think the growers will soon be producing high-quality grafted trees, and within a few years, that will revolutionize their ability to produce a high-quality, high-yielding crop, fit for the export market as well as increased local sales. And that’s what it’s all about!

I found the Winrock staff in Myanmar to be great people to work with — always helpful and thoughtful, and who made sure things happened as they should. I really appreciated that partnership as well.

I would like to share how my Winrock International USAID-funded Farmer to Farmer (F2F) volunteer assignment was one of much excitement and full of very rewarding humbling experiences. One experience stands out as a professional one that led to a career culminating experience for me that I would like to share in this blog. The experience deals with my career as an irrigation agronomist/horticulturist of 42 years (1975-2017), which concentrated on “drip irrigation technology” in developed and developing countries. My initial career path in drip irrigation technology started in 1975 with my research at Virginia Tech as a Ph.D. student in the Department of Horticulture doing research on the development and use of drip irrigation on tomatoes in Western Virginia. The drip system that I was using to irrigate the tomato plants with was developed and provided for my research by Mr. Richard Chapin of Chapin Watermatics, considered to be the “Father of Drip Irrigation” in the United States.

My drip irrigation career took me to developing drip systems for bananas and pineapples in Honduras, Costa Rica, and Hawaii with Dole Foods, working with commercial drip irrigation vegetable growers in Florida. In addition, I was involved in agricultural development projects with USAID and USDA where drip irrigation for fruit and vegetable growers was emphasized in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Guinea, Senegal, and finally- in Bangladesh. The drip irrigation projects that I was involved in were not all success stories. One in particular failed in 1987 in six months after I departed the country, due to the end of the development project I was serving on. Failure occurred because there was not a dealer network for drip irrigation supplies and technical support. This failure haunted me for a long time. The training experience with Winrock International in March-April 2017 has left me very excited and encouraged about the drip irrigation systems. I used Mr. Chapin’s drip tape that was installed by the Thanarbaid banana growers in the Madhupur Upazila of Tangail District in Bangladesh through the auspices of Shalom (formerly Church of Bangladesh Social Development Programme-CBSDP and their Youth Beneficiary Group). Drip irrigation success in Bangladesh is assured via dedicated banana farmers, Winrock International, USAID, and partner, ACI Agribusiness, who works with Jain Irrigation of India, a key supplier of drip irrigation technology, including Chapin drip tape. What a rewarding experience it was to culminate my drip irrigation career knowing that drip irrigation technology in Bangladesh will thrive and serve as a food security tool to help feed the people of Bangladesh.

Dr. Kovach working with the banana farmers to connect the tubes through the bottom of the bucket to the irrigation tape.

Dr. Kovach with banana farmers over the Chapin Drip Irrigation Tape. Note the dark circles next to the black drip tape where water has come out of the water emitting orifices and began to wet the soil to supply water to the banana plants.

Chapin Bucket Drip Irrigation System supplying water to the two black drip tubes next to the banana plants. The major advantage to using drip irrigation versus the traditional irrigation method of flooding the field is in water savings, where 50% less water is needed to irrigate banana crops.

Dr. Kovach observes one of the participants pouring urea mixed water into the buckets to provide plants with water and fertilizer through the Chapin Bucket Drip system in the orchard.