1. News reports
A draft brochure in a day at ASHC write-shop
… with the potential to increase maize yields 14-fold The first of the ASHC facilitated write-shops in Ghana resulted in 10 clear messages on maize farming being produced in just one day. Collectively this advice could result in a 14-fold increase in maize harvests. These messages will be packed into a range of innovative extension […]
Read MoreNew communication specialist joins ASHC
25 July 2012 The ASHC is delighted to welcome Grace Omondi as our new communications specialist. Grace will be focused on developing communication materials that promote integrated soil fertility management. This will involve her writing copy and helping to realize graphic designs and implementation of ASHC’s house-style and the ASHC Communication strategy. Grace is a […]
Read MoreGiller – help farmers find own solutions
Ken Giller has extensive experience of farming systems, particularly in Africa. He is concerned by a tendency for organizations and individuals to promote blanket solutions, which fail to account for the complex and varied constraints facing smallholder farmers. Read his article in the New Agriculturalist.
Read MoreASHC journal paper on coffee profitability
A new journal paper written by Lydia Wairegi and Piet van Asten contributes towards making sure that the fertilizers used by farmers have the potential to improve productivity and export earnings from East African coffee. Poor soil fertility is a constraint to coffee production. But, fertilizer specifically targeting nutrient deficiencies in soil and the needs […]
Read MoreGhana to benefit from ISFM write-shops
In July 2012 ASHC and AGRA will be hosting intensive write-shops in Ghana with grantees and their partners, including the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The aim of the write-shops will be to design dissemination materials that help to change the way farmers prepare and manage their soil. In particular it will explore how to […]
Read MorePolicy brief proposes extensionists ISFM training
13 June 2012 ASHC POLICY BRIEF number 1 Rodney Lunduka and Valerie Kelly The ASHC’s first policy brief sets out the economic benefits of integrated soil fertility management (ISFM). The brief was produced by Rodney Lunduka, in his role as post-doctoral fellow (policy), together with Professor Valerie Kelly of Michigan State University, and a member […]
Read MoreChanges in the ASHC team
23 May 2012 The technical advisory group (TAG) has annual elections for the posts of chair and vice chair. At their meeting in May 2012, the TAG choose Dr Shamie Zingore to be chair. Shamie had previously been vice-chair. The new vice-chair will be Dr Andre Bationo.The ASHC is also pleased to announce that Dr […]
Read MoreRock phosphate doubles crop for Elishililia
Arusha, Tanzania To celebrate International Women’s Day the African Soil Health Consortium (ASHC) shares a good news story of fertilizer innovation in Tanzania. The impact of a new locally produced rock phosphate fertilizer, Minjingu, has been made all the more powerful as part of an integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) approach: new seed varieties and […]
Read MoreASHC: as seen on TV!
2 March 2012 Shamba Shape-up The African Soil Health Consortium partners have been working hard over the past few months to ensure that soil improvement messages are included in the new series of the popular television programme Shamba Shape Up. The first episode in the new series of the award winning Shamba Shape Up will […]
Read MoreASHC workshop targets soil health in Mali
Bamako, Mali This week ASHC in partnership with AGRA has brought together a group of researchers, extensionists, agro-input dealers, farmers with communication experts to learn how to create and disseminate better soil fertility management information. Using the text and pictures brought to the workshop by the participants, the group created a number of communication products […]
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