Pulse crops

The maize-legume system cropping guide is a practical 88 manual focusing on good agricultural practices for maize-legume production that promote integrated soil fertility management. Produced by ASHC.

High and low resolution versions are available for downloading -this cropping guide is available in English only.  A black & white, easy to print and photocopy, version will be available soon - the text is the same but the format is A4 and any images that rely on colour have been replaced.

Mwongozo huu una lengo la kutoa habari wazi zinazowezesha kuchukua hatua juu ya wadudu na magonjwa muhimu zaidi yanayoathiri mazao muhimu ya chakula yanayokuzwa na wakulima wadogo barani Afrika.

Kwa kila mdudu au ugonjwa, maelezo yanatolewa ya jinsi ya kutambua tatizo, nini cha kufanya ili kuzuia kutokea na jinsi ya kudhibiti wakati linapotokea. Chaguzi za usimamizi wa kila mdudu au ugonjwa zimegawanywa katika ‘mbinu za kitamaduni’, kama vile matumizi ya aina sugu, mbegu safi, kilimo cha mzunguko na hali nzuri ya usafi shambani, na ‘mbinu za kikemikali’, ambazo huhusisha matumizi ya dawa sahihi za kuua wadudu. Aidha maelezo yanatolewa juu ya viumbe vinavyosababisha tatizo na madhara yake. Hatimaye, orodha fupi ya machapisho na tovuti inatolewa ambapo maelezo ya ziada yanaweza kupatikana.

Timu ya wataalam wa afya ya mimea wamekusanya maelezo haya; kwa kufanya hivyo wametumia utafiti na taarifa za hivi karibuni zinazopatikana mwaka wa 2015. Mazao yaliyoangaziwa ni: nafaka (mahindi, mawele, mtama, mpunga), mikunde (njugu, maharagwe na kunde) mazao ya mizizi (mihogo, viazi vitamu, viazi vikuu) na migomba.

This manual provides clear, actionable information on the most important pests and diseases that affect the major food crops grown by smallholder farmers in Africa. Crops covered are: cereals (maize, millet, sorghum, rice), legumes (groundnuts, beans and cowpeas) roots and tubers (cassava, sweet potato, yam) and banana.

For each pest or disease, information is provided on how to recognise the problem, what to do to prevent it occurring and how to control it when it occurs. The management options for each pest or disease are divided into ‘cultural approaches’, such as use of resistant varieties, clean seed, crop rotations and good hygiene in the field, and ‘chemical approaches’, which involve the use of appropriate pesticides. In addition information is provided on the organism that causes the problem and its impact. Finally, a short list of publications and websites is given where additional information can be obtained.

A team of plant health experts has compiled this information; in doing so they have drawn upon the latest research and information available in 2015.