AGRIBUSINESS TRAININGS
STUDENTS TRAINING PROGRAMES AND INTERNSHIPS
The students from Katete College of Agricultural Marketing had more lessons with our Director Samson Phiri. They learnt about organic certification, organic fertilizer formulation and Azola pond construction and management. They also learnt about using organic maize farming for seed breeding purposes.
Organic certification involves growing crops without using chemicals. They also learnt the process of making organic fertilizer through a process called vermiculture which stands as a biological process.
Under Azola Pond Construction, they learnt more about Azola, which is a fen in nature and used as feed to all livestock. It is rich in plant protein therefore making it suitable for feed. It grows on the surface of water which has higher amounts of NPP (Nitrogen potassium and phosphorus) the NPP is found in organic fertilizers thereby creating a sustainable cycle. In the creation of Azola Ponds, chickens droppings are introduced to vermiculture process to turn it from manure to a fertilizer using the earth worm and black soldier fly. When the fertilizer is made it's put in the Azola water ponds as to give Azola NPP.
When Azola is harvested it's taken back to the chickens as feed. Azola grows every 24hrs meaning it's harvested on a daily basis.
Finally under organic maize farming for seed breeding purposes, the students learnt how native seed breeding is done via cross pollination of native seeds of different varieties organically without chemicals. The purpose is to bring back the original seed away from genetic modification. Meaning we can make seed that will be recycled over and over to protect vulnerable households and communities.
Below are some photos from their lessons
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