The tropical agriculturalist

The Tropical Agriculturalist In many developing countries, particularly in Africa, there is a great shortage of middle-level technical books and manuals suitable for advanced agricultural education or extension services. Because of the specialised nature of their content, these books have a limited market and consequently, limited sales. They are therefore not a very attractive proposition for publishers in Africa where the problem is aggravated by poor purchasing power and exorbitant production costs. 'The Tropical Agriculturalist' series is designed to fill this gap. These are practical field guides and manuals on major tropical Crops and cultivation practices, co-published by CTA and Macmillan. They are translations of original French texts commissioned and co-published by CTA, ACCT, and Maisonneuve et Larose in a series entitled 'Le technician d'agriculture tropicale' (see Spore No. 9 for more details). The text is written in a deliberately simple style and is supported by clear illustrations which greatly facilitate their use in the field. These books are designed for agricultural students and teachers, but are also useful for extension workers, farmers and farm managers. The following three titles have recently been published. MAIZE by Guy Rouanet Better seeds and improved ploughing methods alone are not sufficient to ensure good maize harvests. The farmer also needs to be aware of other factors such as environmental requirements and the control of pests and diseases. This book reviews the plant structure and life cycle of this very important tropical food staple, its environmental requirements and major cultivation systems. It also includes a review of both traditional and modern cultivation and storage methods and suggests ways to adapt them to varying ecological conditions. PLANTAIN BANANAS by Hugues Tezenas du Montcel Cooking bananas, as opposed to sweet or dessert bananas, are an integral part of the diet of many people in the humid and sub-humid tropical zones of Africa and the Caribbean. It is estimated that between 30 and 50 million tonnes of bananas are consumed annually in these areas. This manual provides the reader with essential information on techniques for planting and maintaining plantations in hot, humid regions. Traditional cropping systems and techniques for intensive plantation maintenance are described, with an overview of input requirements and pest control. Summary recommendations on every page make this manual particularly appropriate for extension services or as a teaching text. STORAGE OF FOOD GRAINS AND SEEDS by Jean Appert Post-harvest losses due to rats, weevils, fungi and other pests account for a large part of the food deficit of developing countries. Proper storage of grains and pulses is therefore of great importance in reducing such losses. This book looks at strategies to adopt, precautions to take, and mistakes to avoid in storing harvests. It discusses the different causes of spoilage, their origin and nature, and the extent of losses. Traditional and modern storage structures are compared and an illustrated description of the major pests of stored products is given. CTA recognizes the importance of these simplified manuals in bridging the gap between research results and their implementation in the field, and plans to publish further titles in this series. Volumes on cotton, cassava and weed control are under preparation and CTA is considering expanding the series to include livestock production. Available from: Technical Division CTA Postbus 380 6700 AJ Wageningen The Netherlands

The Tropical Agriculturalist [series] MAIZE / by Guy Rouanet PLANTAIN BANANAS / by Hugues Tezenas du Montcel STORAGE OF FOOD GRAINS AND SEEDS / by Jean Appert