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Human activity detrimental to coral reefs, says study
Posted by SciDev.Net: Mercy Adhiambo on September 24th, 2012
SciDev.Net: Human activities like agriculture and urbanisation can lead to the destruction of coral reefs and make their recovery and management difficult, according to research undertaken along the Kenyan coast. These activities increase the rate at which microbes -- microscopic plants and animals such as bacteria, fungi, and algae, as well as some animals like sponges and worms -- erode the reefs. Overfishing and drainage from land -- such as the one that occurs in Kenya's marine parks -- were significant...
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Researchers design ‘smart’ waterpumps for rural Africa
Posted by SciDev.Net: Mercy Adhiambo on July 11th, 2012
SciDev.Net: Researchers hope to harness mobile phone technology to improve water supplies in rural parts of Africa.
A team from the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom, proposes installing handpumps containing devices that automatically send text messages to local water engineers whenever pumps break down or dry up.
The device, known as a waterpoint data transmitter, is fitted into handpump handles, and automatically monitors the number of strokes made when a pump is operated.
This data, which...
‘Push–pull’ pest control to reach more African farmers
Posted by SciDev.Net: Mercy Adhiambo on April 26th, 2011
SciDev.Net: Napier grass produces a gummy substance that traps freshly hatched stem borers A farming technology that uses intercropping to repel insect pests from food crops has been given a new lease of life by a programme to expand its uptake.
The 'push--pull' strategy intercrops cereals with a repellent plant bordered by an attractive trap plant. For example, maize can be intercropped with desmodium, which repels ('pushes') pests such as the maize stem borer away from the crop, and bordered by Napier...