Burkina Faso CFPA/CAPA flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Liebig's law of the minimum

The principle that crop yield is limited by the nutrient in shortest supply relative to need. Correcting that single deficient factor gives the largest yield response.

Rhizobium symbiosis

A partnership between legume roots and soil bacteria that form nodules and convert atmospheric nitrogen into forms the plant can use, enriching soil nitrogen for the following crop.

Economic threshold

The pest population level at which the cost of control equals the value of yield saved. Control is justified only when the population exceeds this level.

Cation exchange capacity

The soil's capacity to hold positively charged nutrients such as calcium, magnesium and potassium on clay and organic matter surfaces, releasing them to plant roots.

Gross margin

Gross product value minus variable costs for an enterprise. Fixed costs such as land and equipment are excluded and handled at whole-farm level.

Break-even yield

The output quantity at which total revenue equals total costs. It is calculated by dividing total costs by the unit selling price of the product.

Partial budget

A decision tool listing added returns, reduced costs, added costs and reduced returns for a proposed change. The change is adopted when the balance is positive.

Straight-line depreciation

An annual charge equal to purchase cost minus salvage value, divided by useful life in years. It spreads the cost of equipment over the years it is used.

Marketing margin

The difference between the price paid by the final consumer and the price received by the producer, covering transport, storage, processing and traders' costs and profits.

Colostrum

The first milk produced after birth, rich in antibodies and energy. It must be fed within about six hours because the newborn can absorb antibodies only briefly.

Body condition score

A visual and hands-on assessment of fat cover over the spine and ribs, used to adjust feeding so animals are neither too thin nor too fat.

Rumen acidosis

A digestive disorder caused by a sudden switch to large amounts of starch or concentrate, producing acid accumulation, reduced feed intake and possible death.

Oestrus cycle

The repeating reproductive cycle in female cattle, about 21 days long, with heat lasting roughly 12 to 18 hours during which mating should occur.

Quarantine period

A separation of 14 to 21 days for newly purchased animals, allowing disease signs to appear before they are mixed with the existing herd.

Sprayer calibration

Setting application volume by measuring nozzle output, travel speed and swath width, so the correct dose of product reaches the target uniformly.

Mouldboard plough

A primary tillage implement with a curved blade that cuts, lifts and inverts the soil, burying residues and weeds to a depth of about 15 to 25 centimetres.

Disc harrow

A secondary tillage implement with angled steel discs that break clods, level the surface and incorporate residues after primary ploughing.

Preventive maintenance

Scheduled checks and servicing such as oil, filter and coolant replacement carried out before breakdowns occur, reducing repair costs and extending machine life.

Spray drift

Movement of spray droplets away from the target by wind or evaporation. It wastes product, harms neighbouring crops and creates health and environmental risks.

Contour bund

An earth ridge built along a contour line to slow runoff, increase infiltration and trap sediment, protecting fields on gentle to moderate slopes.

Zaï pit

A planting hole filled with organic matter that concentrates water and nutrients on crusted, degraded dryland soil, improving seedling establishment in low rainfall areas.

Agroforestry

Deliberate association of trees or shrubs with crops or livestock on the same land, providing shade, fodder, fuelwood and soil improvement through complementary rooting.

Composting

Controlled decomposition of mixed dry carbon-rich and green nitrogen-rich materials at about 50 to 60 percent moisture, turned regularly to produce stable organic fertilizer.

Water harvesting

Collecting and storing runoff from roofs, roads or slopes for later agricultural or domestic use, often through pits, tanks or micro-catchments.

Farmer field school

An extension approach where farmers meet weekly on a demonstration plot to observe, experiment and compare practices, learning by doing rather than by lecture.

Adoption stages

The sequence through which a farmer passes before using an innovation: awareness, interest, evaluation, small-scale trial, and finally full adoption.

Participatory rural appraisal

A set of visual and group tools such as transect walks, seasonal calendars and resource maps, used with villagers to analyse local conditions and plan activities.

Monitoring and evaluation

Monitoring tracks progress against the plan during implementation, while evaluation judges relevance, effectiveness, efficiency and impact after or during the activity.

Cash flow forecast

A period-by-period table of expected cash receipts and payments. A positive balance each month shows the business can meet its obligations on time.

Return on investment

Net profit divided by the capital invested, expressed as a percentage. It compares the profitability of different enterprises or investments on a common basis.

Rule of three

A proportion method: if quantity a corresponds to b, then c corresponds to c multiplied by b divided by a. Used for seed, fertilizer and feed doses.

Past participle agreement

In French, a past participle used with avoir agrees with a preceding direct object, as in les graines que j'ai semées, but not with a following object.