Writer: Agriculture and Food Cluster Team
Cambodian farmers, students, consumers, as well as general public in Phnom Penh are being introduced to biocontrol agents or the living organisms that naturally fight harmful insect pests and crop diseases through a mobile interactive exhibition called the Learning Landscape.
In this exhibition, the concept of ‘biocontrol agents’ is simply defined with sample pictures of crops, insect pests, and how to use these natural agents in a step by step manner.
A selected fungal organism ‘Trichoderma’ which is a yield-booster to make crops healthier, grow bigger, and result in better root development is also introduced. Trichoderma also helps fight crop diseases such as wilt, damping off, stem rot, and downy mildew.
With the use of Trichoderma, it is highlighted that farmers grow better crops leading to increasing income while protecting soil and environment.
Learning Landscape is a collaboration between Eco Agri Co., Ltd. the organic company in Cambodia, and ASEAN-German project’s ‘ASEAN Sustainable Agrifood Systems. Its primary goal is to encourage farmers to reduce the use of chemicals in agriculture through an alternative environmental friendly method of the biochemical products.
The mobile interactive exhibition is now displayed at the Eco-Agri Center, 206E1, St. 63, BKK1, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The aimed to give farmers, particularly the young generations, students, and consumers, as well as the general public knowledge and solid understanding about biocontrol products, and their advantages.
How visitors react to the Learning Landscape
“I’m so excited to see the interactive exhibition for the agriculture sector. It gives me techniques to protect my plants in the organic way. I have never thought that living organism such as fungi, bacteria and numerous insects could work for us to protect our garden. It surprises me of their advantages.
I find a description of the plant diseases and information on the biocontrol agents which combat the diseases and pests very useful. I am sure I can use the information and practice it at my garden at home. I will also share this information and encourage friends, relatives and colleagues to visit the Learning Landscape at Eco-Agri Co,.Ltd.”
“Normally, we host the visitors from outside including friends, relatives, students, business partners and project partners at our office and with the Learning Landscape they enjoy the visit more. The visitors express their interests in the exhibition and their satisfaction on the improvement of knowledge in regard to ecological farming.
It is an eye-opening especially to the new audiences who were never aware of what biocontrol agent is. The interactive exhibition really attracts the visitors and is very useful to enable the visitors to have interaction and getting a good experience and memory. We also aim to install another exhibition of the Learning Landscape containing more information at a larger area space at the Picnic Resort, located at Natioal Raod 4, Kilometer Post 135, Kompong Seila District, Preah Sihanouk Province. We highly expect a wider range of visitors there.”