Welcome to the home of interactive3d learning objects

Farm

In this i3dlo the user can move around "Nhapitapi" farm and interact with a number of objects to understand the good and bad places to place the hive; the importance of fresh water; sources of pollen and the role of flora in attracting bees.

Building a Kenya top-bar hive

This learning object is probably one of the best examples of an interactive3d learning object (i3dlo). It shows how to build one step by step with associated audio providing an explanation for each step.

Rondawel (marketing of honey)

Here you will learn which by-products can be made from honey and sold for profit by clicking on items inside a farm stall.

Bee enemies

This i3dlo will show you how to protect the hive against its main predators, i.e. hive beetles, honey badgers, ants, wax moths and wasps.

A bee-house

Bees are wonderful creatures, for making honey, but also for ensuring that plants are pollinated – a crucial role that bees play. While bee hives are often kept in the open, some farmers go the extra step and put a number of hives into a small building. This i3dlo shows a typical bee house, with twelve Kenya Top Bar hives in the house – which has two rooms, a work room and a separate room for the bees. See also how each entrance on the outside wall is marked differently through shape and colour, so that the bees know which hive to return to.

Work-room (harvesting and tools)

Beekeepers store all their equipment in a work-room. Explore the room and click on objects such as the smoker and the hive tool to find out what they do.

Bee keeping - Full version

This full version includes all the above i3dlo's in one simulation. The user will learn basic beekeeping skills and to keep bees as a new source of income, as well as exsiting apiarists who can improve their returns by avoiding obvious mistakes. The learning system places the user in a 3D world that represents a typical small-holding farm.

Beware, this is a large file to download.

Pegging out a field- A-frame

Knowing how the contours run across your field is important when ploughing in order to minimise, or control water run-off. This i3dlo shows one simple way to peg out a field using the A-frame - starting with making one.

This i3dlo is aimed at helping farmers to understand the importance of ploughing along contours, as well as how to develop a clear understanding of lines of level contour by surveying the field using an A-frame (and by pegging (marking) out the field accordingly). If water runs down the slope, it will wash away topsoil and nutrients, to the detriment of the field environment and the farmers' ability to generate income.

Conversely, if the water is kept in the field, it soaks into the soil and can be used by the plants, thus increasing crop yield.

Pegging out a field- Line level

This i3dlo is aimed primarily at helping farmers to understand the importance of ploughing along contours and how to survey the field using a Line Level by pegging (marking) out the field.

The i3dlo shows how to make a line level, as well how to use it to mark out (peg) lines of level contour; it also looks at how to use a line level to identify slopes of 1:250 (for Contour Ridges) and 1:100 (Tied Ridges).

If water runs uncontrolled down the slope, it can wash away topsoil and nutrients, to the detriment of the field environment and the farmers' ability to generate income.

Conversely, if the water is kept in the field, it soaks into the soil and can be used by the plants, thus increasing crop yield.

Plough settings

Setting a plough is one of the most important aspects of ploughing. If the plough is set incorrectly the operator and the draught animals struggle and may even be injured. Productivity suffers and furrows are not prepared correctly with serious consequences for crop production.

This i3dlo demonstrates three important adjustments (1) adjusting the depth of the furrow; (2) the width of the furrow and finally (3) the position of the wheel (it is also important to emphasise that the wheel must never be used to adjust the height).

Plough parts

The plough used in the demonstration is based on the Mielie Brand plough, manufactured by Zimplow Ltd (of Zimbabwe). The setting for the i3dlo is an open field where the single-furrow plough is demonstrated.

The plough, ripper and high wing ridger are inter-changeable blades that can be attached to the same handle-beam assembly, and this i3dlo helps the learner understand the main parts of a standard single-furrow plough and how the parts fit together.

Soil erosion

This i3dlo was designed to help farmers recognise whether an erosion problem is emerging on their land. It gives a basic understanding of the mechanistic processes involved in the different types of erosion that are commonly experienced. It looks at how to recognize water problems in our fields; the main types of erosion (raindrop, sheet and rill erosion); the importance of soil cover - mulching and the impact of slope length, steepness and soil type.

Gully formation

This small i3dlo shows the user how gullies are formed and how to stop them from spreading further and causing more destruction (see gully control - stone checks). Understanding how gullies form can help the farmer understand the damage they can cause, as well as the importance of taking steps to prevent them forming in the first place.

Once gullies are allowed to form, they are difficult to repair. At best, measures can be taken to stop them growing further - if they are allowed to continue growing in size, they can cause huge damage and significantly impact on the amount of productive land available to the farmer.

Gully control - Stone checks

This i3dlo shows the user how to repair gullies and reduce the speed of water flow in the gully by building stone checks. In this way, future growth from erosion is controlled and the damage impact minimized. It is aimed primarily at helping farmers to understand how to build stone checks as a way to stop gullies from further degenerating. Note that the vertical scale of the gully shown has been exaggerated for effect.

In-field water capture

The main drawback of contour ridges lies in the fact that, during seasons with lower rainfall, only crops close to the actual contour ridge get enough water whilst crops further in-field suffer.

As this i3dlo shows, this can be addressed in a number of simple yet effective ways. Look at how to capture more run-off water during the rainy season and how to make your own clay pipes to irrigate at low cost during the dry season.

Rooftop water harvesting

This i3dlo shows how to set up a system to harvest water from roofs, which can provide a useful supplementary water source for rural schools, farms, homes and businesses.

It shows you what the main components of a rooftop water harvesting system are; how to planning for water yield and its impact on storage size; how to actually build a water storage tank; and finally, a look at a more advanced storage system - pumping water to a roof-top storage system.

Sorghum - Origins and diversity

This i3dlo looks at the origins and cultivars of the Sorghum plant, from a historical context. A globe is used to show how Sorghum spread from continent to continent; with information on the most significant Sorghum cultivars that are produced in Africa and elsewhere. Sorghum was domesticated in Africa around 3,000 BC, introduced into China in the 3rd century and introduced to the US via the slave trade in the late 1700's.

Sorghum - Planting for success

This simulation shows what happens to the Sorghum plant from the point at which the seed has been planted, through the various growth phases, until it reaches maturity.

The i3dlo also looks at the more commonly used techniques used when planting Sorghum.

Sorghum - Plant characteristics

This i3dlo looks at the main characteristics of Sorghum. It looks at the seeds; root structure (Sorghum is characterised by very deep root structures, making it a good crop in drier areas); height as well as the growth cycle up to harvest.

Sorghum - Yield

By raising awareness about Sorghum, we hope to encourage the cultivation of Sorghum as part of improving food security across Africa. Sorghum is one of the most important cereal crops grown in the world today and is the dietary staple of more than 500 million people.

This i3dlo looks at crop yield in terms of how yield is affected by temperature, climate & fertilizer. In some respects, this simulation overlaps with the "Sorghum Characteristics" i3dlo, but in this case, the focus is on crop yield - and the main parameters that can influence yield

Sorghum as a food source

The learner is taken into a kitchen area where they can explore a number of Sorghum based food products and also look at how to make Sorghum beer.

The user moves through the kitchen area, identifies thirteen different food related items, where accompanying audio clips explain which type of products can be prepared from Sorghum.

Pests (management and control)

The PESTS i3dlo addresses an important area of agricultural knowledge, specifically crop & vegetable production and pest control - it looks at which pests attack onions, tomatoes, rapes, kale, cabbage, sweet potatoes, maize and Sorghum. This is an important topic as a pest infestation can destroy a crop or vegetable patch just as surely as a lack of water.

Applying chemicals is usually the preferred method of treatment. However, natural pest control is cheaper and less invasive and deserves a larger place in the farmer's arsenal. We have therefore, also included information on natural pest control.