SUBJECT WAS : Request For Top 3 Items To Cultivate On A 80m By 75m Piece Of Land.

I need some help.
By the last week in January 2017, a piece of farmland - 80m by 75m, will be in my possession. (About 1.5 acres.)
I have been told that it was last used/planted about 10yrs ago, however it has be manually cleared and burned about twice a year since then.
Plans are to have a bore hole dug during the first week of February. ( Meaning that I am willing to take appropriate step needed to irrigate.)
The location is on the Oyo state side of the Oyo / Osun border, south of Odo Oba.

My question / request to all in the section of the forum is for the top 2 or 3 suggestions as to items that could be planted to put the land to use immediately (that is, by the 2 week of February).

Thanks in advance.

[quote author=ruggie post=51189469]I need some help.
By the last week in January 2017, a piece of farmland - 80m by 75m, will be in my possession. (About 1.5 acres.)
I have been told that it was last used/planted about 10yrs ago, however it has be manually cleared and burned about twice a year since then.
Plans are to have a bore hole dug during the first week of February. ( Meaning that I am willing to take appropriate step needed to irrigate.)
The location is on the Oyo state side of the Oyo / Osun border, south of Odo Oba.

My question / request to all in the section of the forum is for the top 2 or 3 suggestions as to items that could be planted to put the land to use immediately (that is, by the 2 week of February).

vegetables

Thank you for the response.

I will start to look into this.

You're welcome.

I started to look into the various vegetables.
So far, it seems that something like ewedu, watermelon or cucumbers would be the way to go for me.
However, those mentioned seem to require a whole lot more attention than what I can provide over the next 18 to 24 months. (By the end of 2018, I will be able to commit to this full time, maybe even expand if possible. For now, I need something on the land until then.)
Because of this , I actually think I am going to be leaning more towards plantain, unless I can find someone who can manage the farm until when I can dedicate more time.
Two more months to go for the transfer to be complete.

Still open to other suggestions as well.

So, it looks like I have brain-washed myself with plantain propaganda.
Animals seem to be out of the question due to there intensive care needed.
Most of these vegetables seem to short of a term / to short turn around time.

Plantain seems to fit with my immediate need of putting the land to use, and using up the land in the medium term.

Next : Figuring out how to get started.

since the land is beside a river, you can plant ewedu ,efo and cucumber there now.
the ewedu and ego revenue can be used to cultivate cucumber.

My brother, don't disturb yourself with vegetables since u av little time. Go for plantain, u can plant like 2000 suckers on that land and reap more than 500k at d end of d year.

So I have started to plan things out.
My background is in systems architecture, so I love to build models , prototype, diagrams and similar tools and systems.

One of my first steps is the following.....


http://odeyemi.net:8088/est/index.php

It is a webpage that helps calculate how many trees/plants you can have on a piece of properly measured land.
I found some of the "population" calculators a bit mis-leading as they do not seem to take into account the fact that a person will most likely not plant right on the borders of the piece of land, as well as the fact that if you do not align the spacing between trees/plants properly to the shape of the land, you might loss some space to plant more due to that mis-alignment.

So below is the layout of the land about to be transferred to me, and my first thoughts on how to lay it out.
The Long term piece would be the initial focus and at this point it seems I will be going with plantain for that.
The short term piece, would be more for when I can have a bit more focus. (Still looking for something here. I was thinking to "balance" thing I might so some animal stuff like snail of fish, but I have been seeing a lot about the leafy vegetables or watermelon, so I am still not settled on that, or anything actually).

For now, I need to find / start sourcing for the borehole, tanks, irrigation equipment, fence, plantain suckers,and potentially a manager for the long term part of the plan.

[img]z.png[/img]

ruggie:
So below is the layout of the land about to be transferred to me, and my first thoughts on how to lay it out.
The Long term piece would be the initial focus and at this point it seems I will be going with plantain for that.
The short term piece, would be more for when I can have a bit more focus. (Still looking for something here. I was thinking to "balance" thing I might so some animal stuff like snail of fish, but I have been seeing a lot about the leafy vegetables or watermelon, so I am still not settled on that, or anything actually).

For now, I need to find / start sourcing for the borehole, tanks, irrigation equipment, fence, plantain suckers,and potentially a manager for the long term part of the plan.

[img]z.png[/img]

You can contact me for the above through my signature.

So I am starting out the detailed plan. (About 8 wks to go).

Using the following http://odeyemi.net:8088/est/index.php , I have the following layout...

Everyone seems to suggest to start small, so I think I will be going with the 3m X 3m spacing for the plantain , and if everything goes well for the first harvest, then I can increase the plant density by reducing the spacing to 1.5m X 1.5m.

Question for the experts reading this :Are there any positive or negative repercussions for increasing the density of the plantain population in this manner ?

Thanks for your enquiries.
We can supply all you need for your farm. from seedlings to irrigation system and security wire fence. I will suggest that you give us your proposed farm measurement in acres or plots,so that we will be able to give you details of what it entails.

your spacing is ok
you can use 3by 2 or 2.5 by 2.5 m.
Back to your question.
Advantage : high density. if you mange it very well with good agronomy practices.

Disadvantage :
Low yield.
easy Transmission of diseases and pest.
overcrowding.

agricexport:
Thanks for your enquiries.
We can supply all you need for your farm. from seedlings to irrigation system and security wire fence. I will suggest that you give us your proposed farm measurement in acres or plots,so that we will be able to give you details of what it entails.

Thank you for your response.
Unfortunately, I have no idea how many plots are there. (And I can not find anywhere that describes exactly what are the dimensions of a plot.)

What I do have, as outlined in the diagrams in the thread above, are the dimensions in meters.

The perimeter of the the farmland to be fenced is 400m. (About 106m length and 79m width, making an area of 8374 square meters or 2.06 acres)
However, the part that will need irrigation for now, that is, where the plantain will be planted, is going to be an area of 80m by 75m (6000 square meters or 1.4 acres).

opelyem:
My brother, don't disturb yourself with vegetables since u av little time. Go for plantain, u can plant like 2000 suckers on that land and reap more than 500k at d end of d year.

Thank you for your suggestion.

It seems I will be going down this path.

alakara:
your spacing is ok
you can use 3by 2 or 2.5 by 2.5 m.
Back to your question.
Advantage : high density. if you mange it very well with good agronomy practices.

Disadvantage :
Low yield.
easy Transmission of diseases and pest.
overcrowding.

Thank you.
Is your suggestion here that going down to a spacing of 1.5m by 1.5m would be too close together?
My thought process was that it is simpler to convert a 3m by 3m spacing to a 1.5m by 1.5m spacing in order to achieve a "start small, then expand approach" . It seems it would be more difficult to convert two options you mentioned.

ruggie:


Thank you.
Is your suggestion here that going down to a spacing of 1.5m by 1.5m would be too close together?
My thought process was that it is simpler to convert a 3m by 3m spacing to a 1.5m by 1.5m spacing in order to achieve a "start small, then expand approach" . It seems it would be more difficult to convert two options you mentioned.

Since you're starting with a small portion now, use 3 by 3 spacing on some portion and 1.5m by 1.5m on some to compare.
alternatively, you can use 3m by 3m now to reduce to 3m by 2m.

Thanks.

So I have updated my plans a little.
The new layout is below.
Now I have to figure out all the thing needed to get this setup.
Here is the list I have so far.
Is anything missing ?

* Perimeter Fencing  - 400m  ( Solar fencing plus installation)  
* Gate (plus installation)
* Bore Hole
* Solar pump for bore hole, panel & accessories (plus installation)
* 2 X 2500L Water Tanks
* Spray tube & accessories (2000m)
* Solar pump for tubes, panels & accessories
* Pick up truck/Van
* 1700 Plantain Suckers
* Land clearing tractor / bulldozer
* Farm shed / shipping container for storage / office.


** Chemical for pre-plant soil improvement / Fertilizer / Leaching schedule
** Plantain cultivation tools        
** Laborers 
** Hole preparation       
** Wheel barrows        
** Shovels
** Carrier bags

ruggie:
So I have updated my plans a little.
The new layout is below.
Now I have to figure out all the thing needed to get this setup.
Here is the list I have so far.
Is anything missing ?

* Perimeter Fencing  - 400m  ( Solar fencing plus installation)  
* Gate (plus installation)
* Bore Hole
* Solar pump for bore hole, panel & accessories (plus installation)
*  2 X 2500L Water Tanks
* Spray tube & accessories (2000m)
* Solar pump for tubes, panels & accessories
* Pick up truck/Van
* 1700 Plantain Suckers
* Land clearing tractor / bulldozer
* Farm shed / shipping container for storage / office.

Wow Mr. I love your thoroughness. Keeping everything in check. Very impressive. As long as you have an experienced ear, I believe you'll make a good farmer.
I'm aspiring to farm myself. I just have to finish with this frivolity called school...

you can plant plantain and inter crop it with pineapple and take a plot or more to plant tree fruits like oranges, mangoes, pear, guava etc and thank me with something later.

ruggie:
So I have updated my plans a little.
The new layout is below.
Now I have to figure out all the thing needed to get this setup.
Here is the list I have so far.
Is anything missing ?

* Perimeter Fencing  - 400m  ( Solar fencing plus installation)  
* Gate (plus installation)
* Bore Hole
* Solar pump for bore hole, panel & accessories (plus installation)
*  2 X 2500L Water Tanks
* Spray tube & accessories (2000m)
* Solar pump for tubes, panels & accessories
* Pick up truck/Van
* 1700 Plantain Suckers
* Land clearing tractor / bulldozer
* Farm shed / shipping container for storage / office.

yes! bros the cash, the cash no be today stuff oh!

restored2016:
you can plant plantain and inter crop it with pineapple and take a plot or more to plant tree fruits like oranges, mangoes, pear, guava etc and thank me with something later.

I have considered the idea of intercropping, but that seems like it will require a bit more attention than what I have to give in the immediate future. Eventually, I will most likely go down that path, especially with the side that has 3m X 3m spacing.

With regards to tree fruits, I have not considered that as an option because I am more interested in crops (or animals ) that could be planted (or rearing started) at anytime of the year when the right conditions are in place, be it naturally or artificially provided conditions. However, after completing this first part (the plantain section), I will definitely look into tree fruits as an option for when I get close to the time I can commit full time to this.

Thanks for the idea.

DammyOlu123:


Wow Mr. I love your thoroughness. Keeping everything in check. Very impressive. As long as you have an experienced ear, I believe you'll make a good farmer.
I'm aspiring to farm myself. I just have to finish with this frivolity called school...

Well, I would hope everyone going into any kind of venture, including farming would be as detailed as possible (unless the person is an investor / silent partner or have unlimited resources .... then such detail would not be needed).

I just wrote it out in the open because I am a believer in open-source , (my background is systems architecture / computer programming) , and like with programming, everyone is better off when the knowledge is share and the primary differentiator is how things/knowledge/plans are implemented and executed.

ruggie:
So I have updated my plans a little.
The new layout is below.
Now I have to figure out all the thing needed to get this setup.
Here is the list I have so far.
Is anything missing ?

 * Perimeter Fencing  - 400m  ( Solar fencing plus installation)  
 * Gate (plus installation)
 * Bore Hole
 * Solar pump for bore hole, panel & accessories (plus installation)
 * 2 X 2500L Water Tanks
 * Spray tube & accessories (2000m)
 * Solar pump for tubes, panels & accessories
 * Pick up truck/Van
 * 1700 Plantain Suckers
 * Land clearing tractor / bulldozer
 * Farm shed / shipping container for storage / office.


 ** Chemical for pre-plant soil improvement / Fertilizer / Leaching schedule
 ** Plantain cultivation tools        
 ** Laborers 
 ** Hole preparation       
 ** Wheel barrows        
 ** Shovels
 ** Carrier bags
 

Why not use drip instead of spray.
organic/inorganic fertilizer

ruggie:



Well, I would hope everyone going into any kind of venture, including farming would be as detailed as possible (unless the person is an investor / silent partner or have unlimited resources .... then such detail would not be needed).

I just wrote it out in the open because I am a believer in open-source , (my background is systems architecture / computer programming) , and like with programming, everyone is better off when the knowledge is share and the primary differentiator is how things/knowledge/plans are implemented and executed.

Well, I agree, but this stage doesn't come naturally to the average Nigerian. I've seen real life experiences of people jumping into farming without proper planning, and then having to jump right back out, after being badly burned.

Interesting. A tech person interested in farming. Rare breed. Quick question though. Is this an opportunity you saw, and are taking advantage of, or have you had farming in the works prior to this? (if this option, I'd like to know why, if you wouldn't mind)

alakara:


Why not use drip instead of spray.
organic/inorganic fertilizer

Even though drip looks like it would conserve water and would not require a pump as powerful as one needed for spray tubes, drip seems to require a precision which does not seem adaptable to change. Today I am thinking plantain, but tomorrow, next year, or next decade I might be thinking tomatoes or pineapples or something else, and from what I see and read about drip, it does not seem to be easily reconfigured. (And yes, I do realize I am making an assumption that both spray tubes and drip are long term infrastructure cost, and not something that needs to be replaced every two year or less.)

With regards to organic vs. inorganic fertilizer, I would like to believe that I would go the organic path (I understand the the positives and negatives of both), but deep down, it is going to be a matter of economics. A balance between the cost of acquiring and using the fertilizer vs (initially , the perceived , and then afterward, the real) harvest resulting from using one or the other. With that in mind, organic seems to be feasible only if you have your own source in-house (rearing animals in large enough quantities and/or composting-mulching). If not, which is my case, inorganic seems to be the way to go, as the market does not seems to distinguish nor pay a premium for one over the other if they both produce the same results. The market seems to be looking for "it looks big and it looks healthy".


Now, I have to put a big disclaimer out at this point. I do not have a farming, agriculture or even biology background/experience ( I actually made it a point to not take those classes in secondary school and university ). Everything I say is based on taking a "systems" approach to analyzing the situation (the "system" here being a farm land, an applying the rule that just because something is considered "the best" does not mean it is the right answer for this system).

DammyOlu123:


Well, I agree, but this stage doesn't come naturally to the average Nigerian. I've seen real life experiences of people jumping into farming without proper planning, and then having to jump right back out, after being badly burned.

Interesting. A tech person interested in farming. Rare breed. Quick question though. Is this an opportunity you saw, and are taking advantage of, or have you had farming in the works prior to this? (if this option, I'd like to know why, if you wouldn't mind)

All of the above.
Long stories, but yes I knew that eventually I will do something in farming, either full-time or part-time. (But my secondary school experience turned me off to it / suspended my interest temporarily). And, as I mentioned at the beginning of this thread, an opportunity is coming my way that would allow me to get in.

So, I finally have the piece of land fully transferred to me.
And as with almost everything in life, plans change.

Latest update to plans after viewing the location myself...

There are some bamboo trees present, so the plan is to use the bamboo tree to build the sheds / storage areas after the initial planting completes. Once all the bamboo are gone / used up, then that area will be cleared properly and potentially pawpaw or pineapple (or both) will be planted in that area.

Congrats to u

ruggie:
So, I finally have the piece of land fully transferred to me.
And as with almost everything in life, plans change.

Latest update to plans after viewing the location myself...

There are some bamboo trees present, so the plan is to use the bamboo tree to build the sheds / storage areas after the initial planting completes. Once all the bamboo are gone / used up, then that area will be cleared properly and potentially pawpaw or pineapple (or both) will be planted in that area.

Congratulations! I really do admire the methodical approach you're taking to this. I would love it if you kept the thread updated. Break a leg!

ruggie:
So, I finally have the piece of land fully transferred to me.
And as with almost everything in life, plans change.

Latest update to plans after viewing the location myself...

There are some bamboo trees present, so the plan is to use the bamboo tree to build the sheds / storage areas after the initial planting completes. Once all the bamboo are gone / used up, then that area will be cleared properly and potentially pawpaw or pineapple (or both) will be planted in that area.

And most say this generation have no leaders...
(just because we play games, music and movies a lot!)

I can't wait to get a land too.. .

CONGRATS Man..