₦airaland Forum

Post by: Adeleke Oreoluwa-oreoluwa.a@farmkonnectng.com
A comprehensive guide on the integrated pest management of the Fall Armyworm (FAW) in Africa has been launched by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
FAO Deputy Director-General, Maria Helena Semedo, said the guide would assist smallholder farmers and frontline agricultural staff to monitor the spread of Fall Armyworm (FAW) on the continent.
“The guide builds on the experiences of farmers and researchers from the Americas who have been dealing with the pest for centuries as well on new technology and lessons learnt so far in Africa. It gives African farmers and frontline agricultural workers the practical advice they need to tackle FAW head-on. It provides support for a correct identification of this new foe for African farmers, and offers options to manage it in an integrated, ecological and sustainable way,” she said.
She stated that Central and Southern Africa were on alert given the ongoing maize growing season in the sub-regions.
“We know that farmer education and community action are critical in best managing FAW, and curbing its spread as much as possible,” she said
Semedo called for preparation by African countries expected to be affected through re-enforcement of early warning systems at community level, sensitization for farmers, and using available materials, such as the guide.
FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Africa, Bukar Tijani stressed the importance of tackling the menace posed by the armyworms in Africa.
“As FAW is new to Africa, farmers’ and crop protection and extension workers’ good understanding of the pest’s behavior and management practices are crucial in effectively managing it without damaging human health and the environment,” he said
The guide was developed with contributions from FAO partners such as the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), Lancaster University, Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International (CABI), Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária (EMBRAPA), Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Source: Agro Nigeria
agronigeria.com.ng/fao-launches-guide-tackle-armyworm-africa/


For more info follow us on
Facebook :farmkonnect
Twitter :farmkonnectng
Instagram:Farmkonnectng

www.farmkonnectng.com

Post by: Adeleke Oreoluwa-oreoluwa.a@farmkonnectng.com
The multi-million Naira research and training farms of the University of Ilorin have been destroyed and dam polluted by grazing cattle on the campus, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Sulyman Abdulkareem has stated.
In a weekly Bulletin issued on Monday, the university noted that various economic trees’ plantations were destroyed by cattle illegally grazing on lands within the campus.
The issuance of the Bulletin followed a security meeting between the university management and the leaders of the 11 Fulani settlements on the University land, Thursday. The meeting comes after the University authority first issued a quit notice to the illegal settlers on April 26, 2017 which was never complied with.
At the meeting, the University Vice-Chancellor warned that the institution would no longer condone grazing by cattle on the university lands, urging illegal settlers in the university to quit.
The Bulletin quotes the institution as stating that 28 persons- Fulani herdsmen, Yoruba and Hausa farmers, were on May 11, 2017, arraigned before an Ilorin Chief Magistrate’s Court for allegedly trespassing into the University land, thereby destroying the school’s plantation and carrying out unauthorised acts.
According to the management, the accused persons had poisoned the institution’s dam with chemicals as well as engaged in illegal felling of economic trees from which they made charcoal.
Chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Usman Adamu, revealed that the herdsmen engaged in destruction of the farms were not resident within the university, adding that other ethnic groups have embarked on illegal activities like logging.
In attendance at the meeting were representatives of law enforcement agencies – the Nigerian Police Force, the Department of State Security Services (DSS) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Source: Agro Nigeria
agronigeria.com.ng/grazing-cattle-destroy-varsitys-research-farms-pollute-dam/


For more info follow us on
Facebook :farmkonnect
Twitter :farmkonnectng
Instagram:Farmkonnectng

www.farmkonnectng.com

1. Spinach is a cool season crop and belongs to the goose foot family along with Swiss chard and beets.
2. Spinach is a native plant of Persia (modern day Iran). It was introduced to China in the 7th century. It was most probably brought to Europe in about the 12th century and to the US in 1806.
3. Reflecting its origin, spinach is still widely known in China as “the Persian Green”.
4. Spinach is best eaten fresh. It loses nutritional properties with each passing day. Although refrigeration slows the deterioration, half of the major nutrients are lost by the eighth day after harvest. (For long term storage, freeze while fresh.) When fresh, it has crisp leaves. As they deteriorate, the leaves turn limp.
5. There are many varieties of spinach, though they mostly fall into three distinct groups: Savoy (Dark green, crinkly and curly leaves. Commonly found in supermarkets.), Flat/smooth leaf spinach (Most commonly used for canned and processed spinach products, though “baby spinach” also fits in this group. Easier to wash and clean than Savoy.), and Semi-savoy (Hybrid variety with slightly crinkled leaves. It has the same texture as savoy, but it is not as difficult to clean.)

#Spinach and #Facts
#FarmKonnect
farmkonnectng.com

Post by: Adegbola, Bukola Suliyat – bukola@farmkonnectng.com – 08093016914

Spinach is a green leafy vegetable. Spinach is relatively easy to grow in cool climates and it is packed with nutrients such as iron, protein, vitamin A and chlorophyll.

Whether raw in salads or lightly steamed, spinach is a suitable accompaniment to a wide range of dishes.

Preparation
Germination of spinach seeds can take anything between a week and 2 weeks.

Dig the soil to around 30cm depth as this is how far the plants tap root can develop. Work some organic compost or manure into the soil to help provide the necessary nutrients for growth.

Because of the benefit of organic matter cover crops and green manure crops are beneficial prior to planting spinach.

Check the soils PH and if necessary add lime.

Sowing
You can plant spinach in early spring. To stagger your crop over summer you can plant part rows every few weeks. The last planting should be about 50-60 days before the first frosts.

Sow your seedlings / seeds around 7cm apart in rows about 30-40cm apart.

Position
Position your spinach plants in a position that does not experience high temperatures. Spinach grows well in partial to full sun.

Soil type
Spinach likes a moist but not waterlogged soil. Using a mulch of straw or grass clippings can help to retain moisture levels in the soil.

The soil should contain a good amount of organic matter to provide the spinach with the nutrients it requires.

Spinach doesn't like acidic soils, a good PH is around 6.3 -6.8. Add the appropriate amount of lime to the soil if necessary.

Tending
Make sure the soil is moist. An inch of water per week is adequate when there is little rainfall. Thin out your spinach seedlings as required but try not to damage the roots of the plants you leave in the soil.

Effects of an over acidic soil can be seen in the yellowing of the edges of seedling leaves, low germination rates and slow growth.

Harvesting
Spinach is ready to harvest at about 40-50 days after planting.

The spinach leaves can be harvested whenever they look big enough and ready for your salads etc. Make sure to start picking leaves on the outside of the plant, the inner leaves will then continue to grow and produce a new crop. Alternatively you can harvest the whole plant.

You should aim to eat the spinach straight after picking and washing in cool water. You can store the washed leaves in the fridge for a few days but the taste and nutrient content is best after picking.

Varieties
Slow bolting varieties are varieties that take longer to develop a seed stalk and thus focus more growth towards the leaves. Short days and cool temperatures result in better crop yield as bolting is deterred whereas long days and higher temperatures encourage bolting.

Original Post by: Gardening Patch
Website: www.gardeningpatch.com/vegetable/growing-spinach/

Follow this link to read this post on our blog:http://farmkonnectng.com/2018/01/11/growing-spinach/

Kindly follow this link to read more interesting agricultural articles- http://farmkonnectng.com/blog
Follow us on twitter @farmkonnectng
Instagram @farmkonnectng
Like our page on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/farmkonnect

Post by: Adegbola, Bukola Suliyat - bukola@farmkonnectng.com - 08093016914

Ecology and Climatic Requirements of Palm Tree Plants:
Palm tree plants ~ Temperature requirements for palm tree plants are simple and straight forward. High temperatures are favorable with as less possible fluctuations. Below 18ﾰ C growth is stopped. The optimal daily temperature is 27-28ﾰ C, with mean monthly values between 30-32ﾰ C maximum and 21-24ﾰ C minimum. The mean minimum temperature of the coldest month should be > 18ﾰ C. Seedling growth is arrested at temperatures < 15ﾰ C.
Temperature, rain, humidity, light and wind are the most important climatic factors which determine the suitability of a specific site for growing palm tree plant.
Soil suitability: Deep, well drained, fertile fine sandy to clay loams
Optimum soil pH: 4 to 6
Organic carbon: 1.2 to 1.5
Soil bulk density: 1.0 to 1.4
Palm Tree Plants - Varieties of palm Nut Tree:
" Dura palms have kernels with a thick shell
" Pisifera palms have kernels with no shell
" Tenera palms have kernels with a thin shell
There are 3 oil palm varieties: Dura, Pisifera and Tenera, with the latter being mainly selected for economic production.
The oil is concentrated in the fruit bunches, composed of a fresh fruit pulp, and in the fruit kernels. Oil content in the fruit pulp is about 50-60% or 20-22% of bunch weight; oil content in the fruit

Palm Tree Plants - Site Selection for Palm Nut Tree:
The palm tree plant grows well where it is hot all the year round: between 25 and 28 degrees C.
If the temperature drops, the palm tree plants produces fewer leaves and is more often attacked by diseases at a hot temperature enable the palm nut tree to make many leaves and to produce many clusters
Also, where there is a lot of sunshine, there will be strong photosynthesis, within the oil palm
The palm tree plants leaves grow large, the fruit ripens well, and there is more oil in the fruits.
If it does not rain much, or if it does not rain for several months, the leaves do not grow well.
If there are few new leaves, there are few flowers and few clusters of fruit.
There is less yield. If the soil is not flat, transport is difficult and costs a lot.
Erosion is severe; the water carries away the earth.
The roots of palm tree plants cannot develop oil if they meet a hard layer.
They cannot take up water and mineral salts that are deep down.
If the palm tree plants does not have enough water, yields are low. The palm tree plant does not grow well if water remains around its roots for too long.
In order to produce many large clusters of fruit, the palm tree plant needs a lot of mineral salts.
If the soil is poor, mineral salts can be added by applying fertilizers.

Land preparation:

Field selection
The area selected for the establishment of the palm tree plantation can influence the cost of land preparation to the extent that it may not be viable to proceed with the development at all. Our aim is to highlight the critical areas to be considered when selecting the land for the establishment of a new palm nut tree plantation.

Availability of water
Although not always realized, the palm nut tree requires rather large quantity of water for sustainable growth. Critical factors regarding water for irrigation purposes are:
(i) The sustainability of the water source,
(ii) The quantity of water available for irrigation,
(iii) The distance to the field, and
(iv) The quality of the water.

Soil depth
In time palm trees grow very tall and become top heavy especially during the fruit bearing stage. They therefore need sufficient room for proper root development to support the palms. Besides the importance of root development, soil depth also influences drainage and leaching possibilities. Any obstructive layers must be evaluated to determine whether they will influence root development and whether they can be corrected.

Soil quality
Palm nut trees can grow and produce in different types of soil in both hot arid and semi-arid regions. Adaptation could go from a very sandy to a heavy clay soil.
The soil quality is related to its drainage capacity mainly when soils are salty or the irrigation water is characterized with a high salt content. Sandy soils are common in most palm tree plantations of the old world. Rare cases of clay soils with drainage systems are found allowing the culture of palm nut tree. The optimum soil conditions are found where water can penetrate to at least 2 m deep.

When evaluating the soil quality, attention must be given to:
(i) The soil texture which will influence the water retention capacity, and before planting your palm tree plants, you have to clear the forest and remove the tree stumps.
Then it takes a lot of time to sow the cover crop, dig holes in the plantation, take the seedlings out of the nursery, carry them to the plantation and plant them

Seed Treatments of Palm Nut Tree:
With most palms, propagation from seed is not difficult as long as a few basic requirements are met. Among the most important are fresh seed, good sanitation, proper medium and adequate heat. Each of these points will be discussed separately, although they are inter-related.

Fresh Seed of Palm Nut Tree:
The fresher the seeds are, the better the results will be. To check the freshness of your seeds, cut open a sample seed and inspect the endosperm and embryo.
The embryo should be fresh, firm, and not discolored. If the interior of the seed is rotten or has an unpleasant odor, it is unlikely to germinate.
The endosperm is of two types, homogeneous or ruminate, and may be hard, oily, or even hollow.
If the inside of a homogeneous seed is off-color, such as brown or gray, or if it smells bad, the seed is old or was harvested before maturity. Such seeds are also unlikely to germinate. In a ruminate seed, the seed coat is unfolded, creating dark, tangled streaks in the endosperm.

Removing the Fruit Pulp of Nut Tree:
The fleshy or fibrous fruit pulp frequently contains growth inhibitors. Removing it before planting will improve results. Methods for doing this vary with the quantity and type of seeds, but most begin with a preliminary 48-72-hour soak in water.
Soaking causes the pulp to ferment, which weakens it for easier removal. Change the water daily during the soak. Fruit that is slightly immature should be placed in a tightly closed plastic bag and kept in a warm spot for a week or so. This promotes ripening and softens the outer flesh for cleaning. Sometimes the seeds need to be soaked further to soften the pulp, sometimes
There are several ways to remove the seed coat. With small quantities of seeds, simply rub them by hand against a fine-meshed screen and wash away the pulp with water.
Another way that works well with small amounts of seed is to shake them by hand in a closed container with water and small, rough-edged rocks. Pour off the water and pulp occasionally, add more water and shake again, until the seeds are completely clean.
Seeds can also be cleaned with a knife or other sharp tool, but this is slow and a little dangerous.
Motorized cleaning devices make the job easier and are a necessity for commercial operations.
For smaller quantities, use a rock tumbler. Put rocks and water inside with the seeds. Larger seed-cleaning machines can be purchased or fabricate

Sanitation
Damaging insects such as seed-boring beetles may arrive with seeds.
They may reduce germination and spread to other seed batches. To minimize these risks, seeds collected from the ground, whether in the wild or from cultivated plants, and seeds collected under unknown conditions should be soaked in a contact insecticide solution once the fruit pulp has been removed.
The insecticide solution should be prepared at the same concentration you would use to spray for pests.
Soak small, thinner-shelled seed, such as Pinanga, for 15 minutes. Soak larger, harder and less permeable seeds longer, from 20 to 45 minutes.
Examples of these latter seeds are Mauritia flexuosa, Bismarckia nobilis, Parajubaea cocoides, and Jubaea child. After the insecticide soak, rinse the seeds in clean water for 20 minutes.

Nursery Preparation:

01. Selection of the Nursery Site
Proposed land should be flat and low gradient. Soil should be well drain sandy or sandy loam soil. Adequate amount of sunlight, scattered shade and also water source in close proximity are fundamental factors in selecting the land. Uniform level of shade can be provided by establishing a Gliricidia fence.

02. Nursery Beds.
Width of the nursery should be decided based on the feasibility of management practices including routine activities. Length of the nursery can be determined by the length and shape of the lands. It is feasible to have 5 seedling layers per one bed.
Seed nuts should be laid vertically in a pre-nursery until they produce a sprout and transfer to poly bag.
Regular application of water is compulsory under dry weather conditions. Watering is necessary if there is no rain continuously for about 6 days, watering should be done at least once in four days
Weeding helps in moisture conservation of the seed bed and reduce the impact on seedbeds. Therefore it is essential to practice weeding once a month or twice corresponding with the prevailing weather conditions.

Transplanting of Palm Nut Tree:
It is important to know about the life of the oil palm.
If you know all about the life of the oil palm, you will understand better how to cultivate them.
If you do not take care of the seeds, they will germinate only after several years.
At the research stations, the seeds are kept in a room where it is always very hot.
This makes the seeds germinate sooner, after 90 to 100 days.
Each seed germinated is planted in a small plastic container.
A new leaf grows every month.
The young seedling stays in the container for 4 to 5 months.
When you see a left with two points (bifid leaf) coming up, transplant the seedling out into the nursery.
The seedling stays in the nursery for 1 year. When it has about 15 green leaves, it is planted in the palm grove.
The seedling is therefore 16 to 18 months old when it is ready to be planted in the palm grove.

Planting of Palm Nut Tree:
Prepare planting lines and excavate planting holes with vertical sides.
Mix top soil with P fertilizer, organic manure and replace it in the base of the hole. Cut the poly bag and place the palm upright in the hole without disturbing soil and root mass, also fill the hole with soil and firmly consolidate around the seedling, supporting it with stake. Rainy or winter season or year-round under assured irrigation water supply

Planting Spacing:
Triangular planting adopting 9 m x 9 m x 9 m spacing to achieve a plant density of 143 palms/ha

Palm Tree Plants - Irrigation
Immediately after transplanting, the palm should be irrigated to limit transplant stress. Once the plantation is established, a frequent irrigation schedule is to be followed to allow sufficient water supply to the young palm tree plants.
The irrigation frequency is soil type dependant, but on very sandy soils it requires daily irrigation during the first summer. Heavy soils will require irrigation once a week, while in most soils, irrigation is required every second or third day. During the first six weeks, the palm nut tree growers should inspect their planted palms trees to verify that the surface soil does not dry and shrink away from the plant.

Fertilizing Application of Palm Tree Plants
When using a palm tree fertilizer for your landscape you need to be able to calculate how much to use.
Sprinkle the correct amount of quality palm tree fertilizer equally around the base of the tree, from trunk out to the drip line.
NOTE: Don't use your turf or grass product inside the drip line area. They are generally slow release of nitrogen only and fast release everything else. It could potentially kill your palm.
You don't have to worry about applying the palm product to the grass or garden under the drip line. It will not damage or burn other plants. Best time of the year for fertilizing is once first thing in the spring, once again mid-summer and lastly the beginning of fall.
An example would be March-July-Sept. I'll say this too- the good quality slow release brands will last on average 2 months or so.
Remember it is water soluble so if it's a particularly wet rainy spring you may want to bump up your mid-summer application a bit to the end of June.

Weed Control
Circle and path weeding every two months; selective weeding and creeper and vine removal every six months.

Diseases:

Root rot:
Root rots in palms are most often caused by anaerobic soil conditions. There are however pathogens that can take advantage of slow growing palms.

Biotic Diseases:
Some palms show resistance to their biotic pathogens and to conditions which cause abiotic disease, but all palms are susceptible to mismanagement of water, the extremes of pruning and poor planting practices.

Basal Stem Rot (BSR), caused by the fungus Ganoderma, is the most serious disease of oil palm in Malaysia and Indonesia. It also causes serious problems to the distribution of water and other nutrients to the top of the palm

Harvesting of Palm Nut Tree:
This is a mature palm plantation that's reaching end of life. Oil palms are able to produce fruit for harvest within 4 to 6 years of planting, if fertilized well.
Life expectancy is 28 to 30 years on average, at which point they are usually 40 feet / 12 metres high and it becomes too hard to harvest the heavy fruit bundles using extension poles. The palms are injected with pesticide, which kills the tree from within, and eventually they get bulldozed in order to make room for new oil palms.

Palm Tree Plants - Storage of Oil Palm:
In large-scale mills the purified and dried oil is transferred to a tank for storage prior to dispatch from the mill. Since the rate of oxidation of the oil increases with the temperature of storage the oil is normally maintained around 50ﾰC, using hot water or low-pressure steam-heating coils, to prevent solidification and fractionation
Iron contamination from the storage tank may occur if the tank is not lined with a suitable protective coating; Small-scale mills simply pack the dried oil in used petroleum oil drums or plastic drums and also store the drums at ambient temperature.

Original Post by: Letstalkagric
Website: www.letstalkagric.com/crops/palm-tree-plants-need-know-palm-nut-tree-farming


Follow this link to read this post on our blog:http://farmkonnectng.com/2017/12/12/palm-nut-tree-farming/

Kindly follow this link to read more interesting agricultural articles- http://farmkonnectng.com/blog
Follow us on twitter @farmkonnectng
Instagram @farmkonnectng
Like our page on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/farmkonnect

Post by: Adeleke Oreoluwa-oreoluwa.a@farmkonnectng.com
The National Sugar Development Council (NSDC) has set a target to produce 1.58 million metric tonnes of sugar in 2018. The figure is lower than the 1.6 million metric tonnes target for this year.
Executive Secretary, NSDC, Latif Busari, who revealed this in Abuja said the 1.58 million tonnes would be shared among operators based on performance. He explained that the drop in target for sugar production for next year is due to the challenges facing sugar production.
“The drop in metric tonnes is part of the attack on Noma, Adamawa Savannah Sugar Plantation which is the only sugar plantation operating in the country presently.
The sugar company started production on November 4, 2017 and the attack on Noma happened on December 4, 2017 with the herdsmen destroying all the work that has been done in the three plantations. It is a very serious issue.
There will be serious challenge in production if the Noma, Adamawa Savannah issue is not resolved on time, about three fields in the savannah are already burnt,” he said.
Busari further regretted that despite both foreign and local investors active in the sugar industry, especially with functioning mini plants all over the country, production of sugar has not been able to meet demand.
Disclosing that six brands of sugar are currently being manufactured in the country, he enjoined all citizens to patronize locally made sugar.
The NSDC Executive Secretary also stated that the Council has evolved new strategies for effective implementation, which includes increased inter-agency cooperation and sanctions for defaulters.
Source: Agro Nigeria
agronigeria.com.ng/sugar-council-targets-1-58m-metric-tonnes-production-2018


for more info follow us on :
twitter:farmkonnectng
instagram:farmkonnectng
fac ebook:farmkonnect

Post by: Adegbola, Bukola Suliyat – bukola@farmkonnectng.com – 08093016914

Nigeria has reportedly imported up to 4,760,000 tonnes of palm oil worth about N11.5 trillion in the last ten years. This occurred between 2007 and November, 2017.

Palm oil, which used to be one of the nation’s major sources of foreign exchange in the early 1960s is massively imported from Malaysia and Indonesia. Nigeria currently has a global share of 2.9 per cent, with Indonesia leading by 33 million metric tonnes, Malaysia with 19.8 million metric tonnes, Thailand having 2 million tonnes and Colombia with 1.1 million metric tonnes.
With gross domestic production estimated at 970,000 metric tonnes, Nigeria requires an annual 2.7 million tonnes to make up for a 1.73 million tonne deficit. Despite a high exchange rate and price, shipment of the produce was increased by 12 per cent as its global price hit $718 per metric tonne.

The price of the commodity was $663 per metric tonne in July this year but rose to $718 per metric tonne in November based on high demand by indigenous manufacturers.
Details gathered reveal that in 2007, the country imported 451,000 metric tonnes of palm oil and 410,000 metric tonnes in 2008. 425,000 tonnes, 435,000 tonnes and 440,000 tonnes were imported in 2009, 2010 and 2011 respectively.

In 2012, up to 470,000 metric tonnes of the produce were brought into the country with about 518,000 tonnes imported in 2013. The country also imported 506,000 tonnes in 2014, 263,000 tonnes in 2015, 400,000 tonnes in 2016 and up to 450,000 tonnes in November this year.

A total import of 4.7 million metric tonnes at the rate of $663 per tonne implies that Nigeria had, within the ten year period, spent as much as N11.5 trillion on importing palm oil, which could have been produced locally.
Following Nigeria and Ghana’s high demand for the commodity this year, a shipping line; CMA CGM; in August, imposed a new cargo protection service for shipments into the country.

Source: agronigeria.com.ng/nigeria-imports-palm-oil-worth-n11-5-tn-10-years/


Follow this link to read this post on our blog:http://farmkonnectng.com/2017/12/11/nigeria-imports-palm-oil-worth-n11-5-tn-10-years/

Kindly follow this link to read more interesting agricultural articles- http://farmkonnectng.com/blog
Follow us on twitter @farmkonnectng
Instagram @farmkonnectng
Like our page on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/farmkonnect

Five Reasons Why Youth Should Choose Agriculture

1. Agriculture matters to the future of development.
2. Agriculture can be a gold mine for young entrepreneurs.
3. Agriculture creates innovations for Transparency
4. Agricultural research needs young brainpower.
5. The trend of youth choosing agriculture is growing.

#Agriculture_4_Youth
#Food_Security_4_All
#Farmkonnect

Five Reasons Why Youth Should Choose Agriculture

1. Agriculture matters to the future of development.
2. Agriculture can be a gold mine for young entrepreneurs.
3. Agriculture creates innovations for Transparency
4. Agricultural research needs young brainpower.
5. The trend of youth choosing agriculture is growing.

#Agriculture_4_Youth
#Food_Security_4_All
#Farmkonnect

Post by: Adegbola, Bukola Suliyat – bukola@farmkonnectng.com - 08093016914

Choosing Apricots

Buy apricots in season. Apricots are in season locally for a short period of time. You’ll have better luck finding good fruit if you shop at the peak of their season. In the Northern Hemisphere, they are in season mid-May through mid-August. In the Southern Hemisphere, they are in season November through January.
• You can often find apricots from the other hemisphere in your region during its respective season. However, it’s best to only purchase them when they’re ripe locally because imported apricots are likely to be over or under ripe.

Examine the color and texture of the apricots’ skin. Ripe apricots are orange-gold in color with some hints of redness. Their skin should be smooth and unwrinkled, so pass on apricots that have cuts or dents.
• Avoid any apricots that are pale yellow or greenish-yellow.
• Stay away from apricots with shriveled skin, which are usually overripe.

Consider the size of the apricots. Apricots come in a variety of sizes that range from 1 ⅜ -inch (3.5 cm) to 2 ⅜ -inch (6 cm). On average, ripe apricots are usually the size of a golf ball so it's usually best to keep an eye out for fruit that size and larger.
• If the apricots are the right color and firmness to indicate ripeness, you don't need to avoid smaller apricots. They're often the tastiest because they haven't been forced to grow larger with overwatering.

Touch the fruit to test for firmness. Ripe apricots should feel firm to the touch. However, they should yield slightly to light pressure. If the apricots feel extremely hard, they haven’t ripened yet. You can purchase them and allow them to ripen at home, though.
• While a hard apricot will continue to ripen, don’t purchase an apricot that feels hard and is tinged with green. It will likely never develop its full flavor.
• An apricot that feels extremely soft or mushy is overripe it, so you shouldn’t buy it.

Storing Unripened Apricots

Place unripened apricots in a paper bag. If you’ve purchased unripened apricots that still feel hard, put them in a brown paper bag. Carefully fold down the top of the bag to close it so the ethylene gas that the apricots produces will be trapped and help it ripen.
• You don’t necessarily have to use a brown paper bag, but you may already have some in your kitchen for packing lunches. Otherwise, you can use a white paper bag.
• Don’t store the apricots in a plastic bag. Unlike paper, which is slightly porous so some air can pass in and out of the bag, plastic is airtight. As a result, the ethylene gas may be too effective and you may wind up with mushy, overripe apricots.

Set the bag out at room temperature. While the apricots are ripening, don’t refrigerate them. Instead, leave the bag with the fruit out at room temperature on your counter or table. Allow the apricots to ripen for two to three days.
• Make sure to place the bag in a location that’s not near direct sunlight or heat.
Test the smell and feel of the fruit after a couple of days. After two days, open the paper bag to check on the apricots. Smell the fruit to see if it they have a sweet scent, which usually indicates that they're ripe. Touch the apricots too -- it should give slightly when you press your finger against it lightly.

Storing Ripe Apricots
Put the apricots in a plastic bag or container. If you bring apricots home from the store that are already ripe, leaving them exposed to the air can cause them to spoil more quickly. Place the fruit in a sealable plastic bag or container so they’re protected.

Refrigerate the apricots. To preserve the fruit for as long as possible, put the bag or container with the apricots in the refrigerator. The cold will keep them from spoiling too quickly, though you should be aware that lower temperatures can sometimes alter the taste and texture of apricots.
• Make sure the apricots are ripe before putting it in the refrigerator. Unripened apricots won’t ripen if you refrigerate them.

Eat the fruit within a few days. While refrigerating the apricots can prolong their life, you shouldn’t wait too long to eat or use the fruit. For the best tasting apricots, eat or use them within two to three days.
• Apricots will usually stay good in the refrigerator for up to a week. However, their taste and texture may be compromised.

Source: www.wikihow.com/Select-and-Store-Apricots

Follow this link to read this post on our blog:http://farmkonnectng.com/2017/12/07/select-store-apricots/

Kindly follow this link to read more interesting agricultural articles- http://farmkonnectng.com/blog
Follow us on twitter @farmkonnectng
Instagram @farmkonnectng
Like our page on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/farmkonnect

Post by: Adegbola, Bukola Suliyat – bukola@farmkonnectng.com - 08093016914

Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje has said his government is willing to embrace public-private partnership (PPP) in a bid to revive the ailing cotton industry in the state.

The Governor revealed this at a workshop in Kano organised by the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) under the theme ‘The Role of Nigeria Banking Sector: Opportunities, Challenges and the Way forward.’

He was represented at the event by the Secretary to the State Government, Usman Usman.

“We need public private investment to revive the cotton industry,” he said.

Governor Ganduje also disclosed that his government has invested N10.18 billion in the construction of the Murtala Mohammed road bridge as well as N3.59 billion in the construction of the Bukavu Underpass.

“We have so many empowerment programmes ongoing in the state and they involve market women, and farmers. The Masu Shayi (tea sellers) empowerment is an effort from the government to improve first, the environment. During the inauguration of the empowerment programmes, there was a lecture on making and selling tea in a clean environment.

Also, the empowerment was to make them self- sufficient so that they can feed and take care of their families. Again, it was done to protect the public from practices that ordinarily would bring about diseases to the community,” he said.

The Kano State governor further revealed that his administration spends up to N9 billion monthly on payment of workers’ salaries.

He expressed satisfaction that despite Kano being the largest state in terms of population size, his administration has not owed workers, and all public servants usually receive their salaries between 26th and 28th of each month.

Original Post by: Agro Nigeria

Website: agronigeria.com.ng/kano-open-ppp-resuscitate-cotton-industry


Follow this link to read this post on our blog:http://farmkonnectng.com/2017/12/06/kano-open-pdp-resuscitate-cotton-industry/

Kindly follow this link to read more interesting agricultural articles- http://farmkonnectng.com/blog
Follow us on twitter @farmkonnectng
Instagram @farmkonnectng
Like our page on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/farmkonnect

DID YOU KNOW?
Apricots are akin to peaches. The apricot is just minus the fuzzy skin that a peach has. Both the apricot and the peach are members of the rose family. One apricot tree can produce fruit for as many as 25 years, its fruit picked by hand when firm. In the United States, apricots are grown in California, Indiana and Washington. Fresh U.S. apricots are available from mid May to mid August.

#Apricots and #Facts
FarmKonnect
farmkonnectng.com

Post by: Adegbola, Bukola Suliyat – bukola@farmkonnectng.com - 08093016914

Preparing Seeds or a Sampling

Extract the pit from fully-ripe fruits. Scrub off any fruit matter with a brush and allow the surface to dry. Crack open the seed by exerting pressure on the seams with a flat tool like a board, nutcracker, or knife. Take out the almond-shaped seeds, and stratify the seed (prepare it for germination) by soaking it overnight in a container of warm water.
• Harvest seeds from mid- to late-season apricots. Make sure the seed comes from a fruit that is far from trees of the same genus to prevent in-breeding during pollination.
• You may wish to prepare several seeds, in case some of them don’t germinate.

Germinate the seeds in a refrigerator. Squeeze damp peat moss to remove excess water, place a handful of it in a jar or plastic baggie, add the seeds, and seal the jar or bag. Place the jar in a refrigerator that is between 32 and 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Monitor daily for sprouts; when you see those, it’s time to plant the seed!
• It can take 4 to 6 weeks for a seed to sprout.
• Keep the seedlings on a sunny windowsill or under grow-lights until you are ready to pot or plant them in a garden.

Buy a store-bought sapling (if you are not using a seed). Buy dormant, bare-root, 1-year-old trees if possible. Take the tree out of the plastic container. If the sapling comes in a burlap bag, carefully remove the bag before planting the tree.
• Consider using a genetic dwarf species if you have limited space in your garden. Great dwarf species include “Stark Golden Glo” and “Garden Annie.” Dwarf species will produce 1-2 bushels of fruit per year, while full-size species will produce 3-4 bushels.

Planting the Seed or Sapling
Select a location with full sun and good soil. The soil should drain well but hold on to moisture. Apricots prefer a slightly alkaline soil in the pH range of 6.5-8.0. Ensure that the area has no weeds, and does not have light or sandy soil.
• Avoid anywhere that has had eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, raspberries, or strawberries growing in or near it. These crops can be a source of verticillium wilt.

Dig a deep hole. Dig a 6 in (15 cm) hole for a germinated seedling. For saplings, the depth will vary based on the sapling’s size, but make sure it’s deep enough to at least cover the roots up to where they were covered in the container. Fill the hole with well-rotted compost and mix it thoroughly with the soil.

Place the seed or sapling in the hole and soak thoroughly. If you are using a germinated seed, cover the seed with soil and secure a layer of screen over the area to prevent animals from digging up the seeds. If you are using a sapling, carefully spread the roots in every direction in the hole, making sure that there is no potential for root breakage. Cover it with soil up to where it was while in its container.

Water the area often. Water once a week if you live in a cool climate, and 3 times per week if you live in a hot one.

Tending to Your Tree
Remove the screen when you see a little tree popping up. You don’t want your new tree to be stifled by its protective layer, so remove the screen when they're just starting to break through the top layer of soil. You may want to build a wire or wooden fence around your tree to help protect it from hungry animals as it grows.

Stake the tree within its first year of life. Place a metal stake into the ground 1.5 feet (0.46 m) away on either side of the tree, and tie the center of the tree to the stakes with a soft material such as canvas straps. Metal and wire can damage the trunk.
• Staking when you live in a climate that is not very windy can cause fewer roots to grow. Only stake the tree if your area is prone to strong winds or if you see the tree leaning.

Apply pesticides if insects appear. Control brown rot (fungal disease) with a Chlorothalonil spray on the branches just before bloom and after each rain during bloom, or choose the “Harglow” apricot species, which is resistant to brown rot. Use an all-purpose fruit spray on the trunk to control rose chafer, oriental fruit moths, and peach tree borers.
• Pollinating insects are necessary for fruit to form. You don’t want your pesticide to drive away your little helpers, so use pesticides only when insects are causing major damage to the tree.
• If your tree has fruit, be careful to not spray any pesticide on the fruits.
• Do not use sulfur-based pesticides on apricot trees. Consult your local nursery for pesticide recommendations based on your location.

Fertilize in winter. Fertilizer (low-nitrogen, complete fertilizer) can be applied in later winter, and then once again during the fruiting period to help it cope with the added requirements of producing fruit. You don’t need fertilizer when you plant the tree, as compost does the trick during that stage of the tree’s life.

Expect fruit in 3-4 years. Apricot blossoms are very susceptible to frost damage and may need to be protected in a garage or greenhouse during the winter.

Thin the fruit. If you see clusters of 3 or more fruits growing close together, remove the ones that are misshapen, brown, or damaged while they are still green. Allowing the fruits enough air and light will also prevent fungal disease from spreading.

Prune any branches or leaves that show signs of disease. “Sick” trees will have wilted blossoms, brown, hanging leaves, and fruit that is shriveled and dark (“mummified”). It may be necessary to use anti-fungal spray on the tree to prevent the spread of an infection.
• Also prune whenever the top of the tree looks full and green, but the bottom looks wilted and thin. This means that the tree is not getting enough sun on the bottom because the top layers are blocking it.
• Prune any branches that are no longer producing fruits or ones that are over 6 years old.

Harvest your apricots. Apricots are usually ready for harvesting from midsummer through early autumn. You’ll know when they’re ready if they’re soft, fuzzy, and fully orange.

Source: www.wikihow.com/Grow-Apricots

Follow this link to read this post on our blog:http://farmkonnectng.com/2017/12/05/how-to-grow-apricots/

Kindly follow this link to read more interesting agricultural articles- http://farmkonnectng.com/blog
Follow us on twitter @farmkonnectng
Instagram @farmkonnectng
Like our page on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/farmkonnect

Soils are where food begins
95% of food is produced on our soils.
#World_SOIL_Day

And here is why an apricot a day, can also keep the doctor away':

It Relieve Constipation
Strengthen Bones
Improve Heart Health
Improve Metabolism
Treat Earaches
Cure Fever
Treat Skin Disorders
Treat Anemia
Prevent Cancer
Anti-asthmatic

#Health
#Benefits
#Apricot
#FarmKonnect
farmkonnectng.com

Post by: Adegbola, Bukola Suliyat – bukola@farmkonnectng.com – 08093016914

Apricot (Prunus armeniaca) is a member of the genus Prunus, which also includes cherry, peach, nectarine, plum, prune, and almond. Apricot originated in China and was cultivated extensively in the Mediterranean prior to being brought to North America. Although it was originally introduced in Virginia, apricot cultivation in North America was not successful until it was brought to California by Spanish missionaries in the late 1700’s.
Apricot is grown worldwide, primarily in Armenia, Afghanistan, Iran, Italy, Turkey, Morocco and France. California, with 9,400 acres planted, leads the nation in production, accounting for approximately 95% of the total U.S. production (NASS 2014). Apricots are primarily grown in Stanislaus, San Joaquin, and Merced counties throughout the San Joaquin Valley of California (Pollack and Perez 2004). However, some are grown for fresh market distribution in Contra Costa and San Benito counties, and the Santa Clara valley (Norton and Coates 2012). In 2013, 54,400 tons were produced in California, with 49% going to for fresh market, 30% to canning, 18% to drying, and the balance to the processing of juice concentrate. The crop value was over 37 million dollars (NASS 2014).
As one of the earliest ripening stone fruits, apricot has the shortest growing season beginning in mid-May through mid-August. Apricots perform best in a well-drained, silt or sandy loam soil, although some rootstocks confer tolerance to heavier wet soils. Climate is the primary factor determining the suitability of a site for apricot production. Apricots require winter chilling to ensure adequate bud production and can tolerate low winter temperatures, but grow best in areas with a low risk of spring frost (Norton and Coates 2012). Additionally, disease and pest resistance is greatest in areas with warm, dry summers (Looney and Jackson 2011). Unlike some close relatives in the genus Prunus (ex. almond), most apricot varieties are self-fertile and do not require supplemental bee pollination to set fruit (Norton and Coates 2012).

Source: fruitandnuteducation.ucdavis.edu/fruitnutproduction/Apricot/


Follow this link to read this post on our blog:http://farmkonnectng.com/2017/12/04/apricot/

Kindly follow this link to read more interesting agricultural articles- http://farmkonnectng.com/blog
Follow us on twitter @farmkonnectng
Instagram @farmkonnectng
Like our page on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/farmkonnect

Post by: Adegbola, Bukola Suliyat – bukola@farmkonnectng.com – 08093016914

HULU LANGAT: Ingredients such as unripe watermelons and millet (sekoi) might sound foreign to many Malaysians but they were in fact commonly eaten in the past by locals.
Crops For the Future (CFF) CEO Prof Sayed Azam-Ali (pic), a firm believer in saving centuries-old recipes, hopes that ingredients such as these could be re-introduced into the modern diet so that populations in future would have not only enough food to eat but also have a more diversified diet.
“It’s important to collect, preserve, and study the recipes of our ancestors because if we don’t preserve them, the knowledge will be lost forever,” he said in an interview.

This search for more varieties of foods to prop the modern and future diet led to the creation of the Forgotten Foods Network, a worldwide initiative that collects and shares information on foods, recipes and traditions that would have otherwise disappeared.
CFF, from its headquarters here, is spearheading the network.
Sayed said that out of 7,000 species of plants that were farmed throughout history, only about 30 types are grown around the world.
And four of these, rice, maize, wheat and soy, feed more than 60% of the world’s 7.6 billion population, he said.
The huge reliance on only four types of crops will not be sustainable in the long run, he said.
Sayed said that supermarkets offer rather homogenized foods when for thousands of years, each community had their own kinds of foods.

Besides collecting information of the “forgotten” foods, he said CFF also conducts studies on the nutritional content of food ingredients used and the feasibility of using the ingredients to feed the growing world population.
By 2050, it is estimated that there will be 9.7 billion people on earth and that posed a challenge in finding food to feed another 2.1 billion people while the earth is expected to face the challenge of a hotter planet, he said.
He said scientists had projected that the earth’s temperature would increase by three degrees Celsius by the end of the century.
As such, the crops needed to be able to withstand the higher temperature, he said.
Sayed said the answer could lie in the ingredients used in foods of the past.
Citing the Bambara groundnut, which originated from Africa and has been grown in the country for years, he said that it was hardly enough to withstand hotter and dryer weather.
“And it’s full of nutrition,” he added.
Britain’s Prince Charles was served murukku made with Bambara groundnut during his visit to Malaysia recently, he said.
CFF staff members Anis Diyana Ahmad’s late grandfather had used unripe watermelons to make kerabu while G. Janaki’s late grandmother used to grind millet she grew herself to make kevaru roti, he said.
The staff members shared their families’ recipes to enable the recipes to be preserved and the ingredients studied, he said.
Sayed said that once the ingredients were studied, CFF plans to market new varieties of foods to the public.

Original Post by: The Star Online
Website: www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/11/26/forgotten-foods-can-be-a-lifesaver-expert-info-on-centuriesold-recipes-could-feed-populations-in-the/


Follow this link to read this post on our blog: http://farmkonnectng.com/2017/12/01/forgotten-foods-can-lifesaver/

Kindly follow this link to read more interesting agricultural articles- http://farmkonnectng.com/blog
Follow us on twitter @farmkonnectng
Instagram @farmkonnectng
Like our page on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/farmkonnect

FarmKonnect Agribusiness Nigeria Limited.

We connect stakeholders (investors, shareholders, farmers and consumers) in agriculture with a view to improving agricultural practices towards enhancement of food security.

08093016931, 09059102364, 07050912230 and 08093016914

Follow us on twitter @farmkonnectng
Instagram @farmkonnectng
Like our page on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/farmkonnect
Connect with us on LinkedIn @Farm Konnect



@FarmKonnect, we strive to offer best agricultural services possible.

Waoh! that's really great @ Skoopy and @ zeekleo.
Kindly contact one of our team mates for your Farm Consultancy Services. His name is Mr Oluwole 07050912230, you can ask him any question regarding your fish farming. Thanks

Post by: Adeleke Oreoluwa-oreoluwa.a@farmkonnectng.com
Catfish farmers using earthen ponds, surface tanks, plastic tanks etc. often face the challenge of high fingerlings mortality rates when raising them.
As such, utmost care needs to be exercised in handling these fragile fishes in order to optimize production and profit.
A healthy pond grooms healthy fishes. Prior to stocking, 250kg of lime should be applied per acre of pond surface. Also ensure that other unwanted wastes and organisms like frog are cleared before stocking the pond.
Fingerlings are most vulnerable when they are less than 10g in size, thus the highest mortality rates occur during this period.
Over stocking the pond also leads to high mortality. This is because they need to be fed with a relatively large quantity of feed which will thus result in higher amount of waste released into the pond.
High amount of waste in fish ponds degrades water quality and should be minimized as much as possible.
Secondly, catfish are carnivorous by nature, which means they feed on flesh. So one should ensure that when stocking fingerlings, they should be sorted weekly and fingerlings of the same size should be stocked together.
Again, fingerlings of similar sizes should be stocked into smaller tanks before transferring them to the main grow-out pond.
Overfeeding fingerlings and juveniles may also lead to high mortality rates because they have uncontrollable appetite which leads to overfeeding and consequently death.
Another reason is transfer stress, when they are transferred from one location to another, such fingerlings/ juveniles should be left for at least 24hours before feeding.
Source: Daily Trust
www.dailytrust.com.ng/how-to-reduce-catfish-fingerlings-juveniles-mortality


For more info follow us on
Facebook :farmkonnect
Twitter :farmkonnectng
Instagram:Farmkonnectng

www.farmkonnectng.com

1. Protects the body against arthritis
Due to high content of minerals, these nuts are a natural remedy to safeguard the body from arthritis.

2. Treatment of Anaemia
The bambara beans are best for management of anemia which is lack of blood in the body. The nuts are rich in iron that boosts blood levels in the body.

3. Manages Malnutrition
The flour from these beans is ideal for management of malnutrition especially in children. This is because the nuts have high contents of carbohydrates, proteins, calories and varying minerals that boost the growth of the body.

4. Remedy for Insomnia
These beans are a natural remedy for insomnia. This is because the beans contain amino acids that stimulate release of serotonin from the brain hence bringing about mental calmness that leads to ability to fall asleep.

#Health
#Benefits
#BambaraBeans_Nuts
FarmKonnect
farmkonnectng.com

1. Protects the body against arthritis
Due to high content of minerals, these nuts are a natural remedy to safeguard the body from arthritis.

2. Treatment of Anaemia
The bambara beans are best for management of anemia which is lack of blood in the body. The nuts are rich in iron that boosts blood levels in the body.

3. Manages Malnutrition
The flour from these beans is ideal for management of malnutrition especially in children. This is because the nuts have high contents of carbohydrates, proteins, calories and varying minerals that boost the growth of the body.

4. Remedy for Insomnia
These beans are a natural remedy for insomnia. This is because the beans contain amino acids that stimulate release of serotonin from the brain hence bringing about mental calmness that leads to ability to fall asleep.

#Health
#Benefits
#BambaraBeans_Nuts
FarmKonnect
farmkonnectng.com

Post by: Adegbola, Bukola Suliyat – bukola@farmkonnectng.com - 08093016914

Bambara beans also known as Bambara groundnuts have their origin in West Africa specifically in Ghana, Ivory Coast and Nigeria. In Ghana, many people call it Aborboi. In other jurisdictions, it is called congo goober, ground beans, hog-peanut, earth pea, bambarra groundnut, congo earth pea, madagascar groundnut but it is the same bambara beans known to many with a botanical name (vigna subterranean).
Ecology and Climatic Requirements:
The plant thrives well in sandy soil with a PH of 5 and 6.5. The texture of the soil should be light with good drainage as water logging destroys the nuts. Bambara plant grows well in the climate of most parts of Sub-Sahara Africa with temperatures of 19-30 degree centigrade.
These groundnuts are highly resistant to draught as they do not require high rainfall for them to grow and produce. When planting bambara plant, one does not need to set a piece of land aside as they flourish even when intercropped with other food crops such as sorghum, maize, cassava and millet.

Varieties of Bambara Beans:
The crop is indigenous to sub-Sahara Africa and there has been limited research into developing new varieties so all varieties are considered to be traditional.

There are Seven Varieties of Bambara Groundnut:

Black early maturing, usually small to medium-sized kernels. Mainly one-seeded
Red late maturing, kernels are large. A good yielder, however, it is prone to rotting onsite
Cream or black eye, a large kernel and a good yielded
Brown eye or Cream, a moderate kernel and a good yielder
Cream or no eye, very small pods and kernels. It mainly produces one seed and yields are lower.
Speckled Purple colour predominates, kernels are small and pods are mainly one-seeded.
Brown, continuous variation between light and dark brown. Kernels are of medium to large size.

Site Selection for Bambara Beans:
Bambara beans will grow on any well-drained soil, but light, sandy loams with a pH of 5.0 to 6.5 are most suitable. The crop does well on poor soil which is low in nutrients.
Abundance of nitrogen favors vegetative growth.

Land Preparation of Bambara Beans:
Bambara beans give the best yields on a deeply ploughed field with a fine seedbed.
A level seedbed is best but it can be planted on ridges when very wet conditions prevail.

Seed Treatment of Bambara Beans:
Large seeds are recommended
The seed should be treated with a fungicide.
Seed vitality deteriorates after shelling, and
Shelling should therefore be done prior to planting.
Germination takes 7 to 15 day

Planting Bambara Beans:
Planters with the correct plates can be used. In Africa a hoe is used to plant seed in the traditional way. It is usually sown and covered with a harrow.

Planting Space
In conditions of high moisture levels and in heavy soils (which cannot be recommended) seed can be planted 2.5 to 3.0 cm deep and 5, 0 to 7.5 cm in sandy soil

Fertilizer Application Of Bambara Beans:
When nitrogen content is high in the soil, bambara groundnut usually produces mostly only a few pods and seeds on the top surface. It is always advisable to conduct soil tests and apply fertilizer according to the recommended rates.

Weed Control
Weed control is done mechanically or by hand. Care should be taken when weeding around the plant, especially at flowering as the flower stalks are fragile and may break with rough handling

Diseases and Pests:
Piezotrachelu ugandum (moth beetle) It damages the developing pods of bambara beans
Larvae of the genus rivellia also causes damages to the root of the bambara beans

Harvesting of Bambara Beans
Small areas are harvested by hand as the plants turn yellow or die, or when about 80 % of the pods have matured.
Large areas should be harvested when the plants wilt or turn yellow or when about 80 % of the pods have matured. The tap root can be cut with a groundnut harvester or ploughed out, or the beans can be lifted or hoed out.
The pods break off very easily and up to half of the pods can remain in the soil and have to be collected by hand. After the plants have been cut they can be left for a day or two after which they can be stacked in wind rows to dry. The pods can be picked by hand or by using a commercial groundnut picker. The plants must be handled with care to reduce pod loss.

Storage of Bambara Beans:
Processing and storage methods are still traditional. The pods, which normally develop underground, are harvested by manually pulling up the plant with attendant losses.
Sun drying of pods is mainly practiced and shelling is accomplished by either pouring into a jute or hessian bag and beating the pods with stick, pounding using pestle and mortar or cracking with stone on a slab. In some instances, manual treading of the pods on a flat surface is used to achieve shelling. The pods or seeds are stored in pots, bags, and drums or in local granaries.

Original Post by: Letstalkagric
Website: www.letstalkagric.com/crops/bambara-beans-quick-tips-bambara-beans-farming


Follow this link to read this post on our blog: http://farmkonnectng.com/2017/11/30/bambara-beans-farming/

Kindly follow this link to read more interesting agricultural articles- http://farmkonnectng.com/blog
Follow us on twitter @farmkonnectng
Instagram @farmkonnectng
Like our page on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/farmkonnect

The beans/nut is known as Bambara beans or Bambara groundnut....

Waoh! Thank you xo much @Farouq94.... You got it right!

Oh no! It looks exactly like soybeans but it's not..Thanks so much for giving it a trial.

#Agriculture is #Peace

Who knows this beans/nut?
Can you name it?
#NameDnut @ #FarmKonnect
www.farmkonnectng.com

#Agriculture is #Peace

Who knows this beans/nut?
Can you name it?
#NameDnut @ #FarmKonnect
www.farmkonnectng.com

Post by: Adeleke Oreoluwa-oreoluwa.a@farmkonnectng,com
Members of the Poultry Association of Nigeria have lauded the Federal Government over its National Egg Production (NEGPRO) initiative, saying it would help boost egg production in the country.
Ondo State Chairperson of the association, Augustina Ebiwonjumi, said apart from increasing egg production, the scheme will also empower more farmers and create more jobs in the poultry business.
Ebiwonjumi, who spoke during a town hall meeting for poultry farmers in Akure, the state capital, affirmed that an increase in egg production will contribute positively towards the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state and the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
In his own remarks during the meeting, Senior Special Assistant to the State Governor on Agriculture, Akin Olotu, described the National Egg Production scheme as one of the programmes designed by the Federal Government to develop agriculture across the country.
“The purpose of setting up the scheme is to make sure that the products are affordable to the general public. I want to assure you that the state government has indicated its readiness to key into the programme to rank the state as one of the best in the area of egg production in the country,” he said.
National Coordinator of NEGPRO, Tunde Badmus, enjoined more farmers in the state to key into the programme. He disclosed that arrangements had been concluded to give out loans worth N4.3 million to interested poultry farmers and that the scheme seeks to create more than one million jobs across the country.
Source: Agro Nigeria
agronigeria.com.ng/poultry-farmers-commend-fg-egg-production-scheme

for more info follow us on
facebook:farmkonnect
twitter:@farmkonnectng
instagram:@farmkonnectng

www.farmkonnectng.com

Post by: Adeleke Oreoluwa-oreoluwa.a@farmkonnectng.com
Whether white, yellow, or red, onions are one of the world’s most popular and versatile vegetables, delivering an unmistakable, pungent heat – some more than others. They’re in demand for cold salads and hot soups, sliced in rings or solid disks on burgers, and chopped in relish. The delicious caramelization that takes place when onions are sautéed is due to their high sugar content. (Try them sautéed with bell peppers for a tasty fajita ingredient.) Spanish red onions are generally milder than white or yellow. The Vidalia variety is one of the sweetest.
The sharp fragrance and flavor emitted by onions is due to the sulfur compound allyl propyl disulphide; it’s allyl sulphide that brings you to tears when peeling one, serving the good purpose of washing the thin epithelial layer of the eyes. Holding peeled onions under cold water for several seconds before slicing minimizes this effect.
Health Benefits of Eating Onions
Onions are loaded with numerous health benefits, and scientists are still discovering how beneficial this vegetable really is. They’re a very good source of vitamin C and B6, iron, folate, and potassium. The manganese content in onions provides cold and flu relief with its anti-inflammatory abilities.
Two phytochemical (plant-derived nutrient) compounds in onions – allium and allyl disulphide – convert to allicin when the bulb is cut or crushed due to enzyme activation. Studies show these compounds to have cancer- and diabetes-fighting properties, while decreasing blood vessel stiffness by releasing nitric oxide. This can reduce blood pressure, inhibit platelet clot formation, and help decrease the risk of coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular diseases, and stroke.
Significant amounts of polyphenols (another phytochemical in onions) and an antioxidant flavonoid called quercetin (which has proven anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic functions) account for the reputation onions have for disease prevention.
Luckily, cooking onions in soup doesn’t diminish their quercetin value – it simply transfers to the broth. The flavonoids in onions are more concentrated in the outer layers, so discard as little as possible.
Studies Done on Onions
Studies showed strong evidence that eating onions may considerably reduce the risk of stomach cancer1. In another study, beneficial effects of red, yellow, and white onion extracts were noted for their antioxidant and anti-mutagenic (cell mutation prohibitive) activity2 – better than Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), a synthetic chemical added to foods as a preservative, and ascorbic acid. Free-radical scavenging activity increased, depending on the concentration.
Types of onions
Onions differ in the size, colour and taste. Spring onions are grown in warmer climates and have a milder, sweeter taste. Storage onions are grown in colder weather climates and generally have a more pungent flavour and are usually named by their colour: white, yellow or red. Smaller onions come in many types, such as chives,leek and shallots.

How to select and store
Globe onions should be clean and hard and have dry, smooth skins. Avoid onions in which the seen stem has developed. Also avoid those that show signs of decay. Onions should be stored at room temperature, away from bright light and in a well-ventilated area. Those that are more pungent in flavor such as yellow onions, will keep longer than those with a sweeter tastes such as white onions, since the compounds that produce the sharp taste are natural preservatives as well. All onions should be stored away from potatoes, as they will absorb their moisture and ethylene gas, causing potatoes to spoil more easily. Do not store cooked onions in a metal bowl or storage container as this will cause them to discolor. Freezing chopped onions will cause them to lose much of their flavor.

Source: Food Facts
http://foodfacts.mercola.com/onion.

for more info follow us on:
twitter:Farmkonnectng
Instagram:Farmkonnectng
Facebook:Farmkonnect

www.farmkonnectng.com

Your investment goes a very long and right way in helping #Farmers to have a better #Farming_Conditions.

#Invest and help a #Farmer

This is simply how it goes.....