₦airaland Forum

For better, For worse!

Alhaji Mujahideen Asari Dokubo, an igbo man? In Chiwetalu Agu's voice 'Ekwe mgbaduga'!

Violence is never an option.

That Sh3.1 billion should be about $1.45m.

Rubbing minds.

Observing.........

Cost of production tends to be higher in Nigeria, from the cost of suckers, labour and other inputs.

Lagos, kano?.........Everyone knows his limit.

Stories without links!

Why the conflicting report, did l not read in another thread that his father was not aware of his Biafra agitation.

porshuch:
If ndigbo goes to war again, bet me, the world will still join forces with Nigeria and fight Biafra, this time it will be total annihilation.

If IMF which is controlled by the West is seriously backing the proposal of adding Chinese Yuan into IMF's currency basket despite the very appalling Chinese human rights records and the dire repressions of secessionist movements such as Inner Mongolian independence movement, Tibetan independence movement, Uyghurstan Independence Movement....It is a sad reality that the World powers are more interested in who they can gain more from!

The green capsicum plants are beautifully arranged on the half-acre farm in Mbeere, Embu County, Kenya.

They have produced big fruits, a sign that they have been tended to well and are free of pests and diseases.

Jutting above the crops, about half-a-metre high, are another green plants. The crops, which are weeds, unlike the capsicum, have tiny shiny leaves.

Peter Mwange, the owner of the farm, uses the Mexican marigold plants to keep his capsicum healthy.

The weeds, which keep pests that include aphids at bay, have seen him harvest up to two tonnes (2,000kg) of hybrid capsicums after every 10 days.

Mwange went into farming after trying a hand in cereals’ business and working in Nairobi as a mechanic soon after graduating from Machakos Technical College with a Diploma in Automotive Engineering in 2002.

To start farming on the family land in 2010, the 32-year-old sold a goat at Sh3,500 (N7,000), which he had bought when his business was doing well. He used the money to buy melon seeds that he planted, ending up with 1,800 plants that fetched him over Sh70,000 (N140,000) after about five months.

But he did not plant melons again as he had seen how capsicum was profitable and made the switch in early 2012.

He bought capsicum seeds, prepared seedbeds and after 45 days, he transplanted his seedlings to the main field. Initially, the capsicums were doing well, but things started to fall apart after he had transplanted them.

REPEL INSECTS

“An extension officer told me my capsicum had been infested by root-knot nematodes.”

The nematode larvae infects plant roots, leading to the development of root-knot galls that drain the plant’s nutrients. The parasites, which thrive in warm climate like that in Embu, normally kill young plants but for mature plants, they lead to decreased yields.

He lost over 3,000 plants to nematodes because he had to uproot them to save the rest.

A fellow farmer advised him to plant Mexican marigold in the field where he was growing capsicum, in addition to practising crop rotation. “Mexican marigold reduces nematode population and repels some pests common in capsicums and a range of vegetables,” says Mwange.

He started by first planting the marigold on the piece of land and later the capsicum.

“I ended up with only a few stunted and wilted crops. Aphids attack also declined,” he says.

Dr Paul Nthakanio, a geneticist, and bio-technology lecturer at Embu University College, and chairman of Agricultural Resource Management, says Marigold roots releases a chemical known as alpha-terthienyl, one of the naturally occurring toxics used in the making of nematicides and other pesticides, to curb nematodes and repel pests such as aphids.

Mwange normally collects seeds of the naturally growing Mexican marigold from the neighbourhood and broadcasts them on the farm he intends to grow the capsicums.

When the marigold grows; it produces a smell that suppresses nematodes. “To effectively manage nematodes, I plant marigold at least two to three months before growing capsicums,” he says, adding that marigold’s smell wards off aphids.

The use of marigold has seen him save at least 30 per cent of his production costs.

Dr Nthakanio notes marigold as a bio-pesticide is preferred because it is easily bio-degradable and thus, has less effect on the environment compared to non-organic chemicals that pollute the environment. It is one of the safest ways to farm organically, he says.

Currently, Mwange grows a hybrid capsicum called Commandant F1, which is resistant to diseases and pests, and matures faster. “I start to harvest fruits from this variety after 70 days as opposed to 90 days with the others after transplanting.”

The move has seen him increase production from 1,400 to 2,000kg after 10 days.

HYBRID VARIETY

The red and green peppers are the same fruit of the capsicum plant; only that the green one is picked earlier. When the green matures, it turns red, explains Dr Nthakanio. Mwange sells the peppers to buyers from Nairobi for Sh40 (N80) per kilo when green. He has currently employed two people, paying them Sh350 (N700)per day and has built himself a decent house, money that has come from his venture.

Dr Nthakanio says after maturity, the level of ethylene, a hormone responsible for ripening in capsicum, increases and this makes green fruits to turn red.

Towards the end of production lifespan of his capsicums at four to five months, Mwange leaves few fruits to turn red to allow him earn more as a kilo of red pepper goes for Sh80 (N160) .

Dr Nthakanio says the hybrid variety is better than the non-hybrid one because it arises from the cross-breeding of genetically different organism.

He says since they mature faster, the hybrid plants are less susceptible to pests and diseases.

“Although a kilo of red capsicums fetches almost twice the price of the green one, I prefer to harvest them green after 10 days than wait until after 20 days in the case of red.”

The link of the story, please. Some will just be casually saying civil war as if it is FIFA 16 video game!

2014 news!

This will make more Europeans feel cold towards immigrants from the Middle East.

The Nantes civil registration centre will decide his fate!

'The traditional ruler denied knowledge of his son’s involvement in Biafra agitation. While describing Kanu as gentle and unable to hurt a fly, the monarch said his son never discussed his pro-Biafra activism with him'......With due respect Sir, this statement would be a hard sell though l feel your pain as a father.

Their performance would prove us either right or wrong.

Which AU meeting is going on in Nairobi? l doubt if it the same Nairobi l just woke up in, with no newspaper or television station carrying the news? How people open threads with intent to mislead, the link should be opened & see it is a 2014 news!

They have the right to disassociate themselves from any agitation they do not believe in.

Sad.

Let the others carry on, they need their rest.

Still looking for the CNN link, abeg who have seen it?

Ebonyi state right from the time of the former Governor Elechi never enjoyed positive media rating.

When one sets out to delude others, he deceives himself the most! He posts a December 18, 2014 story as an ongoing event and still expects to be seen as psychologically stable!

alakara:
I don't know, he can check those areas to confirm.

Thanks for the info.

The weather there is so suitable for tea cultivation.

A disorganized post and hard to read!

Party galore.

Lstar4real:
so I don't know different between local & international apple pack well

Bros, cool down. When it matures won't you upload pictures for us?

Jesusbaby6:
hello sir,
any info about the mail i sent?

Just sent you a mail this morning.

baba11:
If I get you right,you want the source to be situated in the south western Nigeria because of the distance traversing from the North at the same time,it must be continuous.

Exactly.