Post by Trade facilitator on Oct 17, 2022 13:31:58 GMT 1
13 Key Actions Nigeria Must Take To Achieve 11 Tonnes/Hectare In Maize Farming In The Country – Part 2
This is the second part of this article as we have dealt with the first part in our previous article.
The average maize production per hectare in Nigeria as at 2020/2021 was 2.00 metric tonnes and the same in 2019; according to Knoema.
Maize farms account for about 24% of the total farmland in Africa; as at that time the average yield per hectare in Africa was about 2 tons/hectare per year.
Nigeria is the largest producer of maize in Africa followed by South Africa, Egypt and Ethiopia.
About 60% of maize produced in Nigeria is used to produce poultry feeds; maize makes up about 70% of items used in producing poultry feeds in Nigeria, followed by soybeans.
Like I said earlier, in this article we will give an account of the 13 fundamental keys to achieve better yields. The 13 points state that by Good Agronomic Practices (GAPs) principle, Nigerian farmers can significantly change the maize crop farming landscape for the better.
This is what we treated in the first article:
We want to look at fundamental factors that can help farmers achieve better yields in their farms.
You must start with a well-conditioned soil:
A well-conditioned soil has high Fertilizer Use Efficiency (FUE). Liming, which is treating the soil with lime to reduce the acidity of the soil and increase it alkalinity by correcting the pH to the optimum levels.
The pH is an excellent indicator of soil quality (acidity/alkalinity) and its ability to make nutrients available to the crop. The optimum pH range for maize is 5.5 – 6.5 based on a Calcium Chlorine scale.
Start on a well-prepared seedbed:
Thorough land preparation is essential in maize cultivation if the crop is to be grown productively and profitably. In fact, successful crop establishment is centered on good land preparation. Conventional land preparation should target the following aspects:
To loosen the soil and to form a fine tilt – because this aids good seed-soil contact and emergence
To control weeds and start on a weed free seedbed
To conserve moisture and improve drainage and water movement in the soil.
It is recommended that depth of tillage should be altered periodically to avoid plough pans or compacted zones developing. This will affect water infiltration, root development, and yield.
Once in at least every 3 years, a farmer must come in with a ripper or chisel plough to break the pans. (A plow pan is a sub-surface horizon or soil layer having a high bulk density and a lower total porosity than the soil directly above or below it as a result of pressure applied by normal tillage operations, such as plows, discs, and other tillage implements.)
Tillage should also aim to retain and incorporate previous crop residues which aids Soil Organic Matter build up.
On the other hand, conservational tillage procedure aims at minimizing soil disturbances and leaves at least 30% of previous crop residues on the soil surface after planting. It may include the use of tines, chisels and then followed by direct seeding equipment. It may also entail the use on zero till planters to sow seed directly without tilling the land. This has been shown to have significant advantages: improved moisture retention, rainfall/irrigation absorption (due to protective litter on the soil surface) as well as minimized erosion.
However Conservational Tillage is mostly suited to soils with at least 25% clay content in the top 30cm zone. Soil structure and fertility must be good and balanced, pH must suit the crop to be grown, sub-surface compaction must be eliminated first; are the other prerequisites before adopting this concept.
Remember the Soil Test First.
The first step to profitable maize farming is to conduct a soil test – which gives an analysis of what the soil lacked and what inputs were needed to correct and improve the soil.
The soil test also will give recommendations on what fertilizers the farmer needed to use. This will tackle the problem of poor crop nutrition and the crops will improve by becoming green, big and healthy. Improved crop nutrition will lead to increased yields.
We believe that achieving this result is possible. New Zealand is the top country by maize yield in the world. As of 2020, maize yield in New Zealand was 12 tonnes per ha that accounts for 2.80% of the world's maize yield.
Follow us as we try to solve this problem. Every week we will treat one point until we find a solution to the problem.
Our company is one of the best Agro-Export Business companies in Nigeria today. We train individuals and corporate organizations on how to do Export Business the right way; if you are interested, please contact the admin of this forum now for further details.
This is the second part of this article as we have dealt with the first part in our previous article.
The average maize production per hectare in Nigeria as at 2020/2021 was 2.00 metric tonnes and the same in 2019; according to Knoema.
Maize farms account for about 24% of the total farmland in Africa; as at that time the average yield per hectare in Africa was about 2 tons/hectare per year.
Nigeria is the largest producer of maize in Africa followed by South Africa, Egypt and Ethiopia.
About 60% of maize produced in Nigeria is used to produce poultry feeds; maize makes up about 70% of items used in producing poultry feeds in Nigeria, followed by soybeans.
Like I said earlier, in this article we will give an account of the 13 fundamental keys to achieve better yields. The 13 points state that by Good Agronomic Practices (GAPs) principle, Nigerian farmers can significantly change the maize crop farming landscape for the better.
This is what we treated in the first article:
We want to look at fundamental factors that can help farmers achieve better yields in their farms.
You must start with a well-conditioned soil:
A well-conditioned soil has high Fertilizer Use Efficiency (FUE). Liming, which is treating the soil with lime to reduce the acidity of the soil and increase it alkalinity by correcting the pH to the optimum levels.
The pH is an excellent indicator of soil quality (acidity/alkalinity) and its ability to make nutrients available to the crop. The optimum pH range for maize is 5.5 – 6.5 based on a Calcium Chlorine scale.
Start on a well-prepared seedbed:
Thorough land preparation is essential in maize cultivation if the crop is to be grown productively and profitably. In fact, successful crop establishment is centered on good land preparation. Conventional land preparation should target the following aspects:
To loosen the soil and to form a fine tilt – because this aids good seed-soil contact and emergence
To control weeds and start on a weed free seedbed
To conserve moisture and improve drainage and water movement in the soil.
It is recommended that depth of tillage should be altered periodically to avoid plough pans or compacted zones developing. This will affect water infiltration, root development, and yield.
Once in at least every 3 years, a farmer must come in with a ripper or chisel plough to break the pans. (A plow pan is a sub-surface horizon or soil layer having a high bulk density and a lower total porosity than the soil directly above or below it as a result of pressure applied by normal tillage operations, such as plows, discs, and other tillage implements.)
Tillage should also aim to retain and incorporate previous crop residues which aids Soil Organic Matter build up.
On the other hand, conservational tillage procedure aims at minimizing soil disturbances and leaves at least 30% of previous crop residues on the soil surface after planting. It may include the use of tines, chisels and then followed by direct seeding equipment. It may also entail the use on zero till planters to sow seed directly without tilling the land. This has been shown to have significant advantages: improved moisture retention, rainfall/irrigation absorption (due to protective litter on the soil surface) as well as minimized erosion.
However Conservational Tillage is mostly suited to soils with at least 25% clay content in the top 30cm zone. Soil structure and fertility must be good and balanced, pH must suit the crop to be grown, sub-surface compaction must be eliminated first; are the other prerequisites before adopting this concept.
Remember the Soil Test First.
The first step to profitable maize farming is to conduct a soil test – which gives an analysis of what the soil lacked and what inputs were needed to correct and improve the soil.
The soil test also will give recommendations on what fertilizers the farmer needed to use. This will tackle the problem of poor crop nutrition and the crops will improve by becoming green, big and healthy. Improved crop nutrition will lead to increased yields.
We believe that achieving this result is possible. New Zealand is the top country by maize yield in the world. As of 2020, maize yield in New Zealand was 12 tonnes per ha that accounts for 2.80% of the world's maize yield.
Follow us as we try to solve this problem. Every week we will treat one point until we find a solution to the problem.
Our company is one of the best Agro-Export Business companies in Nigeria today. We train individuals and corporate organizations on how to do Export Business the right way; if you are interested, please contact the admin of this forum now for further details.
