"Best Farmer Award" 2023 by Guzakuza

It is with excitement that we announce the selection of our CEO, Peculiar N. Okafor as a finalist for "BEST FARMER OF THE YEAR AWARD" 2023, presented by GUZAKUZA, with about 629 nominees this year.

It is a great privilege to be recognized among African agribusiness leaders.

Congratulations to everyone nominated and also the finalists.

#finalist

#award

#Guzakuza

#RocksolidOrganicAgroEnterprise

#Agrorecyclub

#femaleentreprenuer

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Seminar on Earning from Waste with Students in Bonsaac Community

 

Earn from Waste Project

Earn from Waste is a project aimed at educating community members in Africa on the opportunities to earn income through waste recycling. With Africa producing around 70 million tons of waste annually, projected to exceed 160 million tons by 2025, effective waste management is crucial. By raising awareness about the potential for recycling and reusing waste to create new products, the project empowers individuals to participate in waste collection, sorting, and processing activities. By harnessing the economic potential of recycling, Earn from Waste promotes sustainable practices, reduces pollution, and contributes to a cleaner and healthier environment in African cities.

Agrorecyclub, a program of Rocksolid Organic Agro Enterprise, in conjunction with DO, brings this to the students of Bonsaac Community as it is in everyone's hands to take action to mitigate climate change, including students. 

        

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YALILearns: Fundamentals of Climate-Smart Entreprenuership

 

As climate change threatens human health, food and water security, and socio-economic development, join #yalilearns session to learn how to plan, implement, and run a sustainable climate-smart business.

Climate-smart entrepreneurship has to do with the creation of ventures as a way to address climate and environmental challenges.

Through this course, entrepreneurs will be provided with recommendations for planning, implementing and running sustainable climate-smart businesses. 

Date: 5 September, 2023

Time: 1pm WAT

Venue: Virtual 

For more info: rocksolidorganicagro.com.ng/programs/upcoming-events 

For Updates, Join

#yalinetwork

#YALI4OurFuture

#climateaction

#RocksolidOrganicAgroEnterprise

#Agrorecyclub

@YALINetwork

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Organic Cultivation of Yam

 

 

 

Yam, Dioscorea spp, is grown for their edible tubers. It was believed to have originated in parts of Africa (West Africa) and Asia.

In West Africa, Nigeria produces the greatest quantity of yam. The crop is commonly cultivated in parts of the Eastern Nigeria and other areas such as Agbon, Benin, Asaba, Oyo, Zaria, Kwara, Plateau, Niger, Kaduna, Benue and Cross River State.

In Ghana, large quantities of yam is grown in Northern part of Ashanti.

 

 

Varieties

White yam (Dioscorea rotundata)

Water yam or purple yam (Dioscorea alata)

Yellow yam (Dioscorea cayenensis)

Air-potato yam/Aerial yam (Dioscorea bulbifera)

Asiatic or Lesser yam (Dioscorea esculenta)

Bitter yam (Dioscorea dumetorum)

Chinese Yam (Dioscorea opposita)

Potato yam (Dioscorea babatas)

Chinese yam (Dioscorea polystachya)

Indian yam or Cush-cush yam (Dioscorea trifida)

Japanese mountain yam (Dioscorea japonica)

 

 

Method of Propagation

Yams are propagated by:

(1)    Tubers (seed yam) which are either planted whole or cut into smaller pieces called setts.

(2)    Seeds but this is mainly done for breeding purposes.

(3)    Vine cutting and tissue culture.

 

Climate and Soil Requirement

The temperature of 20 – 30^oC is ideal and an annual rainfall of 1100 – 2200mm equally distributed throughout 8 – 10 months is ideal. Ideal soil pH is between 5.5 and 6.5.

Yam is planted when day length is more than 12 hours.

A high level of soil moisture is necessary for excellent tuberization. Yam requires a loose, free drainage and fertile sandy soil.

The shape of the tuber is influenced by the depth and softness of the soil.

 

Land Preparation

The land is cleared of existing vegetation. The herbaceous parts are ploughed into the soil while the rest is discarded.

The seed bed used may be holes dug in the ground, mounts, heaps or ridges depending on the soil type.  

 

Planting

In riverine areas, planting is done in October to December to enable the yams mature before the area gets waterlogged in July or August the following year.

In the hinter land, planting is between March and June, if the crops are to be rain-fed.

For seed rate: 3 – 4 tons per ha are used. For ware yam production (large yams sold in the market for consumption), seed yams or sett weighing 1kg are used while for seed yam production, setts weighing about 0.4kg are used.

Spacing: Spacing depends on the nature of the soil as well as the purpose for which the crop is grown

For sole cropping, 1m x 1m spacing is ideal whereas, if the yam is intercropped with other crops like maize, a spacing of 1.5m x 1.5m is recommended.

Closer spacing generally produces higher yields per ha but smaller tubers are produced.

Planting is done at an angle of 45^OC in a slanting position.

Planting depth: 15cm especially for those planted very early before the rainy season.

Mulching: Continuous mulching of the entire ridge top is better than capping (using of the mulching material to cover the area in which the yam sett is placed). This helps to keep the soil cool around the planted sett.

 

Staking

This is done to hold the yam vines to ensure a good yield.

Staking materials include branch or stem of plants,  bamboo, palm frond as well as some strong grass stem.

Yam vines should be staked with stakes of about 2m long. If the yams are big enough, they’d be supported with long sticks of about 5m.

This helps the stake to stand upright and also spread the yam leaves enough for them to receive sunlight energy.

The vines are tied up the stakes in an anti-clockwise direction except for few species e.g D. bulbifera and D. domentorum which climb in a clockwise direction.

Early planted yams begin to germinate 20 – 60 days after planting. If after 60 days, the planted yams did not germinate, a replacement may be necessary.

 

Organic Fertilizer Application

Compost or farmyard manure is used, it is better added at the time of planting. About 20 – 25 metric tons of manure per hectare of land is adequate.

Yam is a heavy feeder and therefore require a lot of nutrient for optimal yield. This is why farmers always grow yam first in a newly open land i. e land that have  been laid fallow for more than 4 years.

The organic fertilizers are used to supplement less fertile soils, 60g per plant about 2-3 months after planting.

 Where the soil pH is less than 5, liming is done during tilling to reduce the soil acidity.

Also, vermicompost, produced by chemical disintegration of organic matter by earthworms, is an ideal blend of plant nutrients with worm enzyme and probiotics to boost the crop performance. It contains higher amount of nutrients, hormones and enzymes and has stimulatory effect on plant growth.

 

Weeding

One of the causes of poor farm harvest is weed. Yam cannot withstand the effect of weed.

Yam farm should be regularly weeded at least 2-3 times before harvest.

During weeding, build up the ridge from the soil in the furrow from bottom to top. This will prevent the ridge from being reduced in size by erosion during the rainy season. This practice is called earthen-up.

 

Pest and Disease Management

Ø  Plant yam varieties that are resistant to anthracnose.

Ø  Use disease free tubers or setts for planting.

Ø  Keep the farm free of weeds.

Ø  Termites attack is controlled with neem leaves and oil.

Ø  Destroy crop debris on the farm.

Ø  Treat tubers with hot water for 40 minutes at 55^OC before sowing and after harvest so as to reduce disease while in the field and after harvest.

Ø  Coat tubers with wood ash to prevent nematode infestation.

Ø  Practice crop rotation with groundnut, sorghum, maize or chili pepper.

Ø  Neem oil insecticide is applied to kill all stages of mealy bug infestation.

 

Harvesting

Harvest the yams when the leaves starts turning yellow.

Dig the soil around the tubers to avoid damaging the tubers.

Harvesting is best done on a dry or sunny day to avoid tuber rot.

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Free Online Training: Mushroom Production on Rice Straw

 

Are you a youth or a woman seeking to make extra income from mushroom farming or a rice farmer seeking for a way to dispose your rice straws after harvesting, in preparation for the next planting season?

'AGRORECYCLUB', where agro wastes are turned to wealth

PRESENTS

A 3-day free training on organic mushroom production on rice straw (post harvest waste) for youths, women and rice farmers.

23% of greenhouse gas emissions are from agriculture, hence, there is clamor for zero emission, circular economy and smart agriculture.

'Agrorecyclub', one of the programs of Rocksolid Organic Agro Enterprise, is where agro wastes are turned to wealth and our environment is conserved, likewise our Planet.

The purpose of this program is to empower youths and women, and also rice farmers, who burn rice straws after harvesting in preparation of the next planting season, and at the same time create awareness on recycling, especially, recycling of agro wastes, thereby preserving our environment and contributing to mitigating climate change challenges.

COURSE OUTLINE

> Awareness on Climate Action and Recycling (Agrowaste)
> Introduction to Mushroom
> Production of Mushroom from Start to Finish

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

> Be a youth, a woman or a rice farmer age 18+
> Have passion to learn and practice
> Have internet access

Date: 22 - 24 November, 2023
Venue: Online
Deadline: 8th November, 2023

Join: https://lnkd.in/des9anwa

Apply: Link to join

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Organic Snail Farming (Giant African Land Snails)

The global market for edible snail is 300,000 metric tons valued at $1.3 billion (about N545 billion) with an annual compact growth rate of 4.5 percent per annum.

Snails are highly rich in protein (12-16percent) and iron (45-50 mg/kg), low in fat, and contains almost all the amino acids needed by humans.

Snail meat also have medicinal benefits which includes treatment of whooping cough, anemia, asthma, and high blood pressure due to their relatively low cholesterol level but high mineral content.

The eating of snail meat may help in curtailing the high incidences of diet related non communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and other cardiovascular diseases, resulting from the excessive consumption of saturated fatty foods/ red meat. 

Giant African Land Snails are popular snails in West Africa.                                                    

Species: Achatina achatina (A.A), Achatina marginata (A.M) and Achatina fulica (A.F)

Snail Housing:  The snail pen depends on the production scale: small, medium or large scale. 

So, the pen can be made of tyres, old drums, wooden pen, trench pens or shaded house for free range.

Avoid overcrowding as it impedes growth and can lead to disease outbreak.

Stocking: After the snail housing s ready, the next is stocking the pen with healthy snails either from the wild or other snail farmers and look out for the ones their flesh fill the shell (like in the picture above).

Rearing: The best time to rear snails is the rainy season, between April and October, but with good irrigation, it can be reared all year round.

Feeding: Snails feed on fruits and vegetables, tubers and calcium supplement.

Reproduction: Snails are hermaphrodites (that is, a snail has both male and female reproductive system). 

They lay 4-6 days after mating and eggs hatch within a month. They lay 30-1200 eggs in a clutch, two to three times a year depending on the specie. 

Pest and Disease Control: (1) Treat the soil by heating.

(2) Check the snails regularly and wash them to remove any pest on them, one after the other to prevent drowning.

(3) Use of wood ash against termites.

(4) Black oil (engine oil) around the pen.

(5) Removing of the snails and pouring of hot water in the pen to kill insects and their eggs in the soil.

(6) Boiling of neem leaves and spraying the liquid in the pen when cool.

(7) Soaking of cucumber in water for three days and spraying in the snail house.

Harvesting: Snails reach jumbo size from 12 months and above but can be harvested and sold from 6 months.

Marketing: Snails can be sold to hotels, restaurants, markets, grocery stores and can even be exported.

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Wealth from Waste: Recycling Sawdust

 

Sawdust (or wood dust) is a #byproduct or #waste product of wood (a natural organic material) operations like sawing, sanding, milling and routing.

It is a potential #health problem leading to #respiratory problems and #cancer (which is why poultry #farmers are advised not use it in the #poultry house).

Disposal by open burning causes #harmful air pollutants, contributing to #ozone #pollution and #climate change pollution, to be released.

There are so many ways this waste can be #recycled, #reduced or #reused:

1. Used as mulch for #plants

2. In #compost pile as it is a great source of #carbon

3. Used to treat inorganic metal impurities in waste water

4. As #renewable #fuel/ #energy when burnt in an updraft gasifier and

5. Used for #organic #mushroom production, giving us #nutritious mushroom for #healthy #delicious meals.

#recycle

#environment

#zerowaste

                        Organic mushroom produced on our farm through recycling of agro waste.

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Cultivating Oyster Mushroom On Postharvest Waste, Rice Straw

 

Rice straw, postharvest waste from rice farm, is usually burnt by rice farmers in preparation of the next planting season.

But, this postharvest waste can be a medium on which food can be cultivated. It can serve as substrate for mushroom production and afterward decomposed and used as compost manure.

 

                                      

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Organic Pawpaw Farming

 

 Pawpaw Farming {Carica papaya}, also known as papaya, is a tropical fruit.

            

 Health Benefits

 It is rich in vitamin C and A, reduce caner risk, reduce risk of heart disease, improve                               constipation and other irritable bowel syndrome, powerful antioxidant.

 Varieties

 Yellow flesh

 Red flesh

 Site Selection

 A sandy loam soil or loamy soil is ideal.

 Land Preparation

 Plough the soil to loosen it.

 pH of 6.0-6.5 and 1200mm is ideal for optimum growth.

    

 Time of Planting

 April to June is the best time to plant

 Nursery

 Make a bed or use nursery bags.

 Mix with treated organic manure.

 Plant the seeds, two seeds in a hole.

 Transplant after two months.

Transplanting

After two months, prepare the land for transplanting by tilling and digging holes 15-20m deep                and 2m x 2m apart.

 Apply compost into the holes.

Carefully cut off the nursery bags before placing the plants into the holes and take care not to                damage the roots as they are delicate.

Intercropping

Other crops like okra, maize, groundnut and beans can be planted among pawpaw plants.

Watering

Pawpaw plants do not need much water to grow but in dry season, you can apply 3litres of                    water per plant twice a week for the transplanted seedlings, 5litres twice a week for the                        flowering plants, and 15 litres per week for the fruiting plants.

Fertilizer Application

Add treated manure after two months of transplanting and add every three months.

Weeding/Mulching

Weed {manually} 3 months after transplanting before adding manure/compost.

Mulch with rice straws, saw dust or plastic mulch.

Pest/Disease Control

Pawpaw plant pests include grasshopper, papaya mealy bug, white fly, aphid, red spider mite                and fruit fly.

Use organic pesticides to eliminate pests like neem oil.

 Harvest

They start fruiting 8 months after planting. Harvest once a patch of yellow colour is seen on the            skin.

Preservation

The harvested papaya can be processed into fruit juice, jam, smoothie, fruit salad or puree..

They can also be dried and ground into powder.

Yield

50 - 90 fruits annually

Market

The harvested  papaya can be sold to fruit juice companies, fruit vendors, cosmetic companies            making use of papaya or supermarkets.

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