Plantain Farming: How to select a good site for sustainable production

To be able to establish a plantain farm for increased and sustainable production, while reducing costs and maximizing returns on investment, the farmer should be acquainted with basic and affordable techniques required in field establishment and maintenance of a profitable plantain farm.

Any field establishment for sustainable plantain production must take into account the basic needs of high organic matter and water supplies. Nitrogen, potassium and magnesium are very essential and required in large quantity for good crop performance. 

Therefore, a soil analysis helps to ascertain the nutrient status.

The following steps are essential in field establishment for sustainable production:

·        Selection of the site

·        Preparation of the land

·        Field layout and digging

·        Planting and field maintenance
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How to select a good site

A good site provides a smooth gateway for increased and sustainable production and a profitable farming enterprise. A visual observation of the site can provide adequate information on the suitability of the site.

A land with predominantly grass weed is less preferred and should be avoided because grass compact the top soil and makes establishment to be more difficult. A land with too many big trees should also be avoided.

The site should be well drained as water logging and flooding is disadvantageous. A land with a lot of organic matter is recommended.

In an area with prolonged dry periods, irrigation facilities are necessary because plantains require an average 120mm -160mm of rain monthly and 2000mm -2500mm rain per year.

Ayodele Adegbulugbe

www.plantainrichesnigeria.blogspot.com

www.johnayodele.wordpress.com

How to ensure maximum returns in plantain farming

A farmer who wants to reduce cost and make maximum returns in plantain farming must take note of many factors and ten of them are as follows:

1.     If you are a rain dependent farmer, start planting when the rain is steady and when there is a long break in raining, you need to do irrigation

2.     Plant clean, disease and pest free suckers. You may treat the suckers with chemicals such as fungicides and insecticides before planting

3.     Procure and plant improved planting varieties

4.     Weed the furrows at the early stage before the canopy closes in to prevent competition for food, moisture and space between the weeds and the plantain plants

5.     Add manure from poultry and cow dung if available and these are better than inorganic fertilizers

6.     When clearing the land, avoid using heavy machines as they destroy the rich topsoil essential for good growth and development of the plantain plants which thrive within the 20cm top layer of the soil

7.     Procure the suckers from government agencies and you may procure them from other plantain farmers but ensure that you get the right species

8.     Practice inter cropping to maximize resources per hectare or acre of land

9.     Use more of casual labor than permanent labor during harvesting and planting

1Timely pruning of diseased leaves help minimize the spread of disease to other plants

Ayodele Adegbulugbe

www.plantainrichesnigeria.blogspot.com

www.johnayodele.wordpress.com

The Economics of the Plantain Farming Business

Post 16.

Plantain is one of the cheapt staple crops to produce

It provides gainful employment to many rural dwellers

It is very economical to establish, requiring a very small capital investment compared to its returns (see the Income and Profit Analysis Report on this blog)

It brings in quick returns on investment as it reaches maturity and pays off the cost of establishment within a year

The cost of producing plantain relative to returns is much lower than that of other stable crops like rice, cowpea, maize, cassava and yams.

It has good export potentials where the export potentials are properly harnessed.

Ayodele Adegbulugbe
www.plantainrichesnigeria.blogspot.com
www.johnayodele.wordpress.com
Lagos, Nigeria.