Emerging Trends In Agricultural Practices in Nigeria. A practical Experience From Trans-Able Farms Katsina

2. Agriculture is one of the most important pillars in
development of a country. It is a source of
livelihood as well as a source of income for a
big population. It is also the biggest employer of
both trained and untrained labour.
Protected Agriculture (PA) can be defined as the
modification of the natural environment to
achieve optimum plant growth and can take a
variety of forms such as:

6. Greenhouse production of vegetables has
enabled many countries to increase
agricultural production. Greenhouse
production, which is more intensive than in
Open Field Agriculture (OFA), particularly
for smallholders many of whom have
restricted access to land.
A greenhouse can provide advantages
such as:

8. Crops can be grown out of season and
under controlled conditions
Crop growth can be manipulated
Attractive returns on investment

9. Faster crop growth with higher yield and
better quality

11. More diligence and precision
Higher start up capital and operational cost
More technical skills required (regularity,
timing, and level of attention)
Continuous training of producers.

12.  Depending on the variety, the output per stand is
between 10kg – 25kg for the whole harvesting period
and it is dependent on the care and attention given to
the tomatoes/plant
 For tomatoes it normally takes 65 to 75 days after
transplanting for harvest to start depending on the
variety. While for capsicum and cucumbers it takes
lesser duration.
 For indeterminate tomatoes the harvest window is
between 3 – 6months in some cases up to 9months
depending on the variety and care given to the plant.
 It is however important to note that to get the optimum
production is not an easy thing, you have to from day
one get the following right:

13. In selecting the site for the structure, attention
should be given to orienting it for:
 Adequate light
 Ventilation
 Protection from rain
 Insect exclusion
 Temperature
 Rainfall
 Wind
 Access to water
 Access to labour
 Nearness to market
 Expansion of spaces
 Environmental hazards (pollution/contaminated water)

15. Wood
Metal
Plastics
Roof covering
Shade cloth
Insect mesh
concrete

16.  Day ---- 20-32oc
 Night---15-25 oc

17. Very important part of production system
Soil
Organic matter mixes
Non-soil mixes
Combination of several non-soil mixes
Water (hydroponics)

18. Acquisition of basic knowledge of plant
production is very important. Emphasis must
be
placed on crop and variety selection,
method of
propagation and plant care
Varietal Selection
• Appealing to the market
• Compatible with the production system
• Newly developed and satisfies specific needs

19. Determinate

22. Directly seeded (Lower cost reducing
chances of disease)
Transplanted as seedlings (early
maturity)

23. Germination time depends on seed
viability, the type of crop, the variety and
environmental conditions.
Seed propagation media should provide
the following:
• Good level of moisture
• Good level of aeration
• Free from disease pathogens
• Chemically inert
• Free from disease pathogens

24. Seedlings should be transplanted when
they have 4-6 true leaves.
Seeding block 6cm
30grm of fertilizer in each hole
60cm spacing in zig zag
Watering of
• Heavy and medium soil (5days)
• Sandy soil (1 day)

25. Mega nutrients – Carbon, Hydrogen and
Oxygen
Macro nutrients – NPK, Calcium, Sulphur
Micro nutrients – Iron, Copper, Zinc etc.

26. Chemical
• NPK are the most required in a green house –
primary nutrients
• Calcium, magnesium and sulphur and usually
supplied in lesser qualities
Organic

27. 1st stage: 1 – 3 weeks NPK equally
2nd stage: 4 – 5 weeks N & P (no K)
3rd stage: 6 – 10 weeks NPK equally
+ Calcium
4th stage: 11 – 30 weeks NPK (10-5-
25) or higher

28. Foliar Feeding
Pre-plant
Irrigation System
• Top-down
• Tubes/hose
• Sub-irrigation

29.  Pruning

33.  Leaves dull & lifeless (sunlight directly)

34.  Plants not growing (over watering or little sunlight)
 Small leaves (under or over watering/pests/light)

61. IPM is the use of number of compatible
practices to minimize pest.

64. Research & Segmentation
Quality management
• Managing the harvest
• Post harvest handling
• Preparing and sorting in field
• Transportation
• Grading and packaging
Promotion and distribution channels
Market information
Price consideration

65. Inconsistent supply
Poor record keeping
Limited knowledge of the market
Poor market differentiation
Few greenhouse vegetable producer
groups
Weak linkages among stakeholders

67.  Protected agriculture (PA) or Greenhouse farming in particular
offers producers of vegetables the means to earn attractive
return on their investment, possibilities for environmental
conservation as well as marginal land utilization. Besides
providing opportunity for crop to be grown out of season, there
is potentially a faster crop growth rate with higher yields and
better quality
 It is also pertinent to point out that the care, time, resources,
energy etc needed for it to give excellent result is quite
enormous.
 Surely, a lot has to go into any Greenhouse project whether
local or imported but all variables being constant and all
parameters being equal, a lot more will surely be reaped.