Author: Maryem

Vegetable Farming

How to: Onion Farming – An Ultimate Guide

Author ByMaryem

Onion is one of the popular vegetables for most people worldwide. Growing onions is productive and straightforward. Investment needed for commercially producing onions is very limited, and onion plant treatment is also shallow.

So, we’re studying top onion growing methods, tricks, and ideas today. Usually, onions are cultivated early in the summer and harvested after their tops start to die off. Few onion varieties can be planted in fall in the southern US. At the end of this guide, you would be able to know about “How to plant onion?”, “How onion grow?”, the ways to onion cultivation, and so on.

Onion varieties origin:

Onions

For centuries, insects such as bees and flies have developed onion (Allium cepa L.) seed by random crossing between plants. This open pollination (OP) results in every onion plant being genetically isolated from many other crops in the environment.

This high degree of genetic variability results in non-uniformity for essential characteristics like maturities, disease tolerance, bulb shapes, etc. Throughout the mid-20th century, breeders began self-pollinating onions to create more scientifically uniform inbred rows.

These inbred onions were less intense and yielded less than their initial OP populations. Fortunately, the natural crossing of two inbred lines for hybrid onion will restore vigor.

Onion hybrids are much more uniform for desirable characteristics, produce consistently higher yields than OP varieties, and comprise 90-95% of US production. Also, classical plant breeding enhanced both hybrid and OP onions.

Also Read: Sweet Potato Farming Information Guide

How Onions Grow– seed or sets!

We suggest using onion sets that can be planted without thinking about frost damage and are more effective than growing from onion seeds or transplantation. Onion sets are tiny bulbs marketed exclusively for planting.

After around 3-1⁄2 months, they mature into a full-size bulb. Onion plants grow well in elevated beds or rows at least 4 inches wide. If you’d instead start growing onions from seeds, check our tips on increasing indoor onions.

How Onion Grow: Plantation of onions

You might have several questions on your mind. For example, when to plant the onion?How to prepare the plantation site? Etc. So, let’s begin with the answer to the first question. 

How to plant onions and when?

Typically, when the weather is pleasant, plant onion sets outdoors — not cold. Ideally, after planting outdoor temperatures shouldn’t drop to 28 ° F (-2 ° C). Grow onions in regions with a frigid winter as soon as the field can be worked in spring — probably late March or April. In milder climates, late fall or winter will help in onion plantation.

They’ll remain dormant throughout the cold season, but they’ll be able to develop as soon as the longer, milder spring days start.

Continue planting them indoors around six weeks before you intend to move them to the ground. Onion seeds require at least 50 ° F (10 ° C) to sprout correctly. So, you must have now got the idea about how to plant onions and when.

How to prepare for the plantation site?

It’s not a tough job to prepare for the plantation site. You just need to consider a few things before starting right away. Look at those factors below. 

  • Find a full-sun location so that individual plants won’t cover your onions.
  • The soil must be well-drained, soft, and nitrogen-rich; compacted, rough, or clay-heavy soil influences bulb growth.
  • Add in any nitrogen fertilizer while planting.
  • Conduct onion seed rotation. In other words, don’t grow them at the same place year after year because this will promote disease distribution that affects the seed.
  • Attach aged manure or compost in early spring, until planting. Onion plants are fast feeders, needing continuous nourishment to grow big bulbs.

More on how to plant onions

As they develop much quicker (and less total work), we consider increasing onions through onion sets (i.e., tiny onion bulbs) rather than seeds.

However, seeds are also an alternative in moderate, long growing season regions. If seed planting, note that onions plants live for a short period, so start increasing the year with fresh seeds.

Start seeds within around six weeks until transplanting into the field. If planting onion sets, place them 2 to 6 inches apart and don’t hide them farther than 1 inch under the dirt. When transplanting into the field, place plants 4-5 inches apart in rows 12-18 inches apart.

How onion grows – Should you plant a sprouted onion?

Yeah, you can grow a germinated onion, but you will get fewer onions. You’ll get plenty of yellow sprouts, too! 

Steps:

  • Fill a bowl with potting soil and create a middle hole around the onion’s depth and distance.
  • Next, you can place the onion in the hole, and then you need to cover it. 
  • You now need to water the onion and keep it on the sunny spot.
  • Your green sprouts are now ready for cooking, wait. You need to harvest it first!

Note: If you have a flower sprout, wait before the crop dies. Keep seeds for spring planting.

Caring for the onion plants:

Firstly, you need to consider onions a leaf flower, not a root flower. And then, you need to fertilize nitrogen every few weeks for large bulbs.

But you should stop feeding when the onions drive away from the soil and start the bulbing cycle. In addition to that, don’t bring the ground around the onions; the bulb will rise above the land.

And one more thing, generally, by utilizing mulch, onion plants don’t require regular irrigation. About one-inch water every week (including rainwater) is plenty. For sweeter onions, add more.

Getting rid of pests/diseases – Onion cultivation

Before you learn to do away with onion plant pests/diseases, you first need to know about a few pests/conditions that are its foe. 

Thrips

Take in the garden a dark piece of paper to monitor thrips — tiny insects about as thick as the sewing needle — and knock on it with their onion tops; if thrips are present, you can see their tangy bodies on the paper.

Any insecticide soap treatments destroy them. Follow packaging rules. Sprinkle the plants twice, and the thrips will vanish.

Onion maggots

Cover with a fine mesh your growing onion crop. Seal it around the edges by shifting dirt. The onion maggot likes to place its eggs on the plant’s base, which is stopped by the netting.

You should also keep mulch off because insects like organic matter to rot and make sure that you collect your onions thoroughly as the season progresses. In stormy times onion maggots are usually a concern, so such measures may be unnecessary when you have a dry season.

From Onion harvest to the storage of onion plants

Now is the time to explore the details about how to harvest and store onion plants. This step is pretty much crucial since it’s the time to reap whatever you have sown with your hard work. So, let’s first begin with the onion harvesting part.

Irrigation needs for onion farming

Irrigation is needed at the time of clove transplantation / dibbling, and moderate watering must be performed on the third day after plantation and subsequent irrigation at 7-10 days intervals depending on soil condition and season. Immediately after planting, water transplants.

Due to the shallow root system, onions need regular furrow irrigation. Stop overhead irrigation causing plant diseases. If the foliage is harmful, yellowish, the plants are over-irrigated. The soil would be too dry around an under-watered crop and broken.

Onions typically need 30′′ irrigation during a growing season, and the closer to onion harvest, the higher the need for water. If the onion doesn’t get enough sunlight, it won’t make a large bulb. When the necks begin to fall, and the onions mature, watering should be stopped, allowing the soil to dry.

Must Read: Pumpkin farming: how to plant, grow, and harvest pumpkins correctly and properly

Micro-irrigation of onion crop

Through drip and sprinklers, irrigation will happen once every three days. A drip machine operating pressure should be 1.5kg / cm2 and 2.5kg / cm2 for the rotary micro-sprinkler. Using nitrogen fertilizers should be achieved by a trickle. Apply 50 percent N as a primal dose and the remaining 50 percent N for seven splits (10 days period up to 70 days after transplantation) via the drip irrigation system.

How to plant Onion: Crop rotation

Practical and optimum use of all the applied soil mineral nutrients is impossible. Available nutrients leach and settle in the sub-soil.

Over the next planting season, planting leguminous crops will ensure utilizing these nutrients. Thus, the cultivation sequence of onions and legumes is recommended to preserve soil quality, optimum nutrient usage, and higher yield.

How to harvest onions?

  • Pull some onions sending flower stalks; if you see the flower stalk, it means that the onions have stopped growing. Such onions are not well processed but can be used in a few days.
  • When onions start maturing, the heads (foliage) turn yellow and start falling over. Bend the tops at that stage or even stump them to speed up the final maturation process.
  • You need to loosen the soil around the bulbs to encourage drying.
  • Are you observing the brown tops? Great.It’s an excellent time to pull the onions.
  • And lastly, ensure that you harvest only in late summer before the weather gets cold. Since mature onions may get spoiled in fall weather.

Harvest onions: Pre and post-harvesting

In addition to the doses of fertilizers as recommended, the crop is watered in rolls of 6-12 days, based on local conditions. Be vigilant about watering turns, such that the plant may not suffer from water tension. When the onion bulb matures below level, the long upper leaves become yellowish and begin to fall off, meaning the crop is now ready for harvest.

When the roots at the bulb’s bottom are dry, they lose their grip on the earth. The stage’s called “neck-breaking.” When 75% of the crop has reached this point, harvesting begins. The pulled-out bulbs are permitted to stay in the field for 4-5 days, which in turn dries up and thickens outer layers, increasing storage life.

Storing the onions

  • Clip the roots and cut the tops up to 1 inch (but if you intend to braid the onions, leave the heads on).
  • Let the onions recover for a few days, depending on the weather. Often treat them very carefully — the slightest bruise can promote spoilage.
  • Enable onions to dry for a few weeks before stocking in a root cellar or any other storage area. You also need to spread them out on a full screen, which should be off the ground to dry.
  • You need to store it at 40 to 50°F while removing its stems in a mesh bag.
  • You should not store apple or pear onions together, as the fruit-producing ethylene gas can disrupt the germination of the onions. On the other hand, onions can also ruin these fruits’ flavor.

Marketing of onion

Onions can be classified into three marketable categories: spring (“green”), summer-fresh market onions, and fall/winter onions (“dry bulb”). Fresh or green onions are pulled while the tops are still green, usually before a large bulb has grown. Small, light-colored skin may recognize fresh market onions and have edible green tops.

While the new onion market was accounting for the most significant proportion of onion use, other markets also account for substantial production. Most canning and freezing onions come from new market varieties, while dehydrated products use separate types with a higher solids content

Conclusion

So, it was all about the onion farming. We have tried to answer all your questions related to this topic. Whether it be plantation to harvesting and everything in between, we hope you can now kickstart farming practices.

Farming Pedia

How: Growing Peanuts or Groundnuts

Author ByMaryem

Peanuts are not only good for your appetite but also your wellbeing. These are an outstanding source of protein and are rich in various vitamins, minerals, and herbal compounds.

Peanut butter, produced from the selected pieces from the peanut farm, is an ideal way to incorporate quickly this type of protein in the everyday diet.

People are still surprised to hear that peanuts are certainly not nuts. 

This seed of legume plant belongs to the family of peas and beans.

Growing peanut plants

Peanuts plant

A peanut farm gives a unique posture in terms of appearance as it is full of plants but there is no fruit to grasp. However, the peanut plant has real products deep inside in soil along with the roots.

Also Read: Sweet Potato Farming Information Guide

And, interestingly, the flower of a peanut develops above the ground. Once pollinated, the stems lean down and push the pegs into the soil during the summer and they grow eventually.

As the ovary at the end of each stem is underground, it develops into a pod carrying the peanuts. This is the reason behind it brings the name groundnuts.

In a peanut farm, the peanuts start as a single seed and grow into a plant that can be turned into more than 50 peanuts in a period of four to five months under the soil. 

During the peanut crop, the process of sowing the seeds has its own requirements in terms of soil quality, as fruits mature in the soils themselves.

Selection and preparation of the soil

Sandy loams, crumbly and light-colored are perfect for groundnut cultivation.

 A friable sandy loam or clay loam subsoil provides essential nutrients as well as a suitable climate to the peanut crop as well as a suitable climate.

The heavier soil can be an option to get a higher yield. Such soils nevertheless tend to stick to pods contributing to blot that decreases the quality of the peanut. 

This decision can trigger a loss in the overall yield for a peanut farm. It is wise to avoid farming peanuts in fields with shallow topsoil or inadequately drained areas.

While growing commercially, it is recommended to obtain a soil analysis so that you can have test reports and can apply fertilizers accordingly.

During the planting, the surface temperatures of peanuts should be at least 65 degrees Fahrenheit in April and May after the last freeze.

Sowing the seeds 

Growers generally use the peanut kernels as seeds that were cultivated particularly in the previous year approximately 1 or 2 inches wide in the field. It is worth to have the populations of plants range from sixty thousand to eighty thousand per acre. 

Typically, with improved seed count, there is little growth in production. So it is appropriate to not have a high density of plants for groundnut cultivation.

Generally, it requires 140 to 150 days for a stable crop without any frost.

After the 10 days of harvest, peanut plants grow out of the soil. Generally, they are about 18 inches in length developing into a small, oval-shaped plant.

Yellow flowers occur around 40 days after planting across the lower portion of the plant. The leaves fall off as the peanut ovary starts to grow as soon as the peanut’s flowers pollinate themselves. 

Watering

The irrigation requirements of a peanut farm can vary throughout the growing season.

At the beginning of the season, it is recommended to have a low frequency of watering. As the crop approaches the midseason, it should be at the peak and then declines again as the crop gets to maturity.

Moreover, the need for water for a peanut crop depends on the growth process of the plants. The water supply is essential during vegetative production, as well as flowering and pod formation. 

The adequate rainfall and irrigation can encourage the vegetation as well as the yield of the crop in the season end. 

On the other hand, during an extended drought, the formation of pods to vegetation would be not as adequate as it should be.

Too much watering encourages soil-borne diseases, flows some nutrients required for the proper growth and production of pods. In the late season or during pod ripening, this can trigger some maturing kernels to germinate, reducing the ratio of perfectly formed kernels during harvest.

Once flower petals break apart in the groundnut farming, the peanut ovary grows and penetrates the earth. The fruiting cycle of the peanut plant is roughly two months. 

The ovary, termed as a peg, enlarges and grows down. It is interesting to see that the plant forms a small stem that reaches the soil. 

The peanut embryo resides in this peg. Once, the peg gets into the soil, the embryo bends horizontal to the soil surface and starts to mature into a peanut. 

The peanuts have their nitrogen supply. Thus, it is recommended to avoid fertilizers rich in nitrogen that promote leaves and not fruits. 

Eventually, the plants get their resources from the well-prepared soil.

The peanut plant needs full sunlight to grow on a peanut farm in Virginia. In case you are growing peanuts in the hard soil, it is worth mixing enough organic matter to make the soil fertile and friable so that pegs can easily penetrate the soil surface and can go inside to turn into a peanut. Moreover, ensure that you have good soil drainage. 

At the end of each peg, peanut shapes. It is appropriate to put down thin mulch like straw and grass cuts, such that the surface should not crust and the pegs can easily reach the land.

Once the plants reach six inches height, plow around them to make the soil loose so that pegs can penetrate the surface easily.

Disease in the peanuts

Young seedlings can be under attack by the fungal species. 

Shortly after germinations, plants can get diseased and never get out of the field or can die during the early growing season. Seedling signs differ because of multiple causes for peanut farm Georgia.

Verticillium and Fusarium Wilt

Soil-borne fungi that penetrate plants from the roots are the cause of diseases of verticillium and fusarium. They cause the plant to be sick by growing in the water-conducting xylem tissue. 

Verticillium wilt (Verticillium wilted) is commonly found in cotton and potatoes. While Fusarium Wilt is a vegetable disease.

In the case of a Fusarium or Verticillium, once an area has been contaminated, the bacterial spores survive for several years. 

The crop rotation can help for a bit to reduce the bacterial spores.

But in the case of groundnut farming, however, contaminated regions may not be suitable for producing peanuts. 

Must Read: Growing Mushroom for Your Diet

There are no available fungicides that adequately treat infected plants for any of the diseases or reduce the number of spores present in the soil.

Pod Rots

More than one fungus can be related to rotted conditions when pod rots occur. If a significant infection is observed during the crop, it is worth to apply a fungicide that guards the plant against further infection.

Pod rots do not have any visible symptoms above ground, so it is necessary to uproot plants across the whole field particularly after the pod formation. That is the only way to spot rots of seeds. 

Besides, sound plants do not ensure healthy pods and peanuts under the soil automatically.

Nematodes

The plant parasites reside in the earth and infect plants. The problems are considered to be induced in two types in groundnut cultivation, root, and root-lesion nematodes. Usually, it is seen that only limited field areas are infected, however, if the expansion can destroy a crop.

The leaf spots may be caused by irrigation followed by high humidity during the growing season.

Fungicides should be used to combat leaf diseases as high humidity and moisture exist during the growing season.

Typically, fungicides used for the foliar diseases should be used on leaf surfaces and will start according to the drug labeling until contagious spores settle.

Insects

Insects are usually not a big concern in the processing of peanuts. It is assumed that the regulation of thrips in peanuts allows plants to mature early, but there has been no scientific evidence for such an event. 

In some cases, armyworms may be an occasional concern on a peanut farm. Some of the peanut fields often get harm from grasshoppers. However, labeled insecticides manage both easily.

Once, the plant has grown the grower checks if the field is too moist or too cold to dig. 

If conditions are correct, the peanut is ready to harvest. It is appropriate to uproot the entire plant out of the ground with the pods. You can leave it into the sunlight to dry out for a couple of days until the pods lose around a third of their moisture.

It is noteworthy that not all pods grow equally. Once the highest number of pods matures, you should harvest your crop. 

Vegetable Farming

How to: Growing Tomatoes in Containers, Raised Beds & Backyard?

Author ByMaryem

When it comes to tomato flavor the list of delicious cuisines is fairly long. Besides, take a look at your favorite fast food, whether it is a hamburger, or delightful wrapped pizza, without a slice of tomato you can’t imagine the taste that can touch your palates. 

Tomato’ Journey from Concern To Preference

Tomato farming has a tradition. While it’s usage in popular culture is ironic. In the late 1700s, a large percentage of Europeans were frightened by the tomato.

The fruit was termed as poison apple then because it was thought that some of the aristocrats fall sick and eventually died after consuming them. Although, the real reason behind the tragedy was the utensils of wealthy Europeans. These pewter plates have high lead content.

Also Read: Farming Orange for a Perfect Citrus

Since tomatoes are so rich in acidity, the fruit can leach lead from the plate when put on this specific tableware, resulting in numerous deaths from lead poisoning. At that moment, no one related this to plate and poison, and eventually the tomato bore all the blame.

Moreover, the tomato was not only criticized for lead poisoning. Before the fruit found its way to the table in North America, tomato is misunderstood as a lethal nightshade-a family of Solanaceae plants containing toxins called tropane alkaloids.

While as far as the use of tomato concerned, Italian started the use of tomatoes in their cuisines. And, mass migration from Italy to America in the 1800s made tomatoes famous in North American and since then tomato has been in the focus of flavors. It has come so far to be an essential vegetable from the fruit in our everyday cuisines.

Growing The Tomatoes

Tomatoes are subtropical plants and therefore need a maximum sun position. For the tomato cultivation, this is particularly important for growing areas to have sunshine at a premium. 

Besides, the tomato plants need six to eight hours of daily sunlight to flourish. During the growing season, it needs to be sure to give sufficient room for the growth of each plant.  

Apart from this requirement, the selection of the seed is the utmost variety as the market has thousands of varieties to choose from and some of them can suit your requirements better than others.

Determining the seeds

When it comes to picking a variety, hundreds of varieties are available. You can determine the right one based on some aspects.

According to the growth model. 

You can discover the tomato seed based on the height of a plant. There are two types of plants at maturity.

1. Indeterminate or vining types – a tall plant 

2. Determinate – a short bushy plant

It is better to choose based on your selection of area.

Based on fruit characteristics

These are taste, smell, color, texture, shape, etc. While yield is one of the most important aspects of a variety that is the priority that we need to focus

Growing area 

Is your space outdoor or in a protected setting?

When the seed variety is concluded, it is high time the soil is prepared according to the correct seeding guidelines.

Preparation of Seedlings

Tomato seeding requires a slightly hot environment, especially in indoor conditions. The proper time for tomato seedling is in late February to early March. And, seeding in tomato farming needs the well-mixed compost that can be warm up to the 22 degree celsius. It’s rational that a young seedling will keep warm until the start of the summer with a bit of warm compost.

You can seed at a very short distance often known as sort seeding and will require at least two cubic feet of soil.

Tomato seeds are quite small so you won’t see them again if you grow them too deeply. The tomato seed planting depth should about a quarter-inch, partially filled with a moistened potting mix.

Besides, you can sprinkle 2-3 seeds into the trench and cover them with a mix of potting. Strengthen the blend gently so that the seeds go enough deep into the soil. If it doesn’t sound wet enough, you should spray the surface with water.

Nurturing the Tomato Seedling

You will wait for the plant until a seedling has real leaves. Now it needs better treatment for the young plant. It’s the best moment to continue feeding. At this time, the sunlight is critical and always requires putting the seedlings under sufficient light exposure.

When they are about 6-8 inches high, the seedlings get the first truss flowers. Now, it is time to prepare compost or rusty manure.

Preparing The Soil

Tomato farming is seasonal, especially for warm weather and better suited on well-drained, fertile soils. 

A sloping surface approx two percent is desired for early production with sufficient sunlight in place.

In some cases, it is feasible to also grow tomatoes on pots or containers, whereas in personal usage or a hobby it is favored.

This method needs more intense feeding due to the restricted root area. 

These plants must be drained better, besides plants like tomatoes need to have enough area. If you choose to grow into pots, selecting a well-drained big pot, at least 30 cm tall with a regular potting mix is ideal.

It’s best to change the soil before growing them again. It has been noticed the or soil pests and root diseases can be a serious problem.

Soil Requirements

Before you grow in the field, make sure that during winter, just before you plant, you put in plenty of compost or manure as an overall fertilizer.  

In the case of tomatoes, fertile land is the base for every good harvest. Prepare the soil with a ton of rotting waste and a complete wheelbarrow on 3 square meters.

In case of sowing into pots. The number of seedlings should be two and keep in mind they need to be irrigated and cared more as compared to others.

Transforming and Planting a seedling

The tomato planting distance should be about 18 inches apart, leaving 30 inches between the rows. 

A good plant up to 2 meters high can produce hundreds of fruits while consuming a relatively small size.

As a young tomato plant has been sown in well fertile and nutritious soil. Now it is time to look after these plants.

Nurturing the Plant for Tomato Cultivation

A complete nutrient solution with trace elements (especially in case of use of artificial mixtures) should be provided to transplants at weekly intervals.

They can also be fed with water using a diluting nutrient solution

The latter approach has the benefit that the fertilizer is supplied more according to the needs of the plant: more in hot, warm days; fewer in cool cloudy days.

In each case, following the instructions for feed quantities on the fertilizer label. A fertilizer where the bulk of nitrogen is nitrate instead of ammonium and urea is better than the others.

The issue with the Tomatoes

1. Blighting

Tomato blight spreads fast, leaving a visible brown patch all over the surface, especially with outdoor plants. This is a common problem caused by wet weather. It not only ruins plants, but they also eat the crop.

The moist environment offers perfect environments for early fungal diseases, which first develop dark spots on the bottoms. Make sure any bad or ill leaves are collected during the season.

 The substantial fungal disorder is more destructive and destroys plants fast.

It needs spraying the plants with a fungicide, such as chlorothalonil or copper, to shield them from fungal disorders.

2. Fruit Splitting

Tomatoes with certain strains that are more likely than others to have issues commonly caused by irregular watering. This problem in tomato farming should be fixed by more frequent watering.

3. Pest and insecticides

Search for green and whitefly, as both will spread. As soon as you notice pests, spray your plants with a recommended insecticide. 

Tomato has a significant effect of such incidence while it directly hampers the yielding

Finally a Fruit full Cultivation

Tomatoes continue to develop their color changes, with a subtle pink or yellow blushing, from bright medium-green to light shade. The exact ripeness indications differ with variety, but usually fully mature tomatoes have a dark color.

Can okra and tomatoes grow together?

Finally, tomatoes and other vegetables are a great food source for stink bugs. Planting okra near the tomatoes draws these pests away from your other crops.

Must Read: Planting and Growing Okra Step by Step

Companion planting strives to boost harvests by situating plants that have symbiotic relationships. Used for centuries, selecting the right companions for tomato cannot only reduce pests but also provide a haven for beneficial insects, boost pollination, enrich the soil and in general diversify the plantation – all of which will produce healthier plants that can fend off disease and produce bountiful crops.

Conclusion

Once done with the plucking the proper ripe tomatoes. Last but not least for tomatoes farming is storage. The cooler temperatures will minimize flavor and induce sluggishness in a refrigerator is not to be advised. Although lower temperatures will allow the fruit to stay

Livestock farming

Goat Farming – Must-haves Before Embarking

Author ByMaryem

The global population of goats continues to expand, now approaching one billion. The number of goats raised mainly for milk production is also increasing as demand grows. Much of the world’s dairy goat output and use are in Asia.

Still, a global perspective of the dairy goat industry provides valuable lessons to develop productive modern dairy goat industries. Europe, particularly France, considers the most regulated market for goat milk. 

The Extent Of Goat Farming Worldwide

goat farming

The European goat sector specializes in milk processing, mainly for commercial cheesemaking, though maintaining conventional on-farm growth. State participation is essential in governing, investigating, developing, funding local supplier associations and markets, and maintaining health and efficiency. Nonetheless, manufacturers often face demand volatility.

Also read: Sheep Farming – A Step to Step Guide

Modern dairy goat industries prove goat farming profitable

Advanced dairy goat industries are emerging in countries with no long goat milk tradition like China, the U.S., and New Zealand due to increasing market demand, high prices, and climate change. The strategy, management, and consumer mix vary greatly.

Still, irrespective of region, the dairy goat sector thrives when farmers have exposure to markets and tools and expertise to manage their livestock and natural resources sustainably.

Those are accomplished more readily by robust, equitable producer associations, access to professional support, and policies that allow vulnerable and disadvantaged communities to profit from through demand.

Evidence of why goat farming is profitable!

The global dairy-goat industry is increasingly growing. Besides safe and nutritious milk-based products provide sustainable livelihoods, particularly in resource-limited areas, and help smallholders to accumulate assets.

Well-managed goats may also support the ecosystem by weed management, fire protection, habitat conservation, and climate change mitigation. It is mainly attributed to their collection and feeding behaviors. In addition to milk, dairy goats have other incentives for owners, including leather hides, meat animals, and fertilizer manure. They can create income sources while grazing under trees on oil palm plantations.

Goat farming for meat

Goats that are farmed for meat processing comprise the bulk of the world population. In developed parts of the world, goats are generally considered as a specialty or exotic livestock. In contrast, in developing countries, particularly in South-East Asia and Africa, goats are the primary source of meat production (Dhanda et al. 2003).

South Africa’s Boer Goat is the only recognized breed chosen for meat processing. Other types include Anglo-Nubian (dual-purpose animals), Kiko of New Zealand, Damascus, and Spanish. There are various crosses between Boer bucks and dairy goats. Many local breeds have meat characteristics in different areas of the world.

Why would people buy goat meat and milk?

The answer to this question will be the answer to your question about why to do goat farming?  People will buy goat’s milk as it is a good source of nutrition and has several health benefits. It is due to these health benefits goat farming for milk is a lucrative business.

It was provided that it was eaten in adequate quantities. It has comparable protein, lower fat, higher calcium, magnesium, potassium, identical iron, and lower B12 and folate content. On the other side, goat meat produces weak saturated fatty acids and cholesterol and is a safer option to other red meat forms. Therefore, goat farming for meat is a good idea.

Leather production from goat

Goatskin leather is used for soft hide pockets, hats, gloves, and other items. Traditionally, leather bookbinding was favored. Untanned goat skins are used as containers for beer, kefir, food, etc. High-quality goat skins from Bangladesh Black Bengal breed.

Advantages of goat farming for milk and meat
  • The initial investment in goat farming is significantly less than dairy farming.
  • You can even start goat farming with one goat and then gradually increase to a herd.
  • Goats will, in no small degree, bear bitter tastes compared to other species. They also eat nearly all kinds of plants that other species do not consume.
  • Mutton and goat meat are much in demand, and there is also no religious, social taboo about it. It produces lean beef and has less cholesterol.
  • The small fat globules in the goat’s milk make it easily digestible. 
  • It’s dropping a vast amount of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus.
  • You start to get milk’s goat as soon as they grow 15 to 17 months older.

Goat Breeds

If you are still searching for the answer to your question, “Is goat farming profitable?”  read this and get the right answer.

1. Fainting Goat

The Fainting Goat is a domestic goat breed. It also has other names, including Myotonic Cup, Tennessee Fainting, Tennessee Meat, Anxious, Rigid, Texas Wooden Leg, Rigid Beet, and Scare Cups. A race trait known as myotonia congenita is referred to under the term “Fainting,” a condition in which the muscle cells are prolonged when the goat is shocked. The exact origin of this breed of goats is unknown.  

Characteristics of fainting goat

Fainting goat is smaller than the standard breeds of goat. The most common colors are black and white in this breed, but most potential colors are also present in this species. The Fainting goats have wide, distinctive eyes on high bases. The hair can be either short or thick, with some people grow a lot of cashmere in colder months. 

2. The British Alpine

The British Alpine Goat is a domestic goat breed mainly used for milking. It was produced by other breeds of Toggenburg goat in the early 1900s. The goat of Toggenburg has the same Swiss marks. The British alpine goat, native British goats, and Nubian goats were produced from the Toggenburg.

The breed is known for producing high-quality milk as well as prolonged lactations. The race was brought to Australia in 1958 and is spread throughout the world. Although maybe not as much as other milking goats like the Saanen horse.

Characteristics of British Alpine Goat

British Alpine Goat is a beautiful animal and looks pretty good. They typically have white Swiss markings in black paint. But at times, a black goat will appear, and the breed is sometimes referred to as ‘all black’ or ‘black Saanen goat.’

Although their slim black coat lights up because of the absence of copper in the diet (copper is one of the essential minerals for all goats, and its color may indicate its consumption of copper). The breed has a traditional ‘clover’ shape, typical in some other dairy goat breeds.

Like many other milk-based goats, British Alpine goats are often distributed. You have hair, ears upright, and a straight muzzle line. The perfect bucks height is 95 cm and 83 cm.

3. Arapawa Goat Characteristics & Breed Information

The Arapawa goat is a dual-purpose domestic goat raised for the production of meat and milk. Arapawa goat is simply a wild race of a local goat and one of the rare species of goat in the nation. The breed was found isolated in the Marlborough Sounds of New Zealand on the Island of Arapawa.  

Characteristics of Arapawa Goat

Arapawa goat is a comparatively small breed of goat. It is smaller than modern dairy breeds. The goats of Arapawa come in different colors and patterns. Brown, black, fawn and white are typical colors and patterns.

Must Read: Dairy Farming

The race typically has distinct faces and several goats and bowl stripes. They have bright labels and black and brown patchwork.

4. Aspromonte Goat 

The Aspromonte goat is a domestic goat raised for the production of meat and milk. It is also called Aspromonte or Capra dell’Aspromonte. The species is named after the Aspromonte mountain range in the province of Reggio Calabria, in southern Italy.

Aspromonte goat is only grown in Reggio Calabria, mostly in Aspromonte, on the plateau of Zomaro (Altipiano Dello Zomaro) in the north-east and on the province’s ionic coastlines, and in the Germanic areas in particular.

Characteristics of Aspromonte Goat

The goat Aspromonte is a medium-sized dual-purpose goat breed. Their head is tiny and their face is straight. They have horizontal or upright ears. Their abdomen is relatively broad, with a straight back and a sloping rump, for the size of the animal. The udders with medium size teats have been firmly attached.

Both bucks and bucks are barbed and have horns typically. The head and bucks’ antlers are more significant than the deer. The bucks have more muscular extremities and more robust fur. The Aspromonte goat’s coat is long with a ruddy cassava-like undercoat.

Their color varies. Red and white, black and white, blue, orange, orange, and gold are the most common colors. Aspromonte’s average height is about 69 cm and the bucks about 73 cm.  

5. Appenzell Goat

The Appenzell Goat is a dairy goat breed raised primarily for the production of milk. The race comes from Switzerland’s Appenzell region. It was named after its place of origin. Some other names like French are given to Appenzell Goat. It is a relatively old breed of goats and has been recorded for more than 100 years. The Appenzell was founded in Innerrhoden in February 1902.  

Characteristics of Appenzell Goat

The goats of Appenzell are medium-sized creatures. It is pure white with medium-length hair and a healthy, harmoniously formed body. Appenzell goats have connections with the Saanen goat, but their body is a little broader than those of Saanen goat and, therefore, significantly smaller.

What to consider making goat farming profitable

  • Location: The best places for a goat farm are far from cities because urban congestion is bad for animal safety. As goats eat a lot of grass every day. You must also ensure that your food supply is very convenient and not too far from the breeding area.
  • Land: Goats can be intensively grown on small acres with additional feed. If you use a comprehensive scheme, 2 to 8 goats per acre would be a rough guide for grass and brush supplies.
  •  Veterinarian: Simple access to a veterinarian is a significant factor. If you start a goat farm, your goats are likely to contract diseases. A veterinarian can, therefore, help reduce losses in disease control and management. They help you diagnose diseases or advise on supplements to keep your pets safe, particularly in stressful situations such as weaning.
  • Transportation: A market close to the farmland is best, as it allows you to sell your commodities and buy the goods required simply.
  • Care: Always try to care for your goats properly. Do not feed them with tainted food or water. Keep your home as tidy and safe as you can. You must frequently clean your room. Take extra care of the children and the pregnant. Keep the kids some weeks after their birth with their mother.

What to consider making goat farming profitable

  • Location: The best places for a goat farm are far from cities because urban congestion is bad for animal safety. As goats eat a lot of grass every day. You must also ensure that your food supply is very convenient and not too far from the breeding area.
  • Land: Goats can be intensively grown on small acres with additional feed. If you use a comprehensive scheme, 2 to 8 goats per acre would be a rough guide for grass and brush supplies.
  •  Veterinarian: Simple access to a veterinarian is a significant factor. If you start a goat farm, your goats are likely to contract diseases. A veterinarian can, therefore, help reduce losses in disease control and management. They help you diagnose diseases or advise on supplements to keep your pets safe, particularly in stressful situations such as weaning.
  • Transportation: A market close to the farmland is best, as it allows you to sell your commodities and buy the goods required simply.
  • Care: Always try to care for your goats properly. Do not feed them with tainted food or water. Keep your home as tidy and safe as you can. You must frequently clean your room. Take extra care of the children and the pregnant. Keep the kids some weeks after their birth with their mother.

Conclusion

That’s all about goat farming. So, whether you do goat farming for milk or meat, you can make it a profitable business.

 

Livestock farming

How Many Months Does it Take Turkey to Grow?

Author ByMaryem

Rising animals for different purposes is not a very new idea. People have been raising various kinds of animals and birds for multiple purposes. It is ultimately a magic of science that has given us different techniques to raise and use different organisms for mankind.

Turkey is commercially very profitable and excellent to raise birds. These birds are very easy to raise and don’t require a lot of specific care. Even the numbers can be very good at a time and same as broiler chicken people do love to have turkey for an excellent evening.

They are famous for basically two reasons, eggs and the meat they produce. If you talk of poultry business and if you are a newcomer, Turkey can be the best one to start with.

How to start Turkey Farming?

If you think that Turkey will need a specific environment or some tough handling, then you completely have got wrong. These birds are very friendly and like to interact with humans. They are very similar to chickens and ducks, and hence one can find it very easy to maintain them. Tukey likes to be social, and the interaction often is great.

One should keep in mind that Turkey needs easy care, and hence we have some basic steps you should follow before raising them.

  • Choosing the best breed, you need to raise-

Turkey is a very diverse genus, and hence you need to select properly the breed you want to go for. Many breeds of Turkey are hard to raise, and they don’t have that much profit commercially. The time is taken to raise, and the amount of care and feeding one has to provide the bird really does matter. You should keep in mind that in Turkey Farming you will have to be selective and will have to go with the one that can bring profit to your Business.

There are many breeds that are not that efficient in meat to price ratio. Many of these birds don’t have a lot of edible meat, and hence the profit margin comes down. Even the gestation period or the period in which these birds lay eggs is an important fact to have a note upon.

Some of the breeds lay a good amount of eggs at a time while the others don’t. You need to study all the Tukey’s well for a good selection. Even the amount of the feed you are going to provide you becomes important as it can be an economic factor for the businessman.

  • Economic stability-

Another very important point to take care of is the Economic stability of the farmer. It completely depends on you and your financial status of how big and complicated your farm can be.

Everything which the Tukey’s do need can vary a lot depending on how you are approaching. It is a fact that the more you invest in a business, the bigger it is, but we will suggest going with a simple approach at first. Try doing it and managing it on a small scale and hence get an experience of how to approach Turkey farming.

Also Read: A Complete Business Guide to start Emu Farming

  • You will have to house them well- this means that the fencing and area where you will be keeping and growing birds should have good facilities. The fencing even matters a lot of Turkeys as these are very strong and big birds. They will require constant care to raise and hence the birds to require good housing facilities.

Even to get your Business on the road of commercialization, you will need to provide the birds with good facilities. You can have some points in your mind before going with anything to house them. New technologies such as electric fencing for poultry and wooden houses with good facilities are important in raising the bird. You must have good predator resistance as they are very prone with their strong smell to them.

On the other side, the birds are larger than the usual chickens and commercial birds so you will need even better protection and arrangements. Space and ventilation are very important to promote fast growth. Keeping the number of birds in your mind, you will have to pre-plan everything.

Cleaning the area of raising these birds is very necessary for a hygienic environment. Try keeping the fence as strong as possible and high above the ground, because once they are grown up they are strong birds and you don’t want to lose them because of such reasons.

  • Feeding and watering

Another aspect of poultry farming is feeding your bird. Turkey is a very big bird, and it needs a good amount of diet. Even the protein content is to be taken care of in the feed you will be providing. The least amount of protein which these birds need is 28 % of their daily intake, which gives you a lot to take care of. Even the quantity does increase with turkey.

The water needs to be good and pure. These birds easily catch diseases with water as an agent. You will have to provide them with gallons of water to make them stay hydrated and then also make sure there is no presence of any harmful pathogen in the water. Good food and water can make them grow faster and give you better results both with meats and eggs.

  • A good caring environment

It really does not matter if you’re opting for such a farming technique just for Business. The bird does need very good care. It will have to be in the good management of you and your team. You will have to take care of any type of contamination, space and other such factors. Even you will have to maintain hygiene with your veterinary doctor. All you need is to love them and raise them.

If we are talking about Business, we can’t forget the profit. So the next question up here will be-

How much turkey farmers make?

On average, a farmer with Turkey farming deals with more than $30,000. It completely depends on your way, and the meat you get that will make your profit. Mostly Turkey gives you 7-12 kg of meat. Eggs are also an important commercial factor. In India, Turkey is not a very common bird so the prices are high whereas in many countries, Turkey is very common and hence the consumption rate will give immense profit. Moreover, $15 in an hour is the most common price people get with this farming. It is a very good earning rate for a common farmer, and hence it’s great to have such a business.

Turkey Farming Facts

So in this section, we will take you into some of the most amazing facts about Turkey Farming. This will help you in raising a successful business.

  • They are not all vegetarian animals- there are not pure veg eating birds. It’s really great to notice that they are omnivores. They like to eat worms and other meats too. Isn’t it great as the bird can be fed on a good amount of protein in no time and even at very reasonable prices? It has both merits and demerits with this point, and hence you can have the edge over other types of birds.
  • Turkey is a very sensitive animal. Though these birds don’t need lots of demands, you will have to take care of them every day. You just can’t skip vacation for a few days from your farm as this might lead you in big trouble. Your birds can even die if left alone. A good survey and regular reports should be there to keep the check. The farmer needs to be very specific with these conditions before going for such a farm. Even the maintenance is sometimes high, so be ready to face the conditions.
  • Turkey is very different with hormones- if you contact a doctor for your flock of Turkey, you will get to know how different these birds are. One cannot store antibiotics and other tablets for future use with Turkey. They need new prescriptions every time. The animal is sensitive, and these birds easily get influence from others.
  • The young turkey can look sick- don’t worry and panic up if you see that the young turkeys in your farm have spots on their body that lack features. They’re very normal and can be due to the changes these birds go through. These birds do lose all their features during the development, and eventually, new features come up on the grown bird. It is just like humans losing the first set of deciduous teeth and further getting the permanent one.
  • They are best friends- Unlike any other bird, Turkey is very beautiful in colonizing. They really love each other a lot and hence are often seen in groups. They like to share their food, keep care of other mates and their babies and a lot more. They do like to be in a group just like a group of best friends do hang out.
How long will it take to raise a Turkey?

Talking on the point that what will be the time in which a Turkey can grow up fully so that one can use it commercially then this really depends on the selection and care. A Turkey on average does have a life span of 10 years and hence needs time to gain maturity enough to be profitable.

On the other side, a Turkey just needs 4-5 months to grow up and acquire the maximum size, so don’t be in the wrong thought that you will have to wait for years. Above 16 weeks it will get fully grown up, and hence a farmer can use it for his own commercial purpose. Six months can be enough to sell these birds in the market with meat aspects.

Turkey weight gain chart

This is a very important chart to maintain as you can get a very accurate data of how your birds are doing. The chart contains important data as the food intake, the medication that the bird ate and other such details. Everything gets a good measure of how the management is going which helps you to keep track of all your Turkeys. Isn’t it great to have such a chart? It really can help you to go swiftly with your farming.

Turkey Growth stages

Like any other bird, a turkey needs different nutritional requirements at different stages of their life cycles. In the beginning, when Turkey is just a small bird, it needs the most care. Even the heat which one has to provide in such a stage is very much specific. You can not provide more or less in this case. In the beginning, it does look the same as a small chick. Soon the features will start coming on the main body. This leads to ease in your work. The bird in this age starts taking care of itself and is well mature enough to be left in a more open environment.

The main point which makes a turkey different from all the other in the growth stages is the amazing size change the bird goes through. Just in 6-7 weeks, it grows up to a big strong bird, and this is not seen in any other such poultry animal.

Turkey farming profit

Sometimes the profit depends on the area of raising. In many countries, people don’t consume this bird a lot, and hence the sales get down. Also, it’s seen that the market gets boosts in different seasons or occasions. American do consume the normal amount of turkey during Thanksgiving thrice. The meat of turkey is very rich in lots of vitamins and is a portion of complete party food. The bird on an average expenditure of Rs200-300 gives a profit of more than Rs500. It might differ on size and the sex of the bird.

Conclusion

Turkey Farming doesn’t need a lot of complication. It is very swift and makes a good profit. The article was our effort to help people with Turkey Farming, and we hope it helps you out. Just keep stick up to the basics, and things are done.

Refrences:

https://vikaspedia.in/agriculture/poultry/turkey-farming#:~:text=A%20market%20study%20shows%20that,give%20a%20profit%20of%20Rs.

Turkey Farming: Profitable Business Starting Plan For Beginners

https://study.com/academy/lesson/life-cycle-of-a-turkey-lesson-for-kids.html

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Turkey-Feed-Consumption-per-1kg-of-Body-Weight-Gain_tbl1_228667995

Fruit Farming

Is Custard Apple Farming Profitable?

Author ByMaryem

The custard apple, Annonareticulata L., is commonly ranked among the influential representatives of this family, both in the tree and in the berries. Its descriptive English name has been widely misapplied to particular species and the hybrid ATEMOYA, and it is often incorrectly referred to as “sugar apple,” “sweetsop” and, by Spanish-speaking men, “anon” or “onion,” in India as “Ramphal.”

It also received very few appropriate geographic titles. Most widely used as an alternative term in English-speaking regions is bullock’s heart or bull’s heart.

The custard apple tree isn’t pretty. It’s upright with a rounded or spreading crown and 10-14 in (25-35 cm) thick base. Height from 15-35 ft (4.5-10 m). The poorly smelling leaves are evergreen, alternating, oblong or narrow-lanceolate, 10-20 cm long, 2-5 cm thick, with visible veins. The flowers are fragrant, small, with three outer fleshy, thin petals up to 2-3 cm long, light green outside and pale-yellow with a dark-red or purple patch within in the middle. Never completely open bulbs.

Origin of the Custard Apple

The custard apple is thought to be native to the West Indies but was brought to southern Mexico in early times from Central America. Fostered and naturalized as far south as Peru and Brazil. It is usually grown in the Bahamas, often in Bermuda and southern Florida. It was planted in South Africa in the early 17th century and is cultivated as a fruit tree in South Africa.

The tree grows in India, particularly around Calcutta, and runs wild in other places. It has become relatively popular on Malaya’s east coast, and across Southeast Asia and the Philippines, though especially esteemed nowhere. This was stated extensively naturalized in Guam eighty years ago. It’s unclear in Hawaii.

Custard Apple Quality

No named cultivars are registered, but the fruit quality from various trees differs considerably. The yellow-skinned forms are preferable to the brownish and have smoother, juicier meat when well packed. Seeds of a purple-skinned, purple-fleshed type were planted in Florida, and the tree developed unremarkable quality fruit. Keep the quality factor in mind when planning about custard apple farming.

Must Read: How To Do Watermelon Farming?

Propagation techniques

Custard apples can be propagated in three ways: gene, budding, and grafting processes. Seed: seeds usually produce custard Apple. Budding: Chip-and-shield budding will even spread it. Budding happens in spring as the sap begins flowering. Grafting: Whip grafting succeeded in increasing yield and efficiency. Plants usually propagate custard apples.

For rain-fed conditions, when they attain a height of around 20-25 cm, seedlings can be grown in polythene bags packed with garden soil and planted in the field when the monsoon begins.  

Custard Apple farming zone

The custard apple prefers low-lying, dark, fertile soil with enough moisture and durable drainage. It develops to full size on oolitic calcareous in south Florida and grows wild in light sand, and numerous other soil types in the New and Old-World tropics but is undoubtedly less competitive in less suitable locations.

Custard Apple Farming: Planting Custard Apple

Here we are going to discuss various steps associated with custard apple farming, and in other words, agriculture begins with the planting. So, let’s explore it step by step.

 1. Getting seeds

You can get sugar apple seeds from your nearest garden center or, if you have a friend, you can get seeds from the flesh with the help of your friend. You can also order seeds from the online retailer. If you get seeds from the flesh of a custard apple, you will have to wait a week before planting the seeds from the fruit. They don’t germinate well if you immediately place them in the dirt.

Cut the custard apple fruit and extract the big, black seeds. Put them in a seed envelope, wait a week before planting. If you bought seeds from a garden center, you need not wait until planting.

2. Soak the seeds

While germination can take thirty days, soaking your seeds will speed the process. Wrap the seeds in a paper towel. Soak seeds with some water. Place the paper towel seeds in a bag. Let your seeds soak three days before planting.

3. Finding a sunny spot

Because custard apple is a tropical tree, you want a bright spot to start seedlings. You’ll want to place your seedling tray in front of a window facing south, so the seed gets more than enough warmth and light. If you don’t have a window facing south, you will grow lights. So, all in all, you need a sunny spot for custard apple farming.

4. Putting potting soil in a seedling tray

You’ll need at least two to three inches deep seeding tray with drainage holes that you can find at a garden store. Fill the seed tray with new compost from the garden shop, as opposed to garden soil. You would like to moisten the soil until planting the seeds.

5. Put the seeds in the soil

Plant two or three centimeters deep in your seedling tray. They will be one-and-a-half cm apart. The plants will germinate within 30 days. 

Moving to the next step

Now it’s time to move outside. And transplant the seed out there.

Also Read, Papaya Farming Ultimate Guide

1. Choose warm climates

In hot or near-tropical weather, plant your custard apple tree. Since sugar apples can survive drought, you can plant it in a dryer environment. Cooler temperatures are not anticipated, so stop planting it outdoors in winter or night cold areas.

2. Transplant in the spring

In spring, you can transplant your custard apple tree or whenever the climate reaches between 23-24 Celsius. You will consider a place with a wind cover, plenty of suns, and not prone to waterlogging.

3. Choose the sunny area

Custard apple is a tropical plant growing well in South America, Asia, and Africa, so enjoy the sun! You will plant it in a warm, wind-protected spot.

4. Soil should get good drainage

Use fertile, well-draining apple-tree soil. You can grow it in sandy, calcareous or hard loam soil because it tolerates a variety of soil types. However, avoid waterlogged soil and ensure proper drainage.

5. Dig a hole

As custard apple trees have deep root systems, the planting hole should be twice as full as the seedling root ball. The hole depth will suit the root ball size. Place the root ball in the hole, cover and cover the seedling

6. Watering the plant

Water your tree rarely but extensively. Custard apples have mild watering requirements and withstand drought, although they drop leaves if the drought is severe.

7. Using organic fertilizer

To get the tree started, you’ll want a full fertilizer. Using organic fertilizer to boost root system growth.Using 3-10-10 fertilizer to increase yield in later years.

8. Giving shape

To shape your custard apple tree, you’ll want to trim it in spring. You’ll find it grows in several parts, which can get very unwieldy. You’ll want to trim back to shape the tree and extract any old berries.      

custard apples
Irrigation of Custard Apple

Custard apple cultivation does not require watering to grow relatively good crops if successful water storage is impaired by micro catchment in the rainy season. Irrigation during flowering and fruit production is essential.

However, in the absence of water harvesting in the post-monsoon season, two or three irrigations aid in fruit quality and higher growth. Fruit collection yield per field and consistency are superior in pulp/segment irrigated plantations.

With each carrying, plants receiving daily water thrive. Pruning, fertilization, and irrigation are essential for optimum production. For regions with water-limiting schemes, pool, trickle or drip irrigation help in the judicious usage of water. Fruits are grown in low rainfall zones.

Land forming may be used to drain rainwater around the plantation. Contour terraces, contourite, and micro-catchments often help effectively using water. Plowing and mulching during rainy season allows retaining moisture further

Custard Apple Varieties

Some custard apple fruits are tiny and produce plenty of seeds and nothing to consume. On the other side, certain custard apple varieties grow broad fruits with just 5-7 seeds and all substance to enjoy. Custard apples are two major types, both short, juicy and flavored. Break them in two, pinch the meat with a tablespoon and enjoy.

  • Pink Mammoth: Good quality fruits are enormous. It may weigh up to 3 kg and have very few seeds, nearly seedless. This is custard apple’s most popular commercial form.
  • African Pride: The fruits are smaller up to 500-800 gm. But this type of variety of custard Apple has more seeds than the Pink Mammoth. This fruit starts growing sooner. Skin blackening and other fruit issues are susceptible.
Custard Apple Cultivation: Seed benefits and business opportunities

We know that the benefits of the seed of custard apple have nothing a lot to do with its cultivation. But when you plan for custard apple cultivation, you must be aware of the benefits of its seeds. The reason is straightforward, its seeds are in massive demand in the market.

So, more needs will create more opportunities for you in terms of business. For say, through custard apple farming, you will not only be able to sell the product but also its seeds can give you some good company. So, without wasting any time, let’s quickly get to know about the same.

1. Eradication of head lice

Are you sick to scratch your head because of the insects and nit? Has everything failed, such as the dandruff shampoos? Seek the seeds of the custard apple. Only take some, grind in powdered shape and blend into a paste with a little water. Apply on the head and give 10 minutes to rest.

Wash with sparkling, clear water. This process will yield great results twice a week for a month and leave your head entirely safe.

2. Works as a pesticide

The same blend can also be used for your home garden as a pesticide. Regularly spray a few of the riddled plants for 10 to 15 days, to avoid leaf-eating insects.

3. Use in pharmaceuticals

Its seeds are commonly used by drug makers because of their emergency contraceptive properties that have been scientifically confirmed. It’s used to manufacture drugs to cause abortion.

4. Use in Biogas

Countries like Germany and several other European countries use these few wonders to generate biogas for commercial purposes. The grains of this fruit contains methyl-ester-rich trapped fatty acids that cause gas production.

5. Commercial pesticides farming

The custard apple seeds are also combined with neem seeds to create a new powerful bacterial pesticide used in industrial agriculture. The pesticide produced from such seeds is natural and ecologically harmless. The use of custard apple seed pesticide is perfect for human health.

We have not mentioned these benefits for the sake of mentioning. Instead, we have tried to broaden your idea about the business opportunities you can develop out of these benefits. You can transform any of the benefits into a profit-making business when it comes to custard apple cultivation.

Caution!

The custard fruit is excellent, but the seeds are very poisonous, and unintentional ingestion can lead to abortion, as it is slightly hazardous. The insecticides developed from the grains should be kept from the eyes because they are capable of even temporarily blinding a person. So although you enjoy a dish packed with this healthful fruit, first take care to take off all the seeds.

Reference

https://www.farmers.co.ke/article/2001339100/a-step-by-step-guide-to-custard-apple-farming

Livestock farming

How to start Emu Farming (Complete Business Guide)

Author ByMaryem

Emu farming in USA is a very popular and productive business model. Emus are among the large-sized poultry birds having connections from the ratite group and play a very important role in economies around the world. They produce productive meat, eggs, oil, feathers, as well as skin. And the best part is, they adopt in almost all types of climates and agricultural conditions.

Farmers can raise these large-sized birds in both semi-intensive as well as extensive systems. Countries like the USA, Australia, and China are the leaders in emu farming.

And the climate in countries like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, etc. is also very favourable for emu farming. If you are planning for a profitable emu farming business, you are going in the right direction.

Starting an emu farming business in the US is very easy, and you can start it anytime, especially if you own some land. But before starting, you need to know the right emu farming information. Factors like housing, breeding, caring, feeding, disease management, and atmosphere can make a lot of difference in a successful, profitable, and wayward, fruitless farming.

Also Read: Quail Farming – A profitable business for farmers having small lands

Some interesting facts about emus

  • Emu comes from the species “DromaiusNovaehollandiae.”
  • They belong to the group of ratite families with other birds like Kiwi and Ostrich etc.
  • Birds from ratite are known for “not flying.”
  • These birds can adapt to almost all kinds of weather and conditions, from excessive cold to extreme heat. And hence, emu farming in the US is not a challenge from a weather point of view.
  • They survive for as many as 30 years.
  • These birds are known for their friendly nature and be raised easily on the dry open farm and grassy plains.
  • An adult eum’s average weight is 45 to 60 kgs, while the average height is 5 to 6 feet.
  • Female emus can reproduce for at least 25 years.

Advantages of Emu Farming

There are various advantages associated with emu farming. Some of the main highlights of commercial emu farming are:

  • Emu meat is always in demand because of its amazing taste and nutrition. It is high in energy and protein, and low in cholesterol and fat.
  • Almost all products, including emu eggs, meat, oil, and skin, are of great value in different industries.
  • Emus don’t require a lot of food. They can easily survive in different types of affordable foods. And can give you a lot in return.
  • It is very easy to raise them even with other poultry birds and pet animals.
  • Diseases are less common in emus, and they survive healthily in almost all types of climates and conditions.
  • Emu farming is full of profits and can be an excellent source of income and employment.
  • You don’t need vast management and technical knowledge to raise emus. Only basic knowledge about how to start emu farming is enough.

How to start farming with high chances of productivity

If you own spacious land with enough nature in the surroundings, setting up an emu business won’t take many efforts. Here is a step-by-step guide on everything you need to know about emu farming – yes, A to Z of emu farming!

Location for farming

Selecting a suitable location/land is important to start emu farming correctly. And if you have your own plot of land, then you are in a win-win situation. It would help if you can keep a few important factors in mind while selecting a location for emu farming. And one of them is to ensure proper availability of clean and fresh water, cheap labor, good sources of food and nutrition, proper transportation chain, medical system, and a market near the location.

Manging emu chicks

If you want to get decent emu farming profit, managing emu chicks becomes very important. The average weight of a newly born chick is around 370 to 450 grams i.e., about 67% of the total weight of emu egg. But the exact chick weight also depends on the size of the emu egg.

Manging emu chicks

Keeping the chick inside an incubator for 2 to 3 days is important. It will ensure proper absorption of egg yolk as well as drying of the chick. Then, place them in a house with a deep litter floor. You can easily prepare litter with paddy husk. Setting up a brooder for a batch of around 25 to 40 chicks. Each chick requires 4 square feet of space in the first three weeks of its life.

Set the brooding temperature at 900F for the first ten days, reduce it to 850F, and don’t change the temperature until they are 3-4 weeks old. If you want to raise them properly, taking care of temperature is massively important.

Place enough number of feeders and water pots inside the brooder. Build a chick guard of at least 2.5 feet to ensure the chicks don’t jump and stray outside the brooder. Hang a bulb inside the brooder, and keep it on all the time. A 100 square feet area needs a 40-watt bulb for proper lighting and temperature.

Once the chicks are of 3 weeks, increase the brooder area as well as the height of the chick guard. Keep them feeding with chick starter mash for 12 to 14 weeks or until their body weight touches the 10-kg mark.

Emu chicks need a lot of playing and running space for proper and healthy growth. So, provide them with as much floor space as possible. You can easily raise around 40 chicks in a floor space measuring 30×40 square foot. Space should be drained easily and is free from any dampness.

Grower management

This is the most important part of emu farming information. Unlike most of the poultry birds, emus are big. And naturally, they need large flooring space, large feeders, and big-sized water pots. Keeping male and female emus together is not a good idea, so keep them separately after identifying their sexes. Feed them with birds’ grower mash and 10% of green for 34 weeks of age or weight 25 kg. Never raise chicks with grown adult emus to ensure maximum safety.

Breeder management
  • Usually, emu birds attain maturity at 18th to 24th month of age.
  • Ensure male and female ratio as 1:1 for proper breeding.
  • Each pair requires 2500 square feet area for comfortable mating.
  • You can grow multiple shrubs and trees to induce mating with complete privacy.
  • Plan your breeding campaign properly, and increase the number of minerals and vitamins in their food to better breed. This will ensure healthy fertility.
  • An adult emu needs one kg of food per day, but the requirement reduces dramatically during mating.
  • You will get about 15 emu eggs in the first year. And unlike most of the other poultry birds, the number of eggs increases with every passing year.
  • A female emu usually lays its first egg at the age of one and a half years.
  • The average weight of a healthy egg is 470 grams to 650 grams. Eggs are slightly greenish and are fairly tough in appearance.
  • Usually, a healthy egg takes as many as 52 days of incubation to produce a healthy chick!
  • To ensure proper hatching of eggs, you must have to maintain proper temperature as well as moisture.
  • Proper care and management are very critical for producing healthy chicks. So, you will have to be extra careful throughout the breeding process.

Feeding emus

A balanced diet and nutrition are very important for emu birds, like all other poultry birds. Fresh, high-quality foods play a very important role in keeping them healthy and disease-free. So, for profitable emu farming in the USA, never compromise with the quality of food you provide to the emus. And don’t forget to give a sufficient amount of fresh and clean water at regular intervals!

  • Care and management

Emus are among the strongest birds, and they have a very long life. Issues related to health and mortality rate are also not common. Juveniles and chicks often suffer from a few health problems like clostridial infections, coli infections, leg abnormalities, malnutrition, intestinal obstruction, and starvation, etc.

Genetic disorders, improper brooding, caring, handling, and poor diet and nutrition, etc. are responsible for these diseases. Conditions like ascarid infestations, candidiasis, lice, salmonella infection, coccidiosis, aspergilla, etc. are less common but are noticed in emus.

Vaccinating them on time is a great idea to protect them from possible diseases. Veterinary experts recommend vaccines like Lasota, Lasota booster, and mukteswar strain for good immunity.

Marketing emus and their products

You can earn a lot of emu farming profit as you can sell almost everything! Start selling emu products when they attain the marketing age. Along with emu eggs, meat, skin, feather, and oil are in great demand. You can even sell them as day-old chicks or gown birds! Selling a chick for $50 to $60 won’t be a huge challenge. And you can sell growing emu at $300 to $400. First, explore your local market so that you don’t need to be worried about transport expenses. On a larger scale, you have the whole international market in front of you!

Emu farming is definitely an astoundingly profitable business. The USA’s weather is also not a big challenge, as they can grow in almost every condition. So, follow this detailed emu farming information, visit a few emu farms around your city/town, and start your own business today!

Reference Link:

https://www.roysfarm.com/emu-farming-in-india/

Vegetable Farming

How to Plant, Grow Sweet Potato – Farming Guide

Author ByMaryem

Sweet Potato popularly known as Yams in some parts of North America and is one of the most favorite foods enjoyed by all. It is native to lands of tropical America and generally comes under the family of ‘Convolvulaceae’.

Sweet potatoes are rich in carbohydrates and hence, give a good amount of calories when consumed. Due to its high carbohydrate content, it is used as livestock feed. Sweet potatoes have sweet root tubers. Thus, it is the main source of starch, industrial alcohol, sugar syrup, and glucose.  

How to Plant, Grow Sweet Potato?

sweet potato

Climatic Conditions

Sweet Potato cultivation has a wide color range of tuber skin. This mainly consists of purple, brown, white color tuber skin. Farming is done mainly in tropical and subtropical climatic regions. It is generally cultivated in totally frost-free areas.

Soil specifications

Sweet potato cultivation requires soil that has a pH of 5.8 to 6.7. It can be cultivated in sandy as well as loamy soils. However, the best soil recommended for sweet potato cultivation is sandy loam soil with high fertility and good drainage system. It is advised not to cultivate in areas having light sandy and heavy clayey soil.

It is so because the tuber development in such soil does not occur well. Many varieties of sweet potato are cultivated. Among them, the most common variety is Punjab Sweet Potato- 21. This type gives an average yield of 75 QTL per acre and contains deep red color tubers having white flesh.

Also Read: Growing Mushroom for Your Diet

Other varieties from different states include:

  • Varsha, which is grown in Maharashtra and gives an average yield of 62.5 QTL per acre.
  • SreeArun, which is grown near Sreekariyam gives an average yield of 83 to 116 QTL per acre.
  • KonkanAshwini, which is grown in Maharashtra gives an average yield of 70 QTL per acre.
  • H – 41, Co 3, H – 42, and SreeRetna are some of the improved varieties of sweet potatoes cultivated in the US.  

Land Preparation

Now, a question arises on how to grow sweet potato. Farming requires proper land preparation. It is essential to bring the soil to a fine tilt. Before sowing the seeds, it is essential to plowing the land around three to four times. This should be followed by the planking process. Ensure that the land is free from weed.

This is followed by the sowing process. The best time for sowing tubers in nursery beds in January or February. For planting vines, the best time is between April and July. To sow tubers, keep the depth to 20 to 25 cm. For spacing, it is advised to use the row to row spacing of sixty centimeters and plant to plant spacing of thirty centimeters.

Commonly, sweet potato farming uses vine cutting methods for sowing purposes. In this, the tubers are taken from the old vines and are then planted and prepared on nursery beds. Ridges and flatbeds are used for vine plantation. It is advised to use terminal cutting as it gives a better result. Also, the host plant should have at least four to five nodes.

You can sow around thirty-five to forty kilograms of tubers in half a Kanal land, which is then followed by the planting of vines in one-acre land. You can also treat the tubers by placing them in a plastic bag and soaking them in concentrated sulfuric acid for around ten to forty minutes.

Planting sweet potatoes 

Sweet potatoes have unique properties and hence can be cultivated even in poor soil. There are chances of development of deformed roots if the soil is very clayey or is rich in the excessive sandy dirt. For creating a perfect environment, it is necessary for creating long, wide ridges spacing at least 10 inches. The potatoes are placed at a distance of 3 and a half feet from one another. 

The plantations require plenty of compost. Avoid the use of fertilizers that are rich in nitrogen components. These produce lush vines and stunted tubers. If you are performing sweet potato cultivation in cold areas, remember to cover the soil with a plain plastic. This will help in keeping the soil warm, thereby promoting strong growth to the sweet potatoes.

Sweet potatoes cultivation and crop rotation 

Sweet potato farming can be done along with rice crop rotation. This can be done for maximum usage of land. In such a case, sweet potatoes can be planted in December and January after the second harvest of rice. After sowing, apply a full dose of K2O and P2O5 which acts as fertilizers.

Also, apply nitrogen dose at the time of planting and after five weeks of planting. This fertilizes the soil and helps in providing better results.

After planting the vines, perform irrigation once in 2 days for ten days. After that, perform irrigation once in seven to ten days. Thereafter, before three weeks of harvesting, stop the process of irrigation.

However, irrigate the land before two days of harvesting. This provides better results. This process should be followed to grow sweet potatoes.

Weed Control

Weed control is another essential step undertaken during cultivation. Sweet potato cultivation requires the application of several treatments to prevent the growth of weed around the crops. Treatment solutions such as Metribuzine 70WP with a dosage of 200gram per acre or Alachlor at 2ltr per acre is applied to the field. This needs to be done before the sweet potatoes start sprouting.

Weed infests the plants even after sprouting. When around 5 to 10% sprouts have emerged, the sweet potatoes’ field gets infested with several varieties of weed. At this stageParaquat at 500 to 750 ml per acre is applied. 

Protecting the plants against pest

Sweet potato weevils are long insects with a length of ¼ inches. These are dark blue heads, orange-red bodies, and wings. They lay their eggs into the stems and tubers. They lay their eggs on the tubers and stems. The fleshy roots contain sufficient nutrients for the larvae to grow, while the vines and leaves are a great source of nutrients for the adults.

Potato foot rot, a common disease in these plants are caused due to these pests. The plants infected with the disease have brown or black stems near the soil and at the ends, that does on enlarging.  

These weevils multiply themselves quickly and can affect the whole field within a few days. Hence, they are hard to eliminate. But, with better-certified disease-resistant chemicals along with crop rotation after every four years.

It is advised to destroy all the plants from their roots that have been infected. Alternatively, you can pick these plants along with their roots, place them in a sealed container, and discard them with other household wastes. 

Irrigating the field

Another important technique that is involved in all types of crop cultivation. Some crops require less water while others require more. Moreover, the amount of irrigation required for different crops is different at every stage.  

Sweet potatoes are irrigated once in every 2 days after the stems are planted. This continues for about 10 days. Thereafter, irrigation is given once in a week or 10 days. The plants stop receiving irrigation before 21 days of harvesting. However, irrigation is just a couple of days before sweet potato harvesting. 

Protecting the plant from different diseases

Apart from the above-mentioned points, it is very important to perform weed control in the initial days. Earthing up should be followed after one month of planting. This removes weeds and results in good yield. Weeds are automatically suppressed once the vines start to grow.

Also, it is important to protect your sweet potato cultivation from various diseases. Various diseases such as black scurf, early blight may destroy your plantation and may cause a great loss to the investment.

A black scarf is observed on tubers which in turn causes the plant to dry up. In this, black color appears on the tuber’s eyes. To avoid this disease, treat the tubers with mercury.

In early blight, some necrotic spots appear on lower leaves of the plant. It happens in areas having high moisture content and low temperature. To avoid this, prevent mono-cropping and follow crop rotation. Check for other diseases like common scab also. It is advised to perform pest control by using appropriate pesticides.

Besides, sweet potatoes are affected immensely due to fungal diseases. One such is the black rot, causing dark and circular depressions on the tubers. Infected sweet potatoes must be discarded properly, followed by curing the healthy roots of the same crop. 

Stem rot is another fungal disease commonly found in these plants. The fungus affects the part of the stems that insects have injured due to careless sweet potato farming. Although plants will not die due to the disease but will result in poor quality yields. It is best to plant healthy slips for farming. This will minimize the chances of the plants from being infected by insects and fungus. 

Are you afraid of mummification of sweet potatoes? Are you wondering how to save them and reduce dry rot? It is easy. Store the healthy and fleshy roots at 55 to 60 degrees. This simple step will help you a lot in saving your sweet potatoes as well as give you high yields. 

 Harvesting sweet potatoes

Lastly, harvesting needs to be done. These crops get mature after around 120 to 125 days of planting. Sweet potato harvesting is done at the time when tubers get mature and the crop’s leaves turn to yellow. But, the longer you keep the crop in the ground, the better yield it will be. How? If the potatoes are left for longer, they will be more nutritious as they will have high vitamin content.

Must Read: Onion Farming Skills? Here’s What To Do

But be careful and keep a track of the climatic conditions. On the arrival of frost, the vines will start to turn dark, and finally black. Beware, the tubers will start rotting and the yield will be wasted. 

What are the best ways of harvesting sweet potatoes? Many often inquire about this, as they are not aware of the best measures. It is better to use a spading fork for digging tubers during sweet potato harvesting.

Harvest them on a bright sunny day. This needs to be done when the soil is completely dry. Store them in a well-ventilated area at 85 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit for a couple of weeks. 

There is a sharp trend in the cultivation of sweet potatoes. Farmers are shifting the areas for cultivation of other cash crops that have a high yield and more demand in the market.  

Farming Pedia

How To Plant Sugarcane – A Complete Beginner’s Guide

Author ByMaryem

Sugarcane is a high perpetual crop from South East Asia in parts of the South Pacific region. It grows in warm temperate or tropical climates. The plant stalk’s internodes are rich in sugar, and the plants can grow around two to six meters above sea level.

A complex hybrid between several species and subspecies is found in any crop of commercially grown sugar cane. Sugarcane is one of the greenest cultivations because it requires minimum nitrogen and pesticides. So, let’s see what are the things to consider before planting sugarcane.

Climate      

Although sugarcane can be grown in temperate climates, production in tropical climates is much higher. Short, sunny and hot (1100 to 1500 mm over the whole) and warm, colder (12 ° C to 14 ° C, 54 ° F to 57 ° F) harvest season, is suitable in combination with a medium to high rain docks (32 ° C to 38 ° C, 90 ° F to 100 ° F). The sugar produced during the dry weight of harvest varies greatly, and during the various phases of plant growth depends on the environment.

Soil Type

Sugarcane is cultivated in a range of habitats, such as red volcanic soils and alluvial river soils. The perfect ground is a combination of organic material sand, silt, and clay particles. The fields are plowed and left for a while before subsoiling is carried out. The plant needs well-drained soil, and drainages are made concerning the topographic conditions of the fields on the surface, endured, or both.

Also Read: How to Mushroom Farming

Sugarcane can thrive in the soil of different kinds: acid and alkaline soils, sandy, loamy, and rocky soils. A pH of approximately 6.5 well-drained loam is perfectly suitable, but mechanical considerations, such as compaction, are far more critical than soil composition and pH for cultivation.

Land Preparation For Sugarcane Farming

Deep tillage is required for the sugarcane. Deep tillage consists of molding board plastic, and farmers with no tractor use wood-based Sarkar tin. The sugar cane consists of two types of sowing. Cannes are planted in the moist field because the plant needs water. The width from the row is 3-5 ft.

Plowing

The conventional method of preparing tillage is to plug the soil and tilt it. Sprinkle with the tractor driven disks or triumph plow 2 to 4 times at a depth of 50-60 cm.

Harrowing

In the sugar cane field, the secondary tillage has used those pullovers, smooth, and compacts the soil to retain humidity. Harrowing is carried out at a small depth of 12-15 cm to crush disks or rotators the clods

Know-How To Plant Sugarcane

Sugarcane is planted by replanting the mature stem of the cane. Farmers then cut some of the fully grown cane stalks to 40 centimeters in size. Special agro machinery plants sugarcane stalks that drop them into furrows and apply nitrogen to cover them in the dirt.

Poor sugar cane production results in reduced yields and a downward spiral of productivity. Efficient sugarcane production would increase productivity and levels of profit for a whole plant cycle over 5 to 7 years, as sugar cane is a multi-year crop.

Think About Mechanized Way

The average failure rate is 20–25 percent for mechanized sugarcane plantation. Considering that the grower can fix 50% of sugar cane seed failure via a secondary replant, up to 10-12% of the yield for all subsequent growing seasons can be predicted.

Culture Planting

Cuttings primarily propagate culture Sugarcane. The parts of the unmatured cane stalk, which were used to grow, are called cane seed or cane sets and have three or more buds (eyes). Seed cane in well-worked fields is cultivated. It is commonly used to open furrow artificial trees, fertilize the cane, lower this, and cover it with dirt.

Growing

Growing of Sugarcane requires 2,000 to 2,300 mm of water in the growing period to achieve good yields. If there is a lack of moisture, irrigation will account for the deficit by either watering or spreading water in furrows. In Texas, the USA, 8-9 months, 15 months, Japan, China, and 18–22 months, in Hawaii, South Africa, and Perú vary widely in the field. Thus, depending on the environment, growing sugarcane can take from 9 to 24 months for harvest.

One main crop is planted, followed by 3-4’ ratoon,’ or re-growth harvests. In areas with annual precipitation below 1500 millimeters, irrigation of the plant is essential. The lowest temperature is about 20 ° C (68 ° F) for good cane plant growth.

Continuous cooling weather, as well as water retention, leads to cane maturation. In a warm, relatively fresh season of the year, harvest and browning continue and last five to six months.

Using Fertilizers To Grow Sugarcane

From the start of planting, but not during the ripening phase, the fertilizer will be applied for sugar cane. Optimum fertilizer levels (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) are very different from soil types and the environment and the form and length of the growth cycle.

Weeds in cane fields must be destroyed to secure a good crop until the cane stuffing establishes a healthy canopy to control the growth of plants. While mechanical cinnamon weeders with rakes have been built, still mostly manual, are made with a hoe. There is extensive use of chemical herbicides.

Ripening 

Matured for nearly three months, the stalk is dried out, and the sugar synthesis and its preparation accelerates. Natural sugars such as fructose during maturation are converted to sucrose. The application of foliar chemicals to increase the sugar cane yield was proved useful.

Polaris and Ethrelare commonly used in numerous chemistry tests. Spray Chemical Balsario in 1000 liters of water at 4.5 kg per hectare. Sugarcane ripens 6-8 weeks earlier with the spray of this compound. Chemical mûrers such as Polaris and Sodium Metasilicate, which are sprayed 6-8 weeks more first, boost sucrose milk.

Save From Diseases

There are many diseases in the sugarcane crop. Sarah is caused by an East Indian virus and is blackening and degeneration of the fanlike tops. Infection by any one of many illnesses is due to the mosaic that causes foliage mottling or spotting and sometimes curling, dwarfing, and narrowing of the leaves.

Red rot (essential in Indonesia and South Asia) has disrupted patches of red and white inside the cane, with a foul alcoholic odor when opening the rod. Caused by the Colletotrichumfalcatum fungus, red rot attracts attention by yellowing and withering of the skin and finally dies of the whole plant.

Gummy disease (important in New South Wales, Australia) is characterized by gummy development, which is induced by cell degeneration, defective gum production and by

Xanthomonas vascular bacterial. Fiji disease, an infectious disease that first occurs on Fiji Islands, has elongated white to brown swellings, followed by stunting and decay on the bottom of the stems.

Ripening In A Nutshell

Incidence of sunshine, temperature, and rainfall in sugarcane ripening (Saccharum spp.) was investigated by picking five interspecific subtropical hybrids. Ripening has been linked to sunshine and temperature events, but not precipitation.

Partial observations confirmed the freedom of sunlight ripening; however, it revealed that temperature ripening interactions had been falsified. The interacting influence of sunlight and temperature on maturation differed with the cultivar was also partly related. In the correlations between maturation and sample time, there was a significant difference between varieties.

Harvest 

Sugarcane harvesting is one of the most important and exciting parts of the whole cultivation process. As this is the time to see the results of your great work and dedication. To raising the full stalks and cut them into smaller segments, a cane harvester is used (approximately 30 cm). A cane transport that gathers the billets is used to track the reaper. Whether manually and mechanically, the mature cane is harvested. Any mechanical types of equipment can hack off or cut the tops of erect plants, which are transported by a tractor or light railcar into a bin trailer to the factory.

Sugarcane Farming In USA

Sugar has been a family business since its earliest days for most of the U.S. families. Today’s sugar family includes not only multigenerational farmers. The farmers who grow, harvest and care for sugar beets and or sugar cane, but also those truck drivers who transport the crops from the fields; the employees who work in factories, or processing plants and refineries.

As they collect, purify and store sugar; and all the people who work to get sugar from the packaging facilities to your table. And the best part is that Sugarcane Farming in the USA is seeing a hike. U.S. sugar industry grows sugar cane, and beets run sugar refineries and manufacture and sell refined sugars, sugar-sweetened foods, and other products.

Historically, sugar production has been significant in slavery development in Louisiana and Hawaii’s U.S. annexation. The Sugar Association is the U.S. sugar industry trade association.

Areas Where Sugarcane Farming Happens in the USA

Through the 2010s, sugar cane was produced commercially in Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Texas, and Puerto Rico. Florida sugar cane production has increased significantly since the United States stopped importing sugar from Cuba in 1960. Florida is America’s largest cane-producing region.

The majority of sugar cane is grown in organic soil along Lake Okeechobee, Southern Florida, which is situated on the southern and south-east coast of Lake Okeechobee. Sugarcane production was primarily limited to the Mississippi River Delta, which is the Northernmost cane-producing state of Louisiana, with fertile soils and warmer climates.

Must Read: How Much Long Does Sugarcane Take To Grow

The Louisianan sugar industry has grown into non-traditional sugarcane-growing areas to the north and west. The bulk of sugarcane expansion happened when the return on rival plants, including rice and soya, has declined. Louisiana has also grown with investment in new mixed harvests as the launch of high-yield sugar cane varieties has been implemented.

A Bit About Sugar Beet

The other primary sugar source in the United States is sugar beets. This is a versatile crop cultivated and planted annually in a wide range of temperate climates. Sugar beets can be processed for a short time but must be handled before sugar degradation. Genetically-modified crop varieties have recently been introduced. GMO plants accounted for approximately 95% of crops in the 2009/10 harvest year, up from about 60% in 2008/2009.

To Sum Up

Therefore, there is no denying the fact that the Sugarcane industry is at its peak. With the continuous rise in demand for sugar and related products, this industry may even see a boom. However, a proper sugarcane planting to harvest is required to achieve the desired results. Or the results to be proud of. For that, some traditions, along with a significant part of modern cultivation techniques, should be used.

Farming Pedia

How To Plant Spinach? Here Is Everything You Need To Know

Author ByMaryem

All right, you want to know more about “How to plant Spinach?”

As both cold weather and long days cause spinach to grow easily, the trick to progress with such a plant is to start planting seeds as early as possible in spring; make low, regular plantings in delayed spring and summer; and focus on fall as the main crop season.

The key to success with this crop has been to start sowing grains in spring as soon as possible and to make small regular plantings in late spring and summer and focus on falling as a season for the main crop. Because hot and long days lead to fast spinach to bolt.

Spinach rose in the seventh century in China and spread to the Middle East and Europe. If you talk about salads, fresh spinach leaves are perfect and older spinach leaves are used in sandwiches or soups, along with stir-fry.

Also Read: Easy to grow the Fresh and Pure Cucumbers

Spinach, a super-green leafy plant, is a common plant that can be planted in certain places in spring, autumn, and winter.

Spinach has standard growth requirements and criteria, and is more flexible in raw or fried feeding and drinking. This is richer in magnesium, calcium, and vitamins than other greens and one of vitamin A, B, and C’s best sources.

Unlike other fresh seasonal vegetables, spinach is a “spring ephemeral,” beginning as a low rosette. Spinach thrives at cold temperatures; however, “bolts” or sends a stalk as summer temperatures increase.

There is a fleeting opportunity everywhere it grows as spring advances into summer, where spinach flourishes and spinach becomes effortless.

Long-regions, fortunate farmers have a second chance at dropping spinach.

Spinach Spring may be planted as long as the fertilizer functions correctly. Spinach will seed as soon as possible for six weeks of cold weather from seed to harvest.

For optimal germination, the soil should not reach 70oF (21 ° C).

• Every two weeks, there will be successive spring plantations.

• In northern climates, gardeners harvest spinach in early spring while they are planted in autumn just before cold weather. Cover young plants in winter, use a cold frame or dense mulch, and eliminate protection when soil temperatures reach 40 ° F in your region (5 ° F).

• You may also plant in fall if you live in a place with mild winters (for summer harvest, consider New Zealand Spinach or Malabar Spinach, two related heat-leafy greens). Wait until the planting area is cold enough.

Choose any place with full sun (or partial sun) and well-soil.

Start to prepare the growing field with aged manure around a week before planting. Or you might be prepared to sow seeds outside early spring when the soil thaws.

How To Plant Spinach And Garden Preparation

How to plant Spinach

We are still answering your question “How To Plant Spinach?”  Meantime, let’s also take into consideration another related question with our topic and that is “How to Grow Spinach Plants?”

Spinach grows well in every fast-garden loam. It thrives in fertile soil as long as it is not too acidic. Incorporate 3″(8 cm) compost into bed during planting.

Put 2 pounds (2 kg) of alfalfa meal in the field (per 100 square feet—9 square meters) for spring and summer season planting privileges. Mix fishmeal with 1 lb (1/2 kg) or some other cool-nitrogen from livestock for autumn and winter crops.

Spinach thrives in a more significant alkaline soil than other plants (pH 6.5-). Use finely broken shells of eggs, ground lobster covers, or woods ash when it is acidic. For most garden soils, 1-lbs (1/2-kg) per 100 square meters is enough.

See Adjusting soil pH for other ways to increase soil ph. Spinach Planting

• While seed that starts at home, seedlings are not recommended because they are difficult to transplant.

• Seeds will be 1⁄2-inch thick, slightly soil-. Sow about 12 grains, or scatter over long lines or fields.

• Feed wellspring seedlings.

Until now, you might have got the answer to your question of “How To Plant Spinach?” coming up next is the steps to keep the proper spacing between Spinach plants.

Spinach Plant Spacing And Growing

1. Because of slow growth, fertilize only if needed, or use as a replacement if your soil pH is insufficient.

2. When seedlings grow to around 2 “thin to 3-” apart.

3. No planting beyond thinning. Roots are fragile, easily destroyed.

4. Mulching soil hot

5. Regular water

Spinach can withstand rain, can withstand frost and time to 15 ° F(-9 ° C).  Spinach happens to be more tender, so cover if it expects cold weather.

Spinach Plant Spacing

This step is more an answer to your question “How to plant Spinach?” So let’s begin.

·        Sow medium, or small, 1⁄2 “(1.3 cm) of deep seeds per 6” (15 cm) along the way or sow more seeds. Fill 1⁄2 “(1.3 cm) fine mulch

·        Sow in 3-4 “(7-10 cm) 3⁄4” (2 cm) baby spinach centers, 40-50 seeds per foot—harvesting 3-5 weeks

Watering

In the next step of this guide on “How to plant Spinach?” we’ll explain to you all the things. Promise, nothing will be left! So, get ready.

Spinach Growing requires daily irrigation, especially with heat waves in the spring. Drip irrigation works very well, but when the leaves get muddy, most spring ephemerals work better.

During a humid day, a spray of overhead water cools the leaves and the vegetation in the afternoon under the plant and reduces the overnight temperature to 60-70 ° C (15-21 ° F).

Spinach Plant Spacing – For Garden

Before you begin for anything. You first need to understand the area, so you know whether it’s for you.  When it comes to a garden, it may stretch from a small part of your yard to a vast plot of land.

However, the size of your rows can vary based on your planting, repair, and harvesting equipment needs.  So, it’s good, to begin with, a smaller garden field.

Spinach seed kits have been designed for medium-sized gardens and large farms.  The specifications that are usually defined here would be suitable for your room.

You want to plant each seed about 3 to 6 inches apart.  The explanation this has a variety is because the scale of the spinach plant growing varies.

You will notice that most of the spinach plants have a diameter of around 4-5 inches. This can be noticed when the spinach is ready for harvesting.

For baby spinach, you should grow spinach plants early so that it can be smaller in diameter.

A classic farm or a decent size garden plot would need to have perfect rows of the distance between the spinach plants.  A row is required to cultivate, grow, water, and harvest your spinach plants safely.

The soil where spinach plants will stay remarkably undisturbed. It is better than the soil is almost loose and shallow to ensure the roots of spinach plants grow efficiently.

Getting large enough rows allows you the requisite exposure to the spinach plants.  Most of the gardeners prefer the average row width of spinach plants in between 12 and 18 inches. 

Spinach Plant Spacing – Square Foot Garden

Square foot planting is something that gardeners love in 2020.  A square foot garden is a way of utilizing a square foot area for every herb.  Let’s presume you’ve got a garden area measuring 4 feet by 4 feet.  You’d have 16 square feet or 16 micro square areas to grow your vegetables.

If we talk about per square foot, then the landscape area is 12 inches by 12 inches. Spacing recommendation for planting the spinach requires you to plant a total of 9 spinach plants in a growing square-foot field.

You leave a spacing of approximately 4 inches in diameter between each plant.

The most simple and easy way is to draw two horizontal and two vertical lines to get the spinach plant room correct in the square foot. Remember, the lines should be evenly spaced.  It will provide you with an option of nine mini squares to plant your spinach seeds.

You each spinach seed in the center of this mini squares.

Gardeners or planters consider this method to be one of the best and easiest ways as you can draw these grid lines.

Don’t forget that you ought to be prepared to cultivate, to grow, and to harvest your spinach plants. We will talk in detail about How to harvest spinach later in this article. Before that don’t miss the fact that

To harvest your spinach plants you can only have a limit of 4 square feet if you can reach them on opposite sides.

This will differ because you can just achieve this level, so bear this in mind when designing your square foot garden field.

Spinach Plant Spacing – For A Container

Should you want to appreciate the delicious food, planting spinach in a pot is a perfect way.  With a few basic guidelines, you can quickly find out the place for your jar.  Bear in mind that such instructions are focused on our knowledge.  However, container gardening can be a little different based on your needs, so use these tips as a reference.

The depth of your container will eventually decide how many spinach plants you should bring there. You would need to plant the spinach plant in a way to give it a distance of around 3-5 inches in diameter.

How To Harvest Spinach?

The trick to harvesting spinach leaves is to collect leaves from outside the plant to enable the centers to develop larger. It helps the plants alive so that they can start growing more seeds.

If you want baby spinach leaves, collect them when they are around 2 inches wide.  Usually, baby spinach is eaten raw or sautéed gently since it is delicate.  If you’re trying to prepare or freeze spinach, you’ll get more solid yields if you’re waiting for larger-4 inches or longer plants.  Many leaves reach 6 inches or longer, depending on the type.

Usually, while processing spinach, you may pinch the leaf at the stems with a fingernail.  You may also use scissors or kitchen shears to cut the seeds.  Only make sure you have the entire blade and a little bit of the plant.  If you cut off a leaf without a base, it’s going to go pretty quickly.

The spinach plants continue to grow in the morning.

Bolting is where they continue sending a seed stalk and finally fruit.  Unless you allow that to happen, the leaves can turn acidic and nearly inedible. When you observe that the mature plants are developing taller in a short period, it is a warning that a seed stalk is growing.  At this stage, pull the whole plant up and pick all the leaves.

How To Harvest Spinach Plant – Know-How

During the autumn, mature spinach plants should hang on to sharp frosts.  If you find out or expect that the temperatures seem like they’re going to drop below 30 degrees F at night, go ahead and dig out the plants and pick all the leaves you can find.

We recommend freezing spinach for long-term preservation.  To extract some soil or dust, wash the leaves.  Instead, you can blanch them while plunging them in boiling water for at least 1 minute. 

Then pull them out and dive them into an ice-cold bath to cool off.  It will allow them to maintain their vivid green hue.  When the spinach leaves get cold, drain them quickly on the paper towels. 

So, bring together a couple of leaves to turn them into a ball-we want ours about the size of a baseball. Squeeze the ball to wrong as much water as you can. 

Then, cover the spinach ball in plastic wrap and place it in an airtight bag and lock it in the freezer.

You can put a few spinach balls into a 1-gallon jar. The spinach can last up to a year in the fridge.

Conclusion

We are sure that the steps are given above present to you a clear idea from Planting Spinach to its harvesting and so on. Using this guide, you can grow the perfect spinach. You need to follow all the detailed steps wisely and strictly adhere to them. 

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