The best part to grow garlic in Uganda

Which part of Uganda can garlic grow best? Can it be grown in Mpigi? How much are the starting seeds for a small plot?

Dear Alex Kayanja,
Garlic can be grown in all areas that that have fertile soils and receive good amounts of rainfall such as in the Lake Victoria Crescent, where Mpigi District falls.

The other districts in the Crescent include Mukono and Buikwe.
The garlic plant tolerates a wide pH range but prefers slightly acidic soils in the range of 6.2-6.8.

You can know your soil pH by taking it to an expert for testing or you can buy a pH testing kit and do it yourself.

You should add organic matter to the soil for garlic to grow well into big bulbs and also regularly water the crop since it requires a lot of water.

In a half an acre, you can plant up to 20,000 plants. However, it is very important to plant healthy cloves if you are to get a good crop.

I, however, advise that you start small with good seed and then increase the acreage as you learn the agronomic practices of this crop.

I am interested in growing the best quality cassava for sale and value addition. I have never engaged in farming before. Where do I start?

Dear Lillian Driwaru, before you think of starting growing cassava for sale, you must have land in the first place.
In this case, since you want to start commercial cassava growing, the land should be big enough for the project to be economically viable. After that, you should think of where to get cassava cuttings, which are disease-free of Cassava Mosaic and Cassava Brown Streak.

I advise that you contact an agricultural extension worker in your area to help you locate where you can get disease-free cassava varieties that can suit the weather conditions in your area.
However, a closer look and examination of both the cassava leaves and the tubers can help you know whether it is diseased or not.

If they are not diseased then you can use those cuttings for planting. Besides this, you should know that cassava can grow in soils that are relatively fertile to those that are fertile.

Answers on garlic and cassava were provided by James Rwebikire, agriculture extension worker, Kayunga District. Interview by Fred Muzaale

Note this
When planting garlic choose a site that gets plenty of sun and where the soil is not too damp.

The cloves should be planted individually upright and about an inch (25 mm) under the surface.

Plant the cloves about four inches (100 mm) apart. Rows should be about 18 inches (450 mm) apart. Garlic can be planted in the dry and wet seasons. In warmer climates, it is best to plant Garlic in early dry season but seed Garlic must be chilled first to break it out of its dormant state.

One should be sure to plant each clove with the pointy tip facing up and the basal/root end facing down.

Planting garlic closely produces more cloves although each clove will be smaller however many growers feel that close spacing increases total overall yield.

Garlic prefers loose loamy soil with plenty of organic matter separating bulbs into cloves right before planting leaving the papery layer around each clove. Larger cloves should be used for planting and the little ones for eating or preserving.
Mulching garlic can be helpful: It moderates soil temperatures, keeps weeds in check, and conserves soil moisture. Mulching is not recommended in wetter climates. Mulch can be straw, hay, swamp grass, reeds, leaves or plastic.

One should be sure to obtain cloves from certified disease-free stock, because once a field has been infected with white rot fungus it may take decades for the infection to completely clear and nematodes can breed in garlic for up to six seasons before suddenly taking an entire crop.

Besides using clean stock, inspecting plants and pulling any that look diseased, and using sticky traps for onion thrips, are the best management practices.

Source: Fortune of Africa

How does fertiliser use help improve agriculture?

Fertiliser is not heavily used in Uganda especially in the food crops systems, but farmers use them on cash crops.
Fertilisers help in providing essential nutrients to crops for increased productivity per unit area and overall production.
In areas under perennial crops cover, they have assisted in maintaining soil fertility levels.

What are the effects of climate change on dairy farming?

The dairy industry requires pasture, feed resources and water.
So, adverse climatic change affects the industry in some of the following ways: Reduction in grasses, legumes and water.
The feed to supplement pastures are affected as rains fail thus lowering production of milk and meat.
Pests and diseases build up. These lower milk yields and income for farmers.
There will be increase in prices of inputs and feeds.

How would I know water melon is ready for harvest?

Water melons are ready to harvest when the lower portion starts to yellow. Another test for ripeness is to tap the melon - dull sound means it is ready to harvest, if ringing it is still unripe. Pick by cutting the stalk with a sharp knife and harvest regularly.

How would one measure the quality of milk?

Every diary farmer must know the features characterising clean milk from his/her senses of sight, smell and taste.
Characteristics of clean milk include the following:
Colour: The milk should have a bright white colour. Any milk deviating from this should be discarded. Milk flavour or smell: It has sweetish taste.

Source: Agricultural Research Extension Network (ARENET)