Feedback: Tips on growing melons, cabbages

GROWING MELONS AND RED CABBAGE

I have a portion of land in Ngong and I have a huge interest in agribusiness especially growing watermelons and red cabbage but I am not sure if this is an ideal area for the crops.

Please advise me on the best crops for the region and what are the best planting methods to achieve quality fruits and heads respectively?

Farmer

Watermelon and red cabbage will do well in Ngong. Tomatoes, onions, cabbages and pepper will also do well.

Cabbage is a heavy feeder of nitrogen and phosphorous. Organic matter, phosphorous and potassium fertilisers should be applied before transplanting and dressing of nitrogenous fertilisers applied about four weeks from transplanting and three weeks thereafter.

Rates are 5-10g/plant, (185-370kg/ha) of CAN and 200kg/ha of DSP. Cabbage benefits from heavy doses of well decomposed organic manure but there is need for balanced application of NPK.

Excess nitrogen application alone results in loose puffy heads which do not store well. Cabbage is shallow rooted and care should be taken not to damage roots in the field during weeding as this would encourage entry of fungi and bacteria.

Cabbage is also a poor competitor of weeds, thus, it should be protected heavily. Avoid excessive weeding as this may lower yields due to excessive water loss through evapo-transpiration and root damage.

Irrigation should be done whenever necessary. It is important to note that cabbage may need regular watering if rainfall is not adequate.

Critical water requirement stage is at head formation. Melons, on the other hand, do better with adequate water supply.

Weeds should be adequately controlled, especially when the melon plants are young. Weeds, which have upright growth, offer greater competition by shading the melon plants.

Weed control can be achieved by application of black plastic mulches, cultivation, and use of herbicides that are registered for use in melons.

Carol Mutua,
Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University.

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BEGINNING A POULTRY FARM
Give me steps on how to begin a poultry farm.
Livingstone

A lot of factors determine the success of poultry business, thus, you need to make a strong start by having a well thought out business plan.

Poultry farming is broad, so you first need to identify your niche. You can narrow down to commercial egg production, poultry meat production or breeding chicks for sale.

The best decision about this can be arrived at by analysing the market demand. Next is to consider the type of bird you wish to rear since poultry entails ducks, turkeys, chickens and so on.

I presume by poultry farming in this context, you’re referring to chickens. If so, then you can settle on layers, broilers or improved Kienyeji.

Whichever you choose, consolidate your investment capital. Chicken rearing is capital intensive, influenced by the scale of production (how many birds to keep), production system (intensive: deep litter or battery cage) and management.

Then find a suitable location for your business. Mark you layers and broilers are prone to stress, therefore, try to find a balance between farm accessibility and minimal disturbance.

Next? Put up a standard housing for the birds. Floor space is critical and direction of wind, so consider involving an expert.

With the house ready, buy all the equipment you need like feeders, drinkers, heaters, brooder and feeds to start. At the same time, identify and recruit staff to manage the investment.

Lastly go for the chicks. Reputed companies are the best to buy from. As you raise them, remember hygiene, bio-security, vaccinations and other disease control measures are crucial in any poultry farm and must be done timely and perfectly. 

Felix Akatch Opinya,
Department of Animal Sciences, Egerton University.    

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YELLOW AND RED CAPSICUM SEEDS

I need to plant yellow and red capsicums. What name should I go looking for in the agrovets?
Abigael Nyakio

Ask for sweet pepper or bell pepper but you have to specify that you need seeds of the red or yellow bell peppers.

Carol Mutua,
Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University.

SORGHUM FARMING

I need information on contract farming with East African Breweries Ltd (EABL) because I have land in Makueni where I can farm sorghum.

Vincent Munyao

Please contact EABL on +2540208644000 or +254711018000 for more information as they will be able to give you more details on their contract farming.

Carol Mutua,
Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University.

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GREENHOUSE NETS

I would appreciate if I can know where to source greenhouse nets for small-scale farming in dry areas.
Fredrick Nyunja

You can get greenhouse netting or polyfilm from Amiran Kenya Ltd. Please contact Amiran through [email protected] or 0719 095000.

Carol Mutua,
Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University.