2. Rice (Oryza sativa)
Method of propagation: Seeds (broadcast or transplant).
Varieties: Swamp and upland rice.
Soil and climatic requirements: Clayey loam, slightly acidic. Rainfall: 750–1200 mm. Temperature: 20–35°C. pH: 5.5–6.5.
Land preparation:
- Upland: Cleared as in maize.
- Swamp: Prepare land so as to hold water.
Planting date: April–May (nursery); August–September (transplanted).
Spacing: 25–30 cm between plants, depending on varieties.
Fertilizer requirement: 170–220 kg/ha sulphate of ammonia.
Cultural practices: Weeding, fertilizer application, pest and disease control.
Maturity period: 4–7 months after planting.
Harvesting: Inflorescence stalk cut with small knife or sickle. Combine harvesting is used on large river farms.
Processing: Threshing, parboiling, milling and polishing.
Storage: Dry dehusked grain stored in bags or insect-free containers.
Pests: Birds, rodents, stem borers, weevils and grasshopper.
Diseases: Rice blast, rice smut, leaf spot and blight (fungus).
Uses/Economic importance: Food for man and livestock; used for making starch and alcoholic drinks. The husk serves as fuel as well as litter for livestock pens.
3. Guinea Corn (Sorghum vulgare)
Method of propagation: Seed.
Varieties: Firki, Farafard and Kaura.
Soil and climatic requirements: Sandy loam rich in organic matter.
Guinea Corn (Sorghum vulgare) — continued
Soil and climatic requirements: Sandy loam rich in organic matter. Rainfall: 600–1200 mm; Temperature: 30°C; pH: 5–8.7.
Land preparation: Cleared, tilled and ridged to produce a suitable seed bed.
Planting date: May–June (North); June–July (South).
Spacing: On flat, 60–80 cm between rows, 10–15 cm between seeds.
Fertilizer requirement: 500 kg/ha of 6-12-12 N.P.K.
Maturity period: 6–7 months.
Harvesting: Stems cut to the ground, flowers, stalks then cut, collected and stacked. Grains separated from panicle by manual threshing with stick.
Processing: Livestock feeds, beer making and flour.
Storage: Heads are dried and stored in rhumbus or in sacks.
Pests: Sorghum midge, stem borers, weevils, termites, aphids, squirrels and millipedes.
Diseases: Guinea corn smut, head smut and downy mildew (fungus). Bacterial blight (bacteria).
Economic importance/Uses: Food for man and livestock; processed into flour; used in production of beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic); serves as staple human food.
Grain Legumes/Pulses
4. Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea)
Method of propagation: Seed.
Varieties: Samaru 61, Spanish 205; erect/upright type: DS569; spreading type: Kano 50.
Soil and climatic requirement: A rich sandy loam which is slightly acidic. Rainfall: 500–1000 mm; Temperature: 25–30°C.
Land preparation: Cleared and burnt, ridged and made to run across the slope.
Planting date: March–April (South); late May–July (North).
Spacing: 30 cm within rows, 90 cm between rows, two seeds per hole and planted at the depth of 4–5 cm.
Fertilizer application: Apply single super phosphate (SSP) and ammonium sulphate.
Maturity period: 4–5 months.
Harvesting: By picking from uprooted plant and digging from soil.
Processing: Drying, threshing, roasting, boiling and shelling.
Storage: Shelled seeds are stored in sacks, silos, jute bags, treated with insecticides.
Pests: Birds, rodents, beetles, aphids, grasshoppers and squirrels.
Diseases: Leafspot, aflatoxin, wilt, tikka and seed rot (fungus); Rosette (virus).
Uses/Economic importance: It serves as human food; serves as livestock food in form of groundnut cake or meal, haulm or whole seed. Provides oil for food and industrial uses (soap, margarine for cooking).
5. Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata)
Method of propagation: By seeds.
Varieties: Ife brown, Agbo, Black eye, Prima.
Soil and climatic requirement: A rich sandy loam. Rainfall: 750–1500 mm. pH: 6.5.
Land preparation: Plant on small ridges/mounds/very flat areas.
Planting date: First week in September (South), July–August (North).
Spacing: 30–50 cm within row, 90 cm between rows. About 2 seeds are sown per hole.
Cultural practices: Regular weeding is needed.
Fertilizer application: Apply 10:20:10 N.P.K. fertilizer or superphosphate at 168–450 kg/ha during ploughing.
Maturity period: 3–4 months.
Harvesting: The mature or ripe pods are picked manually and are then dried.
Processing: Drying, threshing, winnowing.
Storage: Store seeds in sacks or air-tight containers.
Pests: Weevils, aphids, thrips, bean beetles.
Diseases: Cowpea wilt, blossom blight, damping off (fungus), cowpea mosaic (virus).
Uses/Economic importance: It serves as human food; provides livestock feeds; acts as a cover crop and also enriches soil with nitrate-nitrogen; used in dye production in India; used as green manure.
Roots and Tubers
6. Yam (Dioscorea spp.)
Method of propagation: Yam sets (slices), seed yam.
Varieties:
- White yam (D. rotundata)
- Yellow yam (D. cayenensis)
- Water yam (D. alata)
- Chinese yam (D. esculenta)
- Aerial yam (D. bulbifera)
- Three-leaved yam (D. dumetorum)
Soil and climatic requirements: A well-drained clayey loam. Rainfall: 1020–1780 mm; Temperature: 25–30°C; pH: 6.5.
Land preparation: Prepare ridges, flat soil or mounds.
Planting date: November–December (early yam), March–April (late yam).
Spacing: 1 metre apart on ridges or mounds.
Fertilizer application: 10:10:20 N.P.K. at the rate of 250–400 kg/ha, ten weeks from planting.
Maturity period: 5–9 months.
Harvesting: Tubers are carefully dug out of the soil with the aid of a sharp tool, e.g. cutlass.
Processing: Into yam flour, amala, alibo or pounded yam; roasted and cooked.
Storage: In barns tied to poles, on horizontal platforms, or in ash-lined pits.
Pests: Yam beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, nematodes, rodents, leaf beetles.
7. Cassava (Manihot spp.)
Method of propagation: 20–30 cm mature stem cuttings having 4–6 growth buds.
Varieties: White stick, purple, sweet cassava, bitter cassava.
Soil and climatic requirement: A rich, well-drained sandy loam or clayey loam which is slightly acidic.
Rainfall: 1000–1500 mm.
Temperature: 25–30°C.
Land preparation: Clear the land and prepare ridges, mounds or flat soil.
Planting date: April–May (early planting); September–October (late planting).
Spacing: 1 metre apart.
Fertilizer application: Apply 10:10:20 N.P.K. at the rate of 250–500 kg/ha, three months after planting.
Maturity period: 8–12 months.
Harvesting: Cassava plant is uprooted carefully by hand or with any digging tool.
Processing: Peeling, fermenting and sieving for fufu, or processed into gari.
Storage: Stores best as flakes, gari flour, chips, tapioca and starch. Cassava meal stores for a few weeks only.
Pests: Mealy bugs, whitefly, grasshopper, green and red spider mites, rodents.
Diseases: Leaf spot, root rot (fungus), mosaic (virus), bacterial blight (bacteria).
Uses/Economic importance: It serves as human food; provides livestock feed; used in the production of alcohol; provides starch for industrial use.
Vegetables
8. Tomatoes (Lycopersicum esculenta)
Method of propagation: Seed.
Varieties:
- Local, Ife 1 (Bush type)
- Bonny Best, Marglobe, Money Maker (Tall type)
- Golden Nugget, Golden Plume (Dwarf type)
Soil and climatic requirements: A rich sandy loam.
Rainfall: 500–1250 mm.
Temperature: 15–20°C.
Land preparation: Clearing of the bush, plough and harrowing, making the seed beds. Nursery can be prepared on the ground and last for 3 weeks.
Planting date: Best towards the end of rainy season, September–October.
Spacing: Depending on the cultivar and geographical location, the spacing is generally 60 cm × 30–40 cm.
Fertilizer application: Split application of 15:15:15 N.P.K.; apply 75% at transplanting and 25% at flowering.
Maturity period: 3 months.
Harvesting: Ripe fruits are hand-picked.
Processing: Into puree.
Storage: It stores best in processed form.
Pests: Caterpillars, mole insects, grasshoppers, earthworms, fruit worms, crickets.
Diseases: Fruit rot, leaf spot, leaf blight (fungus), bacterial wilt (bacteria), root knot (nematode).
Uses/Economic importance: Eaten fresh as salad or in the form of paste (puree); used in making stew; source of vitamins.
9. Okro (Hibiscus esculentus/Abelmoschus esculentus)
Method of propagation: Seed.
Varieties: New Lady’s Finger, Perkins Long Pod, Velvet Green.
Soil and climatic requirements: A rich sandy loam.
Rainfall: 1020–1800 mm.
Temperature: 20–30°C.
pH: 6–6.8.
Land preparation: Plough soil to 12–25 cm deep and then work it to a fine tilth.
Planting date: Early in April, August to September.
Spacing: About 60 cm apart, 2–3 seeds are sown per hole.
Fertilizer application: Apply 15:15:15 N.P.K. fertilizer, 4–6 weeks after planting, at the rate of 0.90 kg per bed. A bed of 7.62 m × 1.22 m also needs four head pans of compost manure.
Maturity period: 3 months.
Harvesting: Plucking green, immature fruits for eating and dry fruits for planting.
Processing: Immature fruits taken as green vegetables.
Storage: Dry fruits kept in containers.
Pests: Leaf beetle, caterpillars, cotton stainer.
Diseases: Powdery mildew, damping off and leaf curl (fungus), mosaic (virus).
Uses/Economic importance: It is used as human food; okro pods have medicinal value.
Fruits
10. Citrus (Citrus spp.)
Method of propagation: Budding onto lemon stock.
Varieties:
- Citrus sinensis (sweet orange)
- C. paradisi (Grape fruit)
- C. reticulata (Tangerine)
- C. limon (Lemon)
- Sour orange
- Shaddock
Soil and climatic requirements: Rich, well-drained loamy soil which is slightly acidic.
Rainfall: 750–1250 mm.
Land preparation: Clear and burn or clear and plough the area; regular weeding is needed.
Planting date: Seeds sown in nursery October–December. Seedlings transplanted to nursery April - May. To be budded a year after. Then transfer to field a year after budding.
Spacing:
- Pre-nursery: 3 cm × 3 cm in seed tray.
- Nursery: 60–90 cm between plants and rows.
Fertilizer application: Fertilizer is applied around the seedlings. 8:6:10 N.P.K. and a little magnesium are required.
Maturity period: 3–5 years.
Harvesting: Clean picking of fruits mature at the same time or spot picking if not mature at the same time.
Processing and storage: Stored after processing which involves fruit canning and concentrated juice bottling.
Pests: Caterpillars, aphids, fruit piercing moth, mealy bugs and scale insects.
Diseases: Gummosis (fungus); tristeza or die back (virus).
Uses/Economic importance: For human consumption; it produces essential oils for making drugs and cosmetics; manufacturing of jam, beverages (e.g. juices); used for flavouring; livestock feed; fodder preservation.
11. Banana (Musa spp.)
Method of propagation: Sucker.
Varieties: Gross Michel, Lacatan, M. sapientum, Canary and dwarf Cavendish.
Soil and climatic requirements: Well-drained rich loamy soil.
Rainfall: 1300 mm.
pH: 5–7.5.
Land preparation: Clear the land and burn the vegetative materials.
Planting date: April–September.
Spacing: 4.6 × 4.6 m.
Fertilizer application: 8:10:8 N.P.K. After planting, 450–675 g of N.P.K. is applied. Two months later repeat. Apply 500 g.
Maturity period: 9–18 months.
Harvesting: By cutting the pseudostem and the bunch stalk with a cutlass.
Processing and storage: Can be sliced, dried and stored; fruits store in a refrigerator with the humidity and the oxygen/carbon dioxide ratio under control; fruits can store in form of puree or banana flour.
Pests: Banana weevils, burrowing nematodes, earthworms, bats, banana borer.
Diseases: Panama disease or wilt, sigatoka or leaf spot (fungus), Bunchy top (virus).
Uses/Economic importance: Provides livestock feed; as human food; serves as wrapping and tying materials; used as nurse crops for cocoa and coffee.
Beverages
12. Cocoa (Theobroma cacao)
Method of propagation: By seed; stem cuttings.
Varieties: West African Amelonado; Upper Amazon, Criollo and Trinitario.
Soil and climatic requirements: Well-drained clayey loam which is slightly acidic.
Rainfall: 2000–2500 mm gives best result.
Land preparation: Clear the land and provide shade with some food or cash crops. Those crops are thinned down as the cocoa plants develop.
Planting date:
- Nursery: December–January
- Transplanting: April–June
Spacing:
- Nursery: Plant 0.3 cm deep in polythene bag packed with fertile soil. Transfer to field 6 months after.
- Field: 3 m between trees in the farm.
Fertilizer application: Requires N.P.K. fertilizer with more nitrogen and phosphorus than potassium.
Maturity period: 3–5 years depending on variety.
Harvesting: Harvesting of fruits (pods) is carefully done with long-handled sickles.
Processing: Break the pods, remove the beans and pile the beans in heaps, wood boxes or trays to ferment. Fermentation is followed by drying of the beans.
Storage: Dry beans stored in bags and kept in dry pest-free stores.
Pests: Capsids, mealy bug, monkeys, scale insects and pod-husk miners.
Diseases: Black pod (fungus), swollen shoot (virus).
Uses/Economic importance: Human beverage food; for making chocolate, cocoa drinks and cosmetics; the cocoa shell serves as fuel and can be used in production of animal feed and fertilizer; used in production of shoes and polish.
13. Coffee (Coffea liberica)
Method of propagation: By seed; layering.
Varieties: Coffee arabica, C. robusta, C. liberica, C. excelsa, C. stenophylla.
Soil and climatic requirements: Rich, deep, friable, slightly acidic soil.
Land preparation: As in cocoa.
Planting date:
- Nursery: Planting April–May.
- Field: Planting a year after.
Spacing:
- Nursery: Plant 0.3 cm deep in polythene bag packed with fertile soil.
- Field: 3 m between rows.
Fertilizer application: Sulphate of ammonia, super phosphate and sulphate of potash to be applied at a rate of 1 kg of N.P.K. before planting in the field.
Maturity period: First fruits produced 2–3 years after planting. Full production when about 8–9 years old.
Harvesting: Collection of dropped fruits, picking of ripe fruits.
Processing and storage: Coffee complexes each consisting of two seeds surrounded by silver skin endocarp are dried and kept in sacks.
Pests: Berry borer.
Diseases: Leaf rust, brown eye spot and coffee berry disease (fungus).
Uses/Economic importance: Human beverage food; serves as a stimulant.
Spices
14. Onion (Allium cepa)
Method of propagation: Seeds.
Varieties: A. ascalonicum, Kano white, Red Kano, Texas, Gana, Red Burgundy.
Soil and climatic requirements: Well-drained alluvial soils, sandy loam, and silty loam soils with good humus.
Land preparation: Provide well-tilled ridges with a fine loose surface.
Planting date: Cultivated throughout the year with irrigation or May–June.
Spacing: Field spacing of 20 cm × 20 cm.
Fertilizer application: Before sowing seeds, apply sulphate of ammonia at 1 kg/bed of 10 m × 1.2 m.
Maturity period: When the leaves become brown.
Harvesting: Lifted about 7–10 days after twisting, done by hand pulling the bulb out carefully.
Processing and storage: Packed in crates or baskets as the withered shoot and roots are removed.
Pests: Onion thrips, onion maggot and cutworms.
Diseases: Purple blotch or Alternaria leaf blight, neck rot (bacteria), downy mildew.
Uses/Economic importance: Serves as human food; as a spice in cooking; in the preparation of confectionaries.
15. Pepper (Piper nigrum)
Method of propagation: By seed; long stem cuttings.
Varieties: Capsicum annuum (sweet pepper), C. frutescens (hot pepper); Indian purple, Yolo wonder, California wonder.
Soil and climatic requirements: Well-drained alluvium rich in humus, rich sandy loam with plenty of lime.
Rainfall: 2000 mm.
pH: 5.5.
Temperature: 20–30°C.
Land preparation: Nursery can be prepared on the ground. Till the soil to make beds.
Planting date: April–September.
Spacing: 30–45 cm between plants in the row, about 60 cm apart.
Fertilizer application: Apply 10:10:20 N.P.K. at the rate of 1 kg to a bed 10 m × 1.2 m or 250 kg/ha.
Maturity period: 2–3 months.
Harvesting: By hand-picking.
Processing and storage: Sundrying, dipping in boiling water, stored in sacks.
Pests: Mealy bugs, aphids, fruitworms, termites and pepper weevil.
Diseases: Root rot, white root rot (fungus), damping off, root knot, fruit rot, mildew.
Uses/Economic importance: For seasoning and flavouring food; also used for making hot sauce and for making curry powder; used in medicine as berries contain 4.5–8% piperine; used to reduce fever.
Oil Crops
15. Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis)
Method of propagation: Seed.
Varieties: Dura, Tenera, Pisifera.
Soil and climatic requirements: A deep, fertile loam soil.
Rainfall: 1375–2750 mm.
Temperature: 20–30°C.
pH: 4.5–6.
Land preparation: Mark planting positions with pegs and clear the land. Clear the stumps on the palm row. If the oil palm trees will be intercropped with annual crops, total clearing of the land is necessary.
Planting date:
- Pre-nursery: December–January.
- Transplanted to nursery: April.
- Field planting: March–May, a year after.
Spacing:
- Pre-nursery: 7.6 × 7.6 cm to be transferred to nursery 4–6 months after.
- Nursery: 60 × 60 cm to be transferred to field a year after.
- Field: 7.8 m between rows and 9 m between plants.
Fertilizer application: It requires a split and yearly application of sulphate of ammonia, muriate of potash and magnesium sulphate. The fertilizer should be broadcast in a circle 1–2 m in diameter around the palm.
Maturity period: 4 years.
Harvesting: Ripe fruits are harvested with a machete or long-handled sickles.
Processing: Bunch quartering, cutting into pieces; pricking or sorting; boiling/cooking; pounding (macerating, pressing); scarification and skimming.
Storage: After processing, the palm oil is stored in containers made of copper, iron, zinc or aluminium.
Pests: Rhinoceros beetle, weaver birds, locust, caterpillars, termites, wild pigs, cutting grass and elephant.
Diseases: Anthracnose, freckle, blast (fungus), seedling blight, red ring disease.
Uses/Economic importance: For cooking; used in industries; husk is used for fuel; oil is used in making soap, margarine and cream; shell used for fuel; cake used for livestock feed; oil is used for candle production; kernel is used for production of palm kernel oil; source of income to man.
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