A Healthy Crop A Good Harvest

Volume 33 July - September
In this Issue
Pg.2
Pg.3
Pg.4
Onion Mercedes F1, Word from Management
Field Day in Uganda
Early Butternut F1, Red Knight Pepper F1
Pg.5
Pg.6
Pg.7
Pg.8
DK8031 in Kisumu
Purple Blotch Disease of Onion
Field Day Pictorial, Onion Bhajia recipe
Farm+Plus Agrovet, Mombasa
A Healthy Crop ... A Good Harvest
Crop Management
By Nathan Koskei & Erastus Matete
Water Management
Soils - To cultivate a healthy shamba, one must study the soil well. Soils hold
varying amounts of water depending upon the percentage of silt, sand and
organic matter. Soils with a greater amount of clay and silt have a finer texture
and hence hold more water. Water is absorbed very slowly through clay soils,
hence watering should be done less frequently. On the other hand, water seeps
in very fast through sandy soils; therefore, organic content should be added to
improve water holding capacity.
Evaporation- Avoiding excessive evaporation is another important aspect of
water management. Ideally, watering should be done in the morning or evening,
as evaporation rate is at its highest in the afternoon. Watering should be avoided
under windy conditions as strong winds increase the rate of evaporation too.
Digging furrows around the plants helps in reducing water loss through
evaporation.
Irrigation - It is very important to decide what irrigation system to use depending
on water availability and evaporation rate. There are many types of irrigation
systems these include: micro-spray, sprinklers, drip systems, soaker hoses and
furrows.
Rainfall- Rain is an important factor that should be considered before implementing water
management procedures. Watering should not be done before or after the rain to avoid
overwatering and root rot in plants.
Crop Protection
Here we mainly dwell on pests and diseases and their management. In protecting a crop, a
farmer may use chemical, biological, mechanical and cultural control methods.
Pests and Diseases Management
•
•
•
•
•
Always scout for pests and diseases in the morning
Control pests and diseases to ensure that they are kept in check and do not reach economic
injury level
Common crop pests include; Aphids, thrips, whiteflies, cutworms, bollworms, leaf miners,
spider mites and nematodes.
Common diseases include: Wilts, Blight, Rots, Leaf spots and Mildews.
For the control of pests, cultural methods such as clean weeding, use of certified seed and
destroying alternate hosts are best.
•
Carry out preventive spraying in accordance to weather conditions and
chemical label. Do not wait till the pest or disease symptoms begin to
show.
•
For diseases such as mildews and blight, copperbased or sulphur-based fungicides are used.
It is very important to note
the Active Ingredient (AI) so as to avoid
doing one kind of spray every time.
•
Viral diseases such as the mosaics and
leaf curls have no cure. When dealing
with these viral diseases, vectors ought
to be controlled because they are the key
transmitters of these diseases. Key vectors
include aphids, thrips, and whiteflies.
Nutrient Management
Nutrient management is critical because it
varies depending on the stage of the plant,
deficiency symptoms and the soil analysis
results.
• The plant should constantly be fed
because it is continuously growing and
producing. Top dress at the 3rd week with
the appropriate fertilizers and repeat it
after every 6 weeks.
• Foliar feeds should only be used in cases
where top dressing was delayed or
where an urgent deficiency symptom is
at hand.
Continued on pg. 3 ...
In the
SPOTLIGHT
O
Introducing the New
Onion Mercedes F1
By David Ndung’u
ur new variety Mercedes F1 is a yellow early maturing tropical type which produces
large, globe-shaped bulbs with a golden colour which are uniform and firm.
Benefits:
Attributes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
from
Management
Good bolting tolerance
Very uniform bulbs
Yield potential of 23tonnes/acre
Early maturity of 90 days after transplanting
Good scale retention
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Long shelf life
Easy to sell bulbs
High returns
Excellent grade-out
High yielding
Low crop protection cost
Resistances: Highly Resistant to Pink Rot (Phoma terrestri) and
Fusarium Basal Rot (FBR).
Plant spacing: Depending on bulb sizes required spacing can be 8x10cm or 10x15cm, for export market use a density from 500,000 to 600,000 plants per hectare.
“Farmers have now got an early maturing ‘Grano-type’ hybrid onion”
Since September 2009, Monsanto has
been working on consolidating and
integrating its different vegetable seeds
companies into one unique operation.
The companies De Ruiter Seeds, Seminis,
Royal Sluis, Petoseed and Asgrow Seeds,
are merging into one unique integrated
Monsanto Vegetable Seeds Division.
To continue serving you better, we
have adopted a global brand strategy
and enhanced our packaging quality.
We have done this by branding all our
products as Seminis for outdoor varieties
and De Ruiter for Indoor products for
ease of identification.
Therefore Royal Sluis and Peto seeds
will disappear as product brands from
September 2010 - the product portfolio
will remain the same, only the brand and
packaging will change. This means that
what we used to sell under Royal Sluis or
Peto seeds brand will be commercialized
under the SEMINIS brand for open field
varieties and DE RUITER SEEDS for
protected varieties. Our ability to supply
you with the highest quality varieties
and hybrids which contribute to your
success will thus be reinforced.
The Royal Sluis or Peto seed branded
products already in the pipeline will
continue and only our supplies from
the mentioned date will be in the new
branded packaging. Please note that
the products remain the same.
>>> Monsanto Crop Developers in a field of Mercedes F1 >>> INSET: A Mercedes F1 bulb
Same Quality
Same varieties
NEW
NEW
NEW
N
EW
NEW
N
EW
2
OLDOLD
Also, to ensure continued growth
in farming in the region, we have
introduced two new innovative
products, Onion Mercedes F1 and
Pepper Tycoon F1, which are currently
available commercially.
. . .continued from pg 1
•
•
•
NPK are the major critical nutrients. P - Phosphorous is for root development,
K - Potassium for fruit development and N - Nitrogen for the vegetative growth.
Nutrient deficiency should not be confused for disease symptoms. It usually leads to
physiological disorders.
Avoid excessive Nitrogen; it leads to excess vegetative growth, poor fruit set, smaller
fruits, hollow fruits and poor keeping quality.
Weed Control
Weeds are unwanted plants in gardens that compete with crops; they reduce available
moisture, nutrients, sunlight and growing space needed by crop plants. Their presence can
reduce crop growth, quality and yield. In addition, they can make harvest difficult. Weeds also
serve as a host for diseases, insects and animals (rodents, snakes, etc.). Garden weeds are hard
to control because they grow rapidly, produce vast numbers of seeds, and spread aggressively
by vegetative structures and/or seeds. In a vegetable ‘shamba’, weeds should never be allowed
to grow to a level that can cause economic injury. There are several methods that should be
used in a combined, coordinated effort to control weeds. They include cultural methods such
as crop rotation as well as mechanical and chemical methods (e.g. herbicides).
Harvesting
Most vegetables are harvested just before full maturity for maximum flavour and the most
pleasant texture. The following are vegetable harvesting criteria for judging whether your
crops are ready for picking:
Tomatoes
A tomato is ready for picking once it starts breaking colour. Tomatoes that are picked when
showing any orange or red color will be superior.
Onions
Onions can be harvested at any stage. When the tops fall over they should be dug and dried
until the skin starts to peel off, then stored in a net bag.
Carrots
Carrots can be hard to judge. The tops of the carrot will show at the soil line and you can gauge
when the diameter looks right for your variety. If the diameter looks good, chances are the
length is fine too. But you will need to pull one to be certain. Small carrots are the sweetest,
but it’s best to leave them in the ground until you need them so they won’t dry out.
Cabbage
Heads are ready to harvest when they are firm and heavy. If left too long they will split. Split
heads are edible, but difficult to deal with in the kitchen.
Broccoli
Harvest broccoli while the head is still tight. Once the buds begin to spread it will soon
flower.
MONSANTO
News
Out in the Field
in Uganda
By Nathan Koskei
Our Uganda Field Days took place in May in
Luweero and Mukono Districts.
Monsanto Vegetable Seed had a
demonstration plot to display its hybrid
tomatoes which included Assila F1, Eden
F1 and outdoor Anna F1. These products
attracted farmers who were particularly
drawn by the products’ high yield as well
as their tolerance to Tomato Yellow Leaf
Curl Virus (for Assila F1), verticilum wilt and
fusarium wilts.
The Tukole Bukozi Limited sales team was
invited to sell Monsanto Vegetable Seeds
over the desk. Farmers who had seen the
crop were keen on acquiring the seed and
this made for good sales.
Though this was exclusively a tomato show,
farmers expressed their wish to have other
Monsanto varieties including Cabbages
Blue Dynasty F1 and Victoria F1, Pepper Red
Knight F1, and Squash Early Butternut F1
and Ambassador F1.
(See PAGE 6 for more field-day pictures)
Peas
Harvest before the individual peas begin to touch inside the pods. They become starchy and
tasteless if left for too long.
Cucumber
Harvest before the seeds inside swell.
As we anticipate the short rains,
we would like to thank you for your
continued support. We value your
business and wish to maintain a
successful relationship moving forward.
In the meantime, if you have any
questions, please contact our offices.
Kobus Burger
UGANDA FIELD DAY
3
GROWERS Speak
Kibwezi River Farm Discovers Early Butternut F1
E
By Mr Maria Ndolo with Daniel Musyoka
ver since they began growing it in 2004, you are always sure to
find a thriving crop of Monsanto’s Early Butternut F1 squash at
Kiboko River Farm.
The farm is located along Mombasa road near Kiboko market. It
grows a wide range of horticultural crops throughout the year.
“Initially, we began by planting small areas under Early Butternut
F1 on experimental basis as we were unsure of the market,” says the
farm manager, Mr. Maria Ndolo. They wanted to find out whether
the local market as well as consumers in Nairobi and Mombasa
would take to the product, especially since they were used to the
local pumpkin. “To our amazement the adoption was very fast and
orders started flowing from the local community as well as from the
major towns,” says Ndolo.
Now, the farm plants one
acre every month which
ensures
continuous
cash flow throughout
the year. And with
increasing demand for
the squash, they are
planning on increasing
this area to two acres
every month.
Asked why everybody prefers the Early Butternut hybrid as
compared the local pumpkin or other varieties, he had this to say,
“It’s a sweet and high-yielding variety - producing upto 27 tonnes
per acre, it is also early maturing.”
With these excellent qualities, Ndolo wonders why the farmers in
the drier areas are not planting Early Butternut F1 which they will be
sure of harvesting even with little rainfall, unlike the local pumpkin
whose failure rate is very high due to the current unpredictable
rainfall patterns.
The manager’s humble request to Monsanto was not to think of
withdrawing this variety from the market.
“To our amazement the adoption
was very fast and orders started
flowing from the local community
as well as from the major towns,”
By Mr. Martin Swinchact with Daniel Musyoka
“I have been growing this product for the last six years and it seems
as though it has been improved on every time I grow it. This is what
first comes to mind for Mr. Martin Swinchact when asked about
the Red Knight F1 pepper. Mr Swinchact is the Chief Fund-raiser at
Pendekezo Letu Children’s Home situated in Thika.
“ I have been growing this product
for the last six years and it seems
as though it has been improved on
every time I grow it”
•
•
•
Why grow it for all these years? Martin
says the variety has all the qualities
and attributes any serious farmer
and red capsicum consumer would
be looking for. He outlines them very
freely as follows:
•
Very attractive green colour for
the green market and very deep red
shiny colour for the consumers who
like that way,
Has blocky shaped fruits which are uniform in size at maturity,
The fruits are firm and hence very good shelf life,
Fruits are quick to ripen – 10 days after maturity with uniform
colour change,
Early maturity of 70 days for green and 80 days for red,
High yielding – upto 30 tonnes/acre under greenhouse. High
production is because the plant has short internodes.
Highly demanded in the market because of its sweet taste and
aroma.
The above mentioned excellent qualities leave one with no
alternative but to grow Red Knight F1.
4
>>> Carol Wanjiku, Farm Manager at Pendekezo Letu Childrens’ Home
By Mr Peter Olango with Sammy Okita
I
n Chulaimbo division in Kisumu district, farmers
harvest as little as 2 bags of maize per acre; but Mr
Peter Olango, a farmer in this area, harvested 8 bags
of maize from the quarter acre of his farm planted with
Monsanto’s DK8031 maize
hybrid.
“ I am able to store 5 bags of grain for
It is now several planting
my family and earn some income from
seasons
since
he
the sale of the remaining bags”
discovered
Monsanto’s
hybrid maize seed and
farming has never quite
been the same for Mr. Olango who is full of praise for
Monsanto’s DK8031. “I am able to store 5 bags of grain
for my family and earn some income from the sale of the
remaining bags.”
Mr. Olango planted his DK8031 crop on 12th of March
2010 and by 28th May the crop had reached physiological
maturity.In total, the crop took 3 months from planting
to physiological maturity, which is characteristic of
DK8031. It’s early maturity means farmers in the medium
altitude zones with warm temperatures can plant and
harvest two crops a year.
I Recommend Red Knight F1
•
•
•
Kisumu Farmer Beats Weather with DK8031
DK8031 is also known for its ability to withstand dry
periods during its growth stages therefore guaranteeing
farmers a yield. “In the past we have had farmers planting
in the month of February with the early rainfalls only for
the rains to subside leading to crop failures. Farmers
often have to replant their fields leading to increased
costs of production,” says Mr Olango. He observes that
with DK8031, even in the worst weather conditions,
farmers will always have a harvest. This is one of the
features of DK8031 most valued by the farmers.
>>> Peter Olango in his field of DK8031
Another attribute of DK8031, as can be seen from the crop on Mr
Olango’s farm (see picture), is its very strong stalks which enable
the crop to withstand strong winds, thus reducing crop losses
that result from logging of the crop.
realise Ksh 105,000 from the one acre. This income is only
possible with good crop management practises.
Mr Olango has made some of his own calculations on yield
expectations from DK8031, and shares these with us:
If the farmer is targeting the dry grain market and harvests
the expected yield of 32 bags per acre with prevailing price of
Ksh 1500 per 90kg bag then the farmer is likely to realise Ksh
48,000.
From one acre of DK8031 a farmer can expect a plant population
of 21,000 plants. Therefore, if a farmer is targeting the green
maize market and sells 1 cob per plant at Ksh 5, he is likely to
However, Mr Olango cautions farmers on the importance of
harvesting in good time.“Harvest when the cobs are fully mature
to avoid early infestation of weevils at farm level.”
Additional Facts on DK8031
•
•
•
It grows best in mid to low altitude zones of Kenya.
It takes upto 3 months to reach physiological maturity in warm environments.
It can be grown in both long and short rain seasons in areas with 2 seasons.
5
MERU ASK SHOW
QUESTIONSd
How can I blot out
Purple Blotch ?
What are the Conditions for development?
Purple blotch requires three conditions for infection:
1. The disease is present in the field
2. Water is present to allow for spore germination and
3. Temperatures ranging between 13 – 34OC, with an optimum
temperature of 25oC for growth.
What is it?
Purple blotch is a fungal infection that
attacks onions, leeks and shallots. It causes
onion leaves to become blighted and die
prematurely. It is caused by Alternaria
porri, a fungus closely related to Alternaria
solani, which causes early blight on potatoes and tomatoes.
onion bhajias
The fungus causing “Purple Blotch” is a wound parasite; it
usually affects leaves that have already been attacked by other
infections or insects.
What are the Symptoms?
By Nashone Mukabane
About 1-4 days after infection occurs, the symptoms become
visible; they begin as small water-soaked brownish lesions that
usually have a white centre.
Ingredients
flour)
ur (if possible use gram
* 2 large tbps of plain flo
ips
and chopped into fine str
* 1 large Onion peeled
frying
* Vegetable Oil for deep
* 1/2 tsp Turmeric
n
* 1/2 tsp Ground cumi
sal
* 1/2 tsp Garam Ma a
your taste)
* Pinch of Salt (adjust to
Method
d spices into a bowl.
1. Put the flour, salt an
ke a thick
water, mix well to ma
2. Add enough cold
paste.
well.
the mixture - mix them
3. Add Onion strips to
or mint
chopped green chillies
4. Optional - Add finely
tra flavour. Mix well.
leaves or coriander for ex
turn brown
all piece of bread can
5. Heat oil until a sm
quickly.
hot oil.
of the mixture into the
6. Drop egg-sized balls
6
In general older leaves are more susceptible than younger
leaves. However, when plants are infested by onion thrips,
younger leaves are also susceptible and severity of the disease is
much higher compared to those plants not infected by thrips.
0 mins.
until golden brown. 8-1
7. Allow balls to cook
be drained.
d spoon so that oil can
tte
slo
a
th
wi
ve
mo
Re
8.
Additional Tips
utney or Mint
ry well with Mango Ch
Onion Bhajia goes ve
Yoghurt Chutney.
Answere
By Isaac Nzuka
IMAGES: Howard F. Schwartz, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org
LOITOKITOK FIELD DAY
Your
As the lesions enlarge, the edges of lesions turn reddish-brown
to purple. With time, dark brown to black concentric rings form
throughout the lesions. In moist weather, a dense purplish-black
mold growth covers the diseased areas.
If conditions remain favourable for disease development,
lesions may affect the entire leaf or stem causing it to eventually
collapse and die.
During harvest or storage the fungus can enter through the neck
of the buld via injuries sustained during harvest. If the fungus
invades the bulb, the infected area is initially bright yellow but
eventually turns a characteristic wine red colour.
The purple blotch fungus
overwinters in mycelium found
in leaf debris. Spores are formed
during humid
nights and leaf
wetness periods
greater than 12 hours. As the morning dews dries, spores become
airborne, they are then carried to susceptible onion plants by
wind, rain and farm equipment. One to four days are needed for
symptoms to develop after infection. Disease development is
greatest during prolonged periods of leaf wetness.
How can you control purple blotch?
•
•
•
•
•
A fungicide spray program utilizing wetness monitoring
and a broad spectrum protective fungicide applied
prior to infection can provide good protection.
Keep moisture levels low by using surface rather than
sprinkler irrigation, good field drainage
Allow for good air circulation by ensuring correct
plant spacing to reduce overcrowding and disease
development.
A rotation out of Allium (onion-related) to unrelated
crops for several years can reduce disease as well.
Harvest onions during dry weather and ensure that
the tops are dry to prevent introduction into storage.
7
Farm+Plus Agrovet
Meet our
Who said good farming can’t be done at the coast?
CLIENTS
excellent arrangement and display
of products and prides itself in good
customer relations, one of the factors
that has seen it grow to its present
size.
In the past, the shop distributed our
vegetable seeds under the Regina
Seeds banner and now continue to sell
our products as Monsanto Vegetable
Seeds. The change of brand names
has not affected consumption of
the seeds. Mrs. Mnjalla agrees with
this, saying that though there may
be a change in name, the quality is
unchanged. “Farmers have no problem
with the new branding once they
are assured that the products are the
same,” she says.
Farm + Plus personnel (L-R) Claire Achieng, Beatice Chepkemoi and the M.D. Mrs. Asya Mnjalla.
F
arm+Plus Agrovet is in Mombasa
City along Jomo Kenyatta Avenue
and opposite the Coast Bus office.
The business was started in the year 2000
at Kongowea Market before moving to
its present location in 2006.
“Who said good farming, cannot be
done at the Coast?” Before she begun
the business, Farm+Plus proprietor, Mrs.
Asya Mnjalla had once asked herself this
question and this later became the key
motivation for her venture. As the name
suggests, the main aim of the business
was to add value to the farms and
farmers in the coastal region.
Farm+Plus has since grown and has a
wide network covering Kwale, Shimbahills, Malindi, Kilifi, Tanzania, Zanzibar and
serves over 37 stockists and most NGO’s
(Non Governmental Organisations) at the
coast. Currently the business is exploring
new markets in Mpeketoni, Voi and
Wudanyi.
Farm+Plus is a major distributor of seeds,
agro-chemicals, animal health products
and fertilizers. The business boasts an
In closing, Mrs Mnjalla says, “We are
proud to be associated with Monsanto
and its high quality products because
you begun with us, stood by us as we
grew and you are still with us – long live
Monsanto.”
EVENTS
Event
Venue
Date
Field Days
Wambugu ATC
July
Marigat
July
Kirinyaga Technical Institute
July
Waruhiu ATC - Githunguri
July
KEPHIS, Samia, Busia district
July
Mabanga ATC
July
CGA - Nyamira
July
Kerio Valley - Kibendo/Anin
August
Mombasa ASK
August
Nane Nane show-Tanzania
August
Agricultural
Shows
The range of Monsanto products on
sale here are Anna F1, Eden F1 and
Onyx tomatoes; Squash Ambassador F1;
Blue dynasty F1 and Oxylus F1 cabbage
varieties; our sugar baby Melon; Yolo
Wonder capsicum; Red Creole Onion,
Cucumber Ashley and Early Butternut F1
squash. Farm+Plus now plans on stocking
Monsanto’s hybrid maize, DK 8031. The
wish of the business is to sell more of the
hybrids because apart from their high
returns, farmers are sure of producing
and selling high quality products from
their farms and can comfortably buy
more seeds.
MONSANTO KENYA LTD,
TUSKYS HEAD OFFICE COMPLEX
MOMBASA RD.
P.O. Box 47686, 00100, NAIROBI, KENYA
Tel: 254 20 2060922/44, 3574301/4,
Fax: 254 20 823086, 3574300
Mobile: 254 722 205594, 722 205294,
722 205529, 254 733 600468, 733 629414
www.monsantoafrica. com