Youth Entrepreneurs Hub - Gulu

07/12/2020

BEE FARMING: HOW TO GO COMMERCIAL

Bee keeping (apiculture) is done for several purposes. In Africa, farmers keep bees to produce honey for own consumption, however, it is another thing altogether to keep bees for commercial purposes. With the current technology and modern bee-keeping methods, it is easy to produce honey today than it was years before. When it comes to producing honey commercially, a farmer must prepare correctly.

What are the starter requirements for bee keeping?

For starters, you need a strong, durable beehive to house your bees that will also protect them from predators and harsh weather. The common beehives in Africa includes, Langstroth Hive, Warré Hive, Top Bar Hive and the most common, the traditional log hive. The best hive should be easy to maintain, have a simple design of the top covers and supers, have ample space between brood chambers and supers, removable frames for easy hive inspection and a hive stand. For these reasons, the Langstroth hive is the most preferred for commercial purposes.

A pair of gloves is another apparatus you need, preferably one made of leather but very flexible to use. Bee wax is also necessary for the colony to occupy. Look for a smoker that burns for longer periods, preserves fuel and has a nozzle that will perfectly guide the smoke accurately.

An uncapping fork is effective for removing comb caps without damaging the comb. During hive inspection, a bee brush with soft thistles is of great help to clear bees from the comb without making them aggressive.

Of great importance too is the hive tool to aid you move frames and clean propolis.
A bee suit is also a must-have. This should include the head veil to offer you maximum protection from bee stings. Be careful when putting on the bee suit. It should always be worn over or on top of a pair of gumboots; if you tuck in the suit into your gumboots, bees will sting you. When you harvest honey, you will need a clean honey extractor and a sieve.

What is the best location to keep your hives?

Once you have all those gadgets, you need to set up your apiary. Look for a place that is less disturbed, far from noise or human activities. This place should be well-drained lest the bees abscond due to high humidity. Avoid fields frequently sprayed with chemical pesticides to reduce bee poisoning and honey contamination; thus, if a must, use bee friendly pesticides.

The apiary should also be close to water and nectar sources. Set the hives under trees or away from direct sunlight, flooded places or areas with strong winds. If your site is exposed, erect a small shade above the hives. Leave enough space – 1.2-1.5m – to give you a working area. Where space is limited, pair up the hives.

Place all the hives at a height that you will find comfortable to work. If placed on wooden stands or wire suspensions, paint the stands and wires using used oil to drive away crawling ants. If resources allow, fence your apiary to protect it from vandals and predators like honey badgers, humans and monkeys.

What Are The Best Plants For Bees

The nearby plants should be producing high quality nectar. Bees love wild flowers, berries, flowering herbs and a variety of flowering fruits and vegetables. You can plant agricultural crops yielding abundant nectar such as sunflower, coffee, legumes, trees, bananas, lavender, strawberries, cucumbers, tomato, squash, pumpkins, watermelons, flowering broccoli, tulips and clovers.

Fruit trees also make perfect forage materials, with trees such as acacia producing good nectar for sweet honey. Some institutions support bee keeping by selling stingless bees, which you can go for. Some hives, however, get stocked readily with the African bees that forage around and then they make their queen bee. To stock the hives easily, spray it with sugar syrup or hang sugar syrups around. Also, smear with melted bees wax or site the hives where bees have lived before. A catcher box can also be used to trap bees and transport them to the new hive.

How Do You Avoid Absconding?

Once the bees are in the hive, they can forage from the nearby plants. During dry seasons, however, supplement the bees with food. This is very important to avoid absconding; a case where bees leave the hive completely, not considering your heavy investment.

Absconding is caused by several factors that include lack of food and water. Offer the bees sugar syrup or provide little honey and water during drought. Frequent attacks by pests are also dangerous to a colony. Careless handling also frustrates bees and may make them abscond.

This include breaking combs, excess hive smoking, banging the hive, clumsiness and roughness. Excess heat in the hive or excess cold also causes absconding. To control these, position hives in a shaded place when hot or in a sunny position with minimal shade.

You will always come in contact with bees during hive inspection or honey harvesting. During these times, wear a full bee suit and avoid woolen clothes that bees stick on. Do not visit the site when smelling alcohol, strong scent perfumes or soaps, which may smell sweet to the bees and make them follow you. Always start with the least aggressive colonies to give you adequate time to handle the pleasant colonies first.

Bees are best handled in the cool evenings. Remain confident and don’t crush the insects. If by mistake they get into you, walk away and remove them plus the stings by scraping off using your nails. Do not squeeze lest the venom spread into your body.

When done with handling, don’t walk home straight, pass through plantations of maize or trees to rub off the bees from you. One bee sting is not dangerous, in most cases it will be beneficial while in a few people it may cause allergy.

If done right, bee keeping is a venture that can sustain your lifestyle. The market is highly increasing both domestically and internationally. Focus more on the business side of bee keeping

08/11/2020

VEGETABLE FARMING: TRY GROWING POTATOES IN YOUR BACKYARD

Growing potatoes is fun and not that hard! Farmers can grow unique varieties that are not sold in local supermarkets. Potatoes come in all different shapes, sizes and colors. Did you know that there are purple, red and yellow potatoes ?
Potatoes are a non‐grain food crop. They can grow in harsh climates and many potato varieties can be grown in 90 days or less on small parcels of land.
Potatoes are also very nutritious! They are a great source of vitamin C, potassium, fiber and protein, all with no fat! They, along with many other vegetables, can be prepared as part of a healthy diet.
Luckily, potatoes are versatile and are easy to prepare. Whether baked, boiled, roasted or fried they are a delicious add-on to any meal. Potato skin is also recommend for human consumption as it contains the majority of the potato’s fiber, and many of the nutrients are located close to the skin.

1. Variety Selection
Choice of a potato variety for growing depends on factors such as garden space availability, desired uses, and storage plans. To ensure quality and maximum productivity, purchase certified seed tubers. Certified potato tuber seed is seed of a known variety produced under strict standards to maintain seed tubers that are virus and disease free. Saving tubers from your garden will eventually result in decreased yields and small tubers due to more incidences of disease.

2. Seed Preparation
Depending on the source and the quantity you buy you will receive either small tubers or large tubers. Small tubers (1 to 2 inches in diameter) can be planted whole. Cut large tubers into block‐shaped, 2 to 2 1/2 ounce seed pieces (about the size of an egg). The seed pieces should be firm, with at least one “eye” per section and a maximum sprout length of 1/4 to 1/2 inch to ensure optimum germination. Seed tubers can be cut and planted on the same day, however allowing the cut surface to heal over for 4‐7 days may reduce the risk of seed pieces rotting in the soil.

3. Soil Preparation and Fertility
Potatoes grow on a wide range of soils, but are best suited to a sandy loam or a soil that is well drained. Very sandy soils may require extra watering to maintain adequate soil moisture. Fine‐textured soils that are high in silts and clay may not be well drained, and they tend to produce poorly shaped potatoes.
If possible, a soil test can be performed before planting. Contact your local Extension office for details on soil testing. The best soil pH for potatoes is between 5.5 and 6.0. A pH above 6.0 may increase the incidence of common scab (a disease) on tubers. If a soil test is not available, follow these recommended guidelines:
Rototill into the seedbed about 2 pounds per 50 feet of row of 12‐12‐12 (N‐P‐K) analysis fertilizer.

Beside the row, apply 1/3 pound per 50 feet of row of 46‐0‐0 (urea) fertilizer one week after plant emergence and again between 4 and 6 weeks after emergence. Instead of working the fertilizer into the soil, water thoroughly so that the fertilizer moves into the root zone.
Do not amend the soil with lime or manure in the same year that potatoes are to be grown. Lime and manure increase the risk of potato scab disease.

4. Planting and Care
Potatoes are a cool season crop; ideal temperatures for crop growth are 65 to 80 during the day and 55 to 65 at night. The soil should be cultivated 6 to 8 inches deep in the spring, and large soil clods should be broken up or removed before planting. Plant potatoes when soil temperatures are above 45 F. Cold, wet soil at planting time increases the risk of seed piece decay, and planting into cool, dry soils can cause delayed sprouting and emergence of the potatoes.

Plant tuber seed pieces 3 to 4 inches deep. Leaving 30 to 36 inches between rows and spacing seed pieces 9 to 12 inches apart in the row will generally produce an acceptable yield of medium‐sized tubers. Five pounds of seed potatoes should plant 40 feet of row with 12 inches between seed pieces. You can expect to harvest 3 to 5 pounds of potatoes per potato plant. Larger tubers are produced at wider plant spacings, though some varieties, for example, Yukon Gold, develop growth defects such as hollow heart at a wider spacing. Potato plants should be “hilled” when the plants are 8 to 12 inches tall.

Mound the soil to a height of 3 to 6 inches and approximately 12 to 15 inches from the base of the plant. Use care to prevent damage to the plant roots, which may extend 8 to 12 inches from the base of the plant. Hilling maintains suitable soil cover for tubers as they expand.

Tubers that break the soil surface may have green areas that contain bitter tasting glycoalkaloids and should not be eaten. Discard or cut off the green portions.
Avoid planting potatoes in the same location year after year. To lower the risk of disease and insect problems, do not plant in areas where tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, radishes or beets were grown the previous year.

5. Water Requirements
Potatoes are very sensitive to soil moisture and do best with a consistent soil moisture level. Even soil moisture levels throughout the root zone should be maintained, though over‐wet and saturated conditions should be avoided. In general, 1 inch of water per week from rainfall or irrigation is adequate. As much as 2 inches per week may be required on sandy soils with low organic matter.
Dry soil alternating with periods of saturated soil can result in poor quality tubers with defects such as k***s, growth cracks, hollow heart and internal browning. Long periods of excess moisture, particularly near maturity, may lead to decreased yields and poor quality tubers.

6. Pest and Disease Control
You can help alleviate pest problems by changing the location in your home garden where potatoes are planted, through regular inspection, and by removing “volunteer” potato plants, which can serve as a host for diseases that can damage the new crop.
Shallow cultivation is preferred for w**d control. For late season w**d control, pull w**ds instead of hoeing them to prevent tuber damage. Mulches can be beneficial in w**d control as well as helping to maintain soil moisture.

Scab disease may be a problem. Scab is caused by a common soil borne organism that causes disease only on tubers. Some varieties are more resistant than others to scab; tolerant varieties include On away and Superior. Tubers with scab are fine to eat. Just peel or cut off the circular rough skin.
Insects such as the Colorado potato beetle can be controlled by destroying eggs which are laid on the underside of the leaf. This can be done by crushing the eggs or removing the leaf with the eggs and disposing of them in the trash away from the garden. Additionally, you will want to remove larva and adults by hand, disposing of them when the numbers are small. The potato is subject to several seed, foliar and tuber disorders that may affect quality and appearance.

7. Harvesting
Time of maturity varies for each variety. Indicators of tuber maturity include complete vine death, “skin set” (tuber skin does not peel from the flesh when pressure is applied) and desired tuber size. Mature tubers store better and are less likely to bruise or decay than immature tubers. New or small tubers can be harvested early without destroying the entire plant by careful digging and removing some of the tubers. The remaining tubers should be left to grow and reach full maturity.
Harvest potatoes before a severe frost. Use a spade or fork to loosen the soil and gently lift the tubers out of the soil. To prevent greening and sunburn damage, do not allow tubers to be exposed to light after harvesting

8. Storage
For two to three weeks after harvest, store tubers in the dark at 55 to 60°F with high relative humidity to heal bruised and damaged areas that could provide entrance for disease organisms.
Store only the healthy potatoes that are reasonably free from soil. After healing, proper storage conditions should include cool temperatures (near 40°F), darkness to prevent greening, high humidity and adequate ventilation. Storing tubers in plastic bags (or any tightly sealed container) will restrict the movement of fresh air around the tubers and can lead to rot.

Culled from: Wikihow

11/10/2020

POULTRY FARMING: BENEFITS OF FEEDING APPLE CIDER VINEGAR TO CHICKENS

For a while now cider vinegar has been in the news because of all its great properties. The good news is there has been a lot of research into the benefits of feeding it to animals including chickens because it helps keep a bird's immune system that much stronger so they can fend off any nasty diseases and infections that often plague flocks.

Mild Antiseptic and Antibiotic Properties

There are many benefits of adding apple cider vinegar to chicken's drinking water because not only will it help kill off a lot of germs due to its mild antiseptic properties but it is thought that cider vinegar also boasts mild antibiotic properties too. In short, because chickens are prone to bacterial infections adding apple cider vinegar to their water helps prevent this from happening.

It's the acidic nature of apple cider vinegar that's so good for chickens and which is such an effective means to kill off all those germs and bacteria that can sometimes take hold when a bird is weak or unwell.

Full of Vitamins and Minerals

Apart from having antiseptic and antibiotic properties, apple cider vinegar is also full of valuable minerals, vitamins and trace elements. However, you need to buy a product that's been organically produced like this you know there no preservatives, additives and colourings added to the ingredients which could prove harmful to your chickens.

Very Effective at Relieving Stress

Another real benefit of feeding apple cider vinegar to a flock of chickens is that it helps relieve any stress in birds. Stress is a major factor that can seriously affect a bird's immune system and once this is compromised, chickens tend to get very sick and are more at risk of picking up or developing a nasty disease.

Great at Treating Diarrhoea

If any of your birds shows signs of suffering from diarrhoea and you have ruled out the fact they might need worming or have picked up coccidiosis, adding apple cider vinegar to their drinking water will help them get over it with the added bonus that it also kills off any nasty bacteria that often builds up in their drinkers.

When to Use Apple Cider Vinegar

Adding apple cider vinegar to your chicken's drinking water is really beneficial when the following situations occur:

1. If you are moving house and taking your chickens to a new and unfamiliar home which can stress them out
2. Before and when you introduce any new birds into an existing flock
3. If the weather changes which can be a stressful time for chickens. This could be a sudden snow fall or any other sort of extreme weather conditions
4. If your birds have been frightened by something which includes being attacked by a fox, bird of prey, cat or dog
5. If any bird has a compromised immune system due to illness
6. When a bird has suffered some sort of injury
7. If any birds have dirty bottoms due to suffering from diarrhoea
8. It's also a good idea to add apple cider vinegar to your flock's drinking water at least once a month so your birds benefit from all its properties and as a real “pick me up” for them

How to Dilute Apple Cider Vinegar

You need to dilute your apple cider vinegar with fresh, clean water and the ratio should be 2% which translates to 20 ml to every 1 litre of water. The other thing to bear in mind is that because its so acidic, you have to avoid putting it in any galvanised drinkers because it will end up corroding the metal. It is far better to use plastic drinkers when you mix any cider vinegar with your bird's drinking water.

You should keep adding it to your flock's water for 7 days once a month. If you set up a routine of adding it at the beginning of every month, there's less chance of forgetting to do it. If you have any young chicks in your flock, apple cider vinegar can be safely added to their water at a ratio of 5% which equates to 5ml for every 1 litre of fresh, clean water.

Conclusion

Keeping chickens has never as popular as it is today with many more people keeping a few in their back gardens. Taking care of your birds throughout the year, means stocking up on a few essentials which includes treatments and tonics for your birds. Apple cider vinegar is one “must have” product that all poultry keepers should keep in stock because adding it to your chicken's drinking water is so beneficial for their overall health. It is also full of natural goodness which helps keep your bird's immune systems nice and strong, which in turn helps them fight off any nasty diseases and bacterial infections.

11/10/2020

HOW TO GROW FODDER (HYDROPONICALLY)

Hydroponic - its the growing of crops using water media ONLY without soil

Considering the perennial shortage of livestock feed experienced during the dry season, hydroponic fodder systems offers a technology that can achieve good performance with limited resources.

It can cut costs in pig feeds, poultry feeds and cattle feeds.

This technolgy can benefit ranching areas which which get affected by seasonal drought in such regions like Matabeleland and Midlands.

HOW TO GROW

1. The process starts by soaking seeds of barley in nutrient-rich solution.
2. Then the seeds are washed and some culture added to support the roots.
3. The seeds are then put into a plastic tray and covered with newspaper for warmth. The seeds start sprouting after 2 days.
4. Watering is done daily with water mixed with foliar for quick growth.

5. The fodder is ready for feeding after 7 days.

*Hydroponics require simple materials and its relatively cheap! A small farm structure of 5m by 2.5 m feeds 37 pigs, 54 chickens and 3 dairy cows with small extra amount of supplement!

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF HYDROPONIC TECHNOLOGY

Although hydroponic fodder production system has a history spanning over 50 years it is a relatively new fodder production technology in Africa. It is essentially entails the germination of seeds in nutrient rich solutions instead of soil to produce a grass and root combination that is very high in nutrition. Economic and environmental reasons abound why the technology is preferable over the conventional methods of producing fodder. Among the reasons is that:-

1. It requires less water requirements to produce an equivalent amount of biomass. For example it takes 1 to 2 litres of water to produce one kilo of fodder compared to 80 – 90 litres to produce one kilo of green grass. This is a solution to the frequent droughts and the need for expensive irrigation systems.

2. It requires minimal land use compared to fodder grown on fields. Fodder grown on 9m x 6m plot can feed the same number of cattle that graze on 1200 acres of pastures in the field. 250 heads of sheep can be raised on a pen measuring 520m2 .

3. It requires a small area. The lesser area required for fodder production would provide more area for food crops.

4. There is no need for expensive fodder storage facilities because farmers are guaranteed a constant supply of high quality fodder. Unlike hay and silage which loses their nutritive value over time, the quality of hydroponic fodder is always guaranteed. Farmers therefore know exactly the amount to feed and the amount of yield to expect. This makes planning very easy.

5. A very short growth time is required. Although an 8 day growing cycle is recommended, it takes as little as 7 days from germination time to a fully grown plant at a height of 25 – 30cm ready for harvest. For every Kg of seed, 7 – 10 kg of edible fodder is produced. To grow the same amount of fodder in the field will require a minimum of 12 weeks.

6. It requires less labor. As little as one hour per day is required to maintain and produce hydroponic fodder.

7. It is extremely cost effective and financially viable. Estimates have indicated a cost of about 40USD to produce a ton. This cost do not even compare with paddock grown fodder. Studies estimate the cost of fattening an animal using hydroponic fodder at 4 to 8 times less compared to using grain over a 90 – 120 day period. Chances of diseases associated with feeds are reduced by 60 – 75% because the fodder supply is disease free thus enhancing good agricultural practices.

8. The nutritive value is quite high. The protein content is high and is very rich in vitamins such as B-carotene, trace elements and enzymes. It is 90 – 95% digestible compared to grains which at best are 30%. The increase in digestibility results in an increase in the average daily weight gain which is a big advantage to beef and mutton producers. It has been found that a kilo of hydroponic fodder is nutritionally equivalent to 3 kg of lucerne.

9. Diets of hydroponic fodder also help improve milk production and quality. Tests have indicated vast improvement in milk quantity (up to 10%) and butter fat content (14% higher). Farmers have reported a stimulated appetite when animals are fed on the diet. Other studies have demonstrated increased fertility rates, increased egg laying and elimination of cannibalism in poultry.

10. The feed is completely natural. The fodder is produced without the use of any hormones, chemicals fertilizers or synthetic growth stimulants. There are no fungicides or pesticides used that could contaminate the meat or milk.

However, as in all greenhouses, the technology faces challenges brought about by bacteria and fungal growth. Rhizopus, the common bread mould which is present in all cereal grains and in the soils, attacks the grains. If left to flourish it can cause the growth of other unwanted bacteria and fungi that produce toxins dangerous to livestock. Sterilization of seeds to control this menace is therefore paramount.
Based on extensive research the result produced show that one mat of fresh sprouted barley adequately replaces 3kg of concentrates in the diet of dairy cows. The research also shows that there is no detrimental effect in productivity of dairy cows in terms of milk production and body weight.

11/10/2020

The success of any starting business usually comes down one thing.

I have been doing business consulting for over five years now professionally.Alot of what I know today is down to what I studied, what I've gone through myself and what I've seen the many business owners who seek our help go through.That cocktail is the reason for who I am today and where YOUNG TREPS as a business consulting firm is today.

So yes, I've made a lot of mistakes myself many from which I've learned valuable lessons that I've used to help others. Many mistakes that many continue to make every day in their business journey. If you asked me what my biggest mistake was looking back I'd tell you failing to get my priorities right in the start thanks to God I corrected it very fast.

When we started Young Treps about 6 years ago, fresh from quitting my job with a little savings from my molokoni venture I decided to go start my consulting firm. I hire space on one of the premium buildings in town. The rent was about 1M per month and I paid 4 months. I fully furnished the space with nice furnishing. I mean our office had to leave an impression on visiting clients. They were going to come and come in big numbers we had to look the part.

After four months we had to shift to our current address Ham Towers Makerere. In all the four months we were at our first office no one had ever come into our officie even for an inquiry or consultation even when consultations were actually free. I pulled the plug on that move and went back to the drawing board with reality now setting in. I got all the stuff I had in the office and took them home. Went to Ham and rented a shared office with a desk to work from. Truth is this is what I should have done from the start.

The presumption was who doesn't need business consulting services!? They will come running. Reality is they never came, not even dragging their feet. So we lost about 7M in those 4 months thanks to failure to get our priorities right. As you draw your business plan on paper or in your head, ask your self what the priorities are. Get your priorities in order remembering that not every thing that urgent is important and not everything thats important is urgent and here's where most get it wrong and blow up everything.

Always ask yourself what's the bare minimum I need to start making money. You dont have to start with many employees you won't need in the start. Start with very posh offices people wont even be coming to in the near future. It's good to position yourself as a big player or try to fake it till you make it like they say but keep the balance of reality. If it's radio you are starting ask what do I need to get on air? You don't need company cars, posh furniture and 30 staff because the radio station you look to model around has 30 workers.

If you get your priorities right then you have better chances of going all the way to the finish line other wise you'll gas out mid race.

Jaluum Herberts Luwizza is a Speaker,Writer, Columnist with the C.E.O Magazine and Contributor with the Nile Post.He is also a Business Consultant with YOUNG TREP East Africa's No.1 Business Management and Consultancy firm that helps people start and grow profitable businesses.

©jaluwizza 2020

06/10/2020

HOW TO KNOW THE S*X IN CHICKS

Feather Sexing
Feather s*xing a chicken, also referred to as wing s*xing, is another fairly easy and straight-forward way to s*x a chicken. As with venting, to use this method, you must do it when a chick is about a day old. If you wait much longer, its feathers will be well-developed, and you’ll be unable to see differences between males and females.

Female chicks will have wing feathers earlier than male chicks, developing them before hatching. Males, on the other hand, start developing their wing feathers after hatching. This means that wing feathers are going to be much more visible in day-old female chicks than males. However, there’s more to feather s*xing than that.

The wing feathers of day-old male and female chicks look remarkably different. Female chicks have alternating feather lengths on their wings. There will be a long one, followed by a short one, then another long one, and so on and so forth. By contrast, male chicks’ wing feathers will all be the exact same size.
This is a relatively accurate way to s*x a chicken, but as with venting, you have to be very careful. To feather s*x a chicken, you must gently pull out the chick’s wing and spread it carefully. If done too roughly, this can damage the chick’s wing permanently.

~Africa Farm Resource Center

13/08/2020

21/12/2019

Small space? You can grow potatoes in sacks

With land for farming shrinking day by day, thanks to urbanisation, there is need to embrace smart solutions. Growing potatoes is one such creative step that works where space is a challenge.

To grow potatoes in a sack, you do not need a large garden. What one needs are re-usable sacks to grow potatoes everywhere. With this method it is easier to monitor the growth of the crop and produce more harvest of up to 20 kilogrammes from a single plant.

Growing potatoes in sacks is simple, provides good yields with minimum cost and causes less damage to the harvest. The method is not labour-intensive and you do not need a large piece of land to grow potatoes.

Selection of the right planting materials

The first and important step is selection of the right planting materials free from diseases. If possible, dust the potatoes before growing to prevent potato blight.

The plants are grown in a sacks filled with soil up to 25 centimetres. Before growing, the seed potatoes are sprout first in a process called ‘chitting’.

Lay the tubers in a cool dry place with the ‘eyes’ facing up to allow them to produce the shoots before they are planted in the prepared sacks.

As the plant grows, more soil is added until the sack is almost full. The advantage of using the system is that moisture introduced to a plant stays longer.

Also the nutrients applied are not lost to the ground. Controlling diseases is easier because disease causing agents do not move from one sack to another.

More yields can be realised on a very small area as long as potatoes are arranged properly. The method is appropriate for farmers who reside in cities where agricultural land is limited or non-existent.

How to select the sack

The selected sacks must be porous and not coated with plastic. This allows water to drain freely as too much moisture will cause rotting. It is recommended that potash fertiliser should be incorporated for better yields. Do not apply too much nitrogen because this will delay crop maturity. Keep the sacks well-watered.

Control of pests and diseases in potato crops can be achieved using biological, cultural and/or chemical methods. Control is not exclusively dependent on the use of agricultural chemicals and more farmers are gradually appreciating the benefits of an integrated approach, where both chemical and non-chemical treatments are used in an overall control strategy.

Controlling pests and diseases

Thrips are sometimes a problem in potatoes. They are of particular concern in seed crops because certain species are responsible for virus transfer. Risk of virus infection can be reduced through crop management techniques like removing w**ds, planting certified seed and maintaining good crop nutrition.

It’s hard to judge the size of your potato crop from above, so use your hand to feel the area around the root area. Feel for the tubers, pull out those that have reached the size of a hen’s egg, or allow them to grow on to your preference. As soon as the foliage begins to die down, it is also a good indicator that the harvest time is close.

Harvesting potatoes when they mature ensures that they have a protective skin which reduces the risk of infection. Delayed harvesting time increases the risk of exposure to pests and diseases like Rhizoctonia.

At harvesting, handle the tubers carefully during harvest to minimise tuber damage because this could be an entry point for diseases. If tubers were very wet at harvest, place them in a drying tent with circulating warm air. Free moisture on tubers increases the risk of rots and of seed piece breakdown.