Planting crops is a huge opportunity that is lost due to lack of
knowledge, many times people only go for animal husbandry and neglect
agriculture. When we asked them the reason for this, what we got was that we don't
know the right kind of crops to plant, especially when the rainy season is when
many farmers do business.
The Types of Crops to Plant During Rainy Season are; Okra, Watermelon,
Cassava, Maize, Groundnut, Rice, Yam, Millet, Tomato, Pepper etc.
Many people have empty land which degrades the land while they use the
land for good and profit.
There are others who already have what they are doing on the land they
got from the cow week, but still have enough space to do a lot of things. While
some farmers earn money by growing crops, others do not due to lack of
knowledge.
The rainy season here is between April and October every year. we have
asked many times what crops should we plant when the rainy season is coming? we answered this question offline, but realized that many people still need this
information to get started.
In this article, we will take you through the different types of crops you
can plant during the rainy season.
List of Types of Crops to Plant During Rainy Season
1. Okra
2. Watermelon
3. Cassava
4. Maize
5. Groundnut
6. Rice
7. Yam
8. Millet
9. Tomato
10. Pepper
• Okra
Okra is a popular vegetable that grows during the rainy season in
Nigeria. It is rich in vitamins and minerals and is used to prepare various
Nigerian dishes such as okra soup and stew. Okra can be planted between April
and July when there is plenty of rain. It requires good soil preparation,
adequate water, and weed control for successful growth.
• Watermelon
Cashew is a fruit that grows during the rainy season in Nigeria. It is
rich in vitamins and minerals, and is used in various fruit juices and salads.
Weeding can be done between April and May when there is heavy rain. It requires
good soil preparation, weed control and adequate water to grow well.
• Cassava
The first crop to plant in the rainy season is cassava. Cassava is also known as Maniot esculenta, it is the third most common carbohydrate food after rice and maize (corn). Potatoes are a staple food in many developing countries, including Nigeria, and save the lives of billions of people. 10 Types of Crops to Plant During Rainy Season
Planting cassava
is not as difficult as other types of crops, all you need to do is plant the
seeds and water occasionally. There are different methods when it comes to
planting cassava, each of which is accompanied by its color as a symbol for
easy identification for a novice in the trade.
The unprocessed root that will be planted is brown, when it starts to
produce leaves, it turns green which means it is growing well. As soon as the
leaf starts to turn yellow, it means it is ready for harvesting.
If you are in Nigeria, cassava is planted in early April, although it can
be extended until October. To plant cassava successfully, it should be done
early in the morning and/or during the afternoon.
This is usually done to prevent the sun from affecting the stem when
planting. Harvesting takes place after six months of planting.
Cassava can be used for many purposes after harvest. It can be made into
starch, and the flowers can be used as a source of income for anyone who does
not want to arrange it.
Some of the most common diseases affecting cassava are but not limited to
arthrolysis, bacterial wilt, bacterial rot, brown leaf spot, rust, pythium root
rot, etc.
• Maize
Another type of crop that can be grown during the rainy season is maize. Cereals are also known because corn is a solid food, like rice and cassava, which can provide a variety of food for humans and livestock after processing.
Maize (Zea mays) is an American domesticated crop with an annual production of
over one billion tons as of 2013. Maize plants have a male and female
reproductive system. For anyone who wants to grow maize in Nigeria, maize is
planted early in March/April (if you are in the south) and May/June (if you are
in the North). back in July/August every year.
Unlike Cassava, within 3 to 4 months, your corn is ready for harvest.
When it comes to common diseases that affect corn, bacterial diseases include
bacterial leaf spot, holcus spot, chocolate spot, bacterial leaf spot, etc.,
while fungal diseases can include black rot, Borde Blanco, brown spots, rot and
fast dirt.
If you want to know how to start a corn farm, I have an article that
walks you through a stress-free process.
• Groundnut
Another rainy season crop you can grow is groundnuts. It is one of the
few crops that can be grown in remote environments. In Nigeria, grasses are in
high demand across the country due to their high nutritional value and good
source of edible (cooking) oil from the seeds.
When choosing a place to grow peanuts, you must make sure that the soil
is sandy or you choose loamy soil. For good fruiting, peanut plants must be
acidic and thrive at a pH of 6 to 7.
Like corn, the harvest time for groundnut is 4 to 5 months from the date
it is planted. One good reason to plant groundnut if you are planning to get
into horticulture is that it can be planted twice in one farming season.
For proper cultivation, groundnut grows well in the northern states of
Nigeria, and the states where the groundnut is found are Adamawa, Bauchi,
Borno, Kano, Katsina, etc. Some of the finished peanut products are not limited
to cooking oil, milk, peanut soup, boiled or roasted peanuts, etc.
Common diseases affecting groundnut include, but are not limited to,
bacterial wilt, botrytis blight, neck rot, black rot, etc.
• Rice
One of the three crops is rice. Nigeria is one of the largest producers
of rice in the world, the third producer in Africa after Madagascar and Egypt,
and the first in West Africa. According to Wikipedia, rice is the third most
produced agricultural product in the world (741.6 million tons) after sugarcane
(1.9 billion metric tons) and corn (1 billion metric tons).
Rice is a monocotyledonous plant and is the fruit of the plant Oryza
sativa. Before technology came to farmers in the area who did not have access
to irrigation, rice was planted by flooding the fields before or after
irrigation.
Rice is planted around April / May if you are in the North, and June /
July if you are in the South, it can be brought from August depending on your
situation. The most common diseases of rice are grain rot, foot rot, gloss
bacteria, black horse, brown spot, etc.
• Yam
Next on the list of crops during the rainy season is ji. Yam is one of the most popular crops in West Africa with over 70% of the world's tuber production coming from this region.
Yam is usually planted between February and April
while harvesting starts from October to December (i.e. 180 to 270 days after
planting). Every year, it is celebrated in some parts of Nigeria to celebrate
the arrival of the new year.
At the time of writing this article, the tuber is going for #3,500 ($7.5) in Nigeria which makes it difficult for people to buy it in the market.
One of
the most common diseases affecting ji is anthracnose which is associated with
storage. Other diseases and insects that affect are yam mosaic, dry rot, scale
insects, etc.
• Millet
The last crop that can be grown in the rainy season is millet. Asia and Africa are said to be the most productive continents. Millet is a tropical crop that requires high temperature (20◦c and 30◦c) and humidity around 40 to 60 cm for best growth.
It is a very versatile, small-seeded plant that grows as a
grain for livestock and human consumption. In 2016, global millet production
was about 28 million tons. One of the most widely grown millet in the world is
pearl millet. Other types of millet are golden millet, common millet, finger
millet, etc.
If you are based in Nigeria for example, millet is grown in the North
because of the climate. Millet is planted in June and harvested in September
and October.
The most common diseases affecting millet are, but not limited to, Egrot,
Rust, Pearl Millet, Smut, etc.
• Tomato
Tomato is a vegetable that grows during the rainy season in Nigeria. It
is used in various Nigerian dishes such as stew, rice jollof and spaghetti. Can
be beaten between April and can when the fall. This requires a good
preparation, perfect humidity and hard to grow well.
• Pepper
Pepper is a vegetable that thrives during the rainy season in Nigeria. It
is used in making various Nigerian dishes such as pepper soup, stew and jollof
rice. Peppers can be planted between April and May when there is heavy rain. It
requires good soil preparation, adequate water, and weed control for successful
growth.
Tips for Land Preparation
To ensure that these crops grow well during the rainy season, farmers need to prepare their soil properly.
The first step is to get rid of all unwanted weeds and grass.
The second step is to plow the soil to loosen the soil and make it easier to plant.
The third step is to grind the bottom to break the coating and make the surface smooth. 10 Types of Crops to Plant During Rainy Season
The fourth step is to apply
organic or inorganic fertilizers to the soil to provide the nutrients the crops
need.
Final Thought
Finally, the rainy season in Nigeria gives farmers a good opportunity to
plant and harvest a variety of crops. Maize, rice, okra, melon, tomato, pepper
and cassava are among the best crops grown during the rainy season. However, to
ensure a successful harvest, farmers need to prepare their land properly,
control weeds, and provide the crops with adequate nutrients.
By following these tips, farmers can increase their production and
increase their profits. We hope that this article is informative and helpful to
those who want to grow crops during the rainy season in Nigeria. Besides the
10 crops mentioned above, other crops can be grown during the rainy season.
There are many reasons why your crops may not grow well, but with the
right instructions, you can grow good crops and make a lot of money from them.
If you have space in your farm, you can try and not go into farming alone.
There are opportunities in agriculture and you should not be left out.
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