Red heads of sorghum.

The news that the much anticipated rains were “sitting in Tanzania” sounds like a far-fetched joke. But reality is that the long rains may not start any time soon. As it stands, drought or near-drought conditions will persist for the next week, with little or no rainfall expected. A season where we experience unusually long dry spells is not good for crops.

Therefore, the question that follows is, how can local farmers prepare for such a season? Farmers are advised to plant short season varieties rather than long maturing varieties. A shorter maturity variety not only matures quicker, but also requires less rainfall to reach maturity, as compared to a long-season variety.

Farmers are also encouraged to diversify their crops to include drought tolerant small cereal grains like sorghum and millets. These can better withstand drought conditions and will usually yield something under drought conditions, compared to maize. Improved early maturing varieties of millet and sorghum are now available on the market. Farmers should also grow beans, sweet potatoes, and cassava as these will become handy in drought situations.

Prepare the planting area properly. A poorly prepared land will delay crop germination or prevent the seeds from germinating. Therefore, the first strategy is always to make sure the land has been prepared well and that the tilth is smooth and conducive to crop germination. The method of planting also has a bearing on germination. Seeds placed too deep into the soil will find it difficult to germinate.

A season like this calls for precision in everything a farmer does, supervise your operations and ensure they have been done properly. Plant your crop with fertiliser. Most farmers believe in planting maize seed without fertiliser and then come later to incorporate the basal fertiliser. This practice is not recommended because the emerging crop will be weak and more susceptible to harsh weather. The season is characterised with intermittent rainfall and a clever farmer should apply some top dressing fertiliser anytime he or she gets some moisture to supplement nutrients required for growth.

Eradicate weeds in all its form. Weeds compete with crops for moisture and nutrients and the more a farmer delays to remove or control them, the more moisture and nutrients are taken by the weeds. The recommendation is that fields should be weed free, at least for the first eight weeks after germination. Use herbicides to avoid disturbing the soil. The secret of using herbicides is the deliberate knowledge of your weeds, different herbicides act on different weeds. Do not copy others without establishing the type of weeds you want to eliminate.

Conserve the little water on the farm. Do not allow water to run off from the fields, where you want it to irrigate and grow your crops. Ensure all the conservation works are in place. Most lands were last pegged for storm drains and contours long back. The absence of these storm drains and contours will result in heavy rainfall running off the fields, sometimes causing massive erosion. I have seen many farmers who try to put contours when it is already too late and erosion has already set in.

No-till farming

Practice no-tillage farming. Cultivating land involves turning over the first 6 – 10 inches of soil before planting new crops. This practice works surface crop residues, animal manure and weeds deep into the field, blending it into the soil. It also aerates and warms the soil. Sounds like a good thing, right? Unfortunately, in the long run, tilling does more harm than good. Here’s why.

From a soil perspective, the benefits of no-till farming far outnumber those of tillage-based systems. No-till practices allow the soil structure to stay intact and also protect the soil by leaving crop residue on the soil surface. Improved soil structure and soil cover increase the soil’s ability to absorb and infiltrate water, which in turn reduces soil erosion and runoff and prevents pollution from entering nearby water sources.

No-till practices also slow evaporation, which not only means better absorption of rainwater, but it also increases irrigation efficiency. Ultimately leading to higher yields, especially during hot and dry weather. Good luck with the season ahead.  


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