Asked by lovekorfa on August 8, 2016 in Agriculture. 20 suckers won’t be bad for a plot of land but if you are to make provision for expansion as a result of growing more suckers, you may decide to plant just ten.
How many times does plantain produce in a year?
Each grown up plant would produce a minimum of three suckers, and if he could harvest one sucker from each and could sell at N100, the farmer would make additional N150,000. The harvest cycles continue for a minimum of four to six years, or more, depending on land rejuvenation system and farm maintenance practices.
How many years does it take plantain to grow?
Plantains are usually ready for harvest anywhere from 14 to 20 months depending on the climate and other factors. Flowering usually happens within 10-15 months, while an additional 4-8 months is needed for fruit it develop and ripen.
How much do I need to start a plantain farming?
Operating a plantain plantation on 1 acre of land with Farm Right will cost you ₦1,092,368 or $3,036 (exchange rate: ₦360 to $1). This is a very low cost to pay for running a successful plantain plantation without doing the farm work.
What is the spacing for plantain?
The recommended distance between the plantain rows is 3 m or 2 m. It is also possible to leave 2.5 m of a spacing distance. In the case of 2.5 m spacing, 1 hectare should contain 1600 plants. The farmer should align the rows to give plants a needed amount of sunlight.
How long does it take for a plantain tree to bear fruit?
Flowering takes 10-15 months of mild temperatures and yet another 4-8 months to fruit.
How far apart should I plant plantain?
The recommended spacing for planting plantain is 3m between the plantain rows and 2 m within the row (in other words = 3 m x 2 m). An alternative is 2.5 m x 2.5 m. If spaced 3 m x 2 m, 1 hectare should contain 1667 plants, but with a spacing of 2.5 m x 2.5 m, it should contain 1600 plants.
How do you manage plantain plantation?
Prepare the land by clearing the land off bushes, stones, trees and stumps. Note that Plantains do well when they are protected from the sun, so it is better to plant them in clusters where they can protect each other from the sun or leave some of the trees to protect them from excessive sunlight and maintain humidity.
Which soil is good for plantain?
The best type of soil for plantain is loam. Loamy soils are the best producing soils for plantain farming because they contain a large percentage of organic components, compared to the inorganic parts. Organic materials, such as decaying plants and insects, provide soil with air, nutrients and water-retaining matter.
Is plantain farming a profitable business?
In conclusion, plantain farming business is very lucrative and the capital to start a plantain farming is relatively low. The real wealth in plantain farming comes when you can supply plantain during off seasons when the demand for plantain is higher than the supply.
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How do I start a plantain farming business?
- Conduct a feasibility study. …
- Get yourself trained in modern farming. …
- Acquire farmland. …
- Land preparation. …
- Install drip irrigation. …
- Get clean tissue cultured plantain seedlings. …
- Do the planting. …
- Farm management.
Is plantain a cash crop?
Plantain is an important food and cash crop (Nkendah&Akyeampong, 2003; Nwosu&Lawal, 2010) with outstanding and proven medical and industrial relevance (Faturoti, Madukwe, Tenkouano&Agwu, 2007).
What is the best month to plant plantain?
Planting plantain suckers in the month of June will allow the suckers to grow well because this month is the heart of the rainy season. The maturity time of plantain when planted in June will fall in the lean time which will enable the farmer to sell at a high price.
What is the best fertilizer for plantain?
Fruit Tree Spray: This is 100 per cent organic, liquid and made up of chicken manure and/or sewage sludge. It contains a Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium ratio of 5-4-2 to enhance strong root development and more abundant fruit. It is probably the best fertilizer for plantain and relatively easy to use.
How much is a bunch of plantain in Nigeria?
A bunch of plantain will sell for a minimum of N1, 000.
What can be planted together with plantain?
Groundnut, yam, cocoyam and maize are suitable inter-crops although maize effectively delays the plantain harvest by about 2 months. Cassava and cowpea are not suitable, because their yields are reduced under the shade of plantain rows.
How many bunches of plantain are in a tree?
At harvest you will get 2,000 bunches, if you sell at give away price of N800 each, you will have N1. 6Million and 3,000 New Suckers. By 2nd – 3rd year this Plantain Farm may expand to 2 or 3 Acres if seed suckers and proceeds are reinvested.
What climate do plantains grow in?
Plantains require warmth to grow, with growth stopping completely at 50 degrees Fahrenheit. A year-round mild climate is suitable for plantains, though they do best in tropical temperatures and may need protection from the cold.
How many plantain can I plant per hectare?
Establishment of orchards at 1600 plantains per hectare with two suckers maintained per rootstock in subsequent cycles produced consistently good quality marketable fingers and sustained high yield.
How do you transplant a plantain tree?
Remove the suckers when transplanting to create new banana plants. The quick growth of these plants uses up the nutrients in the soil so it needs to be replaced every two to three years. Pull the container off the bottom and check the roots. If the roots fill the container, the banana plant needs to be transplanted.
Is plantain farming profitable in Nigeria?
Plantain can be consumed as a meal itself as in the case of boiled plantain, or it can be consumed as an appetizer as in the case of dodo. It is, therefore, not a surprise that plantain farming is very profitable in Nigeria as the demand is very high.
Which state is the highest producer of plantain?
VariablesBananaPlantainEnergy22% carbohydrate32% carbohydrate
Which country is the highest producer of plantain in West Africa?
It is evident from the Figure 1 that Ghana is the largest producer of plantain in West Africa with about 3.95 million metric tons in 2016 contributing about 13.1% to the agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
How many types of plantain do we have?
Two groups of plantains are thought to have a common origin: the horn plantain and the French plantain. Both types grow in India, Africa, Egypt, and tropical America. The French plantains also occur in Indonesia and the islands of the Pacific.
How do you treat plantain suckers before planting?
Hot water treatment at 50°C of peeled (pared) suckers for 20-25 minutes will effectively reduce nematode and weevil infestation in the plant crop and successive cycles (ratoons) of both plantain and cooking banana (Hauser 2000; Elsen et al. 2004, Hauser 2007).
