Dry Season Farming : Very Profitable.

In the bid to make good profit this dry season.

As new generation farmers we can't afford to practice agriculture the way our fathers did so we need to be proactive and look out for opportunities. We must recognize that agriculture is a very risky business.

Irrigation is a means of reducing some of the risk in agriculture, and is necessary for vegetables and crops production especially now that it's dry season.

The secret/hope is that additional revenue from improved quality and yields will not only pay for the costs of purchasing and operating the irrigation system, but also will result in greater profits.



Choosing correct system for your particular situation or farm is crucial, based on our research the best and most affordable provided you have a reliable source of water is (Spray tube system).



The first costs of buying and installing the system should be considered as well as the continuing costs for pumping, operation, labor and maintenance of this system and discovered that it's the best with mind blowing results on all types of vegetables and crop especially plantain.

Irrigation is the artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall.

Additionally, irrigation also has a few other uses in crop production, which include protecting plants against frost, suppressing weed growth in grain fields and preventing soil consolidation.

In contrast, agriculture that relies only on direct rainfall is referred to as rain-fed or dryland farming.

Why irrigate your farm?

The reasons for irrigation are wide, varied and differ for each situation.

For example irrigation;
1. Provides greater certainty with production than is possible with dryland farming.


2. Provides options for diversification or intensification.

3. Allows farmers to grow more vegetables, crops, pasture and increase livestock production.

4. Allows farmers to maintain quality over a critical dry period.

5. Ensures crops are not affected by moisture stress at critical growing times.

6. Provides greater opportunity to gain vegetables/ crops response to fertiliser application faster.

Although irrigation has many benefits, whether to irrigate or not is generally an economic decision.


For irrigation to be sustainable, the benefits must increase income sufficiently to cover the costs of development and provide an acceptable return on investment.

Suitable for dry season crops and vegetables such as:
Plantain.
Pineapple.
Watermelon.
Cabbage.
Okra.
Banana.
Cocoa.
Oil Palm.
Vegetables.
Pawpaw.
Bean.
Tomatoes.
Wheat.
Potatoes.
Yam.
Spring Onions.
Lettuce
fruit trees....etc.

Now let's roll

Dry Season Farming  
During the dry season when there is
limited rain coupled with the lack of available water sources we notice exorbitant prices of many farm products and even some doing out of stock. Due to the unpredictability of rain as the reason for poor crop yield and food shortages. This is often common during the dry season when the average rainfall is below 60mm.


One of the best ways of guaranteeing food security in any nation is to ensure the availability of food all year round meeting this demand is by dry season farming.

Also, the unwavering increase in importation of food products shows that there’s still a need for an increased number of dry season farmers. Most big time farmers like Dangote, Obasanjo and Buhari  is involved in this proactive farming practice so what are we waiting for.

If this is a common practice, it will improve food availability and ensure better pricing all year long.
We can use it to cultivate crops like cotton, rice, tomatoes, vegetables and maize.
This practice will also reduce the country’s reliance on importation as a way of ensuring food security. Also, dry season farmers can contribute significantly to the country’s GDP through food exportation. For instance, rice is a crop that is cultivated in the country yet a major portion of the rice consumed in the country is imported from China and Taiwan. However, the production of rice can be increased by several million of tonnes through dry season farming.
Do you know that we have given out thousands of acres of farmland to India and Indonesia here in Nigeria? Abeokuta to be precise. They will farm here produce there and sell to us.

Nigerians let's wake up. I know it will cost us extra but let's not be penny wise, pound foolish. People are coming to our country to make use if opportunities we abandoned because we want to be sure there's money in it.


Planning for dry season farming
Dry season farming, can be capital intensive as a result of the irrigation technology which is what ensures a successful farming system.
It is good to thoroughly plan strategies before going into this and performing  series of surveys to determine the best way to do this.
This is not time to be stingy, commercial farming involves spending money to realise money. Invite your consultants to help you on this.
The land would be surveyed to plan borehole drilling and irrigation. Then the soil tested to know that the crop being cultivated will generate reasonable profit for the farmer.

Land Preparation:
This is slightly different from regular farming. The land is prepared by clearing as well as smoothing and grading of the land. After tilling the soil, fertilizer can be added to the water coming from the irrigation source.

Irrigation:
Usually, the irrigation facilities are constructed in the form of canals, dams, bore holes or water reservoirs. Then, the water can then be run across ridges. The water supply can also be run on crop or tree rows.

First, a geophysical survey for a suitable ground water will have to carried out to determine the depth and otherwise of the fresh water aquifer, before actually knowing the best location for the borehole.


The correct irrigation schedule and technique is essential for optimal crop yield. Using the right irrigation schedule that is tailored to the type of crop being cultivated is very important.

Ideally, the proper irrigation practice should improve growth and crop yield. Improve microbial activity and help nitrification process, help improve the quality of the land being used and also regulate the temperature of the soil.

The most popular methods of irrigation are drip irrigation and rain gun irrigation. The drip system is good for tomatoes and vegetables. On the other hand, crops like rice and millet thrive well with the rain gun irrigation.

Generally, the rain gun system doesn’t require labour and time. Also, it saves water and it doesn’t lead to water logging and salinization. This promotes germination of seeds and increases crop yield.

On the other hand, drip irrigation which is also known as trickle is based on the application of water through point sources. Fertilizers can also be applied through this method of irrigation. This process is called fertigation.


However, drip irrigation has some advantages and drawbacks. One advantage of this system is when nitrogenous fertilizers are applied. This addition of nitrogen could lead to an uneven distribution of the ammonium ions in the soil causing nitrification and creating uneven distribution of nutrients in the soil. However, the problem can be solved through nitrogen fertigation alongside the drip irrigation which helps to improve nutrient distribution in the soil.

Planting:
In dry season farming, planting should be done early in the morning or in the evening. Also, the right plant distance and spacing should be followed. This is essential to prevent competition among the crops. After planting, the plants should be watered daily or as required. As stated earlier the system of irrigation can either be drip irrigation or rain gun system.

Final Thoughts

One of the major drawbacks of dry season farming is that it is capital intensive and may require government support to be successful especially when the crop is cultivated at a large scale. This is as

 a result of the cost of the irrigation facilities. Additionally, salinization and water logging of the soil can occur during dry season farming.

Overall, when starting the process of dry season farming, it is important you contact a professional prior to installing your irrigation system. This is because an improperly installed irrigation system can lead to uneven distribution of water and fertilizer over the land area adversely affecting your yield.