INFLUENCE OF SOIL MANAGEMENT AND SEED SELECTION ON COST OF PRODUCTION

 
SOIL FERTILITY
As a farmer, knowing your soil is one the most important factors to be considered before you engage in serious crop production. Soils will determine your cost of production, quality of the produce as well as yield per unit per area.
To many, soil type comes last in their decision making with only a hand fold testing their soils for fertility as well as pathogen infestation.This has terribly failed many farmers and more so the greenhouse production.A simple yet blind mistake could cost the lifespan of the structure especially where the soils are infested by nematodes or viral, bacterial or fungal diseases.
Before we engage in any form of crop production,we should ask ourselves a few questions like:
• Why are we adding fertilizers in soil?
• What effect will the fertilizer have on our soil?
• Are our soils deficient of the nutrients supplied by the fertilizer?
• Does a foliar fertilizer give similar results as basal fertilizers and how do they compare?
• Are the soils pathogen infested and if so what crop or variety is resistant or tolerant?
Soil testing will give a bigger picture of what you need to do in thatspecific soil for maximum yields as well as reduce the cost of production in the long run.

When integrated with good seeds and varieties and crop pest and disease management,you are 90 percent guaranteed of the best harvest with the last 10% being determined by the environment and market dynamics.
Talking of best seeds, I mean varieties with good yielding capacity,disease free, tolerant to extreme conditions ,disease resistance among other qualities and Clause Vegetable seeds from the famous HM Clause fills that gap with the best seed varieties preferred and accepted by the market.

TOMATO PERSEO F1
Tomato Perseo F1 is currently the leading open field tomato hybrid variety with high resilience to harsh environmental conditions and diseases. With resistances to serious diseases like Verticillium wilt races,Fusarium wilt races,Tomato spoted wilt viruses(TSWV),Tomato yellow leaf curl virus and bacterial speck incorporated with high tolerance to leaf diseases especially early and late blight,you are assured of minimal cost of production on crop protection and maximum yield.This means that,with good crop timing for the market like May-July Market,you are assured of smiling all the way to the bank.

CABBAGE TSAVORITE F1
For the cabbage producers,you are never a forgotten lot as Cabbage Tsavorite F1 comes to your rescue from the dreaded black rot disease and high resistance to fusarium yellow races. The variety has good holding capacity and uniformity in terms of maturity time,colour and round heads. For the new farmer,your recommended plant population isapproximately 30,000-40,000 plants/ hectare.

As I mentioned earlier, you need to understand your soil requirement and this can only be done by testing your soil. Know the nutrients available,know the ph as well as diseases present as this will always influence your cost of production as well as quality and quantity of your harvest.
Talking of soil nutrition, why do we need Calcium Nitrate granular fertilizer in horticultural production?
e.g.

Jubaili Maxi Calcium Nitrate (granular) -horticulture grade.
As explained by our expert Mr. Daniel Mui, a soil nutrition specialist, Calcium Nitrate (granular) has high Calcium content(26%) readily available for crop uptake -advantage over CAN as it gives readily available Calcium and Nitrogen for an immediate crop response. Calcium acts as glue holding together and strengthening cell walls. It is important in horticultural crops as it improves Quality of fruits and produce, Improves the shelf life of harvested produce, Prevents Blossom end rot in tomato, melon, capsicum, tree tomato.

In cabbages, calcium reduces incidences of cabbage splitting and improves the skin finish in tuber crops such as potato. In  Calcium improves the immunity of crops to diseases as well as increasing the brix levels in crops(higher carbohydrates which translate to higher ability to increase yields).