Growing Onions!

Half percent of the red onions in Kenya are imported from our neighboring country, Tanzania, as indicated by Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) 2014 report. Kenyan Farmers have been doing their best to address the demand and close the gap, but there is still more supply to be achieved. This makes the Red Bulb Onion a very attractive commercial investment for the Kenyan market at the moment, since local production is not enough.

Major types of onions farmed in Kenya are bulb onions and spring onions. Bulb onions take 3 to 4 months to reach maturity. Spring onions are easy to plant. You can even plant them at your kitchen garden. They are commonly used in vegetable salads or as seasoning in soups. Some of the health benefits of spring onions include lower blood sugar and decreasing blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Of the two types, bulb onions are more popular than the spring ones due to their long shelf life and sweet taste. Currently, there are two different varieties of bulb onions in the market. There is the small, thin and firmly layered onion that has a strong pungent smell from Tanzania. The second one is the big loosely held variety that is grown locally, in Kenya.

The best areas suited for farming being Karatina, Oloitoktok, Naivasha, Kieni, Emali and Mai Mahiu.

Conditions for Onion Farming

Onions perform well in well drained, fertile, sandy loam, non-compacted soils. The ideal pH is 5.8 to 6.8. Onion farming is a worthy venture since it’s possible to grow onions throughout the year via Drip irrigation. Soil test with accredited laboratories is advised. The ideal temperatures onions need to grow are between 13-35 degrees centigrade. This means that onions can grow in most parts of Kenya. However, to maximize production in dry areas, one needs to invest in a greenhouse and drip irrigation. This is because greenhouses will optimize the temperatures since these areas are hot and irrigation will provide the much needed water.

In terms of requirements, apart from land that is an obvious fact, other requirements are DAP Fertilizer and seedlings. 1 kg of seedlings can be used in 1 acre while 20 grams of DAP Fertilizer is applied per square meter. You should note that there are different seed varieties and they perform differently under different conditions. Common hybrid varieties available in Kenya include Red Creole, Red Pinnoy, Jambar 1 and Red Bombay. The most popular seed variety in Kenya is the Jambar F1 since it produces high yield and the size of its onions are bigger. On our next article we shall be talking about challenges facing Onion growers,


Contact us through sales@dripsol.com

Growing Cabbages with Dripsol

1. GETTING LAND READY.

The first take to any crop growing farmer before planting is doing a soil test and getting the nutrient content right, this is one of the key factors mostly to farmers who intend to grow Cabbages. Soil analysis is often done 'charge free' by your fertilizer supplier or at small fee.  Cabbage can be grown in slightly acidic soil, but it’s always better to try to get as close to a water pH level of 6,5 to 6,8 as possible. If your soil analysis calculates pH on the potassium chloride (KCl) basis, add one point to get the approximate water pH. In other words, a KCl pH of 5,5 would be close to a water pH of 6,5. A pH on the low side is likely to produce a molybdenum deficiency, which makes phosphate less available to the plant. In this case, work very finely ground lime into the soil. Do this well in advance of planting the crop, as the soil takes time to stabilize. Most soils are high in magnesium which should preferably be in balance with calcium. So, like most of our farmers, you will probably need calcite lime. 
If you are in an area with a low level of soil magnesium, you should use dolomite lime
(Kindly consult agronomists or fertilizer adviser on limes). Cattle and poultry manure benefit microbial life and soil structure, and are excellent for stimulating plant growth.

2.HOW TO WORK THE SOIL

After the soil testing, follows the land preparation, the more land is tilled, the faster its structure and organic content breaks down. Rule is to till only as much as necessary to get the job done. Small clods and crumbly soil improve water penetration and be less likely to crust after heavy rain. For the highest yield, space the rows about 60cm apart, leaving the odd row out for the tractor operating the spray rig. This rows can be in form of shallow ridges or on flat ground. We advice use raised beds 1,6m to 1,8m apart (from center to center) if there is a drainage problem; these reduce the chance of standing water damaging the roots. The beds should be angled to remove excess water from the land after heavy rain. Where the soil is well drained, raised beds will reduce yield. This is because the furrows between beds take up too much room, reducing the plant population.

3.IRRIGATION METHOD

Furrow irrigation is suitable where there is sufficient water. Although this method may seem rather primitive, it requires a great deal of skill. Getting the correct fall and distance between feeder furrows to suit the soil type takes experience. Nevertheless, you can get excellent results with lower input costs, that's through modern Drip Irrigation method. The easiest irrigation method, which is very effective and precise, is the Drip irrigation. we welcome all to our trusted company, for designed drip installation. If you are using pipes and sprinklers, opt for the solid set system, where you simply open valves as you need to. All farmers need to cut down on labor as much as possible. 

For customized drip irrigation, don't hesitate to get in touch with us through; +254746300055 / +254738690937 / sales@dripsol.com.     

Integrated approach to address the water challenge
There is no silver bullet—no one answer to addressing the global water challenge. But an integrated approach

using the technologies outlined here and tailored to the local conditions, crops, and farmers can maximize water use efficiency. As a result, farmers will not only produce more food but also become stewards of the land, protecting against rain run-off, soil erosion, water stress on plants, flooding, and desertification of arable land. Desertification, which occurs in arid areas from various factors, including climate variation and human activities, degrades land to the point it can no longer grow crops.

To better manage the competing demands for water, agricultural policies will have to make water efficiency a priority. This will require investment in research to develop innovative water-efficient technologies in addition to drought tolerant seeds, new crop protection products, and optimized irrigation systems for specific crops. But the best and most innovative technology is useless if farmers cannot afford it, see no advantage to it, or do not understand it.Water efficiency measures using existing agricultural technology can sustainable increase net water availability, at a reasonable cost. In comparison, trying to increase water supply often requires energy-intensive measures such as desalination, which are vastly more expensive than the efficiency measures outlined.

Enabling individuals and communities to understand their options for managing water, to choose from these options, and to take responsibility for their choices could positively alter the way the world uses its limited water resources.Therefore, a key component of policy-making will have to include infrastructure for knowledge sharing and access to technology. Governments, NGOs, and public-private partnerships should facilitate implementing technology on the farm where better water management is critical for food production and the environment. This includes access to affordable credit and financial risk-management mechanisms, such as insurance for weather-related crop losses. Already the benefits of this model can be seen in partnerships between developed country governments, international organizations, and private companies which are helping small farms with access to finance, guaranteed markets, technical assistance, and insurance.

Engage us with your drip irrigation plans for food security under drip irrigation system.

sales@dripsol.com
+254746300055
+254738690937

In the past, breeders have slowly improved crop varieties by crossing pairs of plants that exhibit desirable qualities. Now this slow and labor-intensive method is getting a helping hand from molecular biology. Researchers are saving time by examining plant DNA for clues to predict which plant crosses are most likely to be successful in producing a given trait. Genetic modification is another tool used to improve seeds in such a way that they can produce the same or more yield with less water.

Today’s crop protection technologies can also help plants use water more efficiently. Some products have a beneficial effect on root systems, allowing plants to make the most of available water and cope better in dry periods. Plant regulator products are designed to help prevent crop loss when plants grow too tall and collapse. They also provide additional benefits by reducing water needed to grow crops. Other products are specifically designed to protect plants from moderate drought and other stresses by blocking the plant’s response to stress which increases the long-term health of plants and improves farmers’ yields.

Contact us  on +254746300055 / +254738690937 or on Sales@dripsol.com to get a customized drip irrigation

Increasing water efficiency on the farm

Dripsol Company's best option is to implement solutions that have the potential of increasing the efficiency, equity and sustainability of water use. This will require a shift from the focus on pure “land productivity” without concern for water use to “water productivity,” that is, getting the highest yield out of every drop of water used in agriculture. Resource efficient methods and technology will allow farmers to grow more food with less water while protecting biodiversity.
In many parts of the world, mismanagement is depleting freshwater resources—the blue water in rivers, lakes and groundwater stores—which in turn has threatened freshwater biodiversity and permanently changed patterns of water flow. Agriculture utilizes on average 70 percent of the world’s available fresh water. But this is higher in areas such as the Middle East and northern Africa, where up to 90 percent of freshwater withdrawals are used to irrigate crops.

Through Dripsol company modern Drip Irrigation holds the most promise for increasing food productivity and security, provided it is managed efficiently. Steady irrigation combined with optimum delivery of fertilizers, seed care, crop enhancement and crop protection products can make fields more productive, even with a reliable supply of rain and is crucial to maintain productivity in times of drought. More efficient ways to   irrigate land will save tremendous amounts of water. About 40 percent of water used in irrigation is wasted through unsustainable practices such as field flooding. Modern irrigation systems can drastically reduce the amount of water used in farming by efficiently delivering water directly to plants. This reduces the amount of water lost through surface evaporation by 30 to 70 percent depending on crop and weather conditions.

The second part of the equation comes from the rainfall that infiltrates and remains in the soil, called green water. This is the largest fresh water resource and the basis of rain-fed agriculture. While farmers cannot control how much it rains, they can do a lot to retain rain in the soil. All rain-fed agriculture depends on the soil’s capacity to capture rain water. Heavy rain cannot penetrate parched and crusted soil and just runs off the surface.

Even with optimum soil and water management, farmers will still lose crops to drought and heat if they do not have the best seeds and crop protection to carry them through inevitable dry spells.  Researchers have developed new crop varieties which are more water efficient and tolerant to heat and drought through advances in breeding and biotechnology. Modest measures like conservation tillage practices that improve soil structure by avoiding plowing, mulching to prevent evaporation, and small-scale water harvesting can increase rain water infiltration by as much as 2-3 fold. However, the yields from irrigated farms are often higher than from solely rain-fed agriculture. Thus, farmers must integrate a combination of rain-fed and irrigated agricultural methods to optimize the yields of crops for the water used.

Water scarcity has a critical Impact on Food security!

Of the vast amount of water that covers the blue earth, 2.5 percent is fresh water, and only about a third of this resource can be economically available for human use. That is a mere teaspoon in a full bathtub when compared to the total amount of water on earth. Now think about the competing demands on this finite resource—drinking, hygiene, agriculture, energy, and industry in a world of 9 billion people by 2030. It quickly becomes clear that without better water management strategies today, the world is headed for a crisis that will affect every aspect of life.

Already, 80 countries suffer from water shortages that threaten health and economies while 40 percent of the world—more than 2 billion people—does not have access to clean water or sanitation . In some countries access to public water tanks is allowed only once every 45 days, often resulting in rural conflicts over water. Though the effects of water shortage are more severe in the developing world, the United States and Europe haven’t escaped unscathed.

Roughly, a liter of water is required to produce every calorie, so an adequate daily diet requires more than 2,000 liters of water to produce enough food for one person. Of this, 40 percent on global average can come from irrigated agriculture. New factors such as increasing world population and improved affluence will further strain water resources. In addition, the uncertain effects of climate change on drought, floods, and agricultural productivity will exacerbate the situation.The public usually associates water shortages with a lack of drinking water. But global water scarcity has a critical impact on food security. Water is the biggest limiting factor in the world’s ability to feed a growing population and the link between food, energy, climate, economic growth, and human security challenges.

If we continue to apply current water management practices, by 2030 the global agricultural sector will need to double the amount of water used to feed the world With finite freshwater resources on the one hand, and increasing demand, both in quantity and variety of uses, on the other, the need for water resources protection and management has never been greater. The question is how do we meet this challenge without increasing fresh water withdrawal to feed the world? Stay alert with Dripsol Company  as we discuss about water in the Farm in the next Article. Get ion touch with us through sales@dripsol.com / info@Dripsol.com / +254(0)746-300055 / +254(0)738-690937.  

                converting to drips.

Converting a conventional spray system to drip can provide a quick return on investment in terms of dollars and drips. Plus, it is the responsible thing to do.  There are a few important concepts you have to keep in mind when converting an existing irrigation system to a drip irrigation system. First, calculate the amount of water you will be using with your new system. You can do this by counting the number of emitters and multiply by the volume of water each is rated at. Convert this number into G.P.M. (Gallons Per Minute); most emitters are rated in G.P.H. (Gallons Per Hour) so divide the number you get above by sixty. For Example: number of emitter’s × flow rate ÷ 60. This will give you the flow of your drip system; now compare this value to the minimum flow your valve will function at. Remote control valves need a certain volume of water to seat themselves so check with the manufacturer. Now that you have checked your valve, select a filter that has the correct screen size for the drip emitters you will be using. It is common to find a pre assembled “Control Zone” that takes care of the filter and the valve. However, it is still important to do your hydraulic calculations; this will help you select the proper control zone. Make sure that you have enough water pressure at the end of the line, this is necessary for the emitter’s to work properly. Most Drip Irrigation manufactures have this data readily available. For most pressure compensated emitters you need a minimum of 10 PSI at the end of the line. After you have pressure tested and flushed your system, it is time to install the emitters. It is a very good idea to use a hole punch that is matched to your emitters. Obviously, a hole that is too large will leak, a hole too small will make installation difficult. It would be smart to check with the manufacture to get specific installation instructions; this will help you install the product more efficiently and save you from any headaches that may occur.

Get in Touch with us on sales@dripsol.com  contacts: +254746300055 / +254738690937