As the population continue to increase, the demand for food and animal feed also increases. Unfortunately, population increase is inversely proportional to land size. This, therefore, calls for increased production per unit of land size.
Unfortunately, land size is constant, and intensive farming is the only solution.
Maize is the leading staple food in Kenya, and if most small-scale farmers can manage to increase their production to optimal, then food security won’t be an issue. The main aim was to find out the maximum output per unit area. The experiment was carried out on a quarter of an acre. The trio was carried out between April-August 2020
1. Land Preparation
The land was ploughed manually during the first week of March, enabling the weeds to die before the long rains. The second wedding was done during the last week of March, the start of the long rains.
Read also: Farming Tomatoes In Bacterial Wilt Affected Greenhouse
2. Planting and Management
Planting
Done on the first week of April
Spacing -60cm*25cm
No. of seeds per pit– 2 (maize) 2(beans)
Seed rate– 4kg maize, 4kg beans
Variety –Hybrid Seed Maize H520, Rosecocco
Planting Fertilizer– 50kg NPK-Yara (Applied below the seed)
After 28 days
First wedding
Scouting for fowl armyworm
Spraying against fowl armyworm and early (insecticide-Thunder OD145) and late bright for beans (Fungicide-Score 250EC )
Top dressing (Urea & DAP 1:1)
After 42 days
Second Wedding
Scouting for stock borer (insecticide-Belt 480SC)
After 56 days, top dress with CAN 50 kg
Harvesting
At 100th day
Beans were harvested-30 kg
After 120th day
Harvesting and shelling of maize 12 kg
Sun drying & storage
Celebration for bumper harvest
Cost Analysis
Task Cost (Kshs)
Labour
Ploughing =Kshs 2,000.00
Planting =Kshs 1,600.00
Weeding =Kshs 4,000.00
Fertilizer application =Kshs 500.00
Seeds
Maize 4 Kg =Kshs 800.00
Beans 4 Kg =Kshs 400.00
Fertilizers
NPK 50 Kg =Kshs 2,800.00
UREA 25 Kg =Kshs 1,500.00
DAP 25 Kg =Ksh 1,500.00
CAN 50 Kg =Kshs 3,000.00
Chemical
Belt 12ml =Kshs 450.00
Thunder 30ml =Kshs 450.00
Score 100ml =Kshs 400.00
Storage bags 12 pcs = Kshs 1,200.00
Transport =Kshs 1,000.00
Total Cost = Kshs 21,600.00
Cost per 90 kg bag Kshs 21,600.00/12 bags = Kshs 1,800.00
Cost of producing 1 kg of maize = Kshs 1,800.00/90kg = Kshs 20.00
Selling Price @ Kshs 2,700.00
Total Revenue =12 bags * Kshs 2,700.00 = Kshs 32,400.00
Total Profit = Kshs 32,400.00-21,600.00 = Kshs 10,800.00
Profit per 90 kg bag = Kshs 10,800.00/12 bags = Kshs 900.00
Profit per Kg = Kshs 900.00/90 kg = Kshs 10.00
Its now possible that one can harvest more than 42 bags in an acre.
What is the largest number of bags have you ever harvested in a quarter of an acre? How much profit per kg did you ever make?
Make changes on the cost