Zambia Agribusiness Society

In order to make money in farming, one needs to time their planting. Target your planting to times when you see low supply of the product on the market; this way, the market price will be high. For example, seasons like winter are difficult for growing crops due to dropping soil temperatures and reduced soil activities. Another challenging season is the rainy season, where many diseases and insects emerge, necessitating frequent spraying, leading to higher production costs. However, successful cultivation during these times can result in significant returns. Below is a simple cabbage production guide. Land Preparation: The land should be well-cultivated six weeks before planting. If there is a history of nematodes, apply a nematicide provided by Agricrop during transplanting. In damp areas, plant cabbage on raised beds or ridges 15cm high. Variety Selection: It is more cost-effective to grow your seedlings, but if time is limited, seedlings can be purchased from dealers. Opt fo

When you grow your cabbage successfully, you’re guaranteed of a bumper harvest. What’s more is the fact that you can plant cabbages throughout the year. All you need is enough land to rotate your crops as well as disease and pest control and you can enjoy non-stop harvests. Types of Cabbages: There are several varieties of cabbage varieties available varying in size and taste. The larger varieties take a little longer to mature while the smaller varieties usually mature faster. The most common in Zambia is the green cabbage, followed by red cabbage. Not so common are savoy types (curly cabbage) which are tolerant to cold conditions and have deep-wrinkled dark green-leaves. Below are some common cabbages planted according to the time they take to mature: 1.     Golden acer (green cabbage) matures in 65 days and Red express matures in 63 days. These are called early cabbages . Baby cabbages takes approximately 71 days to grow and are called mid-season cabbages . 2.     Red c

We often get questions from people who want to grow cabbages but do not know where to start. On this post we try to elaborate some key factors and steps to follow that we think would be of great help to any farmer. At the end of the article leave us a comment to let us know if you found this helpful and suggest topics you would want us to discuss. We would love to hear from you. Climatic Conditions Cabbage is a cool season crop. The optimum temperature range for cabbage production is 15 to 20°C. Above 25°C growth stops. The minimum temperature is 0°C (freezing), but cold hardened plants can tolerate temperatures as low as -10°C. Young plants less than six millimetres in diameter can tolerate both colder and warmer temperatures than older plants. These young plants are said to be in the juvenile phase of growth. Plants which have matured past the juvenile phase will flower if temperatures are less than 10°C for five to six weeks. Cabbage Nursery A cabbage nursery bed is sup

When you grow cabbages, you are guaranteed a bumper harvest. What is more interesting is that you can plant cabbages throughout the year. All you need is enough land to rotate your crops , as well as control diseases and pest and you can enjoy nonstop harvest. Types of Cabbages: There are several cabbage varieties available varying in size and taste. The large varieties takes a little longer to mature. While the smaller varieties mature faster. The most common in Zambia is the green cabbage , followed by the red cabbage . Not so common are suvoy types (curly cabbages) which are tolerant to cold conditions and have deep wrinkled dark green leaves. Below are some common cabbages planted according to the time they mature: Golden Acer (green cabbage) matures in 65 days and red express matures in 63 days. These are called early cabbages. Baby cabbage takes approximately 71 days to grow and are called mid-season cabbages. Red cabbage which looks like the red acer takes 75 days

Cabbages grow better in a cool environment and are easy to plant, easy to care for and harvest. 1. Land Preparation: Crop rotation should be observed for cabbage farming as the crop uses too many nutrients from the soil in a single growing season. The land, which should have access to plenty of sun and be well drained, must be prepared well in advance - preferably some weeks before planting the seedlings. Land should be nutrient rich and well tilled to a depth of at least six inches. Loosen soil in the planting bed and mix in a two inch layer of compost along with a standard application of a balanced organic fertilizer or manure . 2. Seed Selection and Seedlings: Select the best variety of seed - many new cabbage farmers fail at this stage. The seedling process is the most important part of cabbage growing. If starting with seeds, start 7 weeks or so before the last expected frost. Transplant the seedlings when they are 4 to 6 weeks old. During transplantation of cabbage

Cabbage is vulnerable to several pests and diseases. All can be controlled to a greater or lesser extent, but in some cases the only solution is to plant a resistant variety. 1. Cabbage worms, Cabbage loopers Affected Area : Leaf Description : Loopers are caterpillars that are generally green or greyish, taking on the colour of the host plant. They may blend well and be difficult to see. They eventually develop into white- or yellow-winged butterflies often seen fluttering about the plants. Caterpillars feed on the underside of leaves leaving ragged holes sometimes to the extent that plants starve and die. Control : Spray with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Comercially available as Dipel or Thuricide.) 2. Cutworms Affected Area : Stem Description : Plants chewed off just above ground level. Cutworms are caterpillars 1 1/2″ long and mottled or striped green, brown or grey. When they are disturbed, they roll up in a coil. They usually position themselves at the moisture line i