Contest Alert | Crop Selection and Cultivation

Hello friends from home and abroad, warm regards to everyone; I'm Anthony from Nigeria, and it's a pleasure to have you on my blog; I'm engaging in this week's amazing Contest titled: "Contest Alert | Crop Selection and Cultivation" organized by @muhammad-ahmad.

Before I proceed, I would like to thank @muhammad-ahmed, the organizer, and the #Steem-Agro community, especially for the privilege of participating.

---

◉ What factors should be considered when selecting a crop to cultivate ?

Whenever you are selecting a crop for cultivation, you are expected to consider the following factors below.

Source
Copyright image, not mine.

Climate.

The climate and weather conditions in the farmland are important factors to consider when cultivating crops. Good weather is very essential because it brings a good harvest, but whenever the weather is bad, which is usually drought, it can cause a low yield of crop growth.

Soil type and pH.

The soil type matters a lot because various crops need different types of soil for growth; some crops are clay soil plants, and others sandy soil as well as loamy soil. The soil pH is also considered for the high yield of crops.

Water.

The amount of water that plants require is determined by the kind of climate, season, and type of crop. Making use of irrigation can enable farmers to have the ability to make crops in large quantities.

Nutrients.

Crops of different varieties require different nutrients to survive, and yam requires nitrogen to grow well. Make sure you consider the nutrient content of the soil whenever you are cultivating crops.

---

◉ Explain the difference between monoculture and polyculture farming ?

Here are the differences between monoculture and polyculture:

1. Monoculture is a process by which a crop is grown on a piece of land. Monoculture is therefore referred to as breeding a single species of animals on the farm. While polyculture is an act in which crops are grown on the same land.

2. Polyculture prevents the process of crop failure while monoculture does not reduce the risk of crop failure due to the single cultivation of crop.

3. Polyculture helps to generate income for several crops and livestock. While monoculture produces less income because only one crop is cultivated.

---

◉ What are some traditional and modern methods used to enhance crop yield ?

Weed management.

We can manage and control weeds in our farmland by biological, traditional, chemical, cultural, and mechanical methods. These are used to ensure that weeds don't compete with crops for nutrients.

Crop rotation.

Crop rotation is the act of cultivating different crops on the same piece of land year after year for the preservation of soil fertility.

Water Conservation.

This is a traditional method that has to do with harvesting rainfall; this helps to increase agricultural production in arid and semi-arid regions.

I have come to the end of this interesting dynamic...
Thanks for stopping by my post!!!

---

I would like to invite @chigoziee, @aspiya, @saintpaul17, and @ninapenda to participate in this contest. Ciao 👋🏽