Ugandan farmers learn improved cotton cultivation methods

Working closely with farmers returning from the internally displaced peoples’ camps in formerly war-torn northern Uganda, an agronomist from Dunavant Uganda and others training farmers on how to improve cotton yields.

Denis Kaijabahoire, the agronomist, says there are five requirements to increase yields of Bukalasa Pedigree Alber cotton.

The first is identifying the site to plant the cotton, followed by ploughing. The site should then be left for one to two months to increase soil fertility.

The farmer should also observe proper spacing in relation to soil fertility. Fertile soils need wide spacing of 90 by 60 inches, while infertile soils need a spacing of 75 by 35 inches.

Kaijabahoire recommends two to three seeds per hole with a depth of 1.5 inches. “Previously, the majority of farmers sowed cotton using the broadcast method. This made it hard to weed the crop due to lack of space,” he says. Kaijabahoire says some ignorant farmers put 10 to 20 seeds in one hole.

The seeds have to be planted in straight lines, guided by a rope. The holes are covered with fine soils, not a lump, to be able to germinate in six days. The farmers should also carry out thinning after two to three weeks, leaving two seedlings per hole. Weeds left in the field affect crop performance by competing for nutrients. When farmers delay weeding they lose 2% of the yields a day.

The farmer should also plant in time. In northern Uganda, the planting season begins in mid-May and ends in mid-July. Rains are a factor to consider when sowing.

The farmers should also control pests and diseases. The most common pest in cotton is the boll worm. Failure to spray in time makes the farmer lose 30 to 60% yield, depending on the level of infestation.

Cotton takes between 90 to 182 days to mature. Harvesting starts in November and ends in February. During this period, a farmer makes three pickings a week.

When nourished well, the normal cotton boll weighs between three to five grammes. A cotton plant is supposed to have an average of 30 to 60 bolls.

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