Agriculture; improved bananas turns farmer to millionaire.

Agriculture has evolved over the years with improved techniques,seed improvement,genetic modification, biotechnology and precision farming. The advantages of these new techniques include new breed and strains, production within a short time with limited capability ,cost reduction through reduction of labor force and most importantly higher profit. The discovery of planting improved seeds and tissue culture tubers have turned many farmers to millionaires.The production of bananas from tissue cultured tubers is one of such agricultural feats that have added value to banana farming and also more money in the hands of farmers. The health benefits of bananas/ plantain can not be overemphasized and this love can be turned to a business venture ,which is equally rewarding. Bananas/ plantain can be packaged raw and fresh or processed and packaged for sale. The business of frying and packaging plantain as snack is another topic entirely that will be discussed later. A recent interview with a farmer with plantain/banana plantation shed some more light on the planting and nurturing of the fruit.There are various species that can be cultivated, that starts fruiting at about 5 months and new varieties are also available courtesy of bio crops which fruit earlier , grow bigger and tastes better. Thinking of starting a plantation? consider this; The soil type should be virgin with added advantage if it has river-silt deposits. The soil does not have too be too deep,because banana /plantain crops are shallow rooted.The best soil type is loamy drained to 4-6 feet deep is recommended, heavy clay soils are unsuitable. The variety/specie depends on choice of the farmer as well as target market,the new improved varieties and imported varieties have been used extensively in the field. Land preparation entails,clearing the land and fell any tree on site; line and stake out so that the plantation will not be haphazard. Dig holes that should be at least 1 .5 x 1.5 x 1.5.,and note the heavier the soil the larger the planting hole. continue Mary Kiptoo from Sambalat who has diversified into tissue-culture bananas under furrow irrigation as an additional source of money and food.“Banana farming requires low capital and is less labour intensive unlike maize or even vegetables,” she explained, noting that farmers in the region share some of the tissue-culture banana tubers for planting. The mother four has about 1,000 banana tubers in her two acres, which she cultivates alongside finger millet, sorghum and cassava for subsistence use.The bananas grow uniformly and mature within eight months thus facilitating easy harvesting and marketing earning farmers a lot of money. Millionaire

START UP @ BANANA / PLANTAIN PRODUCTION.

The health benefits of bananas/ plantain can not be overemphasized and this love can be turned to a business venture ,which is equally rewarding. Bananas/ plantain can be packaged raw and fresh or processed and packaged for sale. The business of frying and packaging plantain as snack is another topic entirely that will be discussed later. A recent interview with a farmer with plantain/banana plantation shed some more light on the planting and nurturing of the fruit.There are various species that can be cultivated, that starts fruiting at about 5 months and new varieties are also available courtesy of bio crops which fruit earlier , grow bigger and tastes better. Thinking of starting a plantation? consider this; The soil type should be virgin with added advantage if it has river-silt deposits. The soil does not have too be too deep,because banana /plantain crops are shallow rooted.The best soil type is loamy drained to 4-6 feet deep is recommended, heavy clay soils are unsuitable. The variety/specie depends on choice of the farmer as well as target market,the new improved varieties and imported varieties have been used extensively in the field. Land preparation entails,clearing the land and fell any tree on site; line and stake out so that the plantation will not be haphazard. Dig holes that should be at least 1 .5 x 1.5 x 1.5.,and note the heavier the soil the larger the planting hole. Planting usually done by rhizomes or sword suckers.The planting with rhizomes entails,using the fleshy underground part of the plant usually taken from large suckers that have not fruited.These are dug,suckers removed just above the rhizomes and all roots trimmed off. The layer rhizomes may be cut into 2 pieces each for planting one foot deep.This method gives greater yields. Bananas/plantains are sensitive to water shortage,thus keep water available to roots frequently. Application of fertilizer is important for the plantation,although the natural fertility is fully utilized but bananas grow better when sulphate of ammonia applied as top dressing during rains. Remove weeds after planting and cut smaller branches of the felled trees to give the young crops a chance to grow.Its advisable to avoid deep cultivation,which damages the shallow roots.When plants are full grown they will shade the ground and prevent growth of more weeds. Cut branches at maturity and sell-off. The number of suckers determines the yield and quality.The ideal situation is to start with one sucker and when its about half height,start a second sucker.When the second sucker is half-height,start the third and continue. If market is far from farm such as across borders or across states, cut the bunches at maturity before it ripens and store for transport to market. The bunches can be hung up from farm barn roof and then smoked to get uniform ripening. The bananas can also be stored at 68-70 F at humidity of 85%. The bunches can also be put in a pit in the ground and covered with banana leaves and leave for 3 days. plantain lover # banana love # entrepreneur # plantain chips # banana pudding.

HOW TO STOP BLEEDING IN DOGS FROM OVER-TRIMMED NAILS.

Seasoned trimmer or not, cutting too far when trimming a dog’s nails can happen from time to time to any one of us. If you trim your dog’s nails at home, I’m pretty sure you’ve been in this situation before: either the dog’s nails are dark and it’s hard to see how far you can cut, or the dog moves around. Whatever the reason, you simply end up cutting too far and the nail starts to bleed. Throughout the years I’ve tried and tested many ways to stop the bleeding and disinfect the nail, until I came to the most effective, safe, non-toxic, painless solution.No spraying that freaks the dogs out, no toxic aluminum based wound disinfectants, nor alcohol based solutions that cause pain (burning and stinging). This simple aid is most likely within easy reach. It’s a common weed called GREATER PLANTAIN (Plantago major).Plantain (the entire plant) has some strong healing and other medicinal properties and among them is the plant’s amazing ability to stop bleeding.Greater plantain with its typical wide leaves grows abundantly along roads, trails and paths, often in the company of dandelions. You can find it in most garden lawns and in meadows as well. Plantain’s wide, large leaves are what you need.Once you find your nice fresh, clean plantain leaf, wash it with water and crack it in several places to allow the juice from the leaf to touch the wound. It is the juice that contains the most effective substances to stop the bleeding and aid in healing. Clean the nail with a wet cotton cloth and carefully wrap it in the cracked plantain leaf.Make sure the leaf is really touching the wound, but don’t apply too much pressure with your fingers. Hold it in place for a few minutes or for as long as necessary to stop the bleeding.Another wonderful aspect of using plantain on wounds such as the cut from nail trimming is the plant’s soothing, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial ability, making it perfect for healing. culled from Dogsnaturally.