Irrigation
A solar plant monitored in western Senegal lost 0,34 % of its output per day of soiling, and up to 0,49 % per day at
October 6, 2026
Food crops such as maize, cassava, plantain and sweet potato feed most households across West and Central Africa and remain a solid market for commercial growers. The guides in this category cover maize farming from land preparation to harvest, cassava farming with healthy cuttings and good spacing, and the practices that raise yields on staple crops: improved varieties, balanced fertilization, weed control and timely planting with the rains.
A solar plant monitored in western Senegal lost 0,34 % of its output per day of soiling, and up to 0,49 % per day at
10,000 cassava cuttings per hectare on poor soil, 12,500 on average soil, 15,625 on fertile soil. Cutting length and node count, choosing clean planting material,
Maize is grown in 7 stages: soil, sowing, basal fertiliser, weeding, urea top-dressing, fall armyworm control and harvest. Yields of 1 to 8 t/ha by management.
What cassava flour is, how it is produced, how to bake with it, and how long it lasts: storage, shelf life and the signs it has gone off after opening.
How long sweet potatoes take to mature, how to prepare slips, spacing, watering and curing after harvest, with timings for tropical growing seasons.
In Cameroon, potatoes are planted in February and March in humid regions and in April and May in Sahelian zones, above 1,200 m. MINADER varieties,
Control fall armyworm in maize with a four-pillar IPM plan: prevention, pheromone traps, FAO thresholds, Bt and neem, then rotated insecticides as last resort.
AgriBiosol is a foliar NPK fertiliser with trace elements: mode of action, 3-spray protocol (V6, VT, R3), dosage and field results on maize in Cameroon.
Complete 2026 guide to cassava farming in Africa: CNRA crop management sequence, yields of 20 to 30 t/ha, costs of 580K to 1M FCFA/ha, processing
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The main food crops in Africa are cereals such as maize, sorghum, millet and rice, root and tuber crops such as cassava, yam, sweet potato and potato, and plantain and cooking bananas. Legumes such as groundnut, cowpea and beans are also staples and add protein to diets. The mix varies by zone: roots and plantain dominate humid forest areas, while cereals dominate the drier savanna and Sahel.
Choose well-drained land with loose soil and clear it of weeds. Select a variety suited to your market, whether for fresh roots, gari or flour, and source healthy stem cuttings free of mosaic disease from mature plants. Plant cuttings at the start of the rains, keep the field weeded during the first three months, and apply fertilizer or compost according to soil fertility.
Plant maize at the onset of the rainy season, once the rains are established and the soil is moist to a good depth, so the crop has water during flowering and grain filling. Planting too early risks a dry spell after emergence, while late planting raises pest pressure and can expose the crop to drought at the end of the season. With irrigation, maize can be grown in the dry season.