Asase Gyefo – Love Your Land
Welcome to Safisana’s monthly sustainable farming blog curated by farmer and senior agronomist Daniel Larkai. In this first episode, Daniel Larkai explores the benefits of using cocopeat amended with Asase Gyefo Organic Fertilizer for raising seedlings and container farming.
Raising healthy seedlings is the cornerstone of successful crop production. The choice of growing medium has a significant influence on seedling growth and vigor. In Ghana, small-scale farmers usually use raised or sunken beds to raise their seedlings in their nurseries. The use of potting mix for raising seedlings in seed trays and growing crops in containers became popular due to the surge in home gardening and the establishment of protected cultivation, that is, greenhouse and hydroponic crop production. Yet, since the price of potting mix has escalated so much in recent times, farmers and home gardeners are exploring alternative media that are affordable but effective.
Against this background, the Safisana agronomy team conducted experiments using their premium organic fertilizer, Asase Gyefo, combined with available materials such as sawdust and cocopeat to provide affordable alternative growing media for growers. Cocopeat amended with Asase Gyefo in a ratio of 3:1.5 gave an excellent alternative to the potting mix. It is suitable for both nursery production and container cultivation of crops.
Seedlings are fragile baby plants that are raised and kept under aseptic conditions to ensure very low to no mortality. Even though soil presents a cheaper means of producing seedlings, it does not guarantee seedling success as compared to the use of potting mix or a mix of cocopeat amended with Asase Gyefo Premium Organic Fertilizer. For instance, soil that is infected with pathogens that cause plant diseases like damping-off may lead to a 100% loss of investment.
The use of cocopeat in combination with Asase Gyefo has multiple benefits. It produces media free of pests and infections hence nursery investment is secured. In addition, it provides the right moisture content for the germination of viable seeds. Furthermore, sources of raw materials used for the production of Asase Gyefo Organic Fertilizer and cocopeat or coco coir are always available and abundant. This helps to ensure availability, affordability, and accessibility all year round. Moreover, there is no need for supplementary fertilizers when used in raising seedlings since the Asase Gyefo Organic Fertilizer contains all the macro and micronutrients a seedling will need for proper growth and development.
The combination of cocopeat amended with Asase Gyefo organic fertilizer presents a compelling solution for raising healthy seedlings and the production of healthy and productive plants in containers. By harnessing the benefits of these natural resources, growers can optimize seedling growth, improve crop yields, and promote environmental sustainability at a relatively low cost.
To learn more about Daniel’s background, read the interview in our #WeAreSafisana post.
Check all Asase Gyefo sales points here. For more information about our product, please reach out to our agronomy team via the Contact Page.
