It is obvious that the vegetable market has high demand especially in the urban areas....

Table of Contents

PRODUCTION OF GREEN LEAFY VEGETABLES IN NIGERIA

Vegetable production is one of Nigeria’s hidden moneymakers. Vegetable farming is undoubtedly quite lucrative in Nigeria, a nation of over 200 million people from many tribes and ethnicities who all use vegetables to prepare their cuisine as a common denominator. Several Nigerian specialties, like Egusi, Afang, Ogbono, Edikang Ikong, and others, are made with vegetables.

The production of fruits and vegetables constitutes about 30 percent of the Agricultural Production in Nigeria which is the main source of livelihood for 70 percent of the country’s population. Vegetables are crucial components of healthy daily diet. Thus, widely grown in almost every part of the country because of its nutritional qualities, ease of cultivation and all year round demand. The cultivation of vegetable as a business is very lucrative and profitable. There are varieties of vegetables in Nigeria.

Vegetables are rich in minerals and vitamins which nourishes the body. Vegetables also consumed for their medicinal properties. They often have short gestational period often and so have a high rate of turnover and profitability. Less capital and labour requirement also makes vegetable cultivation preferred and widely practiced.

The cultivation methods of vegetables are similar. Vegetable generally may be planted either directly or transplanted.

Amaranthus
Cochorus
Amaranthus
Ugwu
Water leaf (Talinium triangulae)

IMPORTANCE OF VEGETABLES

1. The digestive ability as a result of the high fibre content.

PRODUCTION STATISTICS OF VEGETABLES

Vegetables are one of the cornerstones of human nutrition, vital for a healthy and balanced diet. Thus, harvested global amounts of vegetables are huge – more than one billion metric tons per year.

In Nigeria, the production statistics is not readily available because of the lack of proper recording and monitoring, but it is obvious that the vegetable market has high demand especially in the urban areas.

SOIL REQUIREMENTS FOR VEGETABLE PLANTS

The soil requirement for vegetables is Organic material – All vegetables need a healthy amount of organic material in the soil they grow in. Organic material serves many purposes. Most importantly, it provides many of the nutrients that plants need to grow and thrive. Secondly, organic material “softens” soil and makes it so that the roots can more easily spread through the soil. Organic material also acts like small sponges in the soil and allows the soil in your vegetable to retain water.

Organic material can come from either a compost or well rotted manure, or even a combination of both.

CLIMATIC REQUIREMENT

Cochorus requires an annual temperature ranging from 16 to 25 °C. The optimum temperature is 25 to 32 °C.
Cochorus is specifically sensitive to drought and it can perform well in areas with high rainfall (600 to 2 000 mm)

Medicinal Uses of Nigerian Vegetables

The medicinal uses of the Nigerian vegetables apart from its use as source of food are outlined below:

S/N	Name	Family	Source	Therapeutic uses
1	Amaranthushybridus L.	Amaranthaceae	Cultivated	Tapeworm expellant, relief pulmmaryproblems
2.	Abelmoschusesculentus (L.)Moench	Malvaceae	Cultivated	Improve and increase sperm count
3.	Basella alba L	Basellaceae	Cultivated	Laxative
4.	Celosia argentea L.	Amaranthaceae	Cultivated	Diuretic, cough
5.	Citrullus lanatus(Thunbery) Matsum.Nakai	Cucurbitaceae	Cultivated	Malaria, wound dressing
6.	Corchorus olitoriusL.	Tiliaceae	Cultivated	Laxative, blood purifier
7.	Crassocephalumcrepidioides (Benth.)S.Moore	Compositae	Cultivated/Wild	Indigestion, stomach ache, headache, to stop nose bleeding
8.	Crassocephalumrubens (Juss. Ex.Jacq.) S. Moore	Compositae	Cultivated	Laxative, stomach ache, liver problems
9.	Cucurbita maximaDuch.	Cucurbitaceae	Cultivated	Fever, stomachic
10.	Gnetum africanumWelw.	Gnetaceae	Cultivated	Pile, HBP
11.	Gongronemalatifolium Benth.	Asclepiadaceae	Cultivated	Stomach ache, rubbed on joints of children to make them walk.
12.	Hibiscus cannabinusL.	Malvaceae	Cultivated	Treat Guineaworm sores
13.	Hibiscus sabdariffa L. var. sabdariffa	Malvaceae	Cultivated	HBP
14.	Launea taraxacifolia(Willd.) Amin ex C. Jeffrey	Compositae	Cultivated	Respiratory problems, chest congestion
15.	Lycopersconesculentum Mill.	Solanaceae	Cultivated	Analgesic,embrocation, antibiotic, gonorrhoea, antifungal

Culled from https://www.ethnoleaflets.com/leaflets/ayodele.htm

Amaranthushybridus L. It is used as tapeworm expellant, relief pulmmary problems
Abelmoschusesculentus (L.)Moench Improve and increase sperm count

AMARANTH

Amaranth (Amaranthus spp.) has been cultivated for vegetable (leaves) and grain for more than 2000 years. Native of the America’s, over 400 varieties are now found throughout the world in both temperate and tropical climates. It is consumed as a vegetable in Africa, China, Greece, India, Italy, Nepal, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific Islands.

Amaranth has different cultivars with varying colours, but the mostly commonly consumed in Nigeria is the one with green leaf (light or dark). This vegetable is usually drought tolerant. It is grown both for its seeds and stems (leaves).

NURSERY PRACTICES

The beds to be used for the nursery practices should be made. The heaps made for the planting of vegetables are usually low wide. The major aim of the bed is to soften the land and to also provide easy access into the farm tin other to aid the control practices.

FERTILIZER APPLICATION OR MANURE APPLICATION

Animal dungs can be applied on the beds before planting is done

PLANTING:

Seeds of vegetables are usually very small. Cochorus seeds seems to be the smallest of the common types of vegetable seeds. When planting on beds, the seeds are usually broadcasted on the ground. Although we have different methods of planting including:

Broadcasting: this refers to the method of planting which involves the spraying of seeds without precision on the prepared vegetable bed. The seeds are sometimes mixed with sand before it is broadcasted on the bed. The vegetable grow without uniform spacing.This method is basically used for planting vegetables with tiny seeds or for temporary planting on nursery beds.

Precision planting: this refers to a method of planting in which there are specific inter row and inter row spacing. This means that the distance between each plant on the same row are equal and the distance between each row are also equal and calculated.

HARVESTING: The period within which vegetables grow into maturity differs from each other, Harvesting o amaranth and cochorus can be started from when they are three weeks old. The vegetables harvested at a tender age are more tender and often looks more fresher

MARKET DEMAND

There is every day demand for vegetables in large amount.

FLUTED PUMPKIN (Telfaria occidentalis)

Fluted Pumpkin (Telfaria occidentalis) originated from West Africa and it is widely cultivated in various parts of Southern Nigeria. It is known as Ugu by the Yorubas and Ugwu by the Igbos. Fluted pumpkin can be referred to as a rain-fed crop because it grows best in warm humid although it can also be grown under irrigation.

It is cultivated majorly for its leaves and seeds. Its leaves are highly nutritional while its seeds are rich in oil.

STORAGE

Fluted pumpkin just like other vegetable can be stored in jute bags in a well ventilated environment for a few days.

Start your own Ugwu Farm
In order to start your own ugwu farm, you must understand how all of these activities fit together now that you are aware of the profitability of vegetable growing and the practice of ugwu farming. To discover how to start your own ugwu farm, sign up and join our Home Gardening platform today. When you join, you’ll learn how to get your farm ready for ugwu planting, how to recognize quality ugwu seeds, how to use fertilizer for maximum development, how to harvest ugwu, and much more.

MARKETING

There is preference for fresh succulent leaves in the market and it attracts higher pricing. The marketing strategy to keep it looking fresh is the sprinkling of water on the already harvested shoot (stems and leaves)

Seeds can also be sold, the immature seed is basically used for cooking while the matured seed is basically used as planting seeds.

The ugu leaves protects our hearts and liver from harmful toxins and painkillers like paracetamols. It reduces the risk of heart diseases because it contains a lot of natural anti-inflamatories. As if these are not enough, it also contains lots of phytonutrients which is thought to reduce the risks of breast and stomach cancers.

3. CORCHORUS OLITORIUS L.

The geographical origin of Corchorus olitorius is often considered as Asia and Africa because it occurs in the wild in both continents. It is an erect herb up to two to four m tall with various branches. Its colour is usually green. Its grows very rapidly. Its flowering starts from about about a month

The composition of Corchorus olitorius leaves per 100 g fresh edible portion is: water 80.4 g (74.2–91.1), energy 243 kJ (58 kcal), protein 4.5 g, fat 0.3 g, carbohydrate 12.4 g, fibre 2.0 g, Ca 360 mg, P 122 mg, Fe 7.2 mg, β-carotene 6410 μg, thiamin 0.15 mg, riboflavin 0.53 mg, niacin 1.2 mg, ascorbic acid 80 mg (Leung, W.-T.W., Busson, F. & Jardin, C., 1968).

Water Leaf (TALINIUM TRIANGULAE)

Talinium triangulae is an all year round vegetable that grows naturally all year round. However, the peak season for talinium farming especially in the Southern Nigeria is from October the beginning of the inception of dry season, to April, when the conventional farming season starts.

Talinium grows into maturity within 3 to 4 weeks after planting.

In Conclusion, a well-managed commercial production of vegetables will not only be beneficial to the farmers as a source of income but also contribute to economic development in terms of job creation, export opportunities, progress in agribusiness, and the overall increase in food production.