Posted on March, 27, 2023 at 01:56 am
In Buganda the month of March is known as Mugula Nsigo. The name is made up of two words and they may be translated into English as “buyer of seeds”. This is the period when farmers looked for seeds to plant after a period of seedbed preparation. Before the arrival of the white man and his language, the weather patterns in Uganda did not differ so much from the way they are today.
Preparations for first rainy season
Mugula Nsigo came to be known as the month of March and it is the month when the first rainy season begins and when farmers plant crops.
We are in that month now when farmers across the country are getting seeds and preparing for the rainy season.
The big question now is how are farmers going about the preparations --- seedbed preparation, finding the planting materials, water harvesting, mitigating soil erosion, fertiliser selection, among other activities?
Prepare the garden
Before planting seeds, farmers must ensure that the ground where the crops are to be grown is ready for the activity. The condition of the soil matters very much. It should be loose, deep, and free of weeds and large clods. During this period of seedbed preparation the farmer makes the soil ready for easy infiltration of rainfall, soil aeration, and quick germination of seeds. The activities may involve clearing the bush and cultivating the ground with a hand hoe or oxen or a tractor.
Source: The Monitor