The best time to plant okro in Nigeria is the dry season months of October – February. Planting okro this time will enable the okro farmer to benefit from the usual seasonal rise in the price of okro in October – February.
Planting of okro in the months of October – February is also less stressful for farmers as okro farmers face lesser incidences of fungal diseases in the dry season months of October – February.
The best time to plant okro in Nigeria should be based on factors like temperature, level of rainfall, the availability of irrigation, pests and diseases and availability of labour etc.
The best time to plant okro across the climatic zones of Nigeria
The best time to plant okro across the climatic zones of Nigeria is discussed below:
Mangrove Swamp Forest Zone
The best time to plant okro in the swampy forest zone like Delta and Akwa Ibom State is early November to early March. During this time, the level of rainfall in the mangrove swamp forest zone in Nigeria is low.
Rain Forest Zone
The best time to plant okro in the rain forest zone like Ondo and Osun is late October to early March. During this time, the level of rainfall in the rain forest zone in Nigeria is low. The risk of fungal diseases on okro plants is also low.
Guinean Savannah Zone
The best time to grow okro in the Guinean savannah zone like Kogi and Kwara is late October to early March. During this time, the level of rainfall in the Guinean savannah zone in Nigeria is low. The risk of fungal diseases on okro plants is also low.
Sudan Savannah Zone
The best time to plant okro in the Sudan savannah zone like Niger State and Northern part of Nasarawa is late October to early March. This is due to the lesser incidences of fungal diseases in these months.
Sahel Savannah Zone
The best time to plant okro in the Sahel savannah zone like Yobe state and Borno state is late October to early March. During this time, the level of rainfall in the sahel savannah zone in Nigeria is low. The risk of fungal diseases on okro plants is also low.
Factors that can affect the time to plant okra in Nigeria
The following factors can affect the time to plant okra in Nigeria:
The availability of water
The availability of water can affect the time to plant okro in Nigeria. If you have a drip irrigation system for instance, you can grow your okro plant anytime of the year.
The lack of water supply can restrict you to plant okro only in the rainy season.
Intensity of pests and diseases
The intensity of pests and diseases can also affect the time to plant okro in Nigeria. For example, the risk of fungal diseases in the wet season is usually high; this may discourage okro farmers to plant okro in the wet season.
The risk of viral diseases is also high in the dry season because of the abundance of insects; this can also discourage okra farmers to plant okra in the dry season.
Availability of labour
The availability of labour can also affect the time to plant okro. At a particular time of the year, the availability of labour can be very high while at some other time, labour can be scarce.
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