contents/agriculture/faq_benin.md

## Cotton Questions

**When is the best time to plant cotton in northern Benin?**  
Plant cotton in northern Benin from late May to early June, when the rainy season has established. This timing ensures adequate moisture for germination while giving the crop enough time to mature before the dry season returns.

**How can I control bollworms without using expensive pesticides?**  
Control bollworms naturally by planting trap crops like okra or pigeon peas around your cotton field, encouraging natural predators like ladybugs and wasps, practicing crop rotation, and removing and destroying infested bolls promptly. Apply neem oil spray weekly during flowering and boll formation.

**What spacing should I use between cotton plants for the highest yield?**  
For highest yields, space cotton plants 30-40 cm apart within rows, with 80-100 cm between rows. This spacing allows enough room for plant development while maximizing land use. Adjust slightly based on your soil fertility—use wider spacing in less fertile soils.

**How can I tell if my cotton plants need more fertilizer?**  
Your cotton plants need more fertilizer if leaves are pale yellow (especially older leaves), plants are stunted, flowering and boll formation are reduced, or leaves show purple coloration. Compare your plants with healthy neighboring fields and apply additional fertilizer before flowering stage for best results.

**What are the signs of cotton disease I should watch for this season?**  
Watch for wilting despite adequate water, yellow or brown spots on leaves, unusual leaf curling, dark lesions on stems, premature boll opening, or sticky leaves from insect honeydew. Inspect plants weekly, especially during humid periods when diseases spread quickly.

## Cassava Questions

**How do I prevent cassava mosaic disease?**  
Prevent cassava mosaic disease by planting disease-free stem cuttings from trusted sources, removing and burning infected plants, controlling whitefly populations with yellow sticky traps, maintaining field hygiene, and planting resistant varieties like TME 419 or TMS 30572 available in Benin.

**What cassava variety resists drought best in Benin?**  
The cassava varieties TMS 30572 and TME 419 show excellent drought resistance in Benin. Local variety "Gbeze" also performs well during dry periods. These varieties develop deeper root systems and can maintain reasonable yields even with reduced rainfall patterns.

**How many months until I can harvest my cassava?**  
Most cassava varieties in Benin can be harvested 9-12 months after planting. Early-maturing varieties may be ready in 7-8 months, while some traditional varieties perform best when left for 15-18 months. Leaves can be harvested for consumption after 3-4 months without harming root development.

**Why are my cassava leaves turning yellow?**  
Cassava leaves turn yellow due to nutrient deficiencies (especially nitrogen or zinc), cassava mosaic virus infection, mite infestations, or extended drought. Check for patterns—if all plants show symptoms, it's likely environmental; if scattered, it's probably disease or pests.

**What's the best way to store cassava after harvest?**  
Fresh cassava roots store best when kept in cool, shaded areas after covering with damp soil or sand. For longer storage, process by peeling, cutting, drying in the sun, and storing in dry, clean sacks. Alternatively, make gari or flour within 48 hours of harvest.

## Yams Questions

**How deep should I plant yam seeds?**  
Plant yam setts (seed yams) 10-15 cm deep in well-prepared mounds or ridges. Cover with loose soil to allow for easy sprouting, and ensure the correct orientation with the cut section facing downward and the "head" facing upward for better germination and development.

**What's causing the spots on my yam leaves?**  
Spots on yam leaves are typically caused by yam anthracnose disease (fungal), yam mosaic virus, or insect damage. Anthracnose appears as brown or black lesions with yellow halos, while viral infections create mosaic patterns. Apply fungicides for anthracnose and control aphids for viral diseases.

**When is the right time to stake my yams?**  
Stake your yams when vines reach 30-40 cm in length, usually 4-6 weeks after sprouting. Don't wait until vines start crawling on the ground, as this makes them harder to train and increases disease risk. Use sturdy stakes 2-3 meters tall inserted 30 cm deep into the soil.

**How often should I weed my yam field?**  
Weed your yam field every 2-3 weeks during the first three months after planting, when competition is most critical. After vines establish good ground cover, reduce to monthly weeding. Use shallow hoeing around mounds to avoid damaging yam tubers near the surface.

**Why are my yams smaller than last season?**  
Your yams may be smaller due to poor soil fertility, insufficient mound size, planting low-quality seed yams, inadequate rainfall, pest or disease pressure, or early harvesting. Soil nutrients deplete over time, so rotate crops and add organic matter or fertilizer each season.

## Corn/Maize Questions

**Which maize variety grows fastest in southern Benin?**  
In southern Benin, TZPB-SR and DMR-ESR-Y varieties mature quickly (85-95 days) and adapt well to the region's climate. The EVDT-97 variety also performs well with good drought tolerance and can be harvested in approximately 90 days after planting.

**How can I protect my corn from fall armyworm?**  
Protect corn from fall armyworm by scouting fields twice weekly, crushing egg masses by hand, applying ash or sand in plant whorls, using neem-based sprays, releasing natural predators, planting repellent border crops like beans, and practicing early planting to avoid peak infestation periods.

**What's the best crop to rotate with my corn?**  
Rotate corn with legumes like groundnuts, cowpeas, or soybeans to fix nitrogen in the soil. Sweet potato or cassava are also good options that use different soil nutrients and break pest cycles. Avoid rotating with sorghum or millet as they share similar pests and diseases.

**How can I tell when my corn is ready to harvest?**  
Corn is ready to harvest when husks turn brown and dry, silks darken and dry completely, and kernels become hard and glossy. Press your fingernail into a kernel—if no liquid emerges and it leaves only a slight dent, it's ready. For green maize, harvest when kernels are fully formed but still milky.

**Why are my corn stalks falling over?**  
Corn stalks fall over (lodge) due to weak root systems from poor soil structure, stalk rot diseases, excessive nitrogen fertilizer, high planting density, severe drought followed by heavy rain, or damage from stem borers. Improve drainage, adjust fertilizer application, and select varieties with stronger stalks.