VEGETABLES
Vegetables
Vegetables are a vital part of Zambian diets, providing essential vitamins, minerals, and diversity in household meals. For farmers, they also offer a high-value cash crop with shorter growing cycles compared to cereals and legumes, allowing for multiple harvests within a season.
Afriseedβs vegetable seed range includes resilient varieties of tomatoes, onions, cabbages, and leafy greens that are well adapted to local conditions. These crops not only meet strong demand in urban and rural markets but also provide excellent opportunities for income generation and improved household nutrition.
To get the best results, farmers should prepare well-drained soils, apply organic matter where possible, and ensure timely irrigation during dry periods. With proper care and good seed, vegetable farming can be both profitable and sustainable, supporting livelihoods across Zambia.
VEGETABLES
Production & Variety Guide
01
CARROT
Nantes, Kuroda, Chantenay
2β4 kg/ha
25β50 t/ha
βΌ
| Varieties | Nantes, Kuroda, Chantenay |
| Seed rate/Ha | 2β4 kg |
| Planting depth | 0.5β1 cm |
| Method of sowing | Direct sowing |
| Best time of year | MarβAug; irrigated all year |
| Basal dressing fertilizer | Compound C/NPK 10-15-15: 300β500 kg/ha |
| Top dressing fertilizer | CAN/Urea 100β150 kg/ha |
| Common pests | Carrot fly, aphids, cutworms, nematodes |
| Common diseases | Alternaria leaf blight, Cercospora leaf spot, powdery mildew, Pythium/root rot |
| Yield/Ha | 25β50 tons |
02
CUCUMBER
Poinsett, Marketmore, F1 hybrids
1β2 kg/ha
20β50 t/ha
βΌ
| Varieties | Poinsett, Marketmore, F1 hybrids |
| Seed rate/Ha | 1β2 kg |
| Planting depth | 2β3 cm |
| Method of sowing | Direct sowing |
| Best time of year | SeptβMar; irrigated all year |
| Basal dressing fertilizer | Compound D/NPK 10-20-10: 300β500 kg/ha |
| Top dressing fertilizer | Urea/CAN 100β200 kg/ha |
| Common pests | Aphids, cucumber beetles, whiteflies, mites |
| Common diseases | Downy mildew, powdery mildew, angular leaf spot, Fusarium wilt, damping-off |
| Yield/Ha | 20β50 tons |
03
OKRA
Clemson Spineless, Emerald, local types
5β8 kg/ha
8β15 t/ha
βΌ
| Varieties | Clemson Spineless, Emerald, local types |
| Seed rate/Ha | 5β8 kg |
| Planting depth | 2β3 cm |
| Method of sowing | Direct sowing |
| Best time of year | OctβMar |
| Basal dressing fertilizer | Compound D/NPK 10-20-10: 300β400 kg/ha |
| Top dressing fertilizer | Urea/CAN 100β150 kg/ha |
| Common pests | Aphids, bollworms, whiteflies, mites |
| Common diseases | Powdery mildew, Fusarium wilt, damping-off, Cercospora leaf spot, root rot |
| Yield/Ha | 8β15 tons |
04
WHITE ONION
Granex, Texas Grano, hybrid white types
4β8 kg/ha
25β50 t/ha
βΌ
| Varieties | Granex, Texas Grano, hybrid white types |
| Seed rate/Ha | 4β8 kg |
| Planting depth | 1β2 cm |
| Method of sowing | Nursery/transplant or direct |
| Best time of year | FebβMay |
| Basal dressing fertilizer | Compound C/NPK 10-15-15: 400β550 kg/ha |
| Top dressing fertilizer | CAN/Urea 100β200 kg/ha |
| Common pests | Thrips, onion maggot, cutworms, mites |
| Common diseases | Purple blotch, downy mildew, neck rot, basal rot, bacterial soft rot |
| Yield/Ha | 25β50 tons |
05
AMARANTHUS
Green Amaranth, Red Amaranth, local types
1β2 kg/ha
10β25 t/ha
βΌ
| Varieties | Green Amaranth, Red Amaranth, local types |
| Seed rate/Ha | 1β2 kg |
| Planting depth | 0.5β1 cm |
| Method of sowing | Direct sowing |
| Best time of year | All year with irrigation; rainy season suitable |
| Basal dressing fertilizer | Compound B/NPK 10-20-10: 250β400 kg/ha |
| Top dressing fertilizer | CAN/Urea 100β150 kg/ha |
| Common pests | Aphids, leaf miners, caterpillars, flea beetles |
| Common diseases | Damping-off, Cercospora leaf spot, white rust, root rot, downy mildew |
| Yield/Ha | 10β25 tons |
06
BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Waltham, Atlas F1, Pluto F1
1.5β2.5 kg/ha
15β30 t/ha
βΌ
| Varieties | Waltham, Atlas F1, Pluto F1 |
| Seed rate/Ha | 1.5β2.5 kg |
| Planting depth | 2β3 cm |
| Method of sowing | Direct sowing |
| Best time of year | OctβMar |
| Basal dressing fertilizer | Compound D/NPK 10-20-10: 300β500 kg/ha |
| Top dressing fertilizer | CAN/Urea 100β150 kg/ha + K |
| Common pests | Aphids, squash bugs, fruit flies, mites |
| Common diseases | Powdery mildew, downy mildew, anthracnose, Fusarium wilt, gummy stem blight |
| Yield/Ha | 15β30 tons |
07
CABBAGE
VS209 F1, Star 3301, Copenhagen Market
150β250 g/ha
40β80 t/ha
βΌ
| Varieties | VS209 F1, Star 3301, Copenhagen Market |
| Seed rate/Ha | 150β250 g |
| Planting depth | 0.5β1 cm |
| Method of sowing | Nursery & transplanting |
| Best time of year | All year; cooler months preferred |
| Basal dressing fertilizer | Compound B/NPK 10-20-10: 400β550 kg/ha |
| Top dressing fertilizer | CAN/Urea 150β250 kg/ha, split |
| Common pests | Diamondback moth, aphids, cabbage worms, cutworms |
| Common diseases | Black rot, clubroot, downy mildew, Alternaria leaf spot, bacterial soft rot |
| Yield/Ha | 40β80 tons |