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Chemical fertilizer gives the crop a fast, measured dose of nutrients but does nothing to improve the soil, and much of it washes away. Organic fertilizer works more slowly but builds soil structure, water holding and soil life, so the benefit lasts for seasons. On worn-out Nigerian soils, the best results usually come from building the soil with organic fertilizer and using chemical fertilizer only where the crop needs a quick boost.

Biochar fertilizer is a soil improver made from biochar, a porous charcoal produced by heating plant material with little or no oxygen, combined with beneficial soil microbes. The biochar holds water and nutrients in its tiny pores, and the microbes make nitrogen and phosphorus easier for roots to take up. It builds soil health over time rather than giving a single quick feed.

Termites attack crops from below, so by the time maize falls over or yam heaps go hollow, the colony has been feeding for weeks. Protect crops by keeping plants strong and well watered, removing dead plant material termites feed on, and protecting the crop with a termite control product early in the season. Termivet, an organic termicide made from plant extracts, stops termites feeding and breeding.

Fall armyworm is easiest to control while the caterpillars are small, in the first four to five weeks after maize comes up. Walk the field twice a week, spray only when about one plant in five shows fresh damage, aim the spray into the whorl in the early morning or evening, and repeat every 14 days while damage continues. A plant-based insecticide such as Conqueror, mixed at 120 ml per 16-litre knapsack, fits this plan.

Organic pesticides protect crops with naturally derived ingredients that break down quickly and leave minimal residue. Here's how they work, what they do for soil and yield, and how to get started.