Grains & Cereals· Digitaria exilis

Guía de cultivo de Fonio

Fonio is one of Africa's oldest cultivated cereals, grown across the Sahel and West African savanna regions. It is extremely fast-maturing, drought-tolerant, and thrives on poor sandy soils where other cereals fail. Often called 'hungry rice,' it is a crucial food security crop.

¿Cuánto tarda en crecer Fonio?

Fonio suele estar listo para la cosecha unos 70 días después de la siembra.

Días hasta la cosecha

490

kg/hectárea

low

Necesidades de agua

full sun

Necesidades de sol

Condiciones de cultivo

Temperatura

25-35°C óptima

Precipitación

250-1000 mm/año

Tolerancia a las heladas

none

Tolerancia a la sequía

high

Humedad

Tolerancia low

Tolerancia al calor

high

Requisitos del suelo

Tipo de suelo y pH

Mejores tipos de suelo: sandy, sandy loam, laterite

Rango de pH: 5.5 - 6.5 (óptimo: 6)

Drenaje: good

Necesidades de nutrientes (N-P-K)

Nitrógeno (N)low

Fósforo (P)low

Potasio (K)low

Guía de siembra

Métodos de siembra

broadcasting, direct seeding

Profundidad de siembra

1 cm

Distancia entre plantas

5 cm de separación, 20 cm entre hileras

Temporada de siembra

early summer

Rendimiento y economía

Demanda del mercado

high growth

Rentabilidad

medium

Plagas y enfermedades comunes

Plagas comunes

stem borer
grain-feeding birds

Enfermedades comunes

smut
leaf spot

Usa la detección de enfermedades de cultivos con IA para identificar problemas a tiempo y prevenir pérdidas de cosecha.

Consejos de cultivo

Fonio matures in as few as 60-70 days, making it ideal as a catch crop in short rainy seasons or between other cereals.

Post-harvest processing is the main bottleneck. Invest in mechanical dehullers to reduce the labor-intensive manual husking.

Fonio is well-suited to nutrient-poor, acidic soils and requires minimal inputs, making it ideal for low-cost production systems.

Preguntas frecuentes

How long does Fonio take to grow?

Fonio typically takes 70 days from planting to harvest. Seeds germinate in about 3 days. The best planting season is early summer.

What soil does Fonio need?

Fonio grows best in sandy, sandy loam, laterite soil with a pH of 5.5-6.5. Good drainage is required.

What temperature does Fonio need?

Fonio grows best at 25-35°C. Frost tolerance: none. Heat tolerance: high.

What is the expected yield for Fonio?

The one country with grounded data reports about 490 kg/hectare for Fonio. These are national statistics, not a best-case figure — an individual farm's yield depends on variety, climate, soil and management.