Application For Teaching Team|| Steemit Learning challenge Season 21 || Team_Agro

Hello!
This is another moment for our team to make our application post for Learning Challenge Season 21. The previous season was impactful and we seek a consolidation of this path to our teaming students. I will be sharing our teaching team application post on "Team-Agro" and also hopeful that we are given the job to serve in the same capacity. For your anchors in this path of agricultural wealth of knowledge are; @mainuna and @xkool24 in the team.

Canva design

Agriculture is the backbone of most economic mainstay of most countries, the foundation of human civilization, and the industrialization we have today through the use of raw materials and the provision of food for better living. It is a collective word that entails the cultivation of crops, livestock management, and the management of natural resources for other productive activities. Looking back, we can attest that agriculture has mutated significantly, with technological advancement and sustainable practices all improved upon.

Get to know us as we present our CVs to you

@Mainuna

My username on steemit is @mainuna. Joined Steemit in 2021. I try to stay active with my agriculture-based posts on Steemit from time to time. I completed my studies in agriculture a few years ago. Because after passing the 10th standard, you have to study agriculture for 4 years. I am a farmer and a proud one for that matter.

I am currently employed in an agricultural company as an agronomist where I have continued to do what I know best. The life of a farmer is promising no matter how it is viewed. I have been involved in various agricultural projects during my four years of study, one of which was seedling production by tissue culture method. This is a method, most of us would want to know more about. Very amazing!!! I have visited and handled several projects and just this week, I was at a bean farm to ascertain its yield performance and potential pest and disease prevalence.

There is also an ongoing project work on robotics for agriculture and research on growing crops at the right scale. Another agricultural project I have been working on for quite some time is the proper use of C14. I am also working as a supervisor for several projects, namely Black Rice Project, Orange Farming, and Dragon Farming.

For my position on Steemit, I am employed as a moderator in #Steem-Entrepreneurs, where I have continued to moderate several Agricultural contest topics and also actively support the Steem-agro community for high agricultural performance.

@Xkool24

This is me with steemit username @xkool24 from Nigeria. I joined the Steemit platform in November 2020, and it has been quite an interesting journey for me because it has been an awesome journey all along. I have achieved many things, and among them is helping build the country's community to its enviable position where it is barely on an auto-run acceleration and as well in the Steem-Agro community, a hub of agricultural activities in steemit.

I am an Agricultural Economist with a decade of experience in telecommunication business and retail sales. Before joining a career path with the telecommunication industry, I participated in several Agricultural projects, such as snail production, farm practice, and yield growth, appraisals of poultry farmers' access to micro-credits, etc. As policymakers, we are always keen on agri-based developments to formulate policy poised to promote agricultural sustainability, food security, and overall sector growth.

Steemit is part of my daily life, I am always active both in the role of administrator/moderator sponsoring contests and other activities or in the role of user participating in contests and dynamics of different communities. Thanks to this, I have managed to boost my account and am currently getting close to getting my third dolphin, which motivates me to continue working with commitment and discipline. I may not be over-ambitious but determined to work hard, be inclusive in my approach, and be ready to serve rightly.

I was a member of the greeters team a few years ago, which was a very interesting experience for me. An experience with the responsibility of training, guiding, and reviewing these newbies in the ecosystem, especially from member countries. I'm also an admin in @steem4nigeria community, the largest community of Nigerians on Steem Blockchain, and also an admin in #Steem-agro, a hub of all agricultural activities.

Statistics in a View

Username	@mainuna	@xkool24
Club	5050	5050
Reputation	72.330	74.537
Steem Power	7,050.95	11,907.00
Country	Bangladesh	Nigeria
Role	MOD in Steem Entrepreneurs	Admin in Steem4Nigeria, Steem-Agro
Languages	English, Bangla, Hindi	English, Ibo, Pigin

We already have a six-week pack of agricultural topics lined up for our teaching, but for this application, we will be presenting to you just three out of these six topics.

Week One Topic

Soil Preparation and Analysis

Soil preparation and analysis is one important part of crop cultivation and production. It is all about how best we can manage the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil to achieve optimal crop yield. This could be achieved through combined activities of tillage, fertilization, and irrigation. Whereas soil analysis proceeds with soil preparation that enables us to determine the texture and structure, pH level, and nutrients for a conclusive assertive process.

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These two agro-practices allow agronomists and farmers to make informed decisions during seed election and fertilizer application. An effective and efficient soil analysis and preparation would form the bedrock of sustainable agriculture and food security. Students would be taught on how best to carry our soil preparation and analysis for efficient and effective crop performance and sustainability.

Homework for Students

1. What do we understand by soil preparation and analysis, and what objective and impact does it have on crop growth

2. Briefly explain the method of soil analysis and what information do we extract from our findings.

3. List three commonly grown crops in your region with their pH level range; how does this pH level affect nutrient availability?

4. How do soil texture and structure affect water soil retention and infiltration and how can this be enhanced for optimal crop performance?

5. How does deficiency of the soil's major nutrient (NPK) impact crop performance?

Week Two Topic

Seed selection & Application of Organic agro-materials

For one to build formidable and sustainable agricultural production, seed selection should be rightly done. This is a process that requires that we give preference to seedlings that are pest and disease-resistant, tolerant to climate variations, and high-yielding in performance. This should be correctly done as it has a direct impact on our farm input and the survival rate of our farm crops. On the other hand, the application of organic materials (such as fertilizers & pesticides) are natural way of improving our farm soil fertility, reducing environmental impacts from synthetic chemicals, and being of good standing with ecology. Students would be tutored on the importance of seed selection, its advantages, and the need to identify and promote organic materials.

Homework for Students

1. What factors do a farmer need to consider during seed selection; and how do they affect crop performance?

2. Which is your best seed type (a) Hybrid/Improved (b) Open Pollinated (c) GMO? How does it impact crop performance, reduce pest attacks, and withstand climatic stress?

3. What is the importance of seed selection during farming?

4. What benefits do we derive from the use of organic fertilizers and pesticides?

5. Clearly state the difference between organic and inorganic fertilizers and pesticides.

Week Three Topic

Irrigation Systems, Crop Collection & Storage

Irrigation systems have been an age-long farm activity that has improved sustainability in the system. It could be sprinklers, drip, or flood Irrigation systems, all are tailored toward the use of water relative to plant performance. We cannot remove the importance of this given its relative in cubbing waste, reducing incidences of crop water stress, and promoting all-year-round planting time (food security).

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On the other hand, Crop collection such as mechanical harvesting and hand picking helps farmers curb unnecessary yield losses and the cost of labor during execution. Available methods tailored towards reducing losses have been farmers' rides. However, storing these collected crops becomes a problem in some cases. We will be showing students some of the best storage methods for achieving agriculture sustainability and food security.

Homework for Students

1. What are the available irrigation methods in your region and how are they applied on the farm?

2. List two different irrigation methods you know, and state their advantages and disadvantages. References are directed to their water efficiency, labor need, type of crop, and yield.

3. How do you maximize and optimize the use of mechanical collection methods to reduce losses and reduce the cost of labor?

4. In storing our crops, what best practices can we employ to maintain quality and shelf life of farm produce especially perishable crops

These weekly topics are subject to change, given the participation and feedback. There are arrays of topics in view, yet untapped but all friendly for assimilation and participation.

We hope to be given this job as we warmly tender this piece as our application post therein.

Kind Regards
@xkool24
For: Team-Agro