I won’t lie, when I first stepped onto this land, I knew this farm was going to teach me more than any textbook ever could. Welcome back, Hivers 👋🏽, to this ongoing series where I’m sharing my real experience managing a 10-plot watermelon farm in Southwest Nigeria. In this post, I’m taking you back to the very beginning: the state of the land when I arrived, what had already been done before I resumed, and how agricultural theory met real-life challenges during land preparation.
The environment itself reflected a familiar forest-zone setting typical of Southwest Nigeria. Palm trees, cocoa trees, and mango trees framed the area, while layers of fallen leaves covered the soil surface, slowly breaking down over time. On the surface, it looked promising. In practical agricultural terms, soils formed under forest vegetation often benefit from accumulated organic matter, better structure, and active soil life, qualities that can support crops like watermelon when properly managed.
By the time I resumed my role as farm manager and junior agricultural consultant, however, the land had already been heavily cleared. Trees were felled, bushes removed, and in some sections, the topsoil had been disturbed. While clearing is a necessary step in commercial farming, especially to allow vehicle movement, proper plot demarcation, and infrastructure development, it also comes with trade-offs. In theory, land preparation for watermelon production emphasizes vegetation removal while preserving the topsoil, as this layer holds most of the nutrients and microorganisms responsible for early plant establishment. Once it is disrupted, soil fertility does not disappear, but it becomes more fragile and less forgiving.
One of the first major concerns I encountered was water. In Southwest Nigeria, successful watermelon production is closely tied to water access, particularly during vine expansion and fruit development. Ideally, land selected for commercial watermelon farming should be close to a reliable water source or have a well-planned irrigation system in place from the start. This land was not naturally close to any stream or river. When I arrived, efforts had already begun to address this through the construction of wells and a borehole.
Three locations had been identified for hand-dug wells. Only one had been properly dug and lined, but even that turned out to be poorly sited. The water level was low, the water quality was poor, and when a ring broke and fell into the well, it became clear that the location was unsuitable. From experience and technical understanding, this pointed to insufficient depth and inadequate groundwater assessment, issues that are common when well construction is done without proper evaluation of the water table. The remaining well sites were abandoned midway, partly due to shallow digging and partly due to labour challenges.
At that point, the borehole became the only dependable source of water. However, it was originally designed to serve the greenhouse units, not the open field. It pumped water into two large tanks and relied entirely on a generator because there was no electricity on the farm. In theory, irrigation planning should be integrated into land preparation, especially when drip irrigation is intended. In reality, I had to work within a system that was already constrained by fuel costs and limited pumping capacity.
Land preparation itself had been carried out using tractors fitted with appropriate implements. Thick bushes and weeds were cleared, tree stumps removed, and sections of the soil turned. Mechanized land clearing is standard practice in commercial agriculture because it speeds up operations and reduces labour demands. The land was mapped, fencing commenced to define boundaries, and farm infrastructure began to take shape. A farmhouse was constructed near the entrance, with two greenhouses positioned beside it. The borehole was placed behind the farmhouse, and all pumping controls were housed inside a control room. These decisions aligned well with long-term farm planning principles.
The open-field section allocated for watermelon cultivation lay opposite the greenhouse structures. Soil conditions across the field were uneven. Some areas were friable and workable, while others were compacted and hard. Weed regrowth was rapid in certain plots, which is typical of forest-derived soils once the canopy is removed and dormant weed seeds are exposed.
Ridging was done across the field, but not uniformly. From a technical standpoint, ridges play a critical role in watermelon production, especially on heavier soils common in this region. They improve drainage, enhance root aeration, and support better vine development. Uniform ridging is also essential for effective drip irrigation, as uneven ridges lead to irregular water distribution. On this field, ridge inconsistency quickly became a challenge. Some ridges were too high, others too low, and some areas were left flat altogether. Correcting this required slowing down and reworking what had already been done. The field was carefully measured and pegged again, and extra hands were brought in to ensure that the layout for drip tapes, main lines, and tank positioning was accurate. This step was critical. Drip irrigation systems demand precision, and any error in land preparation directly affects water delivery and crop performance.
In theory, land preparation for commercial watermelon farming focuses on uniformity, drainage, soil health, and water access. In practice, this farm required adaptation. The principles remained the same, but their application had to fit within existing limitations. This stage of the project reinforced a lesson that only real fieldwork can teach: successful farming is not about perfect conditions, but about understanding the science well enough to make sound decisions when conditions are less than ideal.
See you guys in the next post.
Bye for now