adminAgriculture Reporter
FARMERS producing crops under the Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme must pay attention to all tenets of the concept making sure mulching is included, as it is vital for trapping moisture thereby smothering the harsh effects of dry weather.
This will help them boost food security even during a bad season while giving momentum to the country’s push towards the attainment of an upper-middle-income economy status, as envisaged in Vision 2030.
Pfumvudza/Intwasa is a sustainable way of crop production intensification in which farmers concentrate resources and expend energy on small pieces of land resulting in higher productivity from low investment.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development chief director responsible for Agriculture Advisory Services Professor Obert Jiri emphasised the fundamentality of mulching in conservation agriculture.
“Of all the tenets of Pfumvudza, which include holing out or minimum soil disturbance, timing and crop rotation, mulching is key in ensuring the success of the practice. It has the impact of conserving moisture, which allows the translocation of nutrients from the soil to the crop, a process that requires adequate soil moisture.
“However, the importance of mulching is often underestimated. We have heard of veld fires using dead grass as fuel that have been reported across the country in the past few weeks. The fire unfortunately destroys the very source of mulch, which should be taken into our fields to make sure that come the first rains we conserve moisture,” observed Prof Jiri.
He added that mulching would also improve fertility of soil.
“With time, the mulch will decompose, hence the creation of humus and organic matter, which are important in the in health of our soil. That kind of soil is able to sustain production because it is rich in nutrients and creates a conducive environment for micro-organisms to thrive. In all the aspects of a heath soil, which includes good structure, good water holding capacity and good infiltration capacity, the role of mulching must not be understated,” he said.
Acting deputy director Training and Information in the department of Agritex Mrs Nester Gumbo urged farmers not to throw cigarette stubs everywhere or use fire during hunting to conserve grass – the very source of mulch.
Meanwhile, Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme is set to benefit 3,5 million farmers in communal,
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