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Fildah Gwati
AS farmers grapple with the unpredictability of seasons and the impact of the current El Niño phenomenon, ultra-early maturing varieties have emerged as one of the possible routes out of the dilemma leading to bumper or decent harvests.
This aligns with the Government’s growing calls for farmers to practise climate smart agriculture, which has also seen seed breeders developing ultra or very early maturing crop varieties to cope with the changing climate to improve yields.
A post on X formerly twitter post by leading seed house, Seed Co Limited, has encouraged farmers to choose early, very early or ultra-early maturing varieties in order to reap big with the little rains expected.
It cited the example of one ultra-early maturing variety of sugar beans that reaches physiological maturity in between 85 and 90 days, which is suitable for low and medium rainfall areas, or for late planting in high rainfall areas.
The Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) board chairman Mr Ivan Craig said:
“Farmers should select appropriate varieties based on their agro-ecological regions to maximise yields.”
He recommended farmers in marginal and medium rainfall areas to plant ultra-early maturing maize varieties saying they needed to choose options with high adaptability and drought tolerance to ensure optimal performance.
“We hope that if ultra-early maturing maize varieties are planted in marginal areas, they should be in a position to mature within the window period but in high potential to medium potential areas, if we get prolonged rainfall the ultra-early maturing may get a challenge of cob rot if the rains exceed the time frame they are expected to begin and end thereby reducing yield and quality,” he added.
He advised farmers in marginal areas to also embrace millets, sorghum, sunflower and other crops, which have good adaptability and are drought tolerant. Farmers can diversify their income streams and mitigate the risks associated with relying solely on a single crop, he further observed.
“By selecting the appropriate maturing varieties and diversifying crop choices, farmers can mitigate the risks associated with uncertain rainfall patterns and increase their chances of achieving a successful and bountiful harvest,” Mr Craig added.
Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) economist Mrs Nyasha Taderera chipped in urging farmers to embrace the ultra-early maturing varieties, which adapt to the changing climatic conditions and enhance agricultural productivity.
“I urge farmers to adopt the new traits of seed varieties under the ultra-early maturing bracket that are drought tolerant and mature early. This can be a solution to the problems faced by farmers in crop production and helps increase yields, food and nutrition security.
Online Reporter