adminBlessing Rwizi
SEED-CO Limited has urged wheat farmers in Manicaland to use the current soil moisture to do land preparations for the winter wheat crop.
According to the company’s winter wheat cropping calendar, Seed-Co is largely targeting commercial and small-holder irrigation farmers across the province.
Wheat is a winter crop that is highly sensitive to moisture deficits, especially during the critical phases of heading, flowering and early grain-fill. This means it has to be grown under uninterrupted irrigation, making the perennial availability of power is an indispensable part of its production.
However, farmers have been encouraged to make use of the current wet spell to prepare their lands since the soil is still soft and farmers have been urged to strongly consider buying the SC Nduna and SC Sky seed since they produce good proteins and high yields, respectively.
Other available seeds are SC Select and SC Serena.
Seed-Co sales Agronomist for Manicaland Province, Mr Dumisani Mapungwana, said some farmers had already started buying the seeds.
“Despite the capital problems that farmers face before selling their maize and tobacco, some have already started buying the seed and preparing their land. This programme has seen a lot of wheat farmers in Manicaland very successful over the recent years. It has resulted in high yields, so the choice of a wheat variety to grow is important since varieties differ in their response to different management cultures and environmental conditions. SC Nduna and SC Sky are the best for most Zimbabwean farmers since they produce high yields and protein,” said Mr Mapungwana.
One of the wheat commercial farmers in Manicaland, Mr Joseph Sanhanga, said the winter wheat cropping programme had been very helpful over the past years as it enabled them to produce high yields.
“I have been a wheat farmer since 1987 and have found them very beneficial last year having grown more than 40 hectares. If it was not because of irrigation water challenges, I wanted to grow wheat on 120 hectares this year, but I am only limited to 40 hectares. However, I will start winter wheat preparations early next month. The rains have been affecting my soya beans harvesting, but I will be starting soon,” said Mr Sanhanga.
He added that he really appreciated the work being done by SeedCo and other research institutions.
“My experience over the years has shown that research helps on the total hectarage. I also conduct seed trials on a hectare with SeedCo and other research institutions.
“When I started I was producing two tonnes per hectare, but now I produce eight to nine tonnes per hectare because of the winter wheat cropping programme,” he said.
Zimbabwe needs about 400 000 tonnes of wheat per annum. In recent years the country has failed to produce half of its annual requirement.
The wheat output for the past years has fallen sharply to an unprecedented level, igniting fears that the cereal’s production was on brink of extinction.
The shortfall in wheat production is due to a plethora of factors, chief among them not enough inputs, especially seed, fertilizers, enough affordable water for irrigation and adequate and affordable electricity to spur irrigation.
Wheat is an important cereal crop that contributes to the diet of the general populace, especially with regards to bread which is eaten as a major part of breakfast.
Online Reporter