adminSamuel Kadungure Senior Farming Reporter
MAIZE is an important cereal in Zimbabwe. It is the staple food of the majority of the population.
For the past three decades, there have been large variations in the production of maize in the country, with the period between 2000 and 2008 being the worst.
The period witnessed a steep decline in maize production volumes and increasing reliance on food aid and imports from neighbouring countries.
Extreme levels of less than a million tonnes were experienced in the 2002 and 2005 droughts, but the worst season of the decade was 2008/09, when the country produced only 0.57million tonnes, down from its 10-year average of 1.6 million tonnes in the previous decade.
Manicaland is synonymous with best yields of maize after Mashonaland provinces.
In Manicaland, maize is grown under divergent climatic, soil and physical conditions.
Unlike in the past, maize is now being cultivated in cool regions like the mountainous Vumba, which traditionally, were known for plantation crops like coffee, tea, bananas, macadamia nuts and potatoes.
And while the greater part of the nations bemoans the negative effect of climate change on their livelihoods, at least for now, those farmers in Vumba can afford a smile as the rise in temperature has made the area ideal for maize production.
The maize plant’s rate of development is mainly determined by temperature. Maize usually grows well under temperatures varying from 21°C to 27°C, although it can tolerate temperatures as high as 35°C.
It requires 50-100mm of rainfall. In areas of lesser rainfall, the crop is irrigated.
Long dry spells are harmful to maize. Sunshine after showers is very useful for maize.
Cool and dry weather helps in ripening of the grain.
One farmer, Mr Itai Katsaurare, is one such successful maize producer in Burma Valley.
He planted 20ha of maize in August under irrigation.
The crop, which is at the tussling stage, is healthy. Part of it will be sold as green mealies, while the rest will be harvested and stored as grain for sale and various projects he intends to undertake at his farm.
He is expecting an average harvest of seven tonnes per hectare.
Mr Katsaurare has another 23ha of maize which is at germinating stage.
He is also into banana farming covering a net area of 16ha.
“We would have liked to plant in August, but we could not due to non-availability of seed on the market. We eventually planted in September after securing seed in Chipinge. We are targeting at least 44ha, but as you can see this 20ha is already tussling,” said Mr Katsaurare.
“We have realised that many people do not grow maize in this area, and this project is an eye opener. We want to motivate people to produce maize so that we are able to feed the nation,” he said casually.
Maize is mainly a rain-fed crop, but Mr Katsaurare, who is also the Mutare Rural District Council councillor of the area, says production at his farm could double with interrupted access to irrigation water.
“My capacity is compromised by water shortages. If we could have water daily for irrigation, our production could actually double. We have water rights wrangle with my neighbour (name withheld) who wants to control all the water we use for irrigation. At times we get switched off, thereby compromising our irrigation circles. We have engaged ZINWA for a permanent solution to this problem,” said the farmer.
“Our pumping capacity was also not up to the desired standards and we are in the process of installing a 100hp pump, and again my neighbour is not happy about the development.”
In light of the high cost of water and the irrigation challenges the farmers are confronting, it is necessary to make every effort to maximize the efficient use of water because more than half of the water received by a stand of maize may evaporate from the soil surface.
When weeds are present water loss can even be greater.
Agritex head for Manicaland, Mr Godfrey Mamhare, said climate change was making maize production a reality in the Burma Valley area.
He said maize was a relatively easy crop to grow.
“The maize plant is cultivated and harvested more easily than most other food crops. It is also less prone to diseases than vegetables in general, and is fairly drought resistant. Normally we expect farmers in Natural Region One to concentrate on plantation crops, but what happens in Vumba is that as a result of climate change, temperatures are now high and maize can do well. Under normal circumstances, you would not expect anyone in Vumba to achieve anything near that with maize. Maize develops much slower during the cooler months than in the hot summer months. You also need to take cognisance of the time they planted, September, the temperatures around that time will be high,” said Mr Mamhare.
He warned the farmer against the maize streak virus.
In infected maize plants, the streak disease initially manifests as minute pale circular spots on the lowest exposed portion of the youngest leaves. The only leaves that develop symptoms are those formed after infection, with older leaves remaining healthy. There is no effective control of this disease, except for carbofuran.
Leaf-blight diseases can attack late plantings, causing total crop failure in severe infestations. Leaf blight may be controlled in some cases by sprays of Captab or copperoxychloride.
Birds can be a serious pest in late plantings and cause great damage.
The general requirement for maize cultivation is as follows:
1. Temperature:
Maize is grown in temperatures between 18°C and 27°C during the day and around 14°C during the night. But the most important factor is the 140 frost-free days. The crop is very susceptible to frost; therefore, its cultivation in temperate latitudes is limited.
2. Rainfall:
Maize is grown mostly in regions having annual rainfall between 60 cm to 110 cm. But it is also grown in areas having rainfall of about 40 cm.
3. Soils:
Maize grows in a wide range of soils, ranging from temperate podzols to the leached red soils. But, the best suitable soil for maize is deep, rich soils, where there is abundant nitrogen.
4. Topography:
The plain regions are most suitable for maize cultivation, because this helps in use of machines. Although maize is also cultivated on undulating lands as well as on lower slopes of the hills, maize is also grown as a major crop of shifting cultivation.
5. Economic Conditions:
Unlike other crops, maize can be cultivated with small capital. Uses of machines have reduced the labour requirements. Most of the maize grown is utilized within the country.
How to achieve maximum efficient use of water
Control weeds rigidly;
Avoid over-irrigation;
Always let the plant be the guiding factor; observe the crop closely and apply water only when it seems necessary —when by mid-morning the leaves appear slightly wilted, it is usually a sign that the crop has to be irrigated.
Use an efficient method of water application
Adequate quantities of fertiliser should be applied.
Control pests and diseases.
Online Reporter