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Samuel Kadungure
COMMUNAL grain producers need to heed agronomic advice and grow certified early maturing maize varieties in arid and semi-arid areas whose weather patterns of late had become unpredictable with highly erratic and low rainfall due to the El Nino phenomenon.
Late rains that affected most parts of Zimbabwe and the Southern Africa region last year have subdued the overall food security situation in the region. Agricultural experts fear that food security situation in Zimbabwe could continue declining in the 2016/17 season as a result of poor rains, dry spells in some areas and floods in others.
As such, farmers in dry regions need to adopt a paradigm shift and embrace the new seed varieties which mature early and yield better harvests than past trends where they grew wrong seeds for their areas and ended up struggling to meet the increasing food demand.
The farmer’s inability to muster more than a marginal living after receiving minimal rains has another important effect — it enhances the inability of rural economies to contribute to national gains in economic welfare and could help lift them out of poverty.
The unbearable and unfavourable climatic changes — occasioned by El Nino — in Zimbabwe and Africa at large has seen Seed Co, a local leading seed manufacturer coming up with newer varieties that can withstand the worst vagaries of weather.
Addressing farmers gathered at an inter-district field day in Honde Valley recently, Seed Co sales agronomist for Manicaland, Mr Dumisani Mapungwana, said while climate change had become a huge challenge to farmers, threatening household food security, Seed Co had produced better yielding and drought resistant seed maize varieties.
He said the new range of maize varieties would counter effects of the consistent droughts being experienced in the country.
He said Seed Co introduced an ultra early maturing hybrid seed SC 301 for farmers in extremely hot areas.
“Our breeders have developed a new drought- tolerant variety that meets and exceeds the expectations of farmers who are reeling under the impact of climate change.
“We have introduced a new seed type, the SC301 which is both ultra early and drought tolerant. It has capacity to produce between seven and 16 tonnes per hectare.
This is the Seed Co solution to climate change crop stresses which is the shortening of seasons, heat, drought and diseases,” he said.
SC301 matures after 60 days, making it ideal for areas which have erratic rainfall.
SC301 trials showed that the crop could mature in two-and-half months in some areas and in others it took two months.
In the early maturity range, SC529 remains the highest yielder in the 500 series. Furthermore, the new additions to the six-series include the SC627, SC633, SC637 and SC643 which have excellent drought tolerance and widely adaptable.
The SC643 exhibits good nitrogen use efficiency. The late maturing varieties include SC719 and SC727.
“These seeds are already at the door steps of every farmer and at affordable prices. We have enough stocks to meet the farmers’ needs,” said Mr Mapungwana.
Online Reporter