Seed houses increase drought tolerant varieties:
THE country’s seed breeders have scaled up efforts to increase production of drought tolerant varieties that guarantee farmers better yields as the rains become erratic.
Seed breeders met in Harare yesterday where they agreed to develop drought resistant varieties of varieties of maize and tobacco that resist severe dry conditions.
This comes at a time when the country is experiencing a dry spell, which has left crops is some areas under severe moisture stress. Seed Co senior group research consultant Dr Ephrame Hazvidi told The Herald Business that more innovative ways were underway to improve short maize varieties to become more resistible to dry spells.
“We have started the top of the range researches at our Kadoma Research Centre where we are taking our new breed varieties to very drought prone Muzarabani to see how they are performing without much rain,” he said. “We can sometimes keep them to very wet areas but subject them to very dry conditions to see how they can survive.
“We are improving SC301 (tsuro), SC419 (tsoko) and SC529 to be more adaptable to these drier conditions.
“Next season we will have more improved short varieties which will resist these dry spells.”
Scientists in Zimbabwe say they have developed new heat and drought-tolerant varieties of maize and will be put on the markets next season.
New seed varieties were developed to combat drought-induced food insecurity that has affected millions in southern Africa two years ago.
Government scientists are also researching faster-maturing and drought-tolerant seed varieties, holding out the hope of much-needed relief for thousands of farmers across the country.
The Scientific and Industrial Research and Development Centre, in partnership with the University of Zimbabwe and Biotechnology Research Institute, has developed a drought-resistant variety of maize (corn) seed called Sirdamaize 113.
Agriseeds sales and marketing director Ivan Craig said seed producers or breeders have to come up with more improved ways of dealing with dry spells.
“We need to come up with innovative ways of producing seeds which have very good adaptability, tolerance and dry spell tolerance,” he said.
“To be honest long season varieties no longer work even under irrigation as water sources are no as high they used to be and boreholes are no longer as prolific as they used to be due to dry spells.
“Even under irrigation you need more time to irrigate, you use more electricity and more you spend more money which means that a farmer is eating up on the bottom line which is not good for agriculture business.
“The bringing in of hybrids will save farmers more money. We have started coming up with up hybrid varieties even for small grains.
“We are also scaling up in the breeding of other crops other than maize as they should be drought tolerant during this time of the year.”