Farmers told to adopt hybrid cotton seed

HYBRID cotton seeds that have potential to triple cotton yields should be embraced by farmers as opposed to open pollinated varieties (OPV).

Speaking during a cotton demonstration plot field day at Mr Douglas Chihoro’s homestead in Marahwa village, in Zvimba District’s Ward 7, various agriculture experts said hybrid seeds have yields which feed into Zimbabwe’s Agriculture Recovery Plan.

The hybrid Mahyco C571 has potential to produce 100 balls per plant against OPV, which produces 20 balls per plant.

Representing Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) chief executive officer, Mr Clever Isaya, AMA’s director of agribusiness Mrs Junior Manduna: “We want to encourage good cotton farming practices.

“Farmers have seen the new breed Mahyco which has a potential of producing high cotton yield output. It is the hope of Government for farmers to embrace the new breeds once they are introduced.

“The breed has a potential of producing more balls per plant as compared to the usual crop we are used to planting.”

Zvimba Agritex officer, Mrs Fortunate Marara, echoed the same sentiments while Quton cotton breeder, Mr Kudzayi Mandiveyi, said the Mahyco breed was approved by Government in 2017.

“Farmers should always purchase seed from certified companies. The new cotton hybrid has the potential to improve country’s cotton output and quickly put Zimbabwe back on the map as one of the highest cotton producing nations in the world.

“Cotton is a sun loving crop, hence if there is high rainfall and cloudy rain season, OPV has the potential of producing very few balls per plant.

“However, this is not the case with hybridised crops as shown by Mahyco which despite climatic conditions, produce above 100 balls per plant,” said Mr Mandiveyi.

Host farmer, Mr Chihoro, urged other cotton farmers supported under the Presidential Cotton Input Scheme to shun side marketing and deliver the product to Cottco.

Mr Chihoro is expecting at least 2 500 kg from the demo plot which was financed and supported by Agritex, Agricura, Windmill, Quton and AMA. Ministry of Agriculture’s department of plant quarantine, plant health officer, Mrs Charity Mafuratidze, challenged farmers to uproot cotton stalks in time to cut pest life cycles. Farmers are expected to uproot cotton stalks by August 15 and destroy them by September 10 each year. Mrs Mafuratidze said farmers face arrest if they fail to comply.