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A Comparative Evaluation of the Efficacy and Economic Analysis of Coated and Non-Coated Nitrogen Application in Maize (Zea mays L.) at Seed-Co Research Station in Zimbabwe

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Title: A Comparative Evaluation of the Efficacy and Economic Analysis of Coated and Non-Coated Nitrogen Application in Maize (Zea mays L.) at Seed-Co Research Station in Zimbabwe Authors: Kupeta, O’Brian Abstract: Maize (Zea mays L.) top-dressing in both smallholder and commercial production in Zimbabwe is carried out using uncoated nitrogen (N). A study was conducted for two consecutive seasons in 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 at Seed-Co’s Rattray Arnold Research Station and Stapleford Research Centre, Zimbabwe to determine the comparative performance on maize grain yield and nitrogen use efficiency of Polymer coated urea fertilisers against conventional ammonium nitrate (AN) and plain white urea fertilisers. The study also looked at the loss of fertiliser nitrogen via volatilisation and economic advantages of each top-dressing source of nitrogen to maize cropping in Zimbabwe. The top-dressing treatments were; zero N, 69 N kg/ha and 138 N kg/ha. A volatilisation experiment in the lab was carried out using AN Plain white urea, Agrotain coated urea, and NBPT coated urea. The field experiment was laid out as a randomised complete block design (RCBD) and was a 6 x 2 x 2 factorial experiment involving 3 factors. The growth attributes measured were, plant height, stem diameter, number of leaves, chlorophyll content, number of days to 50% tasselling, grain yield, and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). The results showed that there was no significant difference (p>0.05) in Grain Yield (GY) and NUE between zero N top-dressed plots, half rate (69 kg N/ha) and full rate (138 kg N/ha) top dressed plots. This was attributed to high inherent nitrogen levels in the soil and not to the type of top-dressing fertiliser. Source of N was found to have no effect on chlorophyll levels in the leaf. Nitrogen losses through leaching from the same five top-dressing nitrogen sources were observed to be insignificant (p>0.05) and with no impact on both maize grain yield and NUE across soil depths of 15cm, 30cm and 45cm. The observed low leaching was attributed to high organic matter levels in the soil. Late top-dressing of N was observed to result in higher levels of residual N in the soil at the end of the season. This explains that maize plants also provided a sink for the applied mineral nitrogen and when it is missed during peak demand, there is higher residual N in the soil at the end of the season. Nitrogen volatilisation experiment results from the five top-dressing sources were ranked as follows in ascending order: NBPT urea< Black Urea® < White urea < Agrotain green/red urea < Ammonium nitrate. From the volatilisation experiment it was deduced that coated N delays the rate of N loss by volatilisation. A survey conducted to assess the adoption and cost effectiveness of coated nitrogen fertilisers on the market revealed that lack of product knowledge and related information on the new technologies is leading to very slow adoption and uptake of controlled release/stabilised N fertilisers. Maize farmers need more product information to adopt coated nitrogen fertilisers.

The Effect of Planting Depth on the Performance of the Irish Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Variety Larnoma in Nyanga District.

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Title: The Effect of Planting Depth on the Performance of the Irish Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Variety Larnoma in Nyanga District. Authors: Chingombe, Shadreck Abstract: The Irish Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an important tuber crop on a global scale. In Zimbabwe potato ranks the third after maize and wheat and worldwide it is ranked the fourth after maize, wheat and rice. Potato is crucially important to food security in Zimbabwe. The Nyanga highlands are one of the production hubs for Irish potatoes in Zimbabwe but it has been noted that there has been a marked decline in potato yields over the years. The decline in yields is attributable to several factors with agronomic, pests and diseases and general climate change. Among the agronomic factors, the planting depth is a crucial factor in potato production but there is no tested and proven planting depth for the Nyanga area. The study aimed at determining the proper planting depth for Irish Potato variety Larnoma. The study was undertaken at two sites namely; Nyamurindi farm and Muozi farm in the 2019-2020 cropping season. Four planting depths of 5 cm, 10 cm, 15 cm and 20 cm were used. The trial was laid out in a Randomised Complete Block Design with field slope as the blocking factor. Parameters measured include average tuber weights per plot for large, medium and small sized tubers, average number of tubers per plot for large, medium and small sized tubers, average number of branches per plant, average stem length, percentage emergence, percentage flowering and the percentage of mature foliage at selected intervals until harvest. The data was subjected to Analysis of Variance using MINITAB version16 statistical package. The 5 cm and 10 cm depths had significantly higher rates of emergence compared to the 15 cm and 20 cm depths. The planting depth of 10 cm was noted to be the most suitable in the production of the tubers with the biggest proportion of heavy tubers and the biggest number of tubers per plot. The 5 cm depth and 10 cm depth had significantly earlier emergence and earlier flowering compared to the 15 cm and 20 cm depths. The size of potato tubers is an important quality criterion and it is affected by the planting depth. In this study it was noted that the 10 cm planting depth produced the largest proportion of large sized tubers at both Nyamurindi and Muozi farms. It is recommended that further studies be done in areas which are different from these two for another season in order to validate these results.

Value Chain Analysis of Commercial Smallholder Pig Farmers in Goromonzi District, Zimbabwe

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Value Chain Analysis of Commercial Smallholder Pig Farmers in Goromonzi District, Zimbabwe Authors: Mushore, Praise T Abstract: The general objective of the study was to analyse the value chain of commercial smallholder pig production in Goromonzi district. The specific objectives of the study were to identify the key stakeholders, analyse respective marketing margins and determine the income distribution across the value chain, identify the determinants of quantity of pigs supplied to the market in the study area and the determinants of market outlets choice decisions of smallholder pig producers. The total sample for this study was sixty-seven participants drawn from all actors involved in commercial smallholder pig value chain. Purposive sampling was used to select commercial smallholder pig farmers and other actors in the value chain. Snowballing was also be used to create a network of key respondents. Multiple data collection tools were used including the survey questionnaire, key informant interviews, focus group discussions and observations. Key stakeholders in the smallholder pig production value chain, have been identified as the input suppliers, farmers, processors, wholesalers, retailers, consumers, and government departments such as Agricultural Technical Extension Services, and veterinary departments. A value chain was mapped, and the roles played by each actor were identified. Pork production is very capital intensive, across the value chain from primary production through to processing and the result is that significant economies of scale are required to produce profitably. Due to poor coordination within the chain most actors are not taking advantage of the benefits of aggregation but rather operate individually thereby reducing their margins especially the farmers. The study confirms farmers make the least return on investment when compared to eateries and abattoirs who have better market linkages as well as capacity to add value to make more income. The main factors affecting the performance of farmers include, high production costs, lack of adequate funding or formal contract farming, high disease prevalence, price volatility due to inflation and consumers’ food safety concerns. Furthermore, primary producers have limited bargaining power with regards to prices even though they outnumber the wholesalers and retailers. The quantity supplied to markets is highly dependent on litter size, average mortality, and gender of a farmer. Farmers with high litter size and low mortality rate have more produce to supply to the market. Male pig producers also dominate the sector and as a result they supply more pigs to the market. Farmers in the district have an option to market their produce to wholesalers, retailers as well as consumers. Price satisfaction and method of payment where the main determinants of market outlet choice in the multivariate logit model. For the consumers in Goromonzi, price remained an important decision in choosing pork instead of other meats more than religion.

Determinants of Smallholder Tomato Farmers' Participation in High-Value Markets in Shurugwi, Zimbabwe

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Determinants of Smallholder Tomato Farmers' Participation in High-Value Markets in Shurugwi, Zimbabwe Authors: Zvomuya, Clement Abstract: The purpose of the study was to identify the determinants of smallholder tomato farmers’ participation in high-value markets in Shurugwi, Zimbabwe. In this study, 156 smallholder tomato farmers derived from a population of 2500, with 57 females and 99 males were involved in the study. Questionnaires were administered through direct contact with the respondents. Data were analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. The study indicated that there is a relationship between socio-economic factors such as age, sex, formal education level, household size, and access to markets. The study concluded that an increase in the size of the household had a negative influence on access to markets. This is because the larger the household, the more options for alternative income and reduced reliance on tomato marketing. This showed that an increase in household size had a reduction in the likeliness to participate in high-value markets. Education for the head of the household had a negative effect showing that the more educated the head of household, the less likely they were in accessing high-value markets. The price of tomatoes, quality of roads, distance to markets, local council tax fees, and cost of transportation all had a negative influence and was significant in influencing farmers to access markets in the study area. Poor road networks are affecting the ease of doing business in the district and they are getting worse due to the effect of rains and poor maintenance. Gender differences also showed significance in accessing farmers with men being noted to have better access to high-value markets than women. The study observed that access to cold chains and market information was not significant in accessing markets. Recommendations include the formation of tripartite relationships between government, private sector, and farmer groups as critical in addressing infrastructural-related issues related to transportation and logistics. The impact of Covid-19 was also realized as a hindrance especially due to travel restrictions. There is a need for collaborative efforts for the government and private sector to promote market systems development for tomato production at the local level. Strategies such as tomato contract farming and the creation of tomato production hubs or value chain processing centers will be most ideal. Given the increasing participation in artisanal mining, incentives for participation in the tomato value chain can be developed through infrastructure development in partnership with institutions such as the Agricultural and Rural Development Authority, Agricultural Marketing Authority, Zimbabwe Irrigation Technology Centre European Union improving water conveyance systems in irrigation schemes. More studies need to be carried out to investigate other areas such as profitability analysis of the tomato value chain to develop highly efficient production methods, the implication of Command Agriculture on horticultural production, and evaluating the quality of Extension Services in horticultural crops production.