Maize Farmers in Zimbabwe Need Knowledge of Open-Pollinated Varieties

Small-scale maize farmers in Zimbabwe are not taking advantage of open-pollinated maize varieties (OPVs) because of their limited knowledge about OPVs, according to a new study assessing the effectiveness of a large-scale maize seed relief effort in Zimbabwe during 2003-07. Many farmers continue to recycle hybrids, improperly select OPV grain for future use as seed, or, in the worst cases, eat all their grain and hope for another aid shipment to sow next year.

Hybrid maize varieties normally yield more than OPVs, but “recycling” the seed in subsequent seasons will result in a significant loss in yield and of agronomic advantages. Unlike hybrids, grains of OPVs can be sown the following year without the yield or other qualities of the variety diminishing substantially. However, only a few farmers were ever taught how to properly select or store their seed of OPVs. An effort to introduce OPV seeds and train farmers in seed selection has been in place under the seed aid program funded by British Department for International Development (DfID), and coordinated by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) regional office in Harare.

The news article is available at http://www.cimmyt.org/english/wps/news/2007/may/smallholder.htm.