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Edgar Vhera Agriculture Specialist Writer

COTTON farmers can still score high yields without using high-performing imported hybrid varieties if they practice good agronomic practices from land preparation, planting, management, harvesting and storage.

Cotton Research Institute (CRI) head Mr Washington Mubvekeri said this during the recent World Cotton Day commemorations held in Harare.

His remarks come in the wake of growing concerns by stakeholders in the cotton industry that farmers should switch from the use of locally produced open pollinated varieties to high-performing hybrid varieties from India, which are not easy to import for the ordinary grower.

A hectare of the high-yielding Mahyco hybrid from India, for instance, requires 4kg of seed at US$20 per kilogramme, which translates to US$80 worth of seed per hectare. Local varieties cost US$1, 65 a kilogramme which adds up to US$25 per hectare.

Mr Mubvekeri said it was possible to raise cotton productivity if farmers followed local cotton agronomic recommendations properly.

“Farmers should among other things achieve and maintain cotton plant populations ranging from 33 000 to 44 500 per hectare depending on the agro-ecological environment. At 44 500 plants per hectare and with one cotton boll weighing 5, 5g a farmer can get 245kg  per hectare. A cotton plant will develop several bolls and can have 20 on average. The farmer who achieves 44 500 plants per hectare at an average boll count of 20 at 5g per split boll will harvest more than 4, 45 tonnes.

“Therefore, achieving optimum plant population, weeding plus good fertiliser and insecticide application practices are paramount,” added Mr Mubvekeri.

He went on to explain that CRI MS1 (a variety developed at the CRI) was good and capable of achieving 4, 3 tonnes per hectare against 4 tonnes per hectare.

In 2020 the research institute released CRIMS3 and CRIMS4 varieties that are capable of yielding 4, 8 and 4, 9 tonnes per hectare respectively. Boll weights of up to 8, 8 grammes are possible from local varieties, which validates their superiority over imported varieties, he observed.

“As the global focus is now on short season, compact and high-density plants, CRI has produced compact plants that have shorter internodes, better boll distribution, less bolls per plant and causing less plant stress. The bolls always command good health with plants boasting high boll retention and good fibre quality,” said Mr Mubvekeri.

This year’s best cotton farmer at the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show, Mr Smart Kambanje of Gokwe also echoed Mr Mubvekeri’s advice saying farmers needed to practise are being called upon to practice good agronomy for the nation’s seed cotton yields to rebound to their former high levels.

He also urged other cotton farmers to make good use of the complete free input packages they are getting under the Government’s Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme every season and take farming as a business.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe Farmers Union (ZFU) secretary general Mr Paul Zakariya has also chipped in challenging contractors to give farmers complete input packages on time, as there is no seed cotton without them.

“Contractors should move away from volume-based contracts and give farmers the complete input package timeously, as well as working capital to avoid diversion of inputs. Though Government cushioned farmers by setting the US$0, 30 per kilogramme of seed cotton, this price is still unviable and well below regional average. We expect the producer price to be reviewed up next year and contractors should pay farmers promptly,” said Mr Zakariya.

The Government has since adopted a raft of measures to improve the crop’s viability and save the industry from a possible collapse. The measures include: the declaration of cotton as an export crop and part payments for seed cotton in foreign currency while the institution of differential grade payment system for seed cotton from next year together with the crop’s capacity to reduce/reverse climate change will surely boost production in the 2022/23 season.