Potato (Solanum tuberosum L) is a strategic national food security crop in that can be used as a supplement for carbohydrates. It is the fastest growing staple food crop and source of income for poor smallholder farmers. There is limited documentation on effects of earthing up irish potatoes on yield and yield components in Zimbabwe. A field experiment was conducted in Zaka district of Masvingo province in Zimbabwe during the 2018/19 cropping season. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of time of earthing up on yield and yield parameters of BP1 potato variety. The treatments consisted of four levels of time of earthing up (no earthing up (control), three, four and five weeks after plant emergence), replicated three times on a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). Results on earthing-up at three weeks recorded significantly (P<0.013) the highest total tuber yield (21.97 t ha-1) which is 10% higher compared to no earthing up which recorded 14.43 t ha-1. Moreover, earthing up at two weeks had the least number of greening tuber yield (3%), 11% pest damaged tuber yield, 6% unmarketable tuber yield and 45% marketable tuber yield. This is in contrast with no earthing up which recorded 91% greening tuber yield, 25.3% on pest damaged tubers, 59% on unmarketable tubers and 10% marketable tuber yield. Based on the results, first earthing up should be done at three weeks after complete plant emergence at the study area under rain fed conditions for the production of potatoes with improved yield and better tuber quality.
Finger millet is a climate compliant crop; its production remains low due to poor establishment methods. A field experiment was conducted during the rainy season of 2018/19 at Dorcas Charare plot in ward 24, Zaka district to investigate the effects of establishment methods on yield and yield parameters of finger millet (Eleusine coracana L. Gaertn). The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three treatments namely broadcasting, hand drilling and transplanting replicated three times. Results on grain yield showed that transplanting method had the highest yield of 0.51t/ha whilst drilling and broadcasting scored 0.40t/ha and 0.35t/ha respectively. Transplanting method significantly (p<0.05) influenced higher number of tillers (7.13) per hill followed by drilling (2.40) and lastly broadcasting (2.13). Significant differences (p<0.05) were noted on panicle number with transplanting scoring the highest (8.13) and broadcasting the lowest (3.13). It can be concluded from the study that transplanting method realized a higher panicle number, tiller number and grain yield. Farmers must adopt transplanting as an establishment method in finger millet production.
Farm planning problems are much more complex. Farmers do not only produce different crops, but also have to choose among a variety of ways of producing them. Crop planning may involve choices about varieties, planting dates, fertilizer and pesticide treatments. Linear programming has proved a very flexible tool for modeling these kinds of complexities. In this paper, a linear programming model was developed to determine the optimal crop combination for a rural farmer. Crops considered were maize, soya beans and cotton. The model produced an optimal crop combination that gives higher income than that obtained from the farmer's plan. The income difference was 72.79 percent.
The effects of leguminous agroforestry trees as sources of N for sustainable performance of alley cropped maize on depleted loamy soils were investigated under field conditions. The hedgerow species studied were Leucaena leucocephala, Senna siamea and Flemingia macrophylla. This study was superimposed on an existing ICRAF alley cropping trial at Chalimbana, Zambia. In this experiment, maize (variety MM 603), was the companion crop and the leguminous species comprised the alley hedgerows. Supplementary low levels of N (0 kgha-1 , 34 kgha-1 , 68 kgha-1 and 112 kgha-1) were applied. Tree litter was incorporated at 5 tha-1 for all species. There was no significant species effect on maize yields. A significant N fertiliser effect on yield was obtained at 68 kg N ha-1. This result probably indicates the need for moderate fertiliser N addition to incorporated residues so as to sustain maize yields in alley cropping.
The available working capital required to finance purchase of inputs on a farm like seeds for instance, can be an important constraint on a farm. Some working capital may be available from the farm family‘s savings. The farmer may have an option for increasing his working capital by borrowing. In this study, a linear programming model was developed in order to determine the optimal crop combination for a rural farmer. The linear programming model incorporated the credit constraint. The objective was to maximize income. Crops considered were maize, soya beans, cotton and tobacco. Tobacco gained acreage by 291.33%.Soya beans and cotton lost acreage completely. Maize lost acreage by 73.5%. The optimal income increased from $9,877.00 to $22,774.60. The optimal income showed an improvement of 130.58% compared to the farmer‘s existing plan. The results show that LP model solutions are worthy implementing because they increase income.
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