News / Agriculture
Tobacco farmers urged to prepare their lands for better yields
7 hrs ago | Views
Mashonaland Central province senior agronomist Lazarus Gatawa has urged tobacco farmers to decide on their cropping program and do early deep ploughing on the field and seedbed sites they intend to plant tobacco in the upcoming 2025-26 agricultural season, before their fields dry out in order to conserve moisture and make early planting possible.
Gatawa encourages small farmers to deep plough using ox or tractor drawn plough as part of land preparation.
"Land prepation is now very crucial like never before as a key mitigatory measure against the climate change induced dry weather impacts'. Deep ploughing using ox or tractor-drawn plough done to a minimum of 30cm deep is recommended in order to conserve capillary moisture, Gatawa said.
"This will enable farmers to plant as early as 1 October for those without irrigation facilities as it will be possible to use 5 litres of water per station during planting and achieve a high success in survival rates that give a uniform crop. The seedbeds will also have to be sown in early July for non-irrigation, he added.
The key incentive for farmers who will undertake early tillage and planting, will be high tobacco yields of above 3 000kg per hectare and good quality crops as the tobacco will have a longer growing period, unlike those who will be waiting for the unpredictable rainfall dates that may come as late as November or December period
Gatawa also highlighted that the extreme weather events being experienced mean that tobacco farmers have to restrategise and prepare land early in order to conserve capillary soil moisture. With the prevailing attractive tobacco prices it is worth for farmers to spend money on this important tobacco production cycle phase of early land preparation. Discing alone will not achieve the required deep ploughing.
Farmers should also uproot tobacco stalks as soon as they are done with reaping to create a dead period of no growing green tobacco that attract pests and diseases.
Gatawa encourages small farmers to deep plough using ox or tractor drawn plough as part of land preparation.
"Land prepation is now very crucial like never before as a key mitigatory measure against the climate change induced dry weather impacts'. Deep ploughing using ox or tractor-drawn plough done to a minimum of 30cm deep is recommended in order to conserve capillary moisture, Gatawa said.
The key incentive for farmers who will undertake early tillage and planting, will be high tobacco yields of above 3 000kg per hectare and good quality crops as the tobacco will have a longer growing period, unlike those who will be waiting for the unpredictable rainfall dates that may come as late as November or December period
Gatawa also highlighted that the extreme weather events being experienced mean that tobacco farmers have to restrategise and prepare land early in order to conserve capillary soil moisture. With the prevailing attractive tobacco prices it is worth for farmers to spend money on this important tobacco production cycle phase of early land preparation. Discing alone will not achieve the required deep ploughing.
Farmers should also uproot tobacco stalks as soon as they are done with reaping to create a dead period of no growing green tobacco that attract pests and diseases.
Source - Byo24News
