Mash Central Tobacco Farmers Prepare for Season

Source from:  herald.co.zw Bindura Bureau 09/04/2007

TOBACCO farmers in Mashonaland Central are preparing seed beds ahead of the next season, an Agricultural Research and Extension Services official said yesterday. In an interview, Arex provincial tobacco specialist Mr Tinomuonga Hove said seedbed preparations were going according to plan in all parts of the province. "Everyone has started preparing for the forthcoming tobacco season as transplanting is expected to start early September," Mr Hove said. He said some farmers were using conventional seedbeds while others were using the new seedbed preparation method of float trays. "Most of the seedlings are in good condition but I want to urge farmers to be careful with algae and pythium root rot which are common in the float bed system," he said. Mr Hove urged farmers to switch to float trays that make transplanting easy and reduce the risk of nematodes. Enditem