Knowledge Center Catalog

Identification of maize cultivars tolerant to low soil fertility in South Africa

By: Contributor(s): Material type: TextTextPublication details: Nairobi (Kenya) KARI|CIMMYT : 2002Description: p. 202-205ISBN:
  • 970-648-120-6
Subject(s): DDC classification:
  • 338.16 FRI
Summary: In Southern Africa maize is usually grown by resource-poor farmers under poor soil fertility conditions such as low N. low P and soil acidity. This leads to unstable maize production and thus to low income and food security. The aim of this project is to improve the livelihoods of resource-poor farmers through sustainable maize production. The objectives are: ( 1 ) Identification of test sites. (2) Identification of cultivars and genotypes that are tolerant to low soil fertilíty. (3) Identífication of the best 20 cultivars to he made available to other Southern African Developing countríes (SADC) countries and resource- poor farmers. During 1999/2000. materials from CIMMYT -Zimbabwe and the South African National Cultivar Trials ,were tested under low nítrogen conditions with good results. The low N trials were replicated ín three localities in South Afríca afterwards. A low phosphorus (P) and a high soil acid trial were also planted at Potchefstroom during 2000/2001 to identify tolerant genotypes. The yield ranged from 0.2 to 3.9 t ha-1 under low P conditions and from 0.5 to 2.1 t ha-1 under acid conditions. These results would raise yields and stabilize maize production. which will lead to food and income security for the resource poor farmer il1 South Africa.
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In Southern Africa maize is usually grown by resource-poor farmers under poor soil fertility conditions such as low N. low P and soil acidity. This leads to unstable maize production and thus to low income and food security. The aim of this project is to improve the livelihoods of resource-poor farmers through sustainable maize production. The objectives are: ( 1 ) Identification of test sites. (2) Identification of cultivars and genotypes that are tolerant to low soil fertilíty. (3) Identífication of the best 20 cultivars to he made available to other Southern African Developing countríes (SADC) countries and resource- poor farmers. During 1999/2000. materials from CIMMYT -Zimbabwe and the South African National Cultivar Trials ,were tested under low nítrogen conditions with good results. The low N trials were replicated ín three localities in South Afríca afterwards. A low phosphorus (P) and a high soil acid trial were also planted at Potchefstroom during 2000/2001 to identify tolerant genotypes. The yield ranged from 0.2 to 3.9 t ha-1 under low P conditions and from 0.5 to 2.1 t ha-1 under acid conditions. These results would raise yields and stabilize maize production. which will lead to food and income security for the resource poor farmer il1 South Africa.

English

0410|AGRIS 0401|AL-Maize Program

Juan Carlos Mendieta

CIMMYT Publications Collection


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