Salima farmers see hope in new soya varieties
Farmers in Salima have selected four out of eight varieties of soya bean out of eight varieties under trial at Chitedze Research Station in Lilongwe.
On Saturday, researchers from Chitedze and the Department of Agricultural Research and Extention Services met farmers from Tembwe Extention Planning Area in Traditional Authority Kalonga in Salima to seek their views.
and voting exercises
The trials, sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAid), seek to identify and commercialise high yielding soya bean varieties.
The four varieties were selected based on maturity period, number of pods per plant and resistance to diseases.
One of the farmers, Lexina Josephy, of Ntondo Club, said the new varieties have attracted the attention of many farmers who are eager to adopt them.
“These varieties are suitable for erratic rainfall patterns,” she said.
Chitedze Research Station legumes agronomist Florence Kamwana Ngwira said the trials are involving farmers in seven districts across the country to identify the best ones to be adopted.
“We started with 36 varieties last year and together with our partners and farmers, we selected eight varieties which we took to farmers for the second phase of trials.
“It is from these varieties that we want farmers to choose the best four out of which we will pick three that will be adopted,” she said.
