Mind the Gap - Why Zimbabwean Researchers Need to Work With Farmers
Gwanda — Maize seed in drought-prone regions of Zimbabwe should by now come with a government health warning: "Planting can seriously damage your well-being".
That's because although maize delivers like a champion under the right conditions, it's highly vulnerable to water stress. If the rains come too late, or even too early, the crop is a write-off.
Tariro Moyo knows this from bitter experience. A communal farmer in Gwanda, in southern Zimbabwe, she has continued to plant maize despite her yields decreasing with each bad season.
CIFOR