The soyabean varieties are the end result of long-term scientific breeding and testing.

INCREASED productivity of soyabean is needed to meet domestic and global demands as well as to maintain the competitiveness of the soybean crop. One of the reasons impacting negatively on productivity per hectare is that farmers are not growing the best varieties adapted to their areas. 
Poor variety choices have significantly compromised the national yield average which is now well-below the world averages. Farmers must select high-yielding varieties with agronomic traits that match the ever-changing stresses in each environment. Careful selection of soybean varieties has the greatest effect on yield potential above all other management decisions resulting in the most profitable returns. Productive farmers target the right variety for their ecologies and also use certified seed for assurance of performance.
Seed Co’s renowned soyabean breeder, Jacob Tichagwa, breeds, develops and registers superior or competitive varieties that help growers maximise productivity and profitability. The soyabean varieties are the end result of long-term scientific breeding and testing. The varieties are bred to add value to every farming operation. They bring with them appropriate resistance or tolerance to diseases, excellent standability, pod shattering resistance, desired maturity and reliable high yield performance. As such, a broad range of varieties that are genetically diverse are available for commercialisation in the five agro-ecological regions of Zimbabwe. The soybean product basket for Seed Co offers both determinate and indeterminate varieties which adapt to the challenges found in their target production zones.
In its drive to improve productivity, profitability, food security and ultimately at large, the livelihood of the household, Seed Co continues to advance grain yield genetic gains. As a result Seed Co soybean varieties have consistently been the top performers across all the production regions of Zimbabwe. There are five commercial products available to farmers for production in 2015/16 cropping season namely; SC Serenade, SC Safari, SC Squire, SC Status and SC Sequel. Farmers are therefore, recommended to purchase these varieties that have demonstrated high yielding ability combined with excellent stability across locations and seasons.
SC Serenade is the best overall performer in Middleveld and Highveld production regions. It has excellent yield stability and has come out as a top performer in Agricultural Research Trust (ART) managed commercial crop. Under favourable conditions coupled with good management SC Serenade can yield up to six tonnes per hectare. As a result, it has earned popularity with numerous farmers. It could be exploited as a forage variety in higher potential areas. SC Serenade has well-balanced agronomic attributes such as good standability, high pod clearance which makes it suitable to combine harvest, a fast dry down and a long pod shatter free period of up to a month.
SC Safari is an incredible variety that has large market space since 2001 due to its exceptional yield stability and wide adaptability; hence it has been a famous product in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique. It is a robust variety that is ideally suited to high yield potential areas. It offers very good field resilience under harsh conditions, farmers can get good yields. It is a prolific product which has been averaging around 4,2 tonnes per hectare. It has an impressive grain quality that is good for oil processing. SC Safari’s yellow hilum colour trait is a big plus in processing and vegetable preparations.
Seed Co is apparently the first Seed House to develop and register soybean products with high tolerance to soybean leaf rust. Soybean leaf rust is caused by a fungal pathogen called Phakospora pachirhizi (L) which can reduce seed yields by up to 90 percent in susceptible varieties. SC Squire and SC Saga combine good stability, good leaf disease package and high productivity. These are widely adapted with high tolerance to foliar diseases. Seed yields of up to 4.5 tonnes per hectare have been reported.
SC Sequel is a determinate variety with high plasticity; hence it is recommended for production across all the regions. It possesses a compact plant type and is well adapted to high plant populations and narrow inter-row spacing. It is a robust variety with good standability. Farmers can push up the plant population up to 450 000 plants per hectare. Furthermore, it is a good option for late planting where farmers can compensate for yield loss through high plant populations. SC Sequel has high tolerance to soybean rust, making it a good option to areas where the disease is traditionally known to occur.
Continuous genetic improvement has resulted in Seed Co releasing more rust tolerant varieties with higher yielding potential such as SC Status. This is a very good complement for SC Sequel. It is an excellent choice for all the agro-ecological regions of Zimbabwe. It is a short statured variety that can handle high plant populations. It is another good option for late plantings. It is a good choice under both dryland and irrigation management regimes. It has demonstrated good stable performance across production regions and is agronomically well balanced. Avoid frogeye prone areas with SC Status.
In conclusion, Seed Co offers a versatile soybean variety range. Choosing the right varieties; help to maximise the farmer’s return on investment. Farmers are also encouraged to watch out for new varieties as Seed Co will be launching new range of products which are significantly higher yield as compared to the current varieties. This is pretty good news for soybean production sustainability. Most importantly, farmers are recommended to try new products to gain personal experience. Farmers can increase soybean yields through variety selection and better crop management. As Seed Co we are a ready source of advice on soybean variety selection and culture.