PLANT breeding experts have been advised to invest more in creating short season and drought-resistant seed varieties to ensure Zimbabwe becomes food secure in the face of adverse weather patterns.

Seed Co managing director for Southern Africa Mr Denias Zaranyika said this recently during the Zimba­bwe Plant Breeders Association (ZPBA) congress held at the University of Zim­babwe.

He said lasting solutions to food shortages were required since Zim­babwe’s population is set to grow to 30 million by 2030, the year when the country expects to have attained an upper middle income status.

“I am aware that given the current challenging economic environment, and despite the positive impacts on agricultural production, public investments into breeding research programmes are being increasingly scaled down,” said Mr Zaranyika.

“This trend, understandable as it may be, is unfortunate and should be reversed.

“This is the time for the private sector to step up to the plate and put a stronger emphasis and more invest­ments in specific fields of breeding research.

“There is no doubt in my mind that the onerous responsibility to ensure a food secure nation rests on you, our plant breeding experts. But you need support from all of us.”

He said plant breeders should be supported through the removal of impediments to seed systems that could potentially frustrate their efforts such as legislation and availability of resources.

Plant breeders require latest tech­nologies and modern, world-class lab­oratory facilities to assist Zimbabwe find lasting solutions to the threats of food insecurity.

Mr Zaranyika, who is a member of the Zimbabwe Seed Trade Association, said Seed Co and other seed traders will continue to support initiatives of the ZPBA by developing and training plant breeders.

Plant breeders were encouraged to intensify collaborations, interna­tional exchanges and visits to boost their activities.

Added Mr Zaranyika: “Cropping is largely rain-fed, making rural farm­ing more vulnerable to the vagaries of climate change. Apart from exacer­bating poverty, climate change signif­icantly impairs agriculture leading to food insecurity, water scarcity, health challenges and ultimately constraining economic growth and development prospects.

“In response to the increased tem­peratures and frequent droughts brought by climate change, the past decade has seen increased focus on breeding for drought and heat stress tolerant varieties with increased nutri­ent use efficiencies.

“The gains of the past decade are being negated not only by the recurrent droughts; plant diseases and pests; but also, poor farming practices resulting in lower than optimal productivity to match the genetic potential of the available seed varieties.”

Other factors contributing to low harvests are declining soil fertility; high input costs; and transboundary plant pests and diseases which are affecting food crops, causing signifi­cant losses to farmers and threatening food security.

Locusts, armyworm, fruit flies, and wheat rusts are among the most destructive transboundary plant pests and diseases that farmers are contend­ing with.

The Fall Armyworm, a deadly pest native to tropical and subtropical America, has invaded southern Africa in general and Zimbabwe since Sep­tember 2016.

The Fall Armyworm is so devastat­ing that in the 2016/17 season alone, the pest caused damage on over 280 000 hectares of maize in Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.