SEED CO VEGETABLES / ZAMBIA

Frequently asked questions.

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Provide more information on the Variety?+

(a).Cabbage: VS209 F1

It is an all year round crop
Maturing at 75days
Average head weight 5kg+
Good tolerance to Cabbage yellows & Black rot
Good field holding days 14 +
Round flat head & Field uniformity
Plant population 40-45,000 plants /ha (Spacing of 60cm between rows and 50 between plants)
Yield per ha 60-120metric tones
Seed requirements per ha 200g

(b).Tomato:Alambra F1

Versatile farmer friendly variety for open & Tunnel cropping
Vigorous plant
Maturity 75-80 Days
Thick fresh/Good shelf life 10-14 days
Deep red round fruits 150-180g
Presence of green in Candela
Good disease package (TYLC, TMV, Fusariun wilt, blights, leaf mold & Nematodes)
Plant height 1.7-8m open field and 3m in the tunnel
Harvesting period is 6+ months tunnel and 3 months open field under good management
Yield 90-140mt/ha
Seed requirements per ha is 100g
Plant population 17,000 plant per ha (Spacing 40cm between plants & 150m between rows)

(c).Candela F1

Versatile variety
Greenhouse and open field production
Maturity 80-90 days
Vigorous plant
Round deep red round fruits 190-250g
plant height 1.7.-8m open field & 3m in tunnel
Good shelf life 10 days +
harvesting period 3 months open field and 6months + in the green house under good management
Firm fruits
HR: TYLVC, TMV Bacterial wilt
Yield 90-130 tn\ha
Plant population 17,000 plant per ha (spacing 40cm between plants&150m between rows)
Seed requirements per Ha 100g

4. Sweet Peppers: (a). Hercules F1-Red

Green house & open field production
Plant height 50-70cm
Bush plant more leafy for fruit protection
Blocky elongated fruit deep red 200-280g/fruit
Average 8-10 fruits per plant
Firm and thick fresh/Good shelf life
Good disease resistance package TMV\CMV\PeMV
Both open & greenhouse farming
Yield per Ha 60-80 metric tons
Early maturity 70-75 days
Plant population 25,000 /Ha
Seed requirements per Ha 20Packets by 1000 seed pack

(d).Solanor F1-yellow pepper

Green house & open field production
Plant height 80cm
Maturity 80-90 days
Average fruit weight 250-280g
Bright yellow fruit Blocky elongated
8-10 fruits per Plant
Good disease package TMV, CMV & PeMV
Yield per Ha 60-80 metric Tons
Firm thick fresh/Good shelf life
Plant population 20,000 plants /Ha
Seed requirements per Ha 20 Packets (1000 seed packs)

(e). Rape Rampart

All year round crop
Improved superior variety (Hobson)
Maturity 30 days after transplanting
Big tender taste leaves
4-6 months harvesting period
Yield 8-15Tona/Ha
Seed requirements 200g /Ha
Plant population 80,000-100,000/Ha

(f). ONION-Regent F1

Growing period March to July(Early August if late)
Good disease resistance package (HR: Purple Blotch and Powderly mildew
Round Globe yellow bulb
Short day variety 90-100 days
Good storability 4+ months
Non Bolting variety
Slim neck for easy curing\drying
Seed requirements per Ha 4kg
Plant population 600,000-1000, 000 plants \HA
Yield 40-60 Tons\Ha

(h). SQUASH BUTTERNUT: ULTRAF1

80-90 days
Fruit size 2-6kg
Vigorous Plant
Good leaf cover
Dark orange interior
Sweet taste
For Short day production
Yield 60-90 Tons/Ha
Good disease tolerance
Seed requirements per Ha 1.5-2kg/or 10 Sachets by 1000seed pack

(i). WATERMELON: KITO F1

High yielder vigorous plant 100-140metric tones /Ha
Maturity 75-90 days summer crop
Deep red interior Fresh
Excellent flavor
Plant population 8000/Ha
Spacing 2m by 60cm
When is the planting time for different vegetables?+
Time of Planting Crops Winter Broccoli,Cauliflower,Lettuce All year Round Tomato, Sweet pepper, Cabbage, Carrot, rape, Chinese & Spinach. Summer Butternuts,Cucumber,Eggplant,Sweetcorn,Okra,Finebeans, watermelon Feb-Mar Onion
What are the spacings for differrent vegetables?+
CROP INROW SPACING INTERROW SPACING Tomato 30cm(open field) 1,5-2m 40cm(Tunnel) 1.5-2m Sweet peppers 50cm 40cm Eggplant 75cm 50cm Cabbage 60cm 50cm for big heads 50cm 50cm for small heads Onion 8-11cm 15cm Carrot 8-11cm 15cm Rape, Spinach & Chinese 30cm 30cm Butternuts 50cm 1.5cm Watermelon 80cm 1.5cm Cucumber 50cn 1.5cm Green beans 8cm 20cm Sweetcorn 25cm 75cm
How long does it take to mature?+
CROP DAYS TO MATURITY Tomato 75-80days Sweet pepper 80-90 days Sweetcorn 90 days Cabbage 75-80 days Carrot 90-110 days Okra 55-60 days Onion 90-110 days Butternuts 75-80 days watermelon 80-90 days Rape 21-30 days Cucumber 55-60 days Chinese Cabbage 35-40 days Spinach 45-50 days
What are the best management practices for vegetables?+

The following are the best management practices for vegetable growing:

Regular weeding /ensuring cleanliness in the field
Scouting for diseases and Pests
Proper nutrition or fertilizer application
Trellising or training in crops like tomato, cucumber and Sweet peppers
Aeration
Pest and Disease control
Crop rotation
Correct watering
Soil health(amendments)
What is the best time to harvest vegetables?+

Different vegetables mature at different days, but the best time to harvest vegetables is when they are fully matured or when they have attained there physiological maturity.

How many seeds do I need per Hectare?+
Seeds Number of seeds /HA Cucumber 1kg Tomato 200g/15-20,000 Pepper 200g/20,000 seeds Onion 4-8kg Eggplant 200g Okra 8kg Cabbage 200g Rape 200g Butternuts 1.5-2kg Watermelon 3-5kg Sweetcorn 8kg Carrot 2kg Lettuce 150g Green beans 100kg Spinach 200g Chinese Cabbage 200g
How do I protect vegetable crops from cold?+

The best answer to this question is planting frost tolerant, cool season crops that can withstand harsh cold weather e.g. broccoli, cabbage, Cauliflower, lettuce etc. But you can artificially increase temperature in winter by the use of heaters in the greenhouse or artificial lighting in the field that produces heat. Traditionally farmers would fence the edge of the garden to help keep plants off colds. The use of Products like Vapour guard can also help a great deal.

What is the difference between a determinate and an indeterminate tomato crop?+

Determinate tomatoes are varieties that grow to a fixed mature size, ripen all their fruit in a short period (usually between 10-15days) and are “bush” tomatoes. Once this first flush of fruit has ripened, the plant will begin to diminish in vigour and will set little to no new fruit.

Indeterminate tomato varieties are vining plants that continue growing in length throughout the growing season, which is why they often are referred to as vining tomatoes. They continually set and ripen fruit through thire entire growing season and as a result, they give a slow and steady supply of tomatoes.

What is the yield potential for Seed Co varieties?+
Crop Varieties Yield (t/ha) Beans Green F1 Salima 12-15 t Beetroot OPV Dark Detroit red 25-40 t Broccoli F1 Cigno 15 -20t Corato Formosa Cabbage OPV Copenhagen market 33000h Sugarloaf Cabbage F1 Dixit 33 000h Majesty Vikima VS209 Carrot OPV Kuroda 15-20 t Nantes Cauliflower F1 Nevada 30-40 t Cucumber Greenhouse F1 Dreamliner 400 000heads Cucumber OPV Ashley 8t Eggplant OPV Black beauty 15t Lettuce OPV Great Lakes 90000 heads Okra OPV Clemson spineless 10 t Onion OPV Red creole 5-10 t Texas grano Pepper OPV Carlifornia wonder 10-12t Peppers F1 Hercules 45-90 t Red prime Solanor Sunshine Rape OPV English Giant 90-120 t Rampart Spinach OPV Fordhook 15-20 t Squash butternut OPV Waltham 20-25 t Squash butternut F1 Avalon 70-90 t Prism Tomato Indeterminate F1 Alambra 150-250t Candela Oasis Tomato Greenhouse F1 Alambra 300-400t Candela Oasis Tomato Determinate F1 Daisy 80-150 t Htx14 Jackpot Pietrarossa Tomato OPV Tengeru 97 40-50t Watermelon OPV Crimson sweet 15 t Watermelon F1 Kito 70-100 t Tajiri