Department of Research and Specialist Services

Oilseeds programme is made up of sunflower, groundnuts and soybean. Each crop is under the leadership of a research officer. Breeding objectives for groundnuts include high yield potential, high oil content (>40%), high shelling percentage, high oleic/linoleic ratio, strong peg attachment, good kernel quality and resistance to pests and diseases. The soybean programme concentrates on the development of high yielding varieties, varieties that are resistant to shattering at maturity and stem lodging as well as early maturity (<140 days). The sunflower programme has five breeding objectives namely; high seed yield (> 2 500kg/ha), high oil content (>45%), good standing ability, good head traits (size, shape, non shattering, number) and uniformity in maturity.

SOYBEAN (Good Quality Soybean Varieties)

a)Variety Bimha

One of the best varieties on the market

Yield: 4 to 5 t/ha

Maturity: Late (132 days)

Produces very large seeds ( 280g/1000seeds)

Seeds are yellow with yellow hilum

Determinate type

Moderate tolerance to downey mildew, bacterial

blight and frog eye leaf spot

Recommended in all soyabean growing areas

but perform best in the high and middleveld

b)Variety Mhofu

Yield: 3 to 4 t/ha

Maturity: Medium (126 days)

Large seeds (230g/1000 seeds)

Seeds are yellow with yellow hilum

Determinate type

Acceptable tolerance to frog-eye leaf spot and downey mildew

Other Varieties Include:

Soma: Early maturity (110 days)

Nyati: Late maturity (140 days)

Roan: Medium maturity (128 days)

Groundnut Varieties”

Ilanda - short season
Falcon - short season
Teal - short season
Jesa - short season
Tern - short season
Flamingo - long season

A Field of Variety Ilanda

Very short season variety (85 - 100 days)
Average pod yield of 4000 kg/ha and seed yield of 2880 kg/ha
Escapes drought because short growing season
Good resistance to Web blotch but susceptible to early leaf spot diseases
Sprouts if harvesting is delayed because it lacks dormancy
Ideal for warmer drier areas

Variety Flamingo

Long season variety (150 - 200days).
Average pod yield 5000 kg/ha and average seed yield 3600 kg/ha.
Good resistance to both web blotch and early leaf spot diseases.
Does not sprout if harvesting is delayed.
High shelling percentage of 72.
Planted from mid September to early October with irrigation.

Variety Jesa

A short season variety (119-125 days)
Have an average pod yield of 3200 kg/ha and seed yield of 1900 kg/ha
Pods contain 2-3 pale coloured seeds of superior quality in terms ofsize, shape, appearance
It has good resistance to Early Leaf Spot and fair resistance to Web blotch diseases
Ideal for warmer drier areas of Zimbabwe

Sunflower Varieties

Great Source of Poly-unsaturated Fatty Acids

HYBRID Sunflower

Characteristics:

Resistant to root and stalk lodging

Small to medium, oval black seeds, tightly adhering

to head, hence no problem of seed drop

Head “nodding” at maturity offers protection from birddamage and facilitates quick drying of the head