Mwatasi-6th CVP Visit - Aug 25-2009

Ag Inst – Mwatasi
6th CVP Visit
(Partner – Trinity, Stillwater, MN)
Aug 25, 2009
Pastor Upendo Ndendiya

Notes about this crop:
Remember the corn crop at Mwatasi is one of the best in the CVP Program.
The reasons for this include:
They followed the Ag Institute’s recommendation for everything in a timely manner. The corn was very tall and the ears were well filled out.

The number of people attended was 5 people only; they recorded almost all events as instructed by Institute of Agriculture. They already harvested and shelled the corn; yield obtained is 29.5 Tins equivalent to 4.2 bags per ½ an acre. They said that they had a very nice looking corn in the field but the yield is lower because after corn matured started to rot due to high moisture in the area( Note; Mwatasi is located in a high altitude and normally experience heavy rains) They had similar disease of Mold or fungal like Kilolo. They harvested rot corn and put into bags (as they were instructed in the 5th Visit) so that we can estimate the percentage damage caused by disease.

I stressed about doing things in a timely manner that is why when you look ears of corn harvested are well filled out and good kernels.

They recorded down the different between their local varieties of beans (Red) Vs the Uyole Mkt we introduced to them, that the local variety yielded more beans but less weigh as compared to Uyole Mkt.

Total beans harvested was 3 tins and 14 Kg, they do believe poor yield was due to heavy rains, too much wind during the flowering stage which knocked down some of flowers and poor seeds or old seeds given to them because a lot of bean plants died.
-Uyole Mkt harvested amount 1 tin and 4 Kg
-Uyole 96 harvested amount 2 tins and 10 Kg

(Note 2 varieties were introduced to them as mentioned above)

For corn, a lot of corn after matured they rot but matured early than their local varieties. They trusted the H628 will work okay for them for selling roast corn, normally big truck come in the village and buy ears of corn before they dry and ship in cities e.g. Dar es Salaam and sell roasted corn. Most of them said they will grow this variety when they want to sell roast corn, but they would like to introduce a different variety for harvesting dried corn for food/ making Ugali.

Suggested Seed Variety:
- Corn H614
- Beans Uyole 96
-
(Note; It is nice to hear how farmers now knows what variety to be grown for what purpose and explaining the reasons of why the problems occurred in their field)

Records:

Demonstration plot
Ø Up side of the plot, 10 meters- harvested amount 3.5 Kg or Liters of shelled corn
Ø Middle of the plot, 10 meters- harvested amount 3.75 Kg or liters of shelled corn
Ø Down the plot, 10 meters- harvested amount 3.75 Kg or liters of shelled corn.
Neighbor’s Farms:
Ø 1st neighbor – 10 meters- harvested amount 3.5 Kg or liters of shelled corn.
Ø 2nd neighbor – 10 meters – harvested amount 3.5 kg or liters of shelled corn.
Ø 3rd neighbor – 10 meters – harvested amount 3.75 Kg or liters of shelled corn.
Ø Normal church farm- harvested amount 0.75 Kg of shelled corn in 10 meters.
Ø Pastor’s farm(very close to our demonstration plot- harvested amount 0.75 Kg of shelled corn

Plot of Beans:
Ø First 10 meters- harvested amount 0.75 Kg or liters of shelled beans.
Ø Second 10 meters- harvested amount 0.5 Kg or liters of shelled beans.
Ø Third 10 meters- harvested amount 0.5 Kg or liters of shelled beans.

Neighbor’s records:
Ø They didn’t record.

The price of One tin of corn is 3,000/= TShs. Equivalent to 21,000/= TShs per bag.
The price of one tin of beans is 15,000/= TShs. Equivalent to 105,000/= TShs/bag.
Note: Both prices are due to August, 2009 in village.