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Writes Lloyd Rabaya
The largest seed-producing company in Zimbabwe, SeedCo, recently launched a farming app that will help farmers monitor their crops.
Seedney, the application, has various tools that farmers can use to their advantage to get the maximum yields.
Speaking to Spiked Online Media at the ongoing Zimbabwe Agricultural Show (ZAS), SeedCo Zimbabwe Head of Agronomy Services, Wendy Madzura, said that since SeedCo was moving with time to help farmers get the best out of their farming, farmers should tag along.
“On the application, farmers can get information on the production of different crops like maize, field crops, as well as vegetables. They can also get testimonials that summarise a wide range of activities that other farmers are doing in the country,” she said.
The application also comes with a calculator that calculates the population suited for particular interrow and in-row spacing in the field, in terms of the moisture content and yield level the farmer is expecting to get.
With Seedney, farmers can also have a personalised calendar by scanning or print-typing the barcode found on all authentic SeedCo products.
All that the farmer has to do is input the date of planting, and the application will send notifications on what has to be done every week.
“This new mobile application has the ability for farmers to scan, using their phones, a bag of seed that they will have purchased on the bar code and then it gives them a pocket calendar that tells them the activities that they should be doing at any given time.
“For example, if they buy a medium maturing variety like SC555, Seedney will tell them the date they should come in for weeding, with fertiliser among others,” she added.
The application also comes with a feature for pests and disease control whereby it assists the farmer with the pests or diseases that might affect their crop and when and how to prevent harm.
Nicknamed the Pocket Partner, Seedney walks with farmers through the whole farming process and makes it easier for them to manage their crops.
The application can be found on different SeedCo platforms and SeedCo agronomists. It can also be downloaded from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.