Spinacia oleracea L. (baby spinach) is a relatively new leaf vegetable crop in Zimbabwe, so the agronomic performance is unknown. A 3-year field experiment was done at the Seke Teachers College research farm, Zimbabwe. The research evaluated the response of baby spinach to different types of organic manure sources, days after fertilizer application (DAS), and growing season. A 3 × 2 factorial in a completely randomized block design (CRBD) with three replicates was used. Baby spinach cultivar, Dash, was grown on three organic manures (goat applied at 14.894 t ha⁻¹, cattle at 17.789 t ha⁻¹, and poultry at 13.807 t ha⁻¹) in winter 2018, 2019, and 2020. Compound D (7% N, 14% P, and 7% K) at 300 kg ha⁻¹ was included as a control. Crop growth rate, leaf area index, leaf area ratio, net assimilation rate, total dry matter production, and harvest index were measured on 7-day intervals from 14 to 35 days after transplanting. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare the effects of the treatments on the baby spinach growth parameters was done. Significant interactions on the type of organic manure × DAS × growing season were observed on all the measured response variables. There were varied effects of organic manures on growth performance at 14 to 28 DAS where poultry manure had higher growth performance compared to cattle and goat manure. Generally, there was a significant gradual increase in growth from 14 to 35 DAS on the organic manures and a decline from day 28 to 35 DAS under compound D. Low quality (large C/N) cattle and goat manure had lower effects than high quality (small C/N) poultry manure at early growth stages of the baby spinach. Unlike compound D, organic manure continuously supplied adequate nutrients throughout the life cycle (35 DAS) of the baby spinach.

Soil erosion has serious off-site impacts caused by increased mobilization of sediment and delivery to water bodies causing siltation and pollution. To evaluate factors influencing soil erodibility at a proposed dam site, 21 soil samples collected were characterized. The soils were analyzed for soil organic carbon (SOC), exchangeable bases, exchangeable acidity, pH, electrical conductivities, mean weight diameter and soil particles’ size distribution. Cation exchange capacity, exchangeable sodium percentage, sodium adsorption ratio, dispersion ratio (DR), clay flocculation index (CFI), clay dispersion ratio (CDR) and Ca:Mg ratio were then calculated. Soil erodibility (K-factor) estimates were determined using SOC content and surface soil properties. Soil loss rates by splashing were determined under rainfall simulations at 360 mmh⁻¹ rainfall intensity. Soil loss was correlated to the measured chemical and physical soil properties. There were variations in soil form properties and erodibility indices showing influence on soil loss. The average soil erodibility and SOC values were 0.0734 t MJ⁻¹ mm⁻¹ and 0.81%, respectively. SOC decreased with depth and soil loss increased with a decrease in SOC content. SOC significantly influenced soil loss, CDR, CFI and DR (P < .05). The soil loss rate was 5.60 t/ha per 8 minute rainstorm of 360 mmh⁻¹. Addition of organic matter stabilize the soils against erosion.

Farmland productivity is low in the semi-arid regions (NR IV and V) of Zimbabwe due to desertification and land degradation. Nevertheless, demand for food is increasing geometrically hence the need to increase output per unit area. Agroforestry (AF) which is an ecologically based and dynamic system that integrates multi-purpose trees on farms can increase productivity and offer resilience to climate change vagaries. However, the role of AF in Zimbabwean smallholder farming systems is still not well investigated. Therefore, this review explores the role of agroforestry on agricultural productivity in the semi-arid regions of Zimbabwe. The aim was to enhance sustainable food security among the rural poor through sustainable agriculture. Incorporating multi-purpose trees on agricultural lands can significantly restore soil productivity and offer soil resilience to erosion by water and wind. If well implemented, the AF can be a viable option in mitigating the impacts of drought on agriculture in these drier and marginalized areas.

Willd (quinoa) is a crop that originated from the Andes and has been recently introduced in Zimbabwe so the agronomic performance is unknown yet. A 3-year field experiment was carried out at the Wo...