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Mapudzi Chiedza PLUS

Early maturing

Zimbabwean traditional vegetable

High yielding

Yellow flesh

Mapudzi CHIEDZA PLUS is proudly bred by Avanos Seeds as one of a range of traditional Zimbabwean vegetables. Mapudzi as the crop is known in Shona, or Makhomane as it is known in Ndebele, is an essential component of traditional rural agriculture, and is an important contributor to food security and food diversity in rural Zimbabwe. Chiedza Plus fruits are oval in shape, with mottled green skin color and light-yellow flesh with a fine floury texture. Chiedza Plus provides an exciting enrichment to the rural and urban variety of vegetables, while offering a near fool-proof and profitable crop to farmers who are ready to try something new and different. Fruits are picked and eaten young when the skin and flesh are tender and sweet.

Characteristics

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  • NAME
    Mapudzi / Makhomane / Bottle gourd (Lagenaria sp.)
  • SOWING TIME
    September  through to February with irrigation. At the onstart of rains in traditional gardens without irrigation
  • MATURITY
    First fruits at 50 days from sowing and constant productivity thereafter with the picking of young fruits.
  • FRUIT CHARACTERISTICS
    Regularly shaped oval fruits, with mottled green color and somewhat warty skin.  Flesh is light yellow in colour and has a fine floury texture.
  • HARVESTABLE FRUIT SIZE
    150-250gr when best for eating.  Note that over-mature fruits are larger, will develop a hard shell and are no longer palatable.
  • CROP GROWING CHARACTERISTICS
    Mapudzi is a vining crop, much like other cucurbits (cucumber, watermelon, pumpkin etc).  It is grown crawling on the ground and can be intercropped with other vegetable crops, as is done in traditional Zimbabwean culture. 
  • PLANT POPULATION
    When grown in monoculture, 9.000 – 10.000 pls/hectare Recommended spacing is 1.5 m between rows and 0.75 m in row.


  • SEEDING RATE
    1.5 kg/ ha
  • FERTILIZATION RATE
    Provide ample manure or compost for best results, irrespective of other fertilizers applied Compound C – 600 kg/ha applied before planting and incorporated well into the soil.  AN – 100 kg/ha applied in two applications at 2 and 4 weeks of crop age
  • DISEASES AND PESTS
    Mapudzi, being a traditional Zimbabwean vegetable, is well adapted to the local environment and growing conditions and is not known to develop severe diseases.  Pumpkin fruit fly can cause losses when the fruit fly stings young fruits, and a bait based on sugary water solution with a small amount of insecticide can be applied to control the fruit fly population and protect the crop. 
  • POTENTIAL YIELD
    Chiedza Plus can yield a minimum of 5 fruits per plant, or the equivalent of 50.000 fruits per hectare (equaling 15 tons) if picked regularly, allowing more young fruits to form and develop. The crop will stop producing if fruits are allowed to mature on the vine.

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DISCLAIMER: Our information is based on our observations and/or information from other sources. As crop performance depends on the interaction between the genetic potential of the seed, its physiological characteristics, and the environment, including management, we give no warranty express or implied, for the performance of crops relative to the information given nor do we accept any liability for any loss, direct or consequential, that may arise from whatsoever cause. Please read the Avanos Seeds Conditions of Sale before ordering seed.