Zimbabwe Crop Calendar

Highest rainfall (mean annual is >1,000 mm); Probability of exceeding 500 mm/yr is ≥ 95%; Length of rainfall season is >130 days; Moderate to cool temperature (mean annual is <15 °C; mean max is 21-25 °C); Proportion of country is 1.5% (6008.8 km2)

Practices: Specialised and diversified farming: Commercial forest plantations (mainly eucalypti and pines); Fruit trees (mainly banana, apples and macadamia nuts); Other plantation crops (mainly coffee and tea); Intensive livestock production (mainly ; Annual crops (late maturing maize/corn; Irish potato, field peas and soya beans; Terracing on steep terrains to control erosion;

High to medium rainfall (mean annual is 750-1000mm); Probability of exceeding 500 mm/yr is ≥ 90%; Length of rainfall season is 120-130 days; Moderate temperatures (mean annual is 15-20 °C; mean max is 23-27 °C);Proportion of country is 5.7% (22,085.4 km2)

Practices: Intenstive farming: Late to medium mauring varieties of cereal, legume and other crops (tobacco, groundnuts, Irish potato, cotton) Irrigated what and barley in winter; intensive livestock production (beef, dairy and poultry); pastures and pen fattening;

High to medium rainfall (mean annual is 750-1000mm); Probability of exceeding 500 mm/yr is ≥ 80%; Length of rainfall season is 115-120 days; Moderate temperatures (mean annual is 15-20 °C; mean max is 25-28 °C); Proportion of country is 9.3% (36,304.7 km2)

Practices: Intenstive farming: As in Zone IIb but with late to early maturing crops because of a less reliable water in rainfed systems; intensive use of inorganic fertilizers, soil amendments and herbicides for yield maximisation;

Medium rainfall (mean annual is 650-800mm); Probability of exceeding 500 mm/yr is 75-80%; Length of rainfall season is 110-120 days; Moderate temperatures (mean annual is 15-25 °C; mean max is 25-28 °C); Proportion of country is 16.2% (63,215.2 km2)

Practices: Semi-intensive farming: Medium to early matuiring and drought resistant varieties of cereals, legumes (soyabean, groundnuts) and other crops (cotton, sunflower); supplementary irrigation; rainwater harvesting; conservation tillage; semi-intensive livestock production (beef, dairy and small stock (goats, poultry)

Medium to low rainfall (mean annual is 450-650 mm); Probability of exceeding 500 mm/yr is 60-80%; Length of rainfall season is 105-120 days; High temperatures (mean annual is 15-25 °C; mean max is 27-29 °C); Proportion of country is 29.1% (113,594.9 km2)

Practices: Semi-extensive farming: Early to very early maturing varieties of cereals and legumes, drought tolerant crops (sorghum, finger millet, pearl millet, water melons, cowpeas). Irrigated maize; extensive cattle ranching, rearing of small ruminants (mainly goats, sheep) and poultry; rainwater harvesting; conservation tillage, particulaly reduced tillage (pfumvudza); fisheries in areas with natural/artificial surface water bodies; limited use of inorganic fertilizers, soil amendments and herbicides for yield maximisation;

Low and erratic rainfall (mean annual is <650 mm); Probability of exceeding 500 mm/yr is 60-80%; Length of rainfall season is 100-120 days; High temperatures (mean annual is 20-25 °C; mean max is 28-30 °C); Proportion of country is 29.4% (115,041.2 km2)

Practices: Extensive Farming: Extensive cattle ranching and goat production; Marginal for drought tolerant crops, especially the traditional grains (mainly sorghum, finger millet, pearl millet, cowpeas) and irrigated sugarcane on light textured soils and sugar bean on well drained soils; Tree plantations (mainly citrus); extensive game-ranching and tourism; fisheries; conservation tillage, particulaly reduced tillage (pfumvudza/intwasa)

Lowest and erratic rainfall (mean annual is <600 mm); Probability of exceeding 500 mm/yr is <60%; Length of rainfall season is <110 days; High temperatures (mean annual is 20-25 °C; mean max is 28-32 °C); Proportion of country is 8.8% (34,499.8 km2)

Practices: Extensive Farming: Livestock extensive ranching (mainly indeginous cattle and goats breeds); game ranching (mainly impala, eland, warthog); Fruit tree plantation (mainly citrus with irrigation); irrigated food and feed crops; conservation tillage and rainwater harvesting