🌾 Winter Wheat farming in Zimbabwe
Fully irrigated winter crop, the backbone of national flour supply.
- Season / planting window
- Plant 1 May – 31 May. Yield drops sharply for every week planted after 31 May.
- Best regions
- Irrigated schemes in Mashonaland, Midlands and Manicaland.
- Spacing / population
- Drilled in 20–25 cm rows at 100–125 kg seed/ha.
- Expected yield
- 4–7 t/ha under full irrigation.
Stage by stage
Land preparation
April
- Clear summer crop residue early; plough and level well — even irrigation depends on a level field.
- Broadcast and incorporate Compound D or a wheat-specific basal.
- Ensure the irrigation system is serviced and delivering uniformly before planting.
Fertiliser and chemicals
- FertiliserCompound D or wheat basal blend
300–400 kg/ha · Incorporated at planting
- FertiliserAmmonium Nitrate
300–400 kg/ha split 2–3 times · Tillering, stem elongation, booting
Field tip
Planting date is the single biggest yield factor — do not plant after the end of May.
The rest of this winter wheat guide
- 4 more stages, from land preparation through to storage
- 4 more fertiliser, herbicide, pesticide and fungicide entries with rates
- All field tips, plus the printable and downloadable version
- Your own crop, cost and activity records in the FarmInvest app
Full farming cycle guides
Free and complete — land, equipment, crops, inputs and harvest.