Quinoa is one of the ancestral grains now considered as the “superfoods of the future” due to their characteristics as functional foods with great environmental adaptability. The Zimbabwe Resilience Building Fund has introduced quinoa in Zimbabwe to increase resilience of farming systems in light of environmental shocks. In order to improve adoption of the crop, it is important to understand the combined effects of socio‐demographic variables on consumer perceptions of the crop. However, there is limited literature on the combined effects of socio‐demographic variables on quinoa health and nutritional benefits in Zimbabwe. In this study, we used principle component analysis to identify consumers' perception about health and nutritional benefits of quinoa in Gweru Urban District, Gweru, Zimbabwe. A questionnaire was designed and applied to 200 participants. However, only 167 forms were valid for analysis. Age, education, and income level are main factors that determine consumer perceptions on health and nutritional claims. The results indicate that quinoa need to be promoted a as a crop that goes beyond food and income security by placing additional emphasis on health and nutritional aspects. This is very insightful in light of the need to improve the uptake of the crop by smallholder farmers in Zimbabwe. However, the use of self‐reporting survey method has received criticism for failing to get detailed information on perceptions of individuals. These findings could be handy to promote quinoa as a climate smart crop with additional health and nutritional benefits. This is one of the novel research studies exploring the motives of Zimbabwean consumers towards quinoa as a functional food crop. The work also contributes to knowledge on consumer food preferences.

The lack of agronomic information is one of the various reasons given for the failure of indigenous vegetables to move from subsistence plants of restricted use to vegetables that are considerably researched, utilized, available, and commercially aggressive. A greenhouse study was conducted at Midlands State University’s Department of Horticulture and Agronomy to consider the impact of Trichoderma biofertilizer at different stages on the overall performance of horned melon (Cucumis metuliferus). A complete randomized block design (CRBD) was used for this greenhouse experiment. Four Trichoderma-based biofertilizer treatments (0.1 g/pot, 0.2 g/pot, 0.3 g/pot, and 0.4 g/pot) and a control treatment (0.0 g/pot) in four replications were laid down. Inoculation by way of biofertilizer registered significant ( p < 0.05 ) results as a greater number of male flowers were recorded. Higher rates of biofertilizers of 0.3 g/pot and 0.4 g/pot gave more flowers, 10.75 and 12.25, respectively, versus lower application rates of 0.1 g/pot and 0.2 g/pot with 6.25 and 6.50 flowers, respectively. The days to flowering increased from 0.0 g/pot (44.75 days) to 0.4 g/pot (49.00 days). Time taken to fruiting was affected significantly ( p < 0.05 ) with the application of the biofertilizer. The number of fruits per plant followed the same trend of number of female flowers along the main stem. The number of small fruits increased numerically from 0.0 g/pot (0.5 fruits) to 0.4 g/pot (1.5 fruits) but did not differ ( p > 0.05 ) statistically between all treatments. The results of this current study indicate that the Trichoderma-based biofertilizer significantly affects the flowering pattern and fruiting characteristics of horned melon at different application rates. Further investigations need to be conducted to reveal the potential derived from the Trichoderma-based biofertilizer in the production of horned melon.

The adoption of quinoa as a potential food crop in semi-arid Zimbabwe is threatened by poor seed establishment. A 4 x 3 factorial experiment arranged in a completely randomised design (CRD) was carried out to establish the effects of irrigation frequencies and different soil types on germination and early growth of quinoa. Three soil types (sand, loam, and clay) and four irrigation frequencies (after every 1, 2, 3, and 4 days) were used. Measurements taken included days to 50% emergence, germination percentage, mean germination time, germination rate index, coefficient velocity of germination, seedling height, final crop stand, and root density. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was done using GenStat 18th Edition and mean separation was done using the Least Significant Difference (LSD) at a 5% significance level. There was an interaction between irrigation frequency and soil type on days to 50% emergence (p<0.05), germination percentage (p<0.05), germination rate index (p<0.05), seedling height (p<0.05), root length density (p<0.05), seedling crop stand (p<0.05). Sandy soil irrigated on 1-day intervals recorded the highest germination percentage (96.7%), while clay irrigated on 3-day intervals recorded the lowest (41.7%) final germination percentage respectively. Seeds planted in sand and clay recorded the shortest (3.25) and longest (4.5) mean germination time (days) respectively. Loamy and sandy soils irrigated on 3-day intervals and 1-day intervals recorded the lowest (29.4%) and highest (70.4%) germination rate index respectively. Loam soil irrigated on 1-day and 4-day intervals recorded the highest (16.37 cm) and shortest (9.3 cm) seedling height. Loam soil irrigated on 2-day and sandy soil irrigated on 3-day intervals recorded the lowest (3.07 cm/cm3) and the highest (21.23 cm/cm3) root length densities respectively. Sand irrigated on 1-day intervals recorded the highest (85%) crop stand. Findings concluded and recommended planting and frequently irrigating quinoa in sandy soils for better crop establishment.

The assessment of the vulnerability to drought hazards in smallholder farming systems dependent on rain-fed agriculture has recently gained global popularity, given the need to identify and prioritize climate hotspots for climate adaptation. Over the past decade, numerous studies have focused on vulnerability assessments with respect to drought and other meteorological hazards. Nonetheless, less research has focused on applying common measurement frameworks to compare vulnerability in different communities and the sources of such vulnerability. Yet, the crucial question remains: who is more vulnerable and what contributes to this vulnerability? This article is a case study for assessing the vulnerability to drought of smallholder farmers in two wards in Chivi district, Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe. This study is timely, as climate change is increasingly affecting populations dependent on rainfed agriculture. This assessment has been conducted by calculating the Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) and Livelihood Vulnerability Index of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (LVI-IPCC). This empirical study used data from 258 households from the two wards and triangulated it through Key Informant Interviews and Focus Group Discussions. To calculate the LVI, twenty-six subcomponents made up of seven major components, including socio-demographic variables; livelihood strategies; social capital; access to food, health, and water; and exposure to drought, were considered. To calculate the LVI-IPCC, we combined the three contributing factors of vulnerability (exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity). Our results indicate that the LVI forward 14 is statistically higher than for ward 19 (F = 21.960; p ≤ 0.01) due to high exposure to drought, food insecurity, and compromised social networks. Concerning the LVI-IPCC, ward 14 was significantly more vulnerable to the impacts of drought than ward 19 (F = 7.718; p ≤ 0.01). Thus, reducing exposure to drought through early warning systems, building diversified agricultural systems, and social networks are of high priority to reduce the vulnerability of the farmers.