Maize (Zea mays), is South Africa’s staple food therefore making sure that it is available in surplus without production “faults” is important. This crops requires inputs which work together to ensure that the desired maize grain is produced. These inputs are the type of cultivar chosen, tillage practices, usage of fertilisers, controlling weeds, insects, and diseases. Although therefore, ned inputs are important, there is one crucial input that ensures that the grain maize producers of quality whicthatthe choice of the cultivar. The cultivar that is chosen should be able to tolerate certain environmental factors such as prolonged periods of drought and other times the appearance of certain pest species. This requires knowledge of the certain traits that a maize cultivar will possess. These traits are maybe agronomic; lodging resistance, ears of maize, moisture content, height and the yield (Ali Q, et al.,2014). They may also be morpho-physiological traits which include the seedling vigor, leaf traits, root traits, and early emergence (Ali Q, et al.,2014) .Observing these traits will ensure that a farmer is able to draw a conclusion on which maize variety is suitable for his farm and
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Problem statement
The usage of maize by South Africans exceeds any other cereal crop. It is used for human consumption, as feed for livestock and for other industrial purposes (Boswell, et al., 2018). Each and every part of the maize plant has significant importance. These parts such as the stalk, leaves and the grain are all used to produce food and non-food products (Boswell, et al., 2018). Therefore it is crucial that framers choose the correct varieties to plant in that drought stricken environment without sacrificing the agronomic traits of the maize. There is a loop hole in the comparison study between the two types of maize variety which makes it difficult for farmers to choose the correct variety to plant. Management Assignment Help
Justification
Choosing a maize variety that will withstand harsh conditions with minimum inputs yet giving out maximum output. Harsh conditions being long periods of drought. Having adequate knowledge on which maize varieties to choose from to endure such is crucial for the farmer. Choosing between a conventional maize seed and a genetically modified maize seed has both its benefits and its limitations but by comparing these two types of maize varieties, a farmer will be able to choose which one will be suitable for rain fed or dry land farming. For example genetically modified maize already has the bt gene which makes it tolerant to maize stalk borer whilst most conventional maize varieties are resistant to drought. Even so they equally have the some limitations which might hinder their growth. By thoroughly researching and comparing these factors for both maize varieties, one will be sure of which traits he is looking for in the maize, which variety to choose and conditions to grow that variety in.
Objectives
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The main objective of the study is to find out which maize variety seed performs well under drought stricken conditions between two different maize varieties.
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The practical objective is to compare the agronomic and morpho-physiological traits of genetically modified Bt maize and conventional drought tolerant maize when they are produced by using the same inputs and environmental conditions. Management Assignment Help
