At least 400 hectares of irrigated tobacco have been severely damaged countrywide after farmers used counterfeit chemicals on their crops.
Liaison, pesticide approval and plant health services officers have since been deployed to assess the damage caused by the use of these chemicals, The Sunday Mail reported.
Tobacco Research Board (TRB) executive director for research and extension services, Dr Susan Dimbi, warned farmers from using unregistered agrochemicals.
Dr Dimbi said during an interview with The Sunday Mail Online:
This comes as a record incidence of abnormally growing tobacco plants in the irrigated tobacco crops this October was detected.
Teams on the ground established that growers had used chlorpyrifos, with rates that ranged from 750ml – 1500ml per hectare.”
The symptoms on the affected crops are not typical chlorpyrifos phytotoxicity symptoms, but rather pointing to 2,4D-related herbicide damage.
On average, one hectare produces at least four tonnes of tobacco if farmers use the recommended agronomic practices.
Chlorpyrifos is a hazardous pesticide that has been banned for tobacco and other crops in many countries around the world.
According to Mashonaland Central senior agronomist, Mr Lazarus Gatawa, phytotoxicity is an adverse effect on plant physiology and inhibition of growth that is caused by applied chemical substances like fertilisers, herbicides or insecticides.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Republic Police and Seed Co officials have since launched a blitz on counterfeit agricultural products flooding the market.
Indications are that counterfeit agricultural inputs are being sold at illegal outlets and open spaces at lower prices than genuine products.