ZIMAGRIC RISING THE BEST IN THE WORLD: AKITA BUTTERNUT SQUASH – REPORT 2025 DR B.A. Campbell Soil Scientist CHARTER SEEDS Starke Ayres Butternut squash variety AKITA is one of a new generation of indeterminate butternuts. Butternut Akita is a very strong vigorous variety with very high yield potential, a high flesh recovery rate and uniformly sized fruit of 1.8kg to 2.2kg. There is a very small seed cavity and its fruit is tan in colour with a very good peanut shape. Akita keeps producing fruit after first harvest and is capable of very high yields. Reports of yields up to 130 tonnes/ hectare harvested have come from Argentina. Akita was shown at the 2024 Charter Seeds – Starke Ayres exhibition at ART Farm. Thirty two (32) plants produced 6.6 fruit per plant. Sample weights indicated a potential yield of 80 tonnes/ hectare. The crop was affected by an aphid-borne virus at an early stage, but showed good resistance and kept on growing. Good resistance was also shown to Powdery Mildew (Erisyphe Cicoracerum). The head office crop was direct sown on 18. 10. 2024 and grown with standard Charter Seeds techniques. November and December were exceptionally hot and dry and irrigation water was scarce. The production team battled to get water to 50cm depth in the soil. Daily soil water checks with a soil probe indicated irrigation water percolating to 35cm depth after each irrigation. Despite inadequate soil water in December, climate smart Akita grew well, pollenated well and ultimately produced three generations of butternuts with the Charter Seeds techniques. Overcast conditions and periodic rain started in early January 2025. Date of transplanting 18.10.2025 } 98 Date of first harvest 24.01.2025 } days. Photograph 1 shows strong vigorous plants at first harvest. Good leaf cover, leaf colour and vigorous growing vines capable of filling out the additional butternuts in the second and third generation. Photograph 2 shows three generations at first harvest - three mature fruit, a half- grown second generation butternut, and a newly pollenated third generation butternut. Photograph 3 shows the same 5 butternuts 10 days later. The light coloured butternut in this photograph is the half formed fruit in photograph 2. Photograph 4 shows the 25 butternuts from the first harvest ready for market at 90 days from transplant (first generation,) showing the excellent uniformity of the variety. Photograph 5 shows a close up of the three mature butternuts shown in photographs 2 and 3, giving the weight of each. Photograph 6 shows the same 3 butternuts cut in half. The quality of the flesh is excellent and there is a very small seed cavity. Photograph 7 shows Soil Scientist Dr Brian Campbell with the production team, Super Agronomist Isaac Amos and Agronomist Special Nhari. The statistics of the crop at first harvest off nine (9) plants are as follows: 25 first generation butternut ready for market. 12 half-grown fruit – second generation. 40 newly-pollenated embryonic fruit – third generation. On these figures potential yield at final harvest will be 205 tonnes per hectare, made up as follows: See the table inserted in the comment section... Yield was estimated on a theoretical 13,334 plants per hectare. It is unlikely that 205 tonnes per hectare will be harvested. There will be too many losses between the embryonic butternuts and final harvest to reap 205 tonnes per hectare. What effect the season had on distribution of fruit between first, second, and third generation butternuts is not clear at this stage. There may have been a relationship between the January rains and the high count of third generation butternuts. The analysis of yield does show the indeterminate nature of the crop and the enormous yield and recovery potential of the variety. To achieve this yield the farmer must harvest as much of the second and third generation fruit as possible. For their part Charter seeds will continue to monitor Starke Ayres Akita butternut and pass on all information gained to their clients so that second and third generation yield can be maximised. #farming #charterseeds #seedsofsuccess