Purpose of description

SDMV 89004 was released in 1992 as P M V 2 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Lands and Rural Resettlement, Government of Zimbabwe, for general cultivation in the country. It is also being evaluated in farmers' fields in Botswana.

Origin and development

SDMV 89004 was developed by the Southern African Development Community (SADC)/ ICRISAT Sorghum and Millet Improvement Program (SMIP) at Matopos and Muzarabani, Zimbabwe, f r om a short-duration composite population constituted specifically for SADC countries in Zimbabwe, in 1985. The population was derived by random-mating for four seasons 174 medium-duration (85-100 days) superior varieties originating f r om ICRISAT (Patancheru, India and Niamey, Niger) and the SADC Region. Off-season facilities at Muzarabani were used to advance two generations per year. In the 1986/87 cropping season, 361 S1 progenies were selected and tested at Lucydale, Makoholi, Matopos, and Muzarabani. Nine high-yielding progenies were selected f r om the Muzarabani trial and recombined to constitute ICMV-SD 87014. Rigorous Grid Mass Selection for short duration, high t i l l e r i n g , large bold seeds, and long cylindrical compact panicles was done in 1989. The resultant variety was renamed SDMV 89004. From 1989 until its release in 1992, S D M V 89004 was improved every year.