Does it matter whether seed is local or elite?
Residents of Shiram province in Armenia expect an abundant corn crop. They expect to harvest more than 90 000 tons of corn in 2011 against the 80 000 tons of 2010.
The Department of Agriculture believes to have more crop as part of arable lands is in mountainous areas where corn matures much later.
However, the abundance of grain is not only determined by favourable weather. It is also due to the high-quality ‘elite' seed that tripled the corn crop in a year.
Farmers say they needn't underestimate the local crop and in order to have high yields they should understand the language of plants and settle the issue of irrigation and agricultural machinery. In addition, they underline that frequently the quality and taste of corn are much more important than the quantity.
