Prior to 1960 and before the green revolution, in Asia farmers were growing open pollinated varieties which would bring a very low yield. However in 1960 Seed Co produced SR52 which is the first single cross maize hybrid to be commercialised in the world, and which forms the basis of maize breeding in Zimbabwe and the Eastern and Southern Africa region.
The experiment was conducted by Allan Rattray and Harry Arnold at the Harare Research Station, and they became the pioneers of moving from open pollinated to single cross pollinated variety. Seed Co commercialised this variety first before farmers and researchers in the rest of the world.
We have since evolved to creating new varieties that are doing very well in the market.