Field Crops

While wheat remains South Africa’s dominant winter grain, diversification into oilseeds and legumes is becoming increasingly common as farmers look to spread risk and improve soil health. Farmer’s Weekly spoke to experts for insights into crop performance, rotation, and management strategies shaping winter grain production.

By leveraging a global genetics pool at its Camet facility, Syngenta is bridging the gap between Argentinian innovation and South African fields, transforming sunflower from a ‘replacement crop’ into a high-margin, oil-rich powerhouse.

With the expansion of soya bean cultivation in South Africa, growers must prioritise biocontrol for pest risk mitigation. Gustav Venter, technical lead of Insecticides at Syngenta, says the often-underestimated threat of sucking pests in soya bean crops can be managed with early scouting, identification, and thorough chemical control with integrated pest management.

Grain SA agricultural economist Gerhard Burger says South Africa’s grain industry is entering the new production season with strong summer crop prospects, but the improved outlook comes with growing pressure on prices and shrinking producer margins.

The Zimbabwean government is urging the domestic hemp industry to turn the regulatory framework introduced in 2020 into tangible commercial output and profitability.

On 10 March this year, Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa chaired the year’s fifth cabinet meeting which discussed the country’s winter agriculture production plan. As expected, wheat production was part of that agriculture plan.

The co-owner of Wilkot Boerdery in the Northern Cape, Johan Maree, shares his cotton farming journey with Nichelle Steyn and explains why there is so much more to the crop than meets the eye.

Since taking over her late husband’s farm three years ago, Franelyn Rossouw has been simplifying her approach to potato farming in order to streamline production. She spoke to Lindi Botha about how her focus on optimising irrigation, meticulous crop protection, and reducing in-field traffic is bearing fruit.

For many areas in South Africa, August is the last window of opportunity to prune roses. If you haven’t already done so, follow these guidelines to encourage healthy growth and an abundance of blooms throughout summer.

Renowned worldwide for its medicinal and cosmetic properties, Aloe ferox is also an integral part of South Africa’s cultural heritage. Linda Piegl explores the plant’s traditional uses and how to grow it at home.

The biggest obstacle that ginger farmers in South Africa face is securing enough land to allow for at least a four-year rest period before replanting the same land to the crop. Limpopo farmer Ika Cronjé spoke to Lindi Botha about how she solved this problem by turning to hydroponic production.

In today’s agricultural playing field, the focus is being directed at sustainably producing crops for a growing world population. Concepts like ensuring food security, soil quality and fertility, nutritional value of crops, and environmental impact on the natural resources are the order of the day.

Macadamia nut farms have been in dire straits over the past two seasons as prices have dropped and input costs have risen. With little relief on the horizon, orchard management needs to be revised to maintain sustainability. Lindi Botha looks at the options available to farmers to reduce their costs.

The development of herbicide resistance is forcing farmers to incorporate non-chemical management practices in their weed control programmes. Dr Michael Walsh spoke about how it’s done in Australia at a farmers’ day in the Western Cape.

Kynoch Fertilizer is dedicated to innovation and adding value for producers. The company’s comprehensive support covers the entire process of unlocking resource information, followed by value-added completion.

In this article, Zunel van Eeden delves into the socioeconomic and agronomic benefits associated with soya bean production, while also addressing the persistent challenges posed by insect pests and diseases that have threatened harvests over the season and which have impacted many producers.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum) has a rich history dating back to 9600 BC and is a staple cereal grain cultivated worldwide. It symbolises development, advancement, abundance and wealth. Wheat is metaphorically associated with growth, hard work, love and charity and is frequently mentioned in the Bible.

Marguerite Pienaar, a junior economist at Grain SA, and Petru Fourie, convenor of the Sorghum Cluster, provide an overview of sorghum production in the country.

Zunel van Eeden looks at maize production, and the pests and diseases that farmers should be on the lookout for to maintain their good yields and profitability.

In the realm of modern agriculture, farmers are constantly seeking methods to bolster soil health and amplify crop productivity. Soil carbon levels play a crucial role in nurturing microbial life, fortifying soil nutrient capacity, and supporting sustainable farming practices.