Field Crops

Protecting stored grain from insect pests is essential for Africa’s future food security. University of KwaZulu-Natal doctoral candidate, Mohamed Saeed, describes his successful tests with a widely known fungus to help achieve this.

Gerhard Scholtemeijer, Protein Research Foundation chairperson, is an ardent advocate for soya bean production in South Africa, and has promoted the crop for the past 20 years. He spoke to Annelie Coleman about the industry’s inception, its challenges, and his thoughts on its future.

Over the past 15 years, Alan and Russell Heger have grown their farming operation into a major supplier of cucumbers in the Eastern Cape. Grant Hollins spoke to this father-and-son team about their successes, as well as the challenges they face in trying to grow the business.

Free State Young Farmer of the Year 2017, Johan van Huyssteen, is working to ensure the sustainable productivity of his family farm for future generations.

Grant Pringle, an agronomist with Pannar Seed, tells Lloyd Phillips how a farmer can get the best out of a silage maize crop by using the correct planting and management methods.

Sweet piquanté peppers, marketed under the PEPPADEW label, require all the attention a farmer can spare to produce good results. Limpopo farmer, Jaco Kriel, spoke to Gerhard Uys about producing this challenging but rewarding crop.

Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) can infect a wide range of hosts, and losses of up to 20% have been reported in infected tomatoes. Phillip Mphuthi of the Agricultural Research Council’s (ARC) Industrial Crops unit in Rustenburg discusses TMV detection, prevention and management.

Amaranth has a high nutrient value and is a popular superfood worldwide. Because it can withstand harsh climatic conditions, it is also an attractive crop to farm. Western Cape farmer, Gerrie Niewoudt, tested it and discussed the results with Glenneis Kriel.

While some farmers in the Olifants River Valley are switching to organic production to overcome poor wine prices, others are converting to fruit and vegetables.

The supply of water to Olifants River Valley producers has been frequently interrupted in recent years due to breakages in the irrigation canal. Glenneis Kriel spoke to Johan Matthee, CEO of the Lower Olifants River Water Users’ Association, about the causes of this and its impact on farmers.

Drip irrigation systems have a well-deserved reputation for water-efficiency. Although this gives them an obvious advantage in water-scarce South Africa, irrigation specialist, Mark Zartmann, explains that there are several factors that a farmer should consider before converting to such a system.

People living in the Simalaha Community Conservancy in western Zambia have risen out of poverty through the use of conservation agriculture (CA) methods, according to Chrispin Muchindu, CA manager at Peace Parks Foundation.

Extensive diversification, including vegetable production, livestock sales and a farm stall, has helped Philippi farmer, Leon Rix, to significantly reduce his business risk. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the expansion of his enterprise.

There is more to a maize land than meets the eye. It is a mass production facility with thousands of efficient ‘factories’ per hectare, each storing the sun’s energy through photosynthesis. A system this complex and valuable needs careful management, says Grant Pringle, Pannar agronomist in KwaZulu-Natal.

A recent study published by the Water Research Commission highlights the urgent need for identifying on-farm treatment options to help reduce the high levels of microbial contamination in irrigation waters, thereby reducing the associated food safety hazards for consumers. Denene Erasmus summarises some of the report’s key findings.

Tobacco producer, Peter Kok, says that tobacco is a cash crop that can assist diversification and expansion.

JH Laubscher Broers has one of the largest potato-growing concerns in the Western Cape, with 300ha under irrigation all through the year.

Seven years ago, Fritz Breytenbach, a wine grape producer in the Robertson Valley, embarked on his biological farming journey. Today, he is reaping the benefits by producing almost double the regional production average using the same inputs as neighbouring farmers.

Grain SA’s Grain Producer of the Year 2016, Jozua du Plessis, was one of the first grain producers in South Africa to implement precision farming practices in the late 1990s. He spoke to Gerhard Uys about how precision farming, coupled with conventional cultivation methods and a keen eye for opportunities, is the key to his successful and sustainable operation.

Since the introduction of industrial agricultural practices in South African sugar cane production, soil compaction has led to a steady decrease in average yield and profitability. Dr Rianto van Antwerpen, a senior scientist at the SA Sugarcane Research Institute, advises farmers on how to care for their soil to avoid this problem.