Field Crops

Swellendam farmer Hoppies Uys has started a new farming trend in the Southern Cape by planting a summer cover crop directly after harvesting a silage crop in August. He talked to Glenneis Kriel about the principles involved and the results thus far.

To combat herbicide resistance, farmers worldwide are having to become inventive in their herbicide application. Villa Crop’s Pieter le Roux offers practical solutions to the problem and looks at some do’s and don’ts.

Consumer tastes in fruit are becoming increasingly sophisticated and varied across the world, and a future trend will be growing demand for new eating experiences and exotic flavours. Riaan van Wyk, one of the directors of the fruit breeding company, re:inc innovation, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about his views on these trends.

Humus is arguably one of the most important contributors to sustainable life on our planet, yet it remains largely unappreciated. Graeme Sait, CEO of Nutri-Tech Solutions in Australia, explains why humus is so important and how we can help to produce it.

Exotic Sharon fruit was introduced to South Africa in the late 1990s, but it took years to establish in which regions the trees would produce optimally. Over the past five years, the industry has been consolidated and is now taking advantage of new export markets.

Southern Cape conservation farmers are continually looking for new ways to improve their operations. The latest technological advance in planters, the Tobin Bullet disc planter, now allows them to move from minimum till to no-till.

SA soya bean production has increased markedly over the past couple of years. As drought hits our western production regions, farmers expect to harvest marginally less of the oil seed than last year. Jaco Visser analyses the domestic and world outlook for soya bean production and prices.

Local small grain producers must optimise production through precision farming in order to stay competitive in globalised markets. Through a recent merger, the Tweekop farming enterprise in the Southern Cape has done just that. Jacques Claassen visited the farm and reports.

The local macadamia nut industry has been taken aback by a recent crackdown on illegal traders in China procuring nuts for their domestic market....

Canola is no longer a crop that farmers can neglect. It is a valuable cash crop that can achieve high yields, provided that producers make careful cultivar selections and manage the crop correctly. Jacques Claassen reports on what is expected of the 2015 season.

Long grown in India and Pakistan, and more recently in the US, Australia and other parts of Africa, guar is now being introduced to South African crop farmers as a hardy and high-value legume crop for marginal soils.

Adverse environmental conditions and disease are placing increasing pressure on maize crops in South Africa, says Dr Belinda Janse van Rensburg, researcher at the ARC-Grain Crops Institute.

Grain farmer David Maleleka ascribes his success to hard work, perseverance and mentorship. He was chosen as a beneficiary of the Omnia New Business Development project because of his proven record as a grain producer and his commitment as a farmer.

The sugarcane industry contributes 11% to agri-employment, and creates around 79 000 direct jobs. The crop is resilient, with the ability to bounce back despite tough growing conditions.

Grain SA recently hosted a conservation agriculture promotion day for smallholder farmers growing crops on communal lands in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape. A number of knowledgeable speakers shared their tips with the farmers and spoke about why they too should join the CA implementation movement – and how.

Award-winning table grape farmer, Pieter Joubert from De Doorns, says that attention to production detail and a professional and dedicated workforce are equally important in successful grape farming.

Willem Kilian and Ernest Dube of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) Small Grain Institute in Bethlehem, and Henzel Saul of the institute’s branch in Stellenbosch, report on trials conducted on two new wheat cultivars for the winter rainfall region.

Dissie Kruger established his wheat, maize and soya bean farm on undeveloped land among the barren hills around Orania in the Northern Cape – and created an economically sustainable model farm.

The Lower Orange River, the country’s second-largest table grape-producing region, is known for its extreme summer temperatures during the peak harvesting season. Farmers have to plan carefully to optimise water usage without wasting this resource. Jaco Visser spoke to table grape and raisin producer Stefaans Zaaiman.

The ARC-Grain Crops Institute recently published its 2013/2014 National Maize Cultivar Trials results. Farmer’s Weekly presents the results for the best-yielding hybrids in South Africa’s eastern maize production region.