Agriculture is challenged to produce more with less - to feed the rapidly growing population with limited resources whilst protecting the environment for future generations. Efficient irrigation is not only about using water responsibly, but also about the vital task of ensuring food security and sustainability across the globe.
Niger, like much of the globe, is experiencing the effects of climate change but to an extreme. With its temperature rising 1.5 times faster than the global median and averaging 45 degrees celsius, farmers across Niger struggle to grow food in scorched, sandy soil, resulting in an unprecedented high rate of chronic malnutrition among young children.
In November 2021, the Netafim team and a group of Pecan farmers set off to the Lowveld. They visited several farms in Mpumalanga and Limpopo to learn about current soil management practices and how they can apply it in their orchards.
Journalist, Lindi Botha, joined the tour and wrote the following piece for the Netafim South Africa Knowledge Hub.
A variety of factors must be considered in dripper and dripline selection. The designer and/or farmer must determine which attributes are necessary for the crop and circumstances. The purpose is to maintain a balance between dripper cost and performance.
Adriaan de Lange has been appointed as Managing Director of Netafim South Africa, effective 24 November 2021. Adriaan takes over the reins from Etienne Erasmus as he enters retirement. Erasmus will stay on until the end of February 2022 to support a smooth and successful transition process.
Michael Esmeraldo, Netafim South Africa’s sales manager for the northern regions of the country, was elected as president of the South African Irrigation Institute (SABI). He has been serving as vice-president of the organisation since 2019 and before that served as chairman of the Mpumalanga branch. At 30, Michael is the youngest ever president of SABI.
In Southern Africa, irrigating maize and its rotation crops with drip irrigation is not yet a common practice. However, checking in with our counterparts at Netafim USA, it is easy to get excited about the potential impact of drip irrigation in the Southern African grain industry.
With the right irrigation equipment, necessary knowledge, correct calculations and involving the right experts, the farmer can make an informed decision to ensure that the crop receives optimal irrigation while he or she makes extremely efficient use of the available water.
Conventionally, effective filtration area is discussed in a two-dimensional context. However, when it comes to disc filtration we should change to a three-dimensional way of thinking.
Whichever way efficiency is calculated, it cannot be maintained without proper and regular maintenance of the filter. Without it you will most likely encounter problems, and the filter will fail to protect the irrigation system all year.
The filtration system is a key part of any successful irrigation system. With so many factors affecting the workings of a filter and how it should be implemented, filter solutions will never be ‘one size fits all’ or ‘plug and play’. Each irrigation system and the circumstances under which it operates will require a different filter setup, as well as various operation and maintenance activities.
Irrigation plays a vital role in sustainable wine grape production in South Africa. With dwindling water resources and an increase in competition for water, the need for continuous innovation is greater than ever.
A healthy root zone contributes to higher production. This means that the importance of efficient irrigation, one of the factors that contribute to the health of the root zone, cannot be underestimated.
We talk about precision citrus irrigation, growth in the South African citrus industry and Centralised Low Flow Drip Fertigation.