Knowledge Hub

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.

Macadamia tree irrigation approaches are still being refined as the industry learns more about tree water requirements and how climatic conditions affects it. Approaches range from highly intensive daily irrigation and fertigation to an extensive approach where irrigation events are adapted to the most important phenological growth stages, the climatic conditions and available resources.

Netafim, the global leader of precision irrigation solutions and agricultural projects, announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Dutch turnkey greenhouse projects provider, Gakon.