We sat down with David Malan, Managing Director at Klein Karoo Seed Production, about growth in the South African vegetable seed production industry growth and the industry’s readiness to capitalise on opportunities.
Drip irrigation has long been a trusted method for irrigating sugarcane; widely recognised for its ability to reduce resource use and increase yields. Conversations with sugarcane farmers in Kwa-Zulu Natal highlighted that the greatest benefits of implementing drip irrigation in sugarcane production often extend beyond the traditional goal of growing more with less. Lower electricity use and reduced labour requirements emerged as some of the most valuable benefits of drip irrigation in sugarcane production.
Bringing improved water-use efficiency to vineyards, drip irrigation has added a lot of value to the wine grape industry. As technology improves and our knowledge expands it will continue to do so. The more we align irrigation with soil movement dynamics, the greater our ability to enhance both sustainability and profitability in the vineyard.
Netafim South Africa recently ran a series of informative articles and podcasts on www.foodformzansi.co.za. The posts introduced readers and listeners to Netafim, precision irrigation and growing more with less.
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.
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.
Drip irrigation’s accurate application of water and fertiliser brings about not only reduced costs and resource requirements, but also potentially higher yields.