Knowledge Hub

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.

 Let’s investigate the development and future of irrigation automation. We’ll also consider a few irrigation automation scenarios, to discover the possibilities of what irrigation automation can do on your farm.  

We speak to Netafim digital farming experts and two automation users to continue our conversation on the ever-evolving irrigation automation industry and the impact of irrigation automation on the farm.  

The wine industry is a holistic organism influenced by a flow of factors, this makes an economic perspective just as important as an agronomic or irrigation-focused one. Team Netafim checked in with Yolandi Botha, Agricultural Economist at Vinpro, for her perspective on wine industry economics.

Jovan Erasmus, Agronomist at Netafim Southern & East Africa, recently presented a webinar on understanding water movement in soil and how it affects dripper spacing selection. He delved into soil texture, soil structure, water content, distribution in the soil, shared a few case studies and discussed how we combine all this information to decide on our dripper spacing and delivery rates during irrigation system planning.

Let’s talk about the importance of religious maintenance in drip irrigation success. The many advantages of this precision irrigation method quickly diminish when systems are not properly designed, operated, and maintained. Dripper blockages, flow rate inconsistencies and other problems will arise, often silently and cumulatively, leading to significant losses.

The Netafim story is one of continuous leadership through continuous innovation. As part of the global Netafim family, the team at Netafim Southern & East Africa is elated to celebrate the company’s 60th anniversary in 2025. 

With increased pressure on agriculture to use fewer resources, the fundamental challenge remains: how can we maximise crop yield and quality while using less water? The answer lies beneath our feet—understanding how water moves through soil is key to scheduling irrigation effectively and ensuring optimal crop performance.

In today’s agricultural landscape, the pressure is mounting. Water is scarce, costs are rising, and farmers—whether small-scale or commercial—are expected to produce more with less. Precision irrigation offers a practical and effective response to these challenges, providing farmers with the tools they need to make the most of every drop of water, every unit of fertiliser, and corner of your farm.

On Earth Day 2025, it is valuable to place our focus on water, an indispensable resource for life on earth, and how we use this precious resource in crop production. Experts from Netafim Southern & East Africa weigh in on water-use efficiency and call for drip irrigation adoption

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.