Twenty-five years ago, farmer Redge Jelliman was fed up. He had been paying a fortune for chemical fertiliser, yet it had failed to generate the yields he expected from his crops. Realising the time had come for an alternative, he had his soil analysed in the US, and went on to apply raw livestock manure to his soil instead. In time, he began composting the manure, which significantly improved his soil and yields.
FRUSTRATION
“I’d become frustrated with fertiliser advisers constantly telling me that applying more chemical fertiliser to my soil would solve my suboptimal crop yield problem,” Jelliman recalls. “At that time, I happened to listen to a presentation by a visiting international soil health expert, who urged me to send my soil samples to Perry Agricultural Laboratory in the US.”
Having up until then used only South African soil-testing laboratories, which did not have the analytical capabilities of laboratories in the US, Jelliman was amazed at the detailed results generated by the Perry laboratory. These revealed an imbalance between the macro and micronutrients in his soil. “I remember that one of Perry laboratory’s written comments on the results of their analysis of my soil samples was ‘Why analyse building sand?’ The analysis had found that my soil’s humus levels were only 0,3%. At that time, I didn’t understand the importance of soil humus levels, or the value of soil biology in crop production.”
Based on the soil analysis results, the international soil health consultant advised Jelliman to apply macronutrients, primarily calcium, phosphate and potassium, in conjunction with micronutrients such as boron, zinc, manganese and copper, to his cropping soil to correct the imbalance between the two nutrient types.
NUTRIENTS FROM FEEDLOTS
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 20, 2019 من Farmer's Weekly.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة December 20, 2019 من Farmer's Weekly.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.
THE HITCHING POST
I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.
