What are you farming? You may say fruit, grain, vegetables, livestock or pasture, but stripped to the bare essence, everybody is actually farming carbon to nitrogen, or more specifically, the soil. This was the message of Nico Uys, operations manager of Ezolimo Organics, at the SA Olive Field Day, held near Wellington in the Western Cape in January.
Uys said most of South Africa's soil had a carbon content of less than 0,5%, which means farmers are heavily dependent on external inputs to produce crops. However, by increasing the carbon content of soil, farmers can improve the chemical, biological and physical structure of the soil, which translates into huge cost savings by improving nutrient retention and reducing the vulnerability of crops to pests and diseases.
Such an improvement also renders crops less vulnerable to climate shocks. The soil becomes like a sponge that is better able to handle rain during the rainy season, less prone to erosion and topsoil washing away during heavy rains, and able to hold more water during dry months. Uys referred to research that found that the soil's water-holding capacity could almost be doubled with every 1% increase in carbon. For instance, the water-holding capacity of 100kg soil could increase from 20 to 40 if the carbon content of this soil were increased from 1% to 2%. It would increase to 2000 if the carbon content of this soil was raised to 5%.
"South African farmers should aim to build their soil carbon levels to between 2% and 2,5%. Higher levels have been achieved in Mpumalanga and Limpopo, but it is difficult in drier parts of the country. Levels of up to 5% have been achieved in some wetter and cooler parts of the world."
BUILDING SOIL CARBON LEVELS
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 10, 2024-Ausgabe von Farmer's Weekly.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 10, 2024-Ausgabe von Farmer's Weekly.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
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.
