The four main factors in the production process are land, labour, capital and management. Land is both the most important and, in the long run, the most limited.
The area of South Africa is 122,48 million hectares. Only 8,4% of South Africa was cultivated in 1960. In the years to come, towns and cities will expand, more recreational areas will be developed, and the growing population will demand more food. In other words, our land’s importance as a production factor will increase as it becomes more limited.
The knowledge of soil is, therefore, of the utmost importance.
CATEGORIES OF LAND
To ensure optimal utilisation of the soil, a start must be made to divide it into different categories according to production and use. This is necessary to determine the correct use of the soil and to what extent a farmer can intensify.
Some crops do better on heavy soil, while others prefer sandy soils, some crops are more sensitive to flood conditions than others, and some soils are more prone to injury and must be protected by cover crops.
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