Healthy Yields Start With Healthy Soil And Roots

Biodiverse, nutrient-rich soil is the basis of consistently good harvests. Madumbi, a South African distributor of proven bioproducts, helps farmers build up and maintain optimal soil conditions.

The goal of every crop farmer is to grow healthy plants capable of producing the best possible harvest.

During the recent BioSolutions Africa-Virtual conference, Rod Bell, CEO of CropLife South Africa, reiterated that “healthy crops have higher yield potentials and are better equipped to withstand the effects of stress and pests than a weak crop”.

Pest damage can be devastating. As a result, growers develop and constantly enhance their individual integrated pest management (IPM) programmes to minimise damage.

Bell cautioned, however, that despite significant advances in pest control, this was only one aspect of overall crop production.

“Pest management doesn’t affect the plants’ potential; it can only protect what the crop produces,” he said. Madumbi prioritises plant and soil health as the foundation of a healthy crop and recognises its contribution to minimising pest control.

“We believe that a mind-shift change in IPM programmes is needed if farmers want to maximise their crops’ potential,” says Mark Hutton, Madumbi key account manager for KwaZulu Natal and the rest of Africa.

“Rather than focusing on aboveground plant and pest control, growers should prioritise the below-ground environment, to ensure that root and plant health are maximised. In terms of the 80:20 principle, 80% of ‘farming’ takes place underground.”