ProAgri BNZ 26- November 2021

ProAgri B otswa n a / N am i b ia/ ia / Zim b ab w e No 26

Free

Botswana page 25

Poultry farming:

Namibia

Start small, dream big

page 31

Zimbabwe page 39

Boost your yields using LEMKEN implements

Irrigate your fields for better yields www.agri4all.com

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Letter from the Editor ear readers of ProAgri BNZ, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the first edition of ProAgri BNZ for which I have acted as Editor.

Having grown up on a farm and being a farmer myself, I have always been enthusiastic about writing and the agricultural sector – what an incredible opportunity and honour to combine the two and do what I am most passionate about.

From the classroom to the farm to the boardroom; women in agriculture are helping to pave the way for a better future. As leaders, it is our responsibility to make sure the next generation of women and men are educated, encouraged, and empowered to take on the challenges of meeting the world's growing food needs.

Advances in technology have enabled farmers to achieve better yields using similar, or even fewer, inputs than in the past. Advances in seed breeding, irrigation technology and the use of more sustainable farming systems, for example, have seen many farmers produce more per hectare, while using fewer natural resources.

In this month’s edition we start a brand new and exciting article series on poultry farming. In our cover story we look at centre pivot irrigation systems.

As Africa's agriculture sector grows, more and more farmers and project managers are using irrigation to improve their yields. A centre pivot irrigation system can apply a prescribed volume of water to perfectly match crop water requirements. It reduces the opportunity for surface run-off or leaching of fertiliser from the soil if the system is designed to match soil infiltration characteristics.

Agriculture is the most regionally intensive industry in the world. Soil type, climate and local markets create farming, rather than the other way around.

Farmers have long produced enough

Content

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5

Cover

D

Water is a scarce, but vital asset in Africa, and should be used wisely. A Reinke pivot irrigation system can place the exact quantity of water on your crops, when and where they need it most.

ProAgri B ot s wa n a/ a / N a m i b i a/ a/Zimbabwe

577 Rossouw Street, Die Wilgers, Pretoria +27 (0)79 515 8708 www.proagri.co.za

food to provide 2 500 calories a day for everyone on the planet. Agriculture has done its part. For consumers, farmers are almost the only moral touchstone in a world where everyone seems directed only by their self-interest.

We must build on the incredible legacy of stewardship, innovation, and productivity, and help one another succeed now and moving into the future.

I am incredibly excited to be on board and will always remain passionate about the future of agriculture and the future of Africa.

Stay happy, stay healthy, and remember – farm smarter, not harder!

Bianca Henning bianca@proagri.co.za

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3.

There is only one way to get a LEMKEN yield … Go blue!

5.

Amazone UX 01 Super Trailed Sprayer: Cost effective, robust, reliable

7.

John Deere – always one step ahead!

9.

Introduction to poultry farming Part 1

19.

Rotary tillers are simple but effective Part 5: Blade types

25.

Vegetable planting guide Part 7: Dry beans

31.

Crop production in Namibia Part 3: Understanding soil pH

39.

Sheep farming made easy Part 8: Sheep handling equipment and

39

restraining devices 45.

The operation and application of medium and big square balers Part 5: Field operation

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

Copyright © 2019. All rights r­ eserved. No m ­ aterial, text or p ­ hoto­graphs may be r­ eproduced, copied or in any other way t­ ransmitted without the written consent of the publisher. O ­ pinions ­expressed are not n ­ ecessarily those of the publisher or of the e ­ ditor. We recognise all trademarks and logos as the sole property of their r­ espective o ­ wners.

ProAgri shall not be liable for any errors or for any actions in reliance thereon.

ProAgri Editor Bianca Henning > +27 82-326-2572 bianca@proagri.co.za Reporters Benine Ackermann > +27 73-105-6938 benine@proagri.co.za Specialist Writer Annemarie Bremner > +27 82-320-3642 annemarie@proagri.co.za Client Relations Manager: Carin Swartz > +27 84-233-0123 carin@proagri.co.za Marketing Manager Diane Grobler > +27 82-555-6866 diane@proagri.co.za Marketing Xander Pieterse > +27 79-524-0934 xander@proagri.co.za Johan Swartz > +27 71-599-9417 johan@proagri.co.za Tiny Smith > +27 82-698-3353 tiny@proagri.co.za Anelda Strauss > +27 76-687-4419 anelda@proagri.co.za Janine Vermaak > +27 71-872-3059 janine@proagri.co.za Creative Director Christiaan Joubert > +27 72-419-3990 christiaan@proagri.co.za Design Michelle Kruger & Lizelle Erasmus Enquiries Engela Botha > +27 12-803-0782 engela@proagri.co.za Accounts Ronel Schluter > +27 12-803-0782 accounts@proagri.co.za Business Manager George Grobler

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ProAgri BNZ 26

There is only one way to get a LEMKEN yield …

by Annemarie Bremner and Bianca Henning

Go blue!

W

hen the wheat stands rich and gold on the fields, you know there will be a good harvest, but when that same wheat still stands upright in line at harvest time, you know you will get a LEMKEN yield.

At SE Terblanche Boerdery on the farm Fleur de Luke near Marble Hall in South Africa, the Terblanche brothers are harvesting their wheat before the big rain comes.

Dandré Terblanche smiles when he tells that fellow farmers do not believe him when he says they expect an average harvest of 7,5 to 8 tonnes per hectare and the wheat still stands upright.

They believe that with such a yield, wheat has a tendency to lie down.

The difference is the placement of the seed, says Sias Humphries of AFGRI Marble Hall, suppliers of the LEMKEN equipment.

Blackie Swart, Regional Manager of LEMKEN SA, explains: “With the LEMKEN Solitair you plant in kilogram per hectare and the wheat is equally spaced in rows. With the equal placement of seeds in a uniform, smooth seedbed, they all germinate and grow at the same rate without being in competition with each other.”

This means that each stem is firmly anchored to the ground with a well developed root system.

Lucas and Dandré manage the field cropping part of the farm with crops such as wheat, soya beans, cotton, tobacco, potatoes, small white beans, maize and seed maize, and their brother, Jaco, is the citrus man. They are the third generation of Terblanche's to cultivate the irrigation farm since the 1950s.

"My father is still here too, but he only drives through every day to check up om us," jokes Dandré.

They state that the LEMKEN Solitair planter brought a 1,1 to 1,5 t/ha yield improvement to the farm, and the wheat harvest still improves annually as cultivation with the other LEMKEN implements improves the soil structure.

Fleur de Luke's blue fleet started with a 4-metre Karat 9 bought in 2019 after the Terblanche team saw the machines in action at Val Farmers’ Day. They say they did a lot of research beforehand and talked to other farmers, but

those demonstrations clinched the deal.

"The Karat is not like an ordinary ripper that only draws furrows in the soil; tilling happens over the complete working length and depth of the Karat. The action happens underneath the soil with reconsolidation that takes place when the rollers move over,” Blackie explains.

The soil on the farm varies from high to low clay content. In places there is even sand gravel, but they mostly have heavy soils.

The Karat cultivates between 600 and 700 hectares per season at an average working speed of 9 km/h, which means about 25 hectares per day. The working depth varies from 250 to 350 mm depending on the soil, and the Karat does its job comfortably with 275 kW of tractor power. Earlier, they did five cultivations per land, but now only three. It saves diesel and time.

Another LEMKEN implement on the farm is the Heliodor 8 that was used to carry their first Solitair planter. After the first season, the 4-metre Solitair 8 was upgraded to the 6-metre Solitair 9 on a Rubin for two reasons: wider operation and electronic seed measurement

instead of mechanical.

“If you want to plant 100 kg of seed per hectare, then the Solitair 9 plants exactly 100 kg! And if something goes wrong, the machine tells you, showing a little crying face on the screen, and you can correct it from the cabin, ”says Dandré.

The upgrade unleashed the Heliodor for other work. Dandré says with the Heliodor he can quickly cut material on the fields and control weeds before planting.

The machine has little wear, low maintenance, and works at 12 km/h.

It leaves a perfect seedbed with fertile soil, because the microbes work faster to break down biological material and place humus in the top layer.

The next LEMKEN to join the blue team on the farm will the Rubin 12 for cutting dense material, such as the seed maize stover that must quickly make way for small white beans, and the tough tobacco stools that remain after the harvest.

The brothers are very pleased with the support they receive from the entire LEMKEN team. "We are not alone; we all work together.”

Sias Humphries from AFGRI Marble Hall, Lucas, Jaco and Dandré Terblanche from SE Terblanche farming, and Blackie Swart from LEMKEN SA, at the LEMKEN Solitair 9 planter which, according to the Terblanche brothers, makes the biggest difference on their farm.

You can also get a LEMKEN yield. Contact Karel Munnik at +27 82-4122577 or k.munnik@lemken.com, or Blackie Swart at +27 82-404-9651 or b.swart@lemken.com. The office number is +27 86-267-5720.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

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Amazone UX 01 Super Trailed Sprayer: Cost effective, robust, reliable P

ests and weeds wait for no-one, and time for spraying pesticides and herbicides is restricted by weather conditions. Therefore, the farmer must be prepared and equipped to protect his crops as best and as quickly as possible. For this reason, wise farmers use the Amazone UX 01 Super Trailed Sprayer.

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John Deere –

always one step ahead!

Article supplied

A

bold initiative was launched to raise Africa’s agricultural productivity.

This initiative is called the John Deere SMART campaign, and it aims at helping new era farmers to mechanise, improve yields, and increase profitability.

Over the past decades, various studies have tested the effectiveness of mechanisation schemes in Africa. Most findings report that the ‘tractor service provider’, or ‘contractor’ model is the most effective method of empowering new era farmers with the mechanisation to improve yields and achieve long-term sustainability.

John Deere Africa Middle East’s successful piloting of the branded contractor model, called S.M.A.R.T, provides governments and allied agricultural and economic development agencies the insight and tools to increase agricultural productivity and profitability in a sustainable way.

The programme has the potential to revolutionize Africa’s agrarian sector and wider value chain. The deployment of mechanisation through S.M.A.R.T is proven to create jobs while driving the broader investment and growth key to permanently addressing poverty by placing economies on higher productivity and growth paths.

S.M.A.R.T stands for Solutions for farmers, Mechanisation for higher yield, Access to finance, Reliability for lower costs, and Technology and training.

At the same time, the campaign

heavily in the availability and seamless delivery of parts through its dealers and service touchpoints.

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Customised solutions John Deere’s equipment is built to withstand Africa’s tough and demanding farming conditions. Based on country-specific needs, the company and its independent dealer network recommend the appropriate equipment solutions for land preparation, planting, and crop maintenance through to harvesting and haulage.

A golden thread of quality and professionalism runs through John Deere’s mechanisation offering. Key aspects of this are: Reliability: The company’s machines are renowned for their quality and dependability under harsh working conditions.

Fuel efficiency: John Deere uses cutting-edge technology that ensures a balance between high performance and excellent fuel efficiency.

Operator comfort: Every aspect of the operator space layout is engineered to ensure long, safe, productive hours in the field.

assists governments and their partners to create jobs and lift citizens out of poverty through the establishment of vibrant mechanisation businesses.

Benefits Under the SMART programme, John Deere provides farmers with package solutions for their operations; from the right tractor for their operations, as well as implements such as, ploughs, planters, fertiliser spreaders, balers, and many more.

Under the SMART model, customers gain access to flexible and affordable financial solutions to buy the company’s farming equipment through John Deere Financial. In addition, the SMART campaign provides farmers with after-sales service through its extensive dealer network.

This means that upon acquisition of a John Deere machine, the operator is trained on its use to ensure optimal productivity. Included is information on the daily checks and maintenance required. In short, the dealer network provides the support that farmers need to keep their machines operating at peak performance. John Deere invests

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

Training: “Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I’ll remember. Involve me and I’ll understand.” John Deere understands this adage well and applies the message in its SMART programme.

The company uses hands-on training to teach operators how to handle John Deere equipment, and to equip mechanisation service contractors with the skills they need to run their businesses smoothly and profitably.

Invest in the future – invest in John Deere.

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ProAgri BNZ 26

Part 1

to poultry farming

Introduction

Chickens need fresh water and suitable feed every day. Photo: Brian David, unsplash.com.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

by Tisha Steyn 9

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ProAgri BNZ 26

Healthy chickens need space to move around. Photo: Henrique S Ruzzon, unsplash.com.

W

ould you like to start your own poultry farm, but do not know how to go about it?

If you already have chickens roaming around your yard, you may like to take it one step further and set up a formal poultry farm. This easy-tofollow course will provide you with all the information you need to start a successful small-scale poultry farming enterprise.

There are two types of poultry production. Most birds being slaugh-

tered and packaged for supermarkets, are produced by commercial poultry farms. Usually, these farms are found near cities, and they rear high-producing exotic birds on feed that has been developed for excellent growth and egg-laying performance.

Small-scale poultry farmers are found near or in rural villages where it is sometimes difficult to obtain quality chickens and feed. They often keep indigenous birds in informal structures.

There are usually no well-organised

marketing outlets and many of these chickens are sold out of hand to people in the villages.

Poultry farming has many benefits, but it also has drawbacks. There are many aspects to consider before you order your first batch of day-old chicks.

Upsides The advantages of becoming a smallscale poultry farmer include: • There is a ready and growing market for fresh chicken meat and eggs

Feed must be placed in suitable feeders. Photo: Arisa Chattasa, unsplash.com.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

11

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12

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ProAgri BNZ 26

Chicks need warmth and light to grow. Photo: Zoe Schaeffer, unsplash.com.

• You can earn a steady income • You will provide healthy food for your family • You will help your community to eat healthy food • By doing so, you will create food security for your family and the community • You can create jobs, especially for women • You can sell manure as a by-product • You can use the manure to improve your soil Chicken meat makes up at least 70% of the protein in diets of people living in Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. That means there is a big market for poultry products, so you will have many customers who will want to buy your chickens.

Chicken meat is cheaper than beef, pork, lamb, and goat meat. The average household can afford to buy and cook chicken a few times a week, while the other meats may be too expensive to consume more than once a week, if they do so at all.

Chicken meat is convenient. As a chicken provides enough meat for one meal, you do not need a refrigerator to store the rest of it, as you have to do with other types of meat that comes in bigger bulk.

Chicken meat cooks quickly, so you do not need a lot of energy, such as electricity, gas, paraffin, or firewood to cook your meal. Chicken meat is healthier than red meats, as it contains as much protein, which you need to build your body, but much less fat that can cause heart diseases.

Cooking chicken to provide a

balanced meal is easy and it combines well with vegetables, which provide vitamins keeping you healthy, and potatoes, maize, or rice, providing carbohydrates that give you energy.

You can use the chicken manure that you remove from the hen houses to enrich the soil, which will help your crops grow better.

Although you will be doing most of the work yourself, you may need someone to help you to build the necessary structures. Thereby you will create much-needed jobs in your community.

By buying local materials, you will support local businesses.

Drawbacks There are also some downsides. Remember the following aspects when you consider starting a poultry farm.

• You need suitable land and water • It could be expensive to build and equip the hen houses • It will be expensive to buy day-old chickens or pullets • You will have to buy suitable feed that may be expensive • You will have to watch out for diseases and take proper action • You must apply biosecurity measures • You must sanitise the houses

There is a good market for chicken meat and eggs. Photo: Emiel Maters, unsplash.com.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

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ProAgri BNZ 26

Your hens need a sturdy house to keep them safe from predators.

Photo: sincerely Media, unsplash.com.

• It will be a lot of work and you will have to be around all the time If you have suitable land and fresh, clean water, you still need money to buy building materials to build a safe hen house and litter, like straw, to put on the floor, whether you are planning to keep hens for meat or for laying eggs.

You will need equipment to feed and water your chickens, and provide them with heat and light to enable your chickens to grow properly.

Cleanliness and hygiene are of the utmost importance to keep your chickens healthy. Keep in mind that you will have to be very careful not to use dirty hands or wear dirty clothes or shoes whenever you enter your hen house.

Young chickens are especially vulnerable and must be managed with great care. You need to take care of the brooder, which is the container in which you keep them warm and safe until they are big enough to eat by themselves and can be moved to the house where you keep your broil-

ers and layers. You also must make sure that chickens at any age are not stressed by heat, cold, or insufficient feed or water.

You will need to buy vaccines and medicine to keep your birds healthy.

Disease is a big problem. You will have to be vigilant to ensure that your chickens are healthy. Day-old chickens are usually vaccinated against the deadly Newcastle disease, but you will have to make sure your chickens are safe.

Also, diseases like avian influenza, which also contaminates wild birds, have led to the culling of all the chickens on contaminated farms to stop the virus from spreading. It is very important to keep to biosecurity rules to keep your chickens safe, or else, it may lead to big losses.

If you do not want to raise chicks, you will have to buy older chickens for producing eggs or meat.

It is not always easy to find strong, healthy day-old chicks, as there are not many breeders around. They may also be very expensive. If you want to

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

15

Chicken meat makes up at least 70% of the protein in diets of people living in Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Zambia.

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ProAgri BNZ 26

produce eggs for sale, you will have to buy young hens that are about to start laying eggs, and are called layers.

You will have to buy food that is suitable for chicks, broilers, and layers.

Broilers are sold when they are 42 days old, while layers can produce eggs for up to a year. Good quality food is not always available, and you must find out in advance where feed is being sold. It can also be expensive to have the feed transported from stores or cooperatives to your village, as public transport tends to be costly and not always reliable to deliver your chickens and feed safely.

It is also expensive to pay for a veterinarian to check on your birds when they show signs of disease. Some diseases can be cured with antibiotics, which can be expensive. There are not always extension officers who are working for the department of agriculture, especially in remote areas.

It may be difficult to get funding for your poultry farm, but some governments are willing to help small-scale farmers to get started to be less reliable on imported poultry products.

The course The course, Poultry Farming for Smallscale farmers in African Countries, will consist of ten chapters that will provide information about how to: • plan a poultry farm and budget for it • build and equip a brooder and hen houses • take care of day-old chicks, broilers, and layers • prepare your produce for the market • take care of health and biosecurity Stay tuned for more!

Article sources: 1. Berkhout, N. (2021, October 11) IEF manual supports egg production in developing countries. available at https://www.poultryworld.net/Eggs/Articles/2021/10/IEF-manual-supports-egg-production-in-developingcountries-803038E/ 2. Berkhout, N. (2021, May 4). Opportunity for expansion of Namibia’s poultry sector. Poultry World available at https:// www.poultryworld.net/Eggs/Articles/2021/5/Opportunity-for-expansion-of-Namibias-poultry-sector-742801E/ 3. Chacko, A. (n.d.) The first seven days in a chick’s life. available at http://www.paoz.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ The-first-7-days-PAZ-By-Dr-Chacko.pdf 4. Hafez, M., Hafez and Attia, Y. A. (2020, August 26). Challenges to the poultry industry: current perspectives and strategic future after the Covid-19 outbreak.

Frontiers in Veterinary Science available at https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.00516/full#h3 5. How to Raise Baby Chicks? Raising Chickens Tips: Week 1 to 20. (2021, July 27) Chicken Journal available at https://chickenjournal.com/how-to-raise-the-baby-chicks / 6. Moreki, J.C (2010). Opportunities and challenges for the Botswana poultry industry in the 21st century: a review. Department of Animal Production, Ministry of Agriculture available at http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd22/5/moreb22089.htm 7. What is a Pullet Chicken? Definition, Eggs, Characteristics. (2021, July 8). ChickenJournal available at https://chickenjournal.com/pullet-chicken/ 8. Production manual for emerging commercial egg producers. (n.d.) International Egg Foundation available at https:// www.internationaleggfoundation.com/download_file/view_inline/585

Disease is one of the biggest risks in poultry farming. Keep an eye on your chickens to make sure they remain healthy.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

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ProAgri BNZ 26

Rotary tillers are simple but effective Part 5:

Blade types

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

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Botswana

3910480 3910412 creditors@winsome.co.bw Nursery

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ProAgri BNZ 26

V

arious types of blades are available for rotary tillers, but the L-shaped blade is the most common. These blades are usually superior to others in heavy trash. They are better for killing weeds and generally cause less soil pulverisation.

Penetrating hard soil may be easier with C-shaped blades. They are curved more than L-shaped blades and are recommended for heavy, wet soil, because they have lesser tendency to clog the rotor (see Figures 1 and 2).

When strip-tilling and planting in one operation, it is sometimes recommended that long blades be used in the row to prepare a seedbed. Shorter blades are used between the rows to kill weeds. The surface is mulched at the same time with less power requirements (see Figures 3 and 4).

Rotary tillers are also designed for special applications, and they are

Figure 1: L-shaped blades mounted on a flange.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

Figure 2: C-shaped blades mounted on a flange.

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ProAgri BNZ 26

Figure 3: Long blades for seedbed preparation.

equipped with various soil-engaging tools, such as chisel tines that penetrate the soil to fracture tractor tracks and to mix the soil into a uniform seedbed. The straight spike points are generally used in previously worked soil or for shallow weed control (see Figure 5).

During shallow weed control, the forward speed can be as high as 12 km/h.

Straight-knife type blades can be used to slice through the soil to aerate and loosen clay soils, eliminate surface compaction, and improve moisture penetration. Primary application for these blades is for lawns, parks, and golf courses.

When a rotary tiller is used for secondary tillage, like breaking clods and tearing weeds, the blades to be used will be thin, flat, straight, and with arrow points for flailing the soil (see Figure 6).

Figure 6: Thin, flat, arrow-pointed blades can be used for breaking clods and tearing weeds.

Figure 4: Short curved blades for weed control.

Next month we shall look at the location of the drive. We thank the ARC Agricultural Engineering in South Africa who made the information on rotary tillers available to the readers of ProAgri Zambia.

Figure 5: Chisel tines are used to break up tractor tracks and uncut strips.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

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Vegetable planting guide Part 7:

Dry beans

D

ry beans are an ecologically sound foodstuff in today’s world. Dry beans are one of the easiest crops to produce organically. Dry beans are an excellent source of protein when combined with whole grains, nuts or small quantities of poultry or fish.

Background Dry beans (Phaseolus spp.) originated in Central and South America. Today field beans are the most widely cultivated species of Phaseolus and, in terms of tonnes of crop produced per year, they are the second most important legume in the world (soya beans are first).

Soil requirements Dry beans have to be planted in warm soil (minimum temperatures preferably above 13 °C) after all danger of frost has passed. They perform best on fertile sandy loam to loam soils with good internal or tile drainage and moderate organic matter content. Soils with a pH from 5,8 to 6,5 are the best.

Climatic requirements Dry beans are annual crops that thrive in a warm climate. They grow optimally at temperatures of 18 to 24 °C. The maximum temperature during flowering should not exceed 30 °C. Day tempera-

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

tures below 20 °C will delay maturity and cause empty mature pods to develop.

Cultivars The National Dry Bean Cultivar Trials are conducted by the Agricultural Research Council's Grain Crops Institute (ARC-GCI) annually.

Dry beans are classified into types according to: Colour and seed size • Small white beans (15 to 25 g/ 100 seeds) are mainly used for canning purposes; 10 to 20% of local production.

• Red speckled or speckled sugar 25

Botswana

beans (red speckles on a beige background) (40 to 55 g/100 seeds); 65 to 75% of local production.

• Large white kidney beans (80 to 100 g/100 seeds); 5 to 10% of local production.

• Carioca beans (khaki stripes on a beige background) (20 to 25 g/100 seeds); 3 to 5% of local production.

• Alubia beans (large white) (45 to 55 g/100 seeds); 1 to 5% of local production.

Growth habit • Type I: Determinate growth habit.

They have a long stem and flowers on the tips of branches.

• Type II: Indeterminate growth habit, with few short and perpendicular growing side-branches, grows after flowering.

• Type III: Indeterminate growth habit, have very long and flat running side-branches.

Growing season Temperatures, especially during the night, determine the length of the growing season of a cultivar. Short (85 to 94 days); medium (95 to 104 days); long (105 to 115 days).

Cultivation practices Propagation Dry beans are propagated by seeds.

Soil preparation The seedbed must be deep, level and firm as this ensures better surface contact between the seed and the soil, increasing the absorption of moisture.

A levelled seedbed also facilitates planting to a uniform depth.

Fertilisation It is recommended that beans be planted

The secret of growing beans for drying is to make an early start as they require a long season.

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ProAgri BNZ 26

on soils that have been well fertilised in advance. General fertility is more advantageous than direct fertilisations, as beans are sensitive to high concentrations of mineral salts.

Planting Planting dates are mainly restricted by the possible occurrence of frost (planting too late) and rain at harvesting which results in poor quality (planting too early). Planting dates range from November to mid-January in areas where frost occurs. In frostfree areas, March and April are the best months for planting beans. The large white kidney bean (P. coccineus) is an exception and is planted from mid-November to mid-December and is not adapted to winter production. The seeds are placed at 2,5 to 7 cm below the surface.

Irrigation Sprinkler irrigation is the most common means of irrigation for dry beans.

In areas where water is unrestricted (not merely supplementary irrigation), the soil should be wet to field capacity to the depth of the 1 m root zone before planting. The critical, moisture-sensitive growth stages are flowering and early pod set which occurs at 40 to 50% and 50 to 60% of the growing season.

Weed control Efficient weed control is a prerequisite for high dry bean yields. Dry beans compete poorly with weeds as they are low growing plants and do not easily overshadow weeds. Early control is extremely important because the root system of the plant develops at this stage and some weeds secrete chemical substances that limit plant growth.

At a later stage, weeds hamper the harvesting and threshing processes and adversely affect the quality of the crop.

Soil requirements Dry beans have to be planted in warm soil (minimum temperatures preferably above 13 °C) after all danger of frost has passed. They perform best on fertile sandy loam to loam soils with good internal or tile drainage and moderate organic matter content. Soils with a pH from 5,8 to 6,5 are the best.

Pest and disease control Diseases and pests may have been partially responsible for the unstable production that has been experienced in the past. Incidence and severity vary between seasons due to environmental and management practices.

Integrated disease and pest management, using all suitable control measures, is recommended.

Harvesting Dry beans have a moisture content of 50% at physiological maturity. The ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

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Botswana Image source: www.harvesttotable.com 28

ProAgri BNZ 26

beans, however, are only ready for harvesting when the moisture content drops to 16%, the ideal being 15%.

Seeds may split during threshing when the moisture content is less than 12%. Such seeds are rejected by canners and seed companies, and are difficult to clean without further seed split or broken seed coats occurring.

Dry beans should be harvested when all the pods have turned yellow, but before they have become so dry that the pods begin to shatter.

Importance and uses Human uses: Dry beans are used in soups, chilli dishes, baked beans, casserole recipes, refried bean paste, fresh salads, and can be purchased as dried or previously canned and cooked products. Dry beans are also regarded as suitable protein supplements for lower-income societies.

Livestock feed: Beans that do not meet human food quality standards can be utilised for feeding livestock.

Other uses: It can be used for soil improvement because of its nitrogen fixation ability, and also as green manure, increasing organic matter in the soil. Therefore it is best to use it in a crop rotation cycle.

The information provided in this article is credited to the South African Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. For more information, visit their website at www.daff.gov.za, contact them on +27(0)12-319-6072 or send an e-mail to DPP@nda.agric.za.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

29

Namibia

Kaap Agri Namibia – now trading as Kaap Agri Namibia – now trading as Kaap Agri Namibia – now trading as Kaap Agri Namibia – now trading as Agrimark Namibia Kaap Agri Namibia – now trading as Agrimark Namibia Kaap Agri Namibia – now trading as Agrimark Namibia Agrimark Namibia Kaap Agri Namibia – now trading as as Agrimark Namibia Kaap Agri Namibia – now trading Agrimark Namibia Kaap Agri NamibiaNamibia – now trading as Agrimark Agrimark Namibia Agrimark Kaap Agri NamibiaNamibia – now trading as Agrimark Namibia • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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• • Industrial and domestic gas.

Building materials, such as cement, timber, paint, corruHorticultural supplies like tools, fertiliser and chemicals. gated iron and plastic.

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DIY items like tools, ladders, screws and accessories.

• Horticultural supplies like tools, fertiliser and chemicals.

Camping equipment and related accessories for the out• DIY items like tools, ladders, screws and accessories.

Animal feeds, anima health and pet-related products.

Gardening and agricultural irrigation equipment. gated iron and plastic.

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Building materials, such as cement, timber, paint, corru• Camping equipment and related accessories for the outVisit our website to gain access to special promotions, events, to meet our • door enthusiast.

DIY items like tools, ladders, screws and accessories.

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Related products, such as wire and poles.

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Crop production in Namibia Part 3:

Understanding soil pH S

oil pH is the measure of acidity and alkalinity in soil chemistry. Plant nutrients are affected by soil pH as the pH controls the nutrient’s chemical form. Knowing the texture of your soil helps you understand more about how the soil holds moisture and encourages root growth and development.

1

2

3 Acidic

4

5

Acidity and pH Soils can be acid or alkaline. Soils in the higher rainfall areas (above 600 mm per year) would rather develop acid characteristics, while alkaline soils occur largely in the lower rainfall areas.

This would be the common tendency, but it is not always the case as more

6

7

8

9

Neutral

factors, other than rainfall, might determine soil pH. The soil pH expresses the degree of soil acidity on a scale from 1 (highest acidity) through 7 (neutrality) to 14 (highest alkalinity) as indicated in Figure 1.

Soil pH is of utmost importance in plant growth as it influences nutrient

10

11

12

13

14

Alkaline

Figure 1: The pH scale.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

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availability, toxicities, and the activity of soil organisms. Acidification of soils results in a gradual decline in yields.

Some plants are tolerant to acidic soils, for example, rice and tea, but most of them grow better in neutral or slightly alkaline soils. The level of acidity that plants can tolerate is influenced by the supply of available nutrients and moisture.

If the pH is too low, in other words, the soil is too acidic, lime could be applied under irrigation circumstances.

With dry-land production, this investment is not worth it, and one should rather find a crop that tolerates the low pH. If the pH is too high, meaning the soil is too alkaline, acidifying fertilisers such as ammonium sulphate, ammonium nitrate, MAP, or acidifying improvers such as compost made of pine needles should be applied.

Salinity and alkalinity – sodicity Soluble salts are found in all soils and natural waters. However, sometimes these salts accumulate in soils to such an extent that they can impair proper plant growth. Salts accumulate in soils largely because of infiltration of the runoff of irrigation water, together with evapotranspiration, which concentrates these waters. The salts are mainly chlorides, bicarbonates, sulphates of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium.

The salt concentration of soils is measured by electric conductivity (EC) and the unit with which the EC is expressed in soil analysis results is mS/cm (millisiemens per centimetre).

Alkaline (sodic) soils are associated with high sodium content and a high pH in the absence of surplus soluble salts.

The EC is generally less than 4 mS/cm, and the pH is 8,5 or more.

Soil texture Soil particles are initially divided into two sizes: those larger than 2 mm in diameter, usually called gravel, and those smaller than 2 mm in diameter, called fine earth. Soil texture can be defined as the relative proportions of sand, silt and clay within the fine earth.

Sand particles can be seen individually with the naked eye. Sandy soils are well aerated and have good drainage but will not hold water or nutrients very well.

Silt particles can be seen by using a microscope. Silt contains less silica than sand and has better nutrientholding characteristics than sand.

Clay particles can only be seen by using a microscope. Clay particles (or colloids) are important because they can hold nutrients on their surface in a form that is readily available to plants.

They can also hold water better than sand. On the negative side, clay soils tend to become waterlogged in the rainy season, causing poor aeration

Soil

Subsoil

Parent rock Figure 2: Soil texture.

Plant growth is negatively affected by sodic conditions because of: • high pH that leads to nutritional imbalances; • toxicity of specific ions such as carbonates, sodium and molybdenum; and • poor drainage and aeration because of the soil forming a crust.

Reclamation of sodic soils essentially requires extensive leaching of the sodium salts in the soil and replacing these with calcium salts like gypsum or acidifying agents like sulphuric acid or iron sulphate. Manure or compost will improve the soil structure and therefore the tolerance of crops to sodic soils will be improved due to better aeration as well.

Under dry-land conditions, it is advisable to opt for a crop that can tolerate the given soil conditions rather than try to change the soil.

Planting an unsuitable crop will result in more losses than not planting at all!

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

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Namibia

and subsequently, poor root development. Clay is sticky when wet and may form very hard clods when dry.

Sand, silt and clay percentages are obtained by carrying out a particle size analysis of a sample in the laboratory.

Farmers often describe clay soils as “heavy” and sandy soils as “light”.

This does not refer to their weight, but to their ease of working. A heavy soil requires much more effort to cultivate than a light soil. Medium textured soils (such as loam, clay loam, sandy clay loam, silty clay loam, sandy loam and silt loam) are best for most plants.

Organic matter (compost and kraal manure) should be incorporated into the soil to improve the soil texture.

Soil fertility evaluation Soil sampling The analysis is no better than the sample. This means that sampling must be done very carefully to ensure that the sample taken is typical of what it is meant to represent. Nowadays, laboratory procedures for soil analysis are relatively standardised and accurate, and the main source of error often comes from the initial sampling of the soil. No effort or careful laboratory work is of any use at all if the sample is not properly taken.

Topsoil 0 - 30 cm

Subsoil 30 - 60 cm

Figure 3: Soil sampling.

The area to be sampled must be uniform as regards slope, drainage, soil colour and texture, and history of cropping and fertiliser use. If a field includes obviously different areas, it must be subdivided for sampling purposes. The soil is sampled from at least 10 to 20 sites per subdivision.

All these samples are then thoroughly mixed to form one big composite sample. Out of this big sample, one representative sample of about 1 kg is taken and sent to the laboratory.

For sampling purposes, the soil is 34

ProAgri BNZ 26

"

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

"

Soil pH is of utmost importance in plant growth as it influences nutrient availability, toxicities, and the activity of soil organisms.

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Testing soil composition with a pH testing kit. generally subdivided into the topsoil (0 - 30 cm deep) and the subsoil (30 60 cm deep). For deep-rooted crops, a representative subsoil (which is once again a composite of 10 to 20 subsoil samples) should be taken and sent as such to the laboratory as well.

Soil analysis interpretation and fertiliser application Once a soil sample has been analysed by the agricultural laboratory in Windhoek, soil analysis results will be returned to the applicant. Depending on the request by the applicant, these will include the respective concentrations of individual nutrients in the soil as well as pH and soil texture percentages of sand, silt and clay. Only the features as indicated on the application form will be analysed.

As soon as the soil analysis results are available, fertiliser recommendations can be made. This is a highly specialised task, which requires a lot of experience and knowledge. In practice, most farmers would be expected to consult experts before expensive fertilisers are purchased and applied in noticeable quantities.

The information in this article is credited to the Namibia Agricultural Union and Namibia National Farmers Union who published the Crop Production Manual in 2008.

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

37

Zimbabwe 38

ProAgri BNZ 26

Sheep farming made easy Part 8:

Sheep handling equipment and restraining devices

E

ffective sheep handling equipment can cut labour hours by as much as 18%, while allowing handlers to complete a variety of tasks efficiently and safely. The layout of the sheep farm, the labour available, and the sheep handling equipment used will determine the farm’s outputs and results.

Sheep handling equipment can assist farmers with monitoring, medicating, sterilising, and processing their sheep, whilst making optimal use of the space that they have available to work with.

Restraining devices Mechanical restraining devices make it easier, faster, and safer for one person to handle a sheep. A gambrel restrainer is a device made of PVC plastic. It is placed over the sheep's neck and has slots on either side to hold both front legs of the sheep. Without the use of its front feet or the ability to raise its head, the sheep is immobilised. Hunters use gambrels to hang animal carcasses.

A sheep "chair" holds a sheep on its rump in the shearing position. The

chair consists of a metal frame with plastic netting or mesh attached to the top and bottom of the chair.

The frame is hooked over a gate or leaned against a building. The sheep is backed into the chair, until it "sits." The primary purpose of a sheep chair is to position and restrain a sheep for hoof trimming; however, in this position many other things can be done to the sheep. The chair provides easy access to the sheep's ears, mouth, brisket, udder, and testicles. It can also be used for a caesarean section. The chair is laid out flat and the sheep's legs are tied to the frame.

A trimming or blocking stand can be used to restrain a sheep for various purposes. Stands allow you to work on a sheep without bending over. A neck piece holds the sheep secure. Most sheep quickly learn not to step over the edges of the table. Some stands have a winch that allows the user to raise and lower the deck of the chair.

A turning cradle or tilt table grips the sheep and turns it on its side or upside

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

down. Cradles and tilt tables are easier to use when they are attached to chutes. The primary purpose of these devices is hoof trimming. Hoof trimming is one of the most laborious tasks associated with sheep raising. If you have a lot of sheep, a turn table can "save" your back.

A shearing table restrains a sheep for shearing and enables a farmer to do his own shearing. It is especially useful for producers who lack the skill or physical ability to shear sheep the conventional way.

While all restraining devices will cause some degree of stress, they should not cause pain to the sheep.

Sheep will remember bad experiences and the person causing their pain. Sheep can be trained to accept voluntary restraint and under research conditions have demonstrated the ability to select the least stressful method of restraint.

Sheep handling equipment In a small flock, sheep can be handled 39

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while they are crowded into a small pen.

For a larger flock, a handling system is recommended. A handling system is a set of inter-connecting working pens.

How many sheep are needed to justify the expense of a handling system depends upon the need for handling, the cost of the system, and the preferences of the shepherd. Handling systems usually pay for themselves quickly.

Sheep handling systems can be constructed of wood, steel (galvanised or painted), or aluminium. They can be permanent or portable facilities. Handling systems that work for sheep are usually also suitable for goats.

The complexity of a sheep handling system depends on the flock size and the need for handling. The basic components of a handling system are a gathering pen, crowding pen, chute, and cutting or sorting gate.

Gathering pen The gathering pen is a large, enclosed area that is used to receive the sheep before they are put into the crowding pen. It should be large enough to accommodate the largest number of animals that will be worked at one time. It may need to be big enough to hold all the ewes and their lambs at one time.

0,46 to 0,56 square metre per ewe and 0,27 to 0,37 square metre per lamb is recommended. The panels and gates used to make the gathering pen should be open. The gathering pen may serve other uses on the farm.

Sheep in a crowding pen. Image: (Pixabay.com).

Crowding pen The crowding (or forcing) pen is used to direct sheep into a chute. It can also be used to select individual animals for treatment or to closely inspect them. The crowding pen can serve as a catching pen for small flocks. Crowding pens can be circular or rectangular in shape. The sides should be solid, so that the sheep will not be distracted, and they will follow their flock mates into the chute.

Chute The chute (or raceway) is where the sheep will move through, usually in single file. The front end of the chute should be kept open so that the sheep do not see a dead end. Sheep must always think there is a way out. Once the chute is full, the shepherd usually stands next to it and reaches over the side to treat and handle the sheep.

Once all the sheep have been worked, they are sorted and/or released, and the chute is refilled with sheep from the crowding pen, which in turn is refilled with sheep from the gathering pen. Young lambs will flow through the handling system more easily if they are with well-trained older sheep for the first few times. A lead animal can also be used to get the flock started through the chute.

The length of the chute depends on

Sheep in a chute. Image: (Pixabay.com).

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

41

Zimbabwe Example of a gathering pen, crowding pen and chute for sheep handling. Image: (Pixabay.com).

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ProAgri BNZ 26

flock size, but should be a least 0,74 metres long. Longer chutes can be divided with gates. Sheep must be able to see through these gates. Proper chute width is critical. The chute must be narrow enough so that the sheep cannot turn around. Most chutes have sloping and/or adjusting sides to accommodate different size animals and fleece lengths.

Anti-backup devices can be installed to prevent the sheep from backing or piling up. The chute should not be higher than 91 centimetres, or else the shepherd won't be able to reach over it. At the end of the chute, there should be a cutting or sorting gate which leads to holding pens, a loading ramp, or back to the pasture.

The handling system may include other components such as a turntable or cradle, head gate, elevated platform, scales, foot troughs, or loading ramp. A head gate locks the sheep's head so that it cannot move forward or backwards. Any number of tasks can be performed when an animal is secured in a head gate. Foot troughs can be set in the chute and filled with chemicals to treat or prevent foot rot or foot scald. Working sheep on an elevated platform will reduce bending.

A sheep chair used to trim the hooves of the sheep.

Herding dogs A well-trained herd dog can save a shepherd a great deal of time and effort when gathering, holding, and moving sheep. At the same time, a poorly trained dog will do more harm than good and will greatly stress the sheep. The use of herding dogs utilizes the predator-prey relationship. Many breeds of dogs are used for working sheep, but the Border Collie is the most popular.

We thank the ARC Institute for Agricultural Engineering in South Africa who made their manual on sheep production and facilities available to the readers of ProAgri.

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The operation and application of medium and big square balers Part 5:

Field operation

by GJ Stoltz (Reg Eng Tech)

ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

45

T

his month we move into the field where the hay is cut and already dried, to start with the baling operation. Baling can begin when the windrows are ready. Bale the driest hay first. The baler should move in the same direction that the rake had gone, because this helps the pick-up teeth to reach under the windrow and pick up the hay in a “head-first” position.

Lower the pick-up before engaging the baler-drive clutch. Bring the engine up to the recommended speed before starting to pick up hay. Drive in a low gear for a short time to make sure that the baler is functioning properly. When starting with an empty bale chamber, the first few bales will be light and their length irregular.

The productivity of a baler depends on crop characteristics, ground conditions, condition of the tractor and baler and the judgement of the operator. Do not overcrowd the baler. If the feeding mechanism is properly adjusted and still cannot handle the incoming hay, the baler is being crowded beyond its capacity and serious damage may result. Reduce the ground speed, but maintain the recommended PTO speed for proper baler operation. Always run the tractor’s engine fast enough to maintain a proper baler operating speed. When turning on the headlands, disengage the tractor’s PTO to avoid excessive vibration.

require no corrective action. If broken bales must be rebaled in the field, the original wires or twines must be removed and the hay spread out so that it can be picked up again. Do not hand feed broken bales into the baler because it is very dangerous and somebody can lose an arm in the process.

Pick-up adjustments: Adjust the pick-up of the baler until a clean pick-up from the stubble is achieved.

Picture 4: A pick-up gauge wheel helps the pick-up to follow the ground contour properly.

Picture 3: A clean pick-up from the stubble must be achieved.

Normally the teeth are set to operate just below the top of the stubble, but not low enough to hit the ground. If the pick-up’s teeth strike the ground, they may bend backward and when recoiling they will shatter leaves and mix dirt with the hay (see Picture 3 and Figure 1). A pick-up gauge wheel is available for some balers that prevents such problems and helps the pick-up to follow the ground contour (see Picture 4).

Feed rake adjustments: Most balers have feeder teeth to move hay from the auger into the bale chamber. Some balers don’t have augers and use only their feed rakes to feed the hay from the feeder compartment into the bale chamber. The rake’s movement must be such that uniform bales are produced. If the feed rake is improperly adjusted, more hay will be packed onto one side of the bale than the other.

This usually results in one wire, or twine, being pulled tighter than the other and causes “banana” bales, which are very unstable (see Picture 5).

Do not overcrowd a baler.

Picture 5: The feeder teeth on the feed rake must be properly adjusted to produce uniform bales.

Keep the twine and wire tying mechanisms as well as the plunger safety stop clean from chaff. Accumulation of chaff on the bale measuring trip device results in long and untied bales.

Field adjustments When a malfunction occurs, always analyse the situation before taking action.

For example, a baler may occasionally miss tying a bale. Unless a true malfunction pattern is established, the condition may be only temporary and 46

Figure 1: The pick-up height must be such that the teeth operate just below the top of the stubble.

ProAgri BNZ 26

If the feeder teeth on the feed rake are set to their longest stroke and material is still not going far enough into the bale chamber, the baler is probably being underfed and the land speed must be increased or the windrows must be combined. Always consult the operator’s manual when adjusting the feeder teeth. The feeder teeth on some balers are called the “packer cross-feeding system” and the plunger is called the “ram” (see Figure 2).

bale tension control is available for some balers and can provide on-the-go control of the bale weight (see Picture 6).

Bale density may be further increased by installing hay resistors in the bale chamber, especially when baling fluffy hay or very light windrows. Hay resistors slow the passage of material through the bale chamber and prevent it from bouncing back between plunger strokes. They are very helpful when baling straw (see Figure 3).

Figure 2: A top view of a square baler with a “packer cross-feeding system”. Note the two crankshafts driving the two sets of teeth.

chamber get wet with rain, the material will expand and cause problems when restarting the baler.

Bales that are too tight or too heavy put excessive strain on the baler and can break parts, twine and wire. Hay bales normally weigh between 22 kg and 25 kg.

Measuring wheel A measuring wheel with prongs, projecting into the forming bale, rotates as the compressed hay moves to the back of the bale chamber. After the wheel has turned a certain distance, the tying mechanism is tripped and the needles take the twine, or wire, to the knotters to complete the tying of the bale.

Irregular-length bales come from inconsistent hay density. Make the density more consistent by increasing the land speed, increasing the size of the windrow or tightening the bale tension cranks.

Picture 7: Testing the twine and hay density ProAgri Botswana / Namibia / Zimbabwe 26

47

Bale weight Bale weight is effected by the size of the windrows, moisture content and the quality of the hay. Since these factors may vary from hour to hour, or from windrow to windrow, the bale weight should be checked regularly during the operation. To regulate bale weight, change the tension on the bale chamber by adjusting the two tension cranks at the rear of the chamber. This pulls the upper and lower tension bars together and restricts the hay passage through the bale chamber. Hydraulic

Flywheel shear bolt The shear bolt on the flywheel will shear if the plunger is blocked. After the blockage is cleared up, replace the shear bolt with a new one. Use only shear bolts recommended by the manufacturer.

Do not replace a shear bolt with a standard bolt. Bolts that are too soft will shear unnecessarily and waste time. Bolts that are too hard may not shear when needed and will not provide protection. If the needles are in the bale case when the bolt shears, return the needles to the “home” position by hand before starting the baler.

Before starting the baler, the flywheel must be turned by hand through a complete plunger cycle to make sure all components are functioning properly and no obstructions are blocking the operation.

Figure 3: The wedge-shaped resistors slow the passage of the hay through the bale chamber.

Picture 6: Adjusting the two tension cranks at the rear of the bale chamber.

We thank the ARC Agricultural Engineering in South Africa who made the information on square balers available to the readers of ProAgri BNZ.

The resistors must be removed when baling normal hay again to avoid unnecessary strain on the baler caused by the extra resistance. The tension cranks must be released at the end of each day’s operation to relieve the tension springs and to reduce the possibility of bales sticking in the bale chamber. If bales left in the bale

Next month we shall look at baler attachments. Visit www.arc.agric.za for more information.

Fert Seed & Grain Ltd Buttoning (formation of small unmarketable heads) can be caused by nitrogen deficiency.

Ensure you apply SuperFert Veg Blend 2 for adequate nitrogen.

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