ProAgri Zambia 029

ProAgri technology for the farmer

Z a m b i a No 29

Free

Agritech: Read it all Build a fish farm with Savanna Streams

triumphs at Agritech

Cover

Letter from the Editor

Agrico’s products gain in popularity in Zambia by the day. They supply satisfied farmers with exquisite pivot and a few other irrigation systems.

Read more about their presence at Agritech on page 15

T

he foot and mouth disease outbreak in Chisamba, in the exact area where the Agritech show was held, came as a huge shock and initially put a damper on the show. Many farmers were reluctant to attend, afraid to spread the virus from or to their farms. The livestock exhibition had to be cancelled and we dearly missed the cattle, sheep, goats and pigs.

But the show turned out very well and overall, the exhibitors where very satisfied with the attendance. The heavy, low clouds hovering over Chisamba during the full duration of the show threatened to flood the terrain any minute, but it only kept the sun at bay and virtually no rain interrupted the proceedings.

We are very impressed with the show organisers, Spintelligent, who saved the day with their quick reaction to the crisis for taking effective measures to ensure sufficient biological security during the show.

Agritech was a huge success for

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ProAgri as well, and every year it only gets better. Our bonds with the farmers and clients are strengthened with every reunion. It is also very satisfying to meet more farmers who are avid readers of our magazine.

This month our edition is jam packed with Agritech stories. We took great effort to visit as many stands as possible in order to hear and learn about the exciting new products the exhibitors had to show and offer.

Monsanto introduced a brand new cultivar which may open new horizons for maize farmers. Our popular regular sheep farming series is continued in this issue, and we are excited to welcome Savanna Streams as a new contributor with their fish farming series. Bonnox, ETG and Novatek also tell us why their products are essential for every farm.

Farm smartly!

Du Preez de Villiers dupreez@proagri.co.za

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Bonnox protects exotic game like gold

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Seedco: An informed farmer is a productive farmer

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Starting young nursing lambs on Novatek feed

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Sheep farming made easy: Part 6

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13 BHBW supports farmers, big and small.

15 Agritech: Agrico shows how to beat the drought 17 AFRISEED empowers women in agriculture 19 AgriWes bolsters agriculture with CLAAS equipment 20 Soil: The farmers most important asset 24 Good news for Zambian farmers: Syngenta helps farmers to grow

Content

25 Rivulis provides what you need 26 Agritech: Monsanto offers more to farmers 28 Saro Agro – the backbone of Zambian farming 31 Falcon: Amazone offers top of notch sprayers and spreaders 35 XFarm: Plant with precision for more production 37 ETG offers spot-on fungicides 40 The ABC of Fish Farming Part1: How to get started

ProAgri Zambia 29

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ProAgri technology for the farmer

Z a m b i a

Office no. 3 Fens Investment Building Lusaka Show Grounds +26 (0)96-216-9801 www.proagri.co.za Copyright © 2018. All rights reserved. No material, text or photographs may be reproduced, copied or in any other way transmitted without the written consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher or of the editor. We recognise all trademarks and logos as the sole property of their respective owners.

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

ProAgri Zambia Editor Du Preez de Villiers > +27 82-598-7329 dupreez@proagri.co.za General Manager and Distribution Zambia Quintus Grobler > +26-(0)96-216-9801 (WA only) South Africa + 27-078-978-6339 quintus@proagri.co.za Reporters Annemarie Bremner > +27 82-320-3642 annemarie@proagri.co.za Benine Cronjé > +27 73-105-6938 benine@proagri.co.za Senior Production Manager: Zainab Pandor > +26 (0)97-769-9786 zainab@proagri.co.za Marketing Xander Pieterse > +27 79-524-0934 xander@proagri.co.za Stefan van Wyk > +27 82-381-7563 stefan@agritrader.co.za Tiny Smith > +27 79-531-0024 tiny@proagri.co.za Riaan Oosthuizen > +27 72-321-3690 riaan@proagri.co.za Johnnie Krige > +27 82-385-6191 johnnie@proagri.co.za Design Christiaan Joubert > +27 72-419-3990 christiaan@proagri.co.za Esta van Niekerk > +27 84-402-0852 esta@proagri.co.za Enquiries Lize du Plooy > +27 12-803-0667 lize@proagri.co.za Engela Botha > +27 12-803-0667 engela@proagri.co.za Accounts Ronel Keet > +27 12-803-0667 accounts@proagri.co.za Business Manager George Grobler

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Bonnox protects exotic game like gold

by Du Preez de Villiers After erecting 10 kilometres of Bonnox, Jaco de Wet, farmer, and Simon Makhule, worker, are satisfied with the results.

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“I have read about the benefits of Bonnox in the media, and the first time I saw how it was used was on a friend’s farm,” says Jaco.

“Bonnox makes their fencing aff ordable with their special offers. For every ten rolls I bought, they gave me a roll for free. It worked out much cheaper than the 2,24 mm steel wire that I was considering. The service I received from Bonnox is unbelievable. I phoned them for a quotation – and received it within ten minutes.

After my payment was made, they immediately called to inform me that the stock was ready. I hitched my trailer and went to the Bonnox factory where friendly workers quickly loaded the trailer and tied down everything perfectly. The Bonnox staff members were very helpful afterwards and gave me advice regularly, which made my task very easy.”

Jaco bought Bonnox's 2,4 m game fence. The lower 1,2 m has a smaller mesh, which becomes larger towards the top. It keeps the Jaco de Wet’s golden wildebeest can breed safely and predators out effecundisturbed in one of the 50 ha camps enclosed with tively. “If you check Bonnox fencing. your fence every

o farmer can aff ord to take chances with the safety of his assets, and rare game is one of the most difficult assets to protect. Therefore, it is worth your while to invest good money in the protection of your valuable game.

Jaco de Wet cashes in on the favourable climate of South Africa’s NorthWest Province to breed various types of rare game, such as golden wildebeest, sable antelope, nyala, bushbuck, steenbok and duiker. Jaco had to do thorough research to keep expensive game safe on his farm, and to also keep predators out. Bonnox provided the answer.

ProAgri Zambia 29

day and refill warthog holes, you won’t have any trouble with jackals, caracals or leopards.” Jaco also deforested an area of four metres wide on both sides of the fence to prevent leopards from jumping over from trees.

Jaco fenced in four camps of 50 hectares each. Two of the camps each accommodate 25 blue wildebeest cows and a bull. In the third camp he keeps his black impalas, bushbucks and nyalas. He has a post every 50 metres and a straining post every 100 metres, which made it very easy to measure and determine the spacing of the 100 metre fence.

The rest of Jaco’s farm is populated by other game such as kudus, wildebeest, impalas, eland and oryx. The males frequently try to fight with his breeding stock through the fence. Jaco promptly put a stop to that by simply adding a Y-standard every 10 metres and a dropper every metre.

Jaco and his workers erected the fences with ease. “Bonnox enabled me to quickly fence in a huge area. The game kept inside were bred in camps and are used to fences, so I could put them into the Bonnox camps before all the droppers were added. This saved me a lot of time,” he says.

During the morning his workers could roll out and join the fencing for a whole side of one camp, and in the afternoon, he could help them to lift it evenly, strain it at every 100 metres and then tie it to the posts.

“In the future I will expand my breeding operations, and never again will I use any fencing other than Bonnox. I saw how easily predators were able to break through ordinary fencing.

There is no better fencing than Bonnox,” a very satisfied Jaco concludes.

Bonnox's 2,4 m game fencing makes it impossible for predators like leopards, jackals or caracals to reach Jaco de Wet's nyalas and impalas.

Call +27 12-666-8717, +27 76169-9068 or email linda@bonnox. co.za, gerda@bonnox.co.za or zane@bonnox.co.za. Also visit their website at www.bonnox.co.za 3

EXW 6HHGFR RĎ‘ HUV PDL]H K\EULG VROX tions that can yield 14 tonnes per hectare. According to Brian, the missing link is access to information. “We are trying to breach that technology gap with the help of our agronomists. They teach farmers the correct crop practices to ensure that their full potential and top productivity is reached. Land preparation, seed selection, planting dates, fertiliser application, pest mitigation and also the post-harvest issues they have to deal with, are included in our training programmes. That is sigQLÂż FDQW H[WUD YDOXH IURP RXU VHHG ´ There are over 2 million small-scale farmers in Zambia, and Seedco made sure that every one of them knows

by Du Preez de Villiers about their successful products. “We have over 2 000 demonstration plots in Seedco welcomed farmers to their very big and impressive stand at Agritech. every corner and all over the country.

These sites are fully years is a lifetime and a wellmanaged by local farmdeserved age for a company. ers, says Brian."

With a strong presence in Sub Sahara With the aid of these Africa, Seedco can be regarded as an plots, Seedco presents advanced and senior seed company Âż HOG DQG IDUPHU GD\V with enough experience to lead in the where company and market. clients can meet and The company started in 1940 in exchange information, Zimbabwe as a cooperative and spread knowledge and experito other African countries like South ence.

Africa, Botswana, Kenya, Rwanda, One of Seedco’s Angola, the DRC, Nigeria, Ghana, Mafamous trademarks lawi, Tanzania, and Zambia. “Basically are the animals on we are a Pan African business with a their maize packaging strong focus on research and breedto represent a certain ing of high-end seed varieties,â€? Brian maturing period. This Mhango, Market Development Gatrude Mutemi shows farmers how well Spike, an season they have excelManager of Seedco, says. “Besides unbeatable soya bean cultivar, performs. lent performers in their PDL]H ZH DOVR RĎ‘ HU ZKHDW VR\D varieties: beans, barley, sorghum and vegetable increase their productivity. We have Rabbit/hare – Ultra early maturing seed in our portfolio.â€? invested a great deal in extension supvarieties like SC303 In Zambia, Seedco has an unbeatport services to ensure that farmers Monkey – Very early maturing able footprint and a distribution chanKDYH IXOO DFFHVV WR Âż UVW UDWH SUDFWLFHV varieties like SC403 nel of over 800 agro dealers. They also to get the best value out of our seed,â€?

Zebra - Early maturing varieties like have their own depot outlets to ensure Brian says. “We have over 30 agronoSC513 and SC525 even better visibility and service. mists spread across the country and Lion – Medium maturing varieties like “Seedco is the market leader in they give agronomical support free of SC637, SC647 and SC633 terms of seed solutions in Zambia and charge. We want informed farmers, beElephant – Late maturing varieties we want to sustain that foothold. We cause a farmer armed with knowledge like SC719 and SC727 are not only giving farmers high-end is a productive and successful farmer.â€? “For farmers to get the best value for products, but also access to agronomic The average yield for maize in ZamWKHLU PRQH\ ZH RĎ‘ HU WKH XQEHDWDEOH information and practices that will bia is two to three tonnes per hectare, SC637, SC647 and SC719. SC513 and SC403 are also unmatched in their performance,â€? Brian says.

On the soya beans, Seedco has two exceptional varieties, Spike and Safari, ZKLFK RĎ‘ HU H[FHOOHQW \LHOG DQG JUDLQ quality and very high oil content for the oil processors. “On the wheat side we have Nduna, an excellent performer, and especially commercial farmers claim that nothing beats the Nduna wheat variety,â€? Brian says.

SEEDCO: An informed farmer

is a productive farmer

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Brian Mhango, Kabika Mumbuwa, Fraston Simwinga, Grace Kalungu, Cephas Moono, Martin Munga, Franklin Nkala and Freddy Mwiya (front) were very HDJHU WR KHOS DQG VKRZ FURS IDUPHUV WKH EHQHÂż WV RI 6HHGFR VHHG ProAgri Zambia 29

Seedco seed is available in all 114 districts in Zambia. E-mail Brian Mhango at BrianM@seedco.co.zm for more information, follow them on Facebook or visit www.seedcogroup.com/zm.

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Starting young nursing lambs on Novatek feed

to help the lamb gain weight to reach the required 25 kg.

Introducing our Novatek Lamb Maker Concentrate for lambs is a good option for farmers with low quality forage and it will help them to finish quicker and be marketed sooner. Mixing of this concentrate is essential and the farmer can use maize bran, sunflower and soy bean meal to develop his own on-farm creep feed. The creep feed must be supplemented in such a way that the ewes are excluded. This will allow the lambs to feed separately and assist them in gaining more weight. Lambs that are introduced to creep feed can be expected to gain 1 kg live weight for every five to six kg of creep feed con-

by Wiehan Visagie

Marné Meyer, Animal Nutritionist, and Olipa Lumponge, Sales Manager from Novatek, offer their Lamb Maker Concentrate with confidence to any sheep farmer.

L

ambing in the dry season in Zambia is certainly a challenge, especially if it is during a drought period. The effect of drought causes the ewes to reach lambing at a lower condition score and even if farmers feed more supplements, the ewes struggle to produce sufficient milk to achieve good lamb growth.

During these circumstances the lambs may be below the required body weights, which could affect their performance and survival rates. What also happens, is that the ewes compete at the feed troughs and they leave only small quantities of supplements for the lambs to eat. The only way to increase the intake of supplemental feeds for lambs is to invest in a technique called ‘creep feeding’.

The best way to approach this period is to start with setting target weaning weights on the farm. This should be done at the end of the growing season just before the quality and quantity of the pasture declines. On low quality pasture it is desirable that the lambs reach a minimum target weight to ensure their survival. Research on minimum target weaning weights indicate that when lambs are weaned under 20 kg their mortality rate can be as high as 50%.

From Table 1 below, the relationship between live weight at weaning and survival can be observed on Merino ProAgri Zambia 29

lambs grazing on dry pasture. The ideal weight for weaners is 25 kg, but during drought periods every farmer should be aiming to wean at 20 kg. It is therefore essential to spend time and energy during the post-weaning period Table 1: Survival of Merino weaners grazing on dry pastures Weaning weight (kg)

Survival rate (%)

15

78

20

90

25

97

After Hodge 1991.

Novatek’s Lamb Maker Concentrate is scientifically formulated to offer your lambs an extremely good chance of survival during drought times. Photo: Pieter Goosen.

A creep feeding pen should only allow the lambs to go through to eat their specifically formulated creep feed.

Photo: Pieter Goosen. sumed compared to unsupplemented lambs.

The only way lambs are able to find the feed is through a ‘creep’ that prevents ewes and bigger lambs from accessing the creep feed. This could be done by opening up a small part of the fence or a gate that is only big enough for the lambs to pass through and feed without disturbance. Some of the meshed reinforcements used in the construction sector have just the right sized openings to be used for creep feeding. Providing the lambs with creep feed will help the farmer to stop feeding the ewes one week before weaning and encourage the lambs to eat more creep feed. This will benefit the farmer by being able to introduce the rams back to the ewes earlier.

Please feel free to contact Wiehan Visagie at wiehanv@novatek.co.zm or Marné Meyer at nutritionist@ novatek.co.zm for all information on feeding and feeds.

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FEEDLOT CATTLE there are two feeding options for feedlot cattle: 1. feeding a concentrate 100 kg Hitech Feedlot 50 900 kg Grain (Maize Bran) Combine the mix with a little Molasses (approximately 2%) Ad Lib Roughage (Hay)

2. feeding complete feed Feed 10 kg / animal / day

Cattle entering the feedlot at 250 kg should gain around 1,4 kg/ animal/day. If they are kept in the feedlot for 3-4 months, their average finished weight should be around 430 kg. You can feed the same ration throughout - either the Hitech feedlot finished feed or the Complete beef finisher.

please note It takes 7 days for an animal’s rumen (stomach) bacteria to adapt from a high fibre to a high energy ration. This process must not be rushed. The following adaptation guidelines will assist: Day 0-4 2 kg Day 9-10 8 kg Day 5-6 4 kg Day 11-14 ad lib Day 7-8 6 kg kg concentrate (complete mix)/animal/day

CATTLE ON WINTER VELD (WINTER GRAZING) The Winter Lick is used to maintain body weight during the dry season by supplementing protein which is deficient in natural grazing.

1. hervibore sweetfeed A supplement for Cattle, Sheep or Goats on natural grazing to maintain body condition during the dry season. Cattle: Intakes of 400-600g/head/day; Sheep/Goats: 200-250g/head/day.

quality animal feed 096 676 3650 096 785 5495

Sheep farming made easy

The value of animal waste is grossly underes mated. In Europe, animal waste was intensively used as fer liser before the Second World War. The advent of reasonably cheap, inorganic fer liser as a by-product of the produc on of explosives, diminished the use of animal waste. In the current world situa on of expensive commercial fer lisers, the a en on is again shi ing towards the use of animal waste as fer liser.

T

his month we take a look at waste production, the benefits it offers to a farmer, and how to control it. 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 Zambia.

Animal waste is rich in plant nutrients and can be used successfully as fertiliser.

Approximately 50 to 70% of the total nitrogen intake and 60 to 80% of the phosphorous intake of animals are excreted in the waste.

The nitrogen occurring in the animal waste, however, varies in plant avai-lability and occurs in a number of chemical compositions of which ammonia (NH3) constitutes about 60%. The plant’s available nitrogen is approximately 30 to 70% of the total nitrogen present in animal waste. The relatively low values occur in solids, while higher values refer to the plant

available nitrogen in the liquid portion of the excretions.

The amounts of phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) which occur in the waste as plant available links, compare well with that of commercial fertilisers. It has been further established experimentally that P derived from animal waste increases the total plant available P in the soil in comparison to the situation where only commercial fertilisers are used.

Other benefits of the use of animal waste as fertiliser include: • The favourable influence on trace elements in the soil.

• The improvement of the ion exchange ability of the soil.

• The improvement of the soil structure which determines, among others, infiltration, water retention ability and arability. Table 1 and 2 show the specific composition of excretions of sheep.

A sheep produces approximately ¾ to 1 tonne of waste per year. If we accept a produc-

tion of ¾ ton, the financial value of the waste can be calculated per element.

Waste production of sheep The daily waste production for sheep is approximately 30 to 40 kg / 1000 kg live mass per day.

A detailed version of waste production is shown in Table 3.

Utilisation and distribution of waste Ineffective utilisation of animal waste as fertiliser can lead to serious environmental pollution. Ammonia emission is one of the factors responsible for soil acidifying. In regions with concentrated intensive animal production systems, the problems of air pollution and soil acidification can cause great damage.

The pollution of water by the leaching of mainly nitrates, increases the nitrogen content of the water. The increased nitrogen content gives rise to an oxygen shortage in the water and stimulates the growth of algae, which causes great damage to the fine balance of eco-systems of river and marsh areas.

The greatest losses experienced during the use of animal waste as fertiliser, is the loss of nitrogen through ammonia emission or the nitrification process (the biological oxidation of ammonia nitrogen to nitrate and nitrate

Table1: Production of different elements in sheep Table 2: The amount of plant available nutrients per ton waste per 1 000 kg live mass (approximately 20 ewes). of waste ProAgri Zambia 29

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Table 3: Waste production of different types of animals nitrogen).

The following directives must be kept in mind: • Apply in spring directly before planting or sowing of the relevant crop.

The synchronisation of availability of fertilisers and the requirement of plant nutrients as well as the relatively low soil temperatures decrease the losses resulting from leaching and nitrification.

• Application should preferably be done subsurface (plough directly after application). Losses resulting from nitrification is limited in this way.

• If waste is stored in heaps for later distribution, the exposed surface of the heap must be as small as possible. This not only decreases losses in nutrients, but it also limits unpleasant odours. It is important to obtain expert advice and to analyse the soil, water and manure before fertilisation by means of animal manure is done on a specific soil type for a specific crop.

Control of unpleasant odours Unpleasant odours caused by skatole (C 9H9N) in manure may evoke public complaints and are annoying in the living and working environment. Although legislation does not currently exist for allowable emission of odours, it can be expected in the future, as research progresses to quantify the concentration, intensity and human tolerant values.

NoseRing

®

• Wean with ease • No stress • Next to the mother

Table 4: Nitrogen losses to be expected with different field applications

Table 5: Major sources of unpleasant odours Table 5 shows the major values and contributions of the sources for production of unpleasant odours.

Methods of controlling and eliminating unpleasant odours include the following: • Correct zoning with regard to farm houses, other housing and wind directions will decrease the detection of odours.

• Biochemical additives to limit the production of gases.

• Air fresheners to limit the detection of odours • Correct storage of waste matter • Effective manure dams • Tillage of fields directly after spreading • Regular removal of manure • Air-drying of solid waste.

Next month we shall look at the systems and methods to treat and handle sheep waste.

Published with acknowledgement to the ARC Institute for Agricultural Engineering for the use of their Sheep Facilities Manual. Visit www.arc.agric.za for more information.

Whole Concepts cc PO Box 1806, Vryburg,8600, South Africa

Tel: +27 (0)53 927 4999 Cell: +27 (0)82 459 9451 E-mail: judy@nosering.co.za www.nosering.co.za

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ProAgri Zambia 29

Neria’s Investments Limited Agro Commodity Traders

Quality Fertilizer Urea & D-Compound

NERIA INVESTMENTS LIMITED Saturnis House, Opp. Ndeke Hotel Longacre’s Tel: +260 211 244 505/6 Email: info@neriainvestments.com www.neriainvestments.com

ProAgri Zambia 29

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supports farmers big and small

by Lize du Plooy

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anufacturers and agents of agricultural equipment realise that Zambia is a mixed market and that they should therefore cater for the whole spectrum of farmers. BHBW, the supplier of a wide range of Massey Ferguson tractors, harvesters, heavy duty agricultural machinery, as well as forklifts and motorbikes, understands this principle and their stand reflected this at the Agritech show. They displayed something to attract the interest of every farmer that passed their stand, may it be a small-scale subsistence farmer or a big commercial farmer.

At Agritech, BHBW promoted two of their brand new packages to assist farmers with their mechanisation needs. The first package is a financial plan where, alongside ZANACO, BHBW offers -5% on the rental term, depending on which model you decide on. In the Massey Ferguson Global Range, this offer includes the 4708 (61 kW), 6711 (83 kW), and the 6713 (98 kW) series. When looking at the long term, this is certainly something every farmer should consider.

The second package offered by BHBW will come in effect by October this year.

This package entails providing thirty qualifying upcoming farmers the opportunity to develop their farming business. They have to undergo a strict screening process to qualify.

The farmers will be supported with the equipment they require for production, including tractors, planters and harvesters, from BHBW. Provision is also made for the maintenance of the equipment according to a service plan to ensure continuous production.

Packages will be financed up to 5 years, depending on the farmers’ risk profile, as well as their long-term business plan, and their expected growth.

Barry Hutchinson, Country Manager (right) and Zwide K Daka, Sales Person, with one of the impressive Massey Ferguson tractors displayed at Agritech.

BHBW has employed a local agronomist to support its clients. The agronomist will visit the chosen farmers on a regular basis and offer agronomical and technical support to ensure that they are able to execute their business plans and also to verify that they are adhering to the terms of their agreement.

The biggest advantage to the farmer is that the package will be financed in Zambian kwacha at a fixed interest rate. This means that the farmer’s repayments will be the same from year 1 until the contract ends.

These upcoming farmers will focus on maize and soy beans, “but we want them to look at all cash crops, including, for example, vegetables, to enlarge their chances of success and

ensure that they will have a steady cash flow throughout the year,” says Barry Hutchinson of BHBW. The goal is to enable motivated small scale farmers to excel and grow.

The most popular attractions at BHBW’s Agritech stand were the Massey Ferguson Global tractor range, for the first time including the MF 5708 cab tractor, which received a lot of interest. Farmers also showed enthusiastic interest in BHBW’s Hardi sprayers and fertiliser spreaders.

Barry Hutchinson, Country Manager of BHBW Zambia, demonstrates how the perfectly sized drops for any application are generated by the Hardi Zaturn 2000 mist blower.

The dedicated BHBW team at Agritech 2018 consisted of Gift Syemweene, Zwide K Daka, Ivy Tembo, Kenneth Bende, and Barry Hutchinson.

ProAgri Zambia 29

For more information about these excellent machines and promising packages offered by BHBW, contact Wise Sibindi T: +26(0) 211-227497 |M Zambia: +26(0) 977-896444 or Barry Hutchinson on +26 (0)96-802-2320, or e-mail him at BHutchinson@bhbw.co.zm 13

Agritech: Agrico shows how to beat the drought

by Du Preez de Villiers

The two Azud filter systems supplied by Agrico are very popular throughout the world and are now making a welcomed appearance in Zambia. Francisco Garcia Calvo, Sabastian Stobart, Ivan du Plooy, Handré Wiese and Brad Stubbs are flanked by the two models.

A

grico pivots are popping up like mushrooms all over Zambia and the end is not in sight yet. “We are sending out many quotes and most of them are approved. Some of them are huge projects,” says Sebastian Stobart, Managing Director of Agrico Zambia.

This year, Agrico again displayed their wide range of irrigation products and implements at Agritech. They also took the first prize for the best irrigation stand. An Agrico pivot was also responsible for the irrigation of the many demonstration plots on the Agritech terrain.

Ivan du Plooy is the Marketing Manager of Agrico Southern Africa, and he manned the stand for the duration of the show. “This is my first year at Agritech and I am here to listen to the needs and requests of the farmers.

Every year we are building on our presentation, and next year we shall have more products – and soon we might see an Agrico-tractor on the stand,” he says.

Besides offering the complete pivot irrigation system from surveying, designing, installation, commissioning and after sales support, Agrico also supplies drip irrigation and micro irrigation systems. “We deliver most of our drip and micro systems on the farm where the client can install it,” Ivan says.

Agrico manufactures their own pivots, PVC and polyethylene pipes and various agricultural implements.

“Therefore we can offer it to the farmer at a much better price,” Ivan says.

They are also agents for many world renowned brand names such as KSB end suction pumps, Shakti borehole pumps and motors, and NaanDanJain micro sprinklers.

The latest addition to their product range are Azud filters from Spain. “We ProAgri Zambia 29

offer two types of filters to Agrico and the Zambian farmer,” Francisco Garcia Calvo from Azud, who visited Agritech, says. He demonstrated the Helix disk filtration and the Luxon screen filtration system at the stand.

Helix disc filter system This automatic disk filtration system is very reliable and one of the most popular filtration systems in the world.

Agrico offers various models with different groove sizes. The 200 micron model is most suitable for pivot irrigation and the 130 micron is suitable for drip lines. They also offer the 100 micron system when even cleaner water is required.

Luxon scanning screen filter system The Luxon system operates either electrically or hydraulically. The control

unit of the hydraulic model is powered by batteries. The system cleans itself with an automatic backwash function.

The Luxon has a big door on the side for easy cleaning and maintenance.

It is advisable to open the filter systems once or twice a year. This is solely needed for inspection or to do the odd maintenance which depends on the working conditions and the water quality, since maintenance on filters largely depends on water quality. But both filtration systems need almost no normal maintenance and rarely have to be opened.

Agrico is geared to serve from small to large farmers, and the more towers, the less expensive a pivot irrigation system becomes per hectare. Their pivots and pumps can also be internet controlled via a smart device or computer from any place in the world.

Japhet Sayifwanda, Sebastian Stobart, Samuel Phiri and Simon Phiri were very eager to inform the Agritech attendees about Agrico’s products.

Farmers were impressed with the wide variety of products displayed

by Agrico at their Agritech stand.

Contact Alfred Andrag at +27(0) 82-824-1214 or +27(0) 21-950-4111 or send an e-mail to Alfred.andrag@agrico.co.za for more information on Agrico’s superb product range.

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AFRISEED empowers women in agriculture

by Benine Ackermann

Afriseed’s whole team at the Agritech Expo in Zambia.

“M

ost of my seed growers are women because women are game changers. Once you empower women their whole family setup changes,” says Stephanie Angomwile, CEO of Stewards Globe Limited, the producers and marketers of Afriseed products. Stephanie feels very strongly about empowering women in Zambia.

She says her own journey was not easy, and if someone did not empower her, she would not have had the opportunity to employ so many workers today. This passion driven woman said their company, Stewards Globe Limited, which she and her husband, Emmanuel Angomwile launched in 2007, is an emerging seed company producing improved cereal and legume seed varieties, distributed under the Afriseed brand.

The company’s main principle is to use local and regional materials, and talent to develop and commercialise locally and regionally adaptable seed varieties for Zambian and neighbouring farmers. Their aim is to become a leading producer and distributor of improved and adaptable seed varieties that can cope with climate change, and to contribute to smallholder productivity.

They also aim to bolster food security and increase the income of the smallholder farming community in Zambia. A smallholder farmer in Zambia normally plants between 1 to 5 hectares. Their products are maize, groundnuts, soya beans, cowpeas, beans, sorghum, rice, and vegetables.

“We are one of the four companies to introduce orange maize in the country,” says Stephanie. “We started working with 95 smallholder farmers and produced a paltry 23 tonnes of seed 16

in the first season. We learnt valuable lessons from the first disastrous season and made improvements. Today, we have grown, by the grace of God, to having 500 to a 1 000 contracted growers depending on the season and these are mainly allocated in the Central, Southern, Northern and Eastern Provinces of Zambia,” she added.

They have 20 permanent workers, and also employ 150 seasonal workers, mostly women to sort and grain the seeds. They produce between 400 and 700 metric tonnes per season, but still import up to a 1 000 metric tonnes to supply the huge market demand.”

Afriseed distributes their seeds from Lusaka and have a storage facility (that is being modernised) which holds

between 1 500 and 2 000 tonnes. “We want a modern facility to enable us to maintain the quality of the seed we put in the hands of farmers.” Seeds are available in packaging sizes from 1 kg all the way up to 50 kg to cater for farmers of all sizes.

Afriseed’s purpose is to serve: • Their customers with creative, innovative and reliable top-quality goods and services, and creating customer loyalty that will ensure customer satisfaction and delight; • Their employees with meaningful and challenging work that will enable them to be empowered, receive good salaries, ensure career development and a pleasant work environment

Kangwa Chanda, Farm Supervisor of Afriseed, shows some seed farming skills to the Afriseed seed farmers and public at the Agritech Expo in Zambia.

ProAgri Zambia 29

that will promote innovation and provide employment stability; • Their shareholders by providing attractive returns on their investments; • Their country and rest of the world by creating knowledge and wealth and providing solutions for critical problems to the best of their ability; • Society by showing that success and high moral standards can coexist; and ultimately God by being faithful and good stewards.

Afriseed believes in good values: • Stewardship - As good stewards, they consistently produce the highest quality products and services for their stakeholders.

• Client focus – They continually search for new and better ways to provide the best solutions for customer satisfaction and delight.

• Passion - They deliver exceptional service with passion for their customers, stakeholders and employees.

• Teamwork – Their strength is in their team and network of partners and the collective knowledge they possess.

• Integrity – They make it their priority to honour their commitments with sensitivity at all times.

• Innovation - They invest in their people and systems and embrace new ways of doing business.

ProAgri Zambia 29

Stephanie Angomwile, CEO of Stewards Globe Limited, shows a demonstration plot of cowpeas at the Agritech Expo.

To find out more contact Afriseed at +26(0)-21-184-7735, +26(0)21-128-6714 or +26(0)95-084-7735, or send them an e-mail to: info@stewardsglobe.com. Their physical address is: Plot Number 19288, Mungwi Road, Tobacco Board of Zambia Premises, Lusaka.

17

AgriWes bolsters agriculture with CLAAS equipment

by Benine Ackermann

JL Beukes and Cobus de Kock at their stand at the Agritech Expo in Zambia.

E

fficiency and reliability – that is what farmers need in their equipment, and that is why farmers flock to the Agritech Expo in Lusaka to search for equipment that can meet their standards. AgriWes has a reputation for efficiency, reliability, integrity and customer service, and farmers could see some of the best CLAAS machines at their stand, because they now also sell CLAAS equipment.

AgriWes is based in Mkushi and is a distributor for some of the most respected chemical companies in the world, including Syngenta, Villa Crop and Arysta. In 2012 AgriWes branched out from only chemicals and into the world of machinery and began distributing the whole range of Väderstad implements, including precision planters, according to Cobus de Kock, Marketing Manager of AgriWes. In 2014 AgriWes expanded their machinery range even more by becoming the Zambian dealership for CLAAS via Kempston Agri, the CLAAS importers for Southern Africa.

“We supply a wide range of CLAAS tractors, including the regulated tractors which use the Tier 2 and Tier 3 engines. We have the Talos, Axos, Arion 400 series, Arion 600 series, Axion range including mowers and rakes. Our biggest selling range of CLAAS equipment is the ROLLANT 340 baler," says Cobus.

JL Beukes and Cobus de Kock with the CLAAS Disco 2800 Contour at the Agritech Expo in Zambia. a perfect cut configuration under all operating conditions. Only the highest quality materials have been used, for maximum service life. The MAX CUT bar is permanently lubricated, and is therefore maintenance free.

A look at CLAAS implements at Agritech Expo: The CLAAS DISCO 2800 Contour CLAAS provides a wide range of mowers, including the DISCO 2800 with a working width of 2,60 metres, and the DISCO 4000 which cuts 3,80 metres wide.

These mowers are equipped with MAX CUT mower bars which has a wave shape that enables the large satellite wheels to be placed well to the front with uniform disc intervals to ensure ProAgri Zambia 29

The LINER single rotor power rakes are available from 3,70 meters to 15 meters. They will give you perfectly shaped fluffy windrows which will put a lot less strain on your baler.

The CLAAS LINER 370 CLAAS designers have also made the LINER 370 available so that farmers with smaller tractors can also enjoy the benefits of a high-performance rake.

The side delivery rakes follow easily behind the tractor, even over a sloping terrain. Once hitched up, the wide-track machine stays in line behind the tractor both in the field and on the road.

Maintenance on the LINER is very simple. The rotor housing is airtight and moving parts are continuously lubricated to ensure entirely maintenance free operation and resistance to wear.

For reliable CLAAS machines in Zambia, contact AgriWes at +26(0)-96-136-2007 or e-mail Cobus de Kock at cdk@agriwes.com or Nico de Kock at ndk@agriwes.com 19

ProAgri Zambia acknowledges Grain SA for the use of this series which originally appeared in Afrikaans in SA Graan/Grain.

PART 25: Soil classification (ii) Martiens du Plessis, Soil Scientist, NWK Limited & Prof Cornie van Huyssteen, Lecturer: Soil Science, University of the Free State

W

hen a specific body of soil is classified, the properties thereof may be easily communicated. Also, the properties thereof may be interpreted, after which the suitability of this particular body of soil may be evaluated for a specific soil usage.

In the previous article of this series, the groups of soil in which the soil formation processes were dominated by the topsoil, were discussed. In this article, we will discuss the groups of soil in which the formation processes were dominated by the subsoil.

Subsoil horizons Diagnostic subsoil horizons naturally occur below a topsoil horizon. They are classified as B, C, E, or R master horizons. In Soil classification: A Taxonomic System for South Africa, 25 subsoil horizons are acknowledged as diagnostic (diagnostic refers here to the acknowledgement thereof in the identification of the soil types).

In the majority of cases, one or more forms of accumulation or enrichment are the dominant processes, with redistribution of iron in particular being an example of a secondary process.

The processes are pertinently driven by a single factor or a combination of the soil formation factors.

Soil types When a soil profile is seen from top to bottom, characteristic horizons may be identified. The specific sequence of horizons is not coincidental, but the existence thereof is pertinently driven by the soil formation factors and processes. A specific sequence from top to bottom gives an indication of a specific soil type. Soil classification: A Taxonomic System for South Africa, acknowledges 73 [74 in Part 24] specific horizon combinations as soil types. The first number of soil groups (according to Fey, 2010) with an orthic topsoil, are now discussed (Table 1).

Soil group 5: Silica enriched soils All the soils in this group have silica cemented subsoils and are described as dorbank. They may be found in the dry areas of the Western Cape, Southern Cape and Eastern Cape.

• The dominant prosess is eluviation (leaching) of silica from the uppermost soil horizons and accumulation thereof in the deeper soil layers (Photo 1). Silica is only slightly

20

soluble under high pH conditions.

The process is probably very slow because these soils do form in the drier areas. The formation of dorbank probably took hundreds of thousands or even millions of years.

•

•

Due to the probability of high levels of sodium, some of the soil is also limiting.

Because these soils are so hard, they can continue to exist in the landscape as relic. In some extreme cases, it can even restrict the erosion of the landscape.

These soils can be highly productive where the dorbank is broken up and irrigated (for example, along the Olifants River in the Western Cape).

Soil group 6: Calcium enriched soils • The dominant process is the accumulation of calcium carbonate, and often also magnesium carbonate, in the soil to precipitate as calcrete in the deeper layers (Photo 2). It occurs in particular in the drier areas of South Africa. Silica also often dissolves due to the high pH and then precipitates together with the lime to form a very hard silcrete.

Silica enriched dorbank of the Oudtshoorn type •

•

Dorbank is not limited to certain positions in the landscape, but mainly occurs on the plains. It looks like “normal” soil, but is exceptionally hard due to the silica that “cemented” with the soils in which it formed, to form a hard bank in the soil. Consequently, dorbank often hardened, to the extent that plant roots cannot penetrate it. It is also often impervious to water. Some of the dorbank soils have a high sodium content.

Because soil with dorbank is usually shallow, the water retention ability thereof is limited. Furthermore, it also occurs in the arid areas, where the climate itself is limiting.

Calcium enriched carbonate horizon in the subsoil (Pinedene type) ProAgri Zambia 29

•

•

Lime soils have a very high base status (usually 100%) and a pH(water) in the lime layers of about 8,0. It is rich in calcium from the calcium carbonate and, where it also contains magnesium carbonate, it is also rich in magnesium. Soft carbonate has a very high water retention ability and is a suitable medium for plant roots to grow in. However, hard-bank carbonate is root restrictive and also often water restrictive.

Soils with soft carbonate horizons are suitable for crop production, provided that the potential root depth is adequate. They may also be used for irrigation, but must be carefully investigated for drainage before development. Hard-bank carbonates and especially those with silcrete, may be broken with rippers in order to improve root depth and drainage.

•

•

The clay enriched subsoil has a high clay content, and 2:1 clay minerals of the smectite dominate the clay fraction, allowing the soil to swell and shrink when wetted and dried out again. The subsoil soil has a very strongly developed pedocutaneous or prismacutaneous structure. The CEC is high and the base state is usually 100%. The sodium and magnesium cause unfavourable hydraulic properties.

They cause the soil to seal at the surface thus further restricting water penetration. Due to the abrupt transition to the B horizon, the topsoil becomes very wet and, if not stabilised, becomes subject to water erosion (also as a result of the high sodium content which promotes dispersion).

Duplex soils are usually not suitable for cash crop production or irrigation, due to their hydraulic problems. Infiltration is poor, internal drainage is slow and external drainage is limited. Their best land usage is natural grassland, or as permanent planted grazing when it has already been tilled.

•

•

(Photo 4). It then precipitates there as a humus-rich, darkened horizon in the profile.

The CEC is low due to the sandy nature of the soil. It is poorly buffered, which results in the pH of the soil being extremely low and the soil then becomes highly acidic.

The base saturation is low because the cations leach out.

Soil acidity, low CEC, low fertility and poor provision of basic cations (Ca2+, Mg2+ and K+) are the worst problems in the use of podzol soils.

The sandy nature of the soils in which they form, also has a low water retention and they are sensitive to compaction. Deep application of lime and mixing are usually necessary get the soil into a productive condition. The pH of the podzol horizon is usually better and it contains large quantities of humus, thus improving the fertility of that layer. It also goes hand in hand with water table soils and should be investigated carefully so as to apply the correct manipulation.

Soil group 7: Duplex soils • The dominant process is enrichment with clay from the overlying horizons. The transition from the overlying horizon to the subsoil is usually clear or abrupt (very sharp). This may often be ascribed to the fact that the sandy topsoil is deposited on top of the clayey subsoil. Sodium and magnesium often play a role in dispersion of the clay in the topsoil and, where applicable, the E horizon, after which it is leached to the subsoil and accumulates there (Photo 3). Duplex soil is mainly found in the lower parts of the landscape, but not restricted to them. It is common in the sub-humid and semi-arid areas of South Africa.

Soil group 8: Podzol soils • Podzol soils develop in sandy soils developing out of quartzite and/ or sandstone and beneath scrub growth in the high rainfall areas of the Western and Eastern Cape.

Under these highly acidic and high rainfall conditions, organic material leaches downwards in the profile where there is little clay to hold the humus. It accumulates lower down in the profile where the humus binds with iron and aluminium to form metal-humus complexes

The subsoil of duplex soils is enriched with clay (Estcourt type).

The podzol B horizon is enriched with organic components and forms metalhumus complexes (Lamotte type)

ProAgri Zambia 29

Soil type 9: Plintic soils • Plintic soils occur in areas with a rainfall of more than about 450 mm per annum. They form under conditions of a fluctuating water table where the underlying material is semi-permeable for water. During the rainy season a temporary water table forms in the soil above the semi-permeable layer, which leads to reducing conditions. Later, it drains away, leading to oxidising conditions. These conditions lead to the movement of iron in the soil, which accumulates as yellow and/ or red and/or black flecks or

21

•

nodules in this horizon (Photo 5).

When specific dry periods occur between these cycles, it could harden to hard plintite (also known as oubank, ouklip or laterite) (Photo 6).

•

The occurrence of plintite in the soil discloses the soil’s hydrology, where the varying water table is important for crop production.

These soils have the ability to store the ground water effectively and later make it available to

•

•

Reducing conditions that are cyclically followed by oxidising conditions, mobilise iron in the soil which accumulates as yellow and/or red and/or black flecks or nodules in this horizon.

Hard plintite forms under conditions of a fluctuating water table where the underlying material is semipermeable for water and there are specific dry periods that occur in the cycles (Lichtenburg type).

plants. However, hard plintite can be very hard and dense.

When the plintic layer occurs at a depth of more than one metre, it is very useful for the cultivation of grain crops, due to its hydraulic properties. When it occurs close to the soil surface, (typically shallower than 400 mm) it poses a waterlogging threat, as the water table is close to the surface. The profile water availability of such soil is also often not adequate. Crops that are sensitive to waterlogging, should rather not be planted in plintic soils. Fruit trees and pecan nut trees must not be planted in soils with a plintic layer within 2 m.

Hard plintite is very stable and is thus extremely sought after as road building material.

Summary Under an orthic topsoil, a large variety of subsoil horizons may occur. The processes that drive the formation thereof have specific implications for soil usage. When these processes are better understood, the opportunities that the soil offers may be better utilised. The other side of the coin is that the threats they hold for specific usage, must be managed in order to reduce the impact thereof.

Soil group

Concept

Diagnostic subsoil horizons

Soil types

5

Silica enriched

Silica enriched; Arid areas

Dorbank

Garies, Oudtshoorn, Traval, Knersvlakte

6

Calcium enriched

Carbonate or gypsum enriched, arid areas

Soft or hard-bank carbonate or gypseous

Molopo, Askham, Kimberley, Plooysburg, Etosha, Gamoep, Addo, Prieska, Brandvlei, Coega

7

Duplex

Noticable enrichment in clay

Pedocutaneous B; Prismacutaneous B

Estcourt, Klapmuts, Sterkspruit, Sepane, Valsrivier, Swartland

8

Podzol

Enriched by metalhumates

Podzol B

Tsitsikamma, Lamotte, Concordia, Houwhoek, Jonkersberg, Witfontein, Pinegrove, Groenkop

9

Plintic

Iron enriched; Flecks and/or hardening

Soft plintic B Hard plintic B

Longlands, Westleigh, Avalon, Lichtenburg, Bainsvlei, Wasbank, Glencoe, Dresden

10

Oxides

11

Gleyed

12

New soils

13

Stoney

14

Anthropogenetic

Next article

Table 1: Grouping of soil types with an orthic topsoil horison (Fey, 2010) REFERENCES Fey, M. 2010. Soils of South Africa.

Cambridge University Press, Cape Town, South Africa.

Soil Classification Working Group.

1991. Soil Classification – A taxonomic system for South Africa, Department of Agricultural Development, Pretoria.

ProAgri Zambia 29

Van Huyssteen, CW. 2009. Unpublished class notes for GKD214, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein.

In the next issue, the rest of the soil groups with an orthic topsoil will be discussed.

For further information, please contact the authors on: Martiens du Plessis: 072 285 5414 / martiens@nwk.co.za Prof Cornie van Huyssteen: 051 401 9247 / vhuystc@ufs.ac.za 23

Good news for Zambian farmers: Syngenta helps farmers to grow

by Benine Ackermann

Mark Stokes, Brian Malambo and Jerry Grieve offered advice and information to farmers visiting the Syngenta/MRI Seed stand at Agritech.

T

he benefits of accepting a world class agro-chemical company in a developing country are numerous and valuable. Apart from the job opportunities created and the professional skills that are gained, it also plays an important role to improve agriculture.

Syngenta is such a company, and under the banner of "Improving Agriculture Together", Syngenta purchased MRI Seed Zambia Ltd, a leading developer, producer and distributor of white maize seed in Zambia in 2013.

MRI Seed was a local Zambian family business. “The founder was the breeder while his son handled the commercial side,” Mark Stokes, Head of Marketing in Zambia, says. "Our founder was one of the most experienced maize breeders in Africa. He came from Eastern Europe and over his career he was able to collect genetic material from all over the world to breed cultivars specifically for Zambian conditions, which included focusing on small scale farmers and their needs. In Zambia, maize is almost exclusively produced by small scale farmers."

Mark also says Zambia differs very much from South Africa. “With maize being the national staple food commodity prices are often manupilated making it a difficult crop for commercial farmers to grow profitably."

Jaques Landman & Tania Bester from Agri Technolvation will add a significant extension to the Syngenta MRI portfolio.

24

With the arrival of Syngenta came many new opportunities. “We have huge strengths in many areas, and we are always looking for ways to improve our products and services. One of these improvements was the acquisition of MRI Seed’s breeding programme for white maize for Zambia. We are very proud that this acquisition places such high value on Zambian seed technology

shattering tolerance and is less prone to lodging and deliveries strongly on yield.

This give us a big advantage over our competitors,” Mark says.

Agri Technovation supports Syngenta Agri Technovation are crop experts that help farmers to determine where they make their money and where their losses are. They take no service away from any company, but supports Syngenta MRI by rendering a service to farmers and helping them to manage their farms.

“The managing part is the hardest,” Jaques Landman from Agri Technovation says. “If you apply too much fertilizer, you are wasting money; and if you apply too little fertilizer, you are forfeiting yields and thus income. Agri Technovation makes accurate fertilizer recommendations for farmers based on leaf sample analysis.”

They also help the farmer by advising them on the cultivars suitable for their soil, and precisely where they can plant it and where not. They know what maize needs. Agri Technovation offers very extensive software, enabling a farmer to see aerial production maps of their farms on the internet.

Improved fungicides for better yields on wheat, maize and soybean Further good news for farmers battling against septoria, rust and powdery mildew is that Syngenta MRI recently launched a new product, called Elatus Arc, to combat these diseases. Mark says that this product had fantastic success in South America and Europe.

“We are very proud that we are the first country in Africa to introduce this effective product.” The benefits that Elatus Arc brings to farmers are numerous, but include quick and long lasting control and reduced spray costs.

Saint Njobvu enthusiastically telling farmers more about Syngenta MRI crop protection solutions. and our local professional staff and their experience and expertise in small scale farmer value chains,” adds Mark.

“We have a very strong value proposition for farmers in Africa. With Syngenta MRI we do not only offer superb seed, but also world-leading crop protection technology. This adds a great deal of value to our local business to the benefit of our farmers and agriculture in Zambia.” Syngenta MRI goes through every level of the process from research and development to sales and marketing. They offer white as well as yellow maize. The yellow maize is not as popular in Zambia as in South Africa, but this only means there is ample room for growth. Syngenta MRI have also developed their own soy bean seed especially for Zambia. “It is very tolerant to drought, has excellent

MacDonald Silundika (left) from Syngenta MRI supporting Mwanza Bitwell (a local Agro-Dealer) with more information on Syngenta MRI solutions with farmers at the Expo.

To find out more, contact Mark Stokes at +26(0) 21-124-0281, +26(0) 96-877-2456 or e-mail mark.stokes@syngenta.com Also visit their website at www.syngenta.com.

ProAgri Zambia 29

Drip irrigation: Rivulis provides what you need

by Lize du Plooy

D

ripline technology is a science on its own as Zambian farmers could find out from the representatives of the Israeli born company, Rivulis, displaying their excellent products at the Agritech expo.

Eleven factories in nine countries worldwide manufacture driplines using technology from Rivulis, incorporating their specialised integrated drip tape, moulded drip lines, micro sprayers, and online drippers.

T-Tape was the star attraction at the Rivulis stand. The T-Tape pipe is based on the same principal as the other Rivulis "moulded" drippers, with much more technology on the inside than meets the eye.

The design equalises the speed of the water and causes a turbulent flow.

The T-Tape has a continuous flow path moulded or integrated as part of the pipe in the manufacturing process, where a sheet of flat polyethylene is imprinted with the integrated emitter, through heat welding.

Because Rivulis T-Tape has emitters "manufactured" into the tape itself, as opposed to inserted moulded emitters, there is no cost difference per metre between 10 emitters per metre (10 cm spacing) and two emitters per metre (50 cm spacing). T-Tape helps make your choice of emitter interval spacing an agronomic decision, not one based on your bank account.

The inlet distributes the water to the flow path or labyrinth, which influences the flow of the water and ensures that the same amount of water is distributed to each dripper over the length of the pipeline.

“The pressure at the beginning has little to no influence because of friction and if you keep to the limits set for pressure and length of the pipes, you will receive 90% uniformity,” says Elias Kampher of Rivulis South Africa.

The emitter out of which the water flows into the soil requires very little pressure to operate, 0,55 bar to be specific. This means that it is very affordable, because farmers do not need to invest in pressure pumps. The slit outlet automatically seals when the system shuts off, which is very beneficial because it prevents particles like sand from being sucked into the drippers when they are used underground.

Air valves are also placed on the pipeline to ensure that air bubbles can escape, because the longer air is trapped in the pipe the bigger the chances are that your pipes will block or even burst.

T-Tape Drip Tape can be installed on the ground, under plastic, or even used for subsurface drip irrigation (SDI).

Arjan Janknegt from Rivulis Netherland, and Elias Kampher from Rivulis South Africa at the Agritech show 2018.

ProAgri Zambia 29

“It is the perfect SDI application for lucerne, cotton, sugarcane,maize and other permanent crops. You just have to choose the correct wall thickness to use it underground. It is a non-pressure compensated product and will perform well if the set-up is designed well,” says Arjan Janknegt from Rivulis Netherlands.

The main advantage of SDI is that water is applied directly to the plant root zone, saving a lot of water. The low application rate promotes uniform and deep watering. It reduces soil compaction and can be used for fertigation. Irrigation can be applied at any time and is not affected by wind.

Rivulis has developed software programmes for designers to use when they customise the drip line systems.

The design has to compensate for a pressure loss of 5%, but it can also be tailor-made by determining the exact pressure loss. The design will depend on the conditions in which it will be used.

“In Africa the use of driplines is slowly expanding. Labour availability and land use are going to be key to the next step in the development of drip irrigation systems,” Arjan states.

Some of the other Rivulis products catching the eye include the very popular Rondo Mist.

This is a double purpose sprayer, it is static and does not swivel as it is mainly used for overhead, inverted application in greenhouses as irrigation for seedlings.

Other products include non-regulated micro sprayers, also used for overhead and upright application, and the Rondo RFR, a flow regulated version of the Rondo micro sprayer that is based on the same principal as the drip sprayer, especially for uneven terrain.

The main reason for these products being so popular, are the anti-leak valves they come equipped with, that can be opened up and cleaned, whereas the competitions’ products are not equipped with that function.

For any other information regarding T-Tape or Rondo products from Rivulis, please contact the local distributor, Bram de Vries, at +260(0)978-513-396, or bram@hollandgreentech.com.

Also visit www.hollandgreentech.com or find them on Facebook: www.facebook. com/hollandgreentechzambia 25

by Du Preez de Villiers

Agritech:

santo personnel with their bright DEKALB branded jackets had their hands full to attend to every visitor. They took the farmers through the exhibitions while giving them agronomic advice. About a 1 000 farmers lined up to take the tour.

The main focus, and the reason for all the activities, was the launch of the revolutionary DK777 maize cultivar. “DK777 is going to be our blockbuster product,” Choolwe says.

Currently Monsanto has four key maize varieties on the market.

They are DKC80-33 which covers the early maturing segment, DKC90-89 and DKC80-53 in the medium maturing segment, and Nobody could miss Monsanto’s DKC80-73 which covers the late personnel attired in bright yellow maturing segment. glim jackets with DEKALB branding.

DK777 is a medium maturing hybrid. “If you look at the Zambian market and the potential market size and the popular planting window period, 70% lies in die medium maturing segment, and we realised that we must participate stronger in this section,” Choolwe says.

“The rainfall pattern in Zambia During the Agritech show, Monsanto can be erratic, but it is generally good combined goal shooting competitions, and sufficient for maize production. We an inspirational product introduction talk have realised that medium maturing and hand-out gifts to capture the attenmaize performs the best under these tion of the visitors. conditions. That is why we are saying “We offered a goal shooting chalthat the market potential is good and lenge, because Zambians love football. therefore we should drive the market We rewarded every goal shooter with uptake of the product in that segment.” something he or she could take home,” Choolwe Mweene, Marketing Lead of DK777 offers a whole package of Monsanto Zambia and Malawi, says. benefits to the farmer: They also handed out Chitengas, (body • Excellent yield stability wrappers), carrier bags, t-shirts, caps, • Potential double ears woven bags, and everyone received • Good tolerance to maize diseases sample seeds to test at home.

(GLS, blight, rust and cob-rot as well Choolwe says: “We hope to steer as maize lethal necrosis (MLN) their minds to DEKALB seed before the • Exceptionally good grain quality planting season arrives.” The Mon• Good poundability

Monsanto offers more to farmers D

rawing a rewarding amount of visitors to your stand during a show is not easy. And to successfully convey your product message can be even more difficult. But Monsanto managed to perfect this challenge during Agritech with the exciting activities at their stand.

Monsanto is one of the world's largest seed companies and accounts for almost 25% of the global seed market. Under their well-known DEKALB brand, many tonnes of seed have been sold in Africa, helping many people and farmers to rise out of poverty.

DEKALB cultivars are also available in Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Malawi and are carefully bred for high yields, drought tolerance, and resistance against diseases such as leaf rust, northern maize leaf blight (NCLB), grey leaf spot (GLS), and diplodia.

DEKALB’s seed brings advanced research, early maturity, consistent performance and high yielding genetics to the table.

When a farmer adds good management to the mix, he will stand in awe with the success of his harvest.

Monsanto started preparing their Agritech stand months in advance. They planted demonstration plots of their four key hybrids in different corners to be ready for show-off during the big event. They also planted their new cultivar, which was launched Bruce Hachoofwe, Griey Dumulani and Daniel Kombe handing on the second day of the out bags and other gifts to the farmers, big and small; young expo. and old.

26

• Excellent standing ability • Uniform cob placement • Also an excellent choice for commercial farmers

“DK777 is the kind of product that can proactively counter the many diseases potentially threatening harvests in Zambia, such as MLN coming in from the northern part of Zambia. We had excellent results during the trails,” Choolwe says.

DK777 also promises an exceptionally high yield.

Choolwe says: “On the other side we are also looking at yield. Farmers say that many of the products on the market do not give them the promised yields. DK777 will change that and will easily ProAgri Zambia 29

Choolwe Mweene, Marketing Lead Monsanto Choolwe Mweene, Marketing Lead Monsanto Zambia and Zambia and Malawi; Jimmy Kiberu, Corporate Malawi, gives a very inspirational talk, combined with product Engagement Lead Monsanto Africa; Ndavi Muia, information about Monsanto’s new DK777 maize seed cultivar.

Commercial Operation Lead Monsanto Zambia, and Xander Pieterse, Sales Consultant from ProAgri Zambia, are very impressed with the most basic needs the farmer gion. The fall army worm issue was high attendance at the Monsanto stand at Agritech. has,” Choolwe says. “That on their agenda. To tackle this dreadful is why we are spending vast pest head-on, they included their breedresources to drive the development and ers from Asia-Africa and South Africa, give eight tonnes per hectare, which full understanding of our hybrids. We are local breeders, product managers, commeans about 200 bags of 50 kg each. planning to present customer feedback mercial people and the entire Monsanto But it is important to follow the correct forums on this product to ask the farmteam from the cross continental region planting procedure. We are instructers to tell us about their experiences. to provide farmers with the correct ing farmers to plant it in a particular When they give us that feedback, we information.” way that includes taking care of the shall forward the information to our ReBut Monsanto is not finished yet. “We field beforehand, how to plant, the right search and Development Department to shall roll out the launch of DK777 on a spacing, which fertiliser and nutrients further perfect this cultivar. This is how wider scale and take it countrywide to the plants need, which insecticides and we build on our previous products. We smaller groups in small communities. herbicides should be applied and when want to ensure that our next product will Our personnel will conduct intimate and how to apply it. We cover the entire be even better than the previous ones. conversations with smaller community process. We also give them reading maWe believe in giving the customer what groupings to introduce and discuss our terial to take home for later reference.” he or she wants.” new product and prepare the farmers for Monsanto’s commitment to innovation Developing a new seed cultivar for the new planting season,” Choolwe says. and development doesn’t end here. “We the market can take ages. Monsanto’s shall still keep on perfecting this hybrid development trials may take six to ten until it gives the best and answers to the years to breed or develop the perfect seed. The next hurdle is the regulatory process which takes another four years.

Governments need to test and put their final stamp on a cultivar before any farmer can plant it for commercial use. This means that the entire process will take between 10 to 14 years before a farmer can enjoy the fruit of MonAbout a thousand farmers visited santo’s labour. the Monsanto stand during the Monsanto product launch of DK777 at recently finished Agritech. a continental tour which started in Contact Monsanto at Tanzania, went +27(0) 11-790-8200 or e-mail through Malawi customercare.sa@monsanto.com.

DK777, Monsanto’s new flagship cultivar, promises to and ended up in Visit their website at offer record breaking yields while being tolerant to Zambia down to www.dekalb.co.za many pests and diseases. the southern reProAgri Zambia 29

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Saro Agro – the backbone of Zambian farming

by Lize du Plooy

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op class implements were supplied to farmers all over Zambia since the establishment of Saro Agro by the Oza family in 1940. This reliable company manufactures their own implements, but they are also agents for many popular and well known international brands.

Visitors to their stand at the recent Agritech expo were impressed with their Tafe, Baldan, Landini, Jacto, Falcon and JF equipment.

Some of Saro Agro’s most popular products are: Hammer mill One can easily understand why Saro Agro’s hammer mill was the main attraction at their Agritech stand. The hammer mill is a self-contained unit driven by either its own water-cooled diesel engine or its own electric motor.

With its fifteen different sieve sizes

from 0,8 to 15 mm, farmers all over Zambia use this hammer mill for maize, cassava, soy beans and other products.

The hammer mill itself and all its components are manufactured by Saro’s own team of dedicated and experienced workers in the second largest machine factory in Zambia. A benefit of the factory being based in Zambia is that all spare parts are readily and easily available. Only the engines are imported directly from India, but engine parts are also always available.

Saro Agro sells up to 800 of these hammer mills per year all over the country from their branches in places such as Mkushi, Kitwe, and Chipata. As no farmer uses his hammer mill 24/7 around the year, many farmers hire out their durable Saro hammer mills when their own work is done.

Baldan implement series Saro Agro’s decision to distribute Baldan implements from Brazil in Zambia was based on two considerations – the strength and durability of the implements, and the wide range available. Baldan implements include soil preparation equipment such as ploughs, disc harrows of various sizes, mounted and towed, as well as planters, seed drills and spreaders.

“The Baldan maSaro Agro manufactures their own, very popular hamchines are very mer mill. strong and spares 28

are readily available,” says Marvellous Choongo, Tractors and Implement Sales Representative of Saro Agro. He also mentions that they have a team of fourteen technicians in Zambia, based in Lusaka, Mkushi, Kitwe, Chipata and the Southern Province, who are ready and able to assist the farmers with all the support they need.

The same meticulous design and manufacturing standards and the same dedicated support that go into Baldan’s giant equipment, are maintained even for their smallest implement. Smallscale farmers, for instance, may prefer a two disc plough, working 1,3 m wide and drawn by a 37 kW tractor, while larger-scale farmers with stronger tractors may choose three or four disc

Brazilian Baldan implements on display at the Saro Agro stand at Agritech 2018.

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Saro Agro recently became an agent for Almaz. This manufacturer builds seed separation equipment, which works on a very basic, but efficient, principle: Air blows the particles of various densities to separate them by weight into different containers. Xander Pieterse from ProAgri and Choolwe Muzike, Sales Representative of Saro Agro, are equally proud of this impressive piece of equipment. ploughs, or even larger, but they all are of the very best quality and supported by fully trained technicians.

Saro Agro also supplies Baldan spreaders, such as the DCFR6000, that spreads fertiliser up to 18 metres wide.

The Baldan PNA3000 land plane supplied by Saro Agro is ideal for levelling your fields, and some farmers even use it to prepare roads. The land plane works three metres wide and is operated hydraulically.

Kelly Malenga, Parts Manager of Saro Agro, says that all hard-working machines are prone to wear and breakage. “This is why it is important to have replacement parts available to keep the farmer working without unnecessary interruptions,” he says.

“Farming, as we all know, is very time sensitive, therefore farmers do not have time to waste when a part is needed.”

Saro Agro solves this problem by keeping all the parts a farmer may need in stock and dispatching them as promptly as possible. Farmers know they can depend on Saro Agro for spares and prompt service, and that is why they prefer implements provided

by Saro Agro. This helps the company to grow.

Kelly and his team exercise strict stock control and analyse all parts ProAgri Zambia 29

The Saro Agro team at Agritech.

Saro Agro’s small-scale farmer department was a very popular visiting point at Agritech. sales to decide what to order in bulk by sea to keep in stock, and what to order by quicker, but more expensive, air freight.

Fast moving components include items like bearings, belts, discs of various shapes and sizes, oil and grease seals, studs and bolts. Saro Agro also stocks spares for implements such as Jacto sprayers and Falcon implements; as well as blades, beams, bushes, bolts, seals for gearboxes and even complete gearboxes – basically anything the farmer needs to continue his production, except spares that are not fast moving items. Many farmers in Zambia depend on Saro Agro to keep their operations rolling.

For all your TAFE, BALDAN, LANDINI, JACTO, FALCON and JF needs, contact your closest Saro Agri branch, or visit their website at www.sarozambia.com.

SARO Agro also displayed their wide variety of irrigation equipment on a different stand.

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the Amazone UF 1801 sprayer. With a standard capacity of 1 980 litres, it has the option of an extra 1 000 litre front tank, which ensures this mounted sprayer holds just short of 3 000 litres. The UF series also come with Super-S booms with wide working widths of 15 to 28 metres, and for safe and fast road transport the Super-S-boom is folded directly behind the spray tank to give a transport width of only 2,4 metres. The Amazone UF sprayers impress with their manoeuvrability, simple handling, and high acreage efficiency.

In addition to UF mounted sprayMembers of the AFGRI Corp team at Agritech were eager to tell visitors and farmers more ers, Amazone offers about the Amazone products from Falcon at their stand. a range of trailed sprayers, including uring the recent Agritech show, According to Falcon Equipment, a the UG series which has a capacity of farmers could admire the Falcon prominent and popular manufacturer up to 3 200 litres and working widths equipment at the AFGRI Corp and Saro of agricultural machines and agent for of up to 28 metres, and the UX trailed Agro stands. Amazone spreaders and Amazone sprayers and spreaders in field sprayer series which is available sprayers are part of their range and South Africa, there are a few solid reawith a capacity of up to 12 000 litres deserve special mentioning. sons for the change in behaviour. and working width of 21 to 40 metres.

Initial capital expense is a main Amazone sprayers are available with Versatility determines sprayer reason. The huge difference in cost bedifferent electronic control terminals, choice tween a self-propeller and a trailed or but all sprayers are also available on In the past, farmers believed that there mounted model is an important consithe ISOBUS platform, making it poswas a logical procession from mounted deration. It is even possible to buy sible to have full operational control and trailed sprayers to self-propelled more than one trailed sprayer for the of these sprayers via any compatible sprayers as the farming operation price of one self-propelled sprayer.

ISOBUS Universal Terminal. grows. This is not the case anymore.

The other reason for this decision is Many large-scale commercial farmers versatility. Mounted or trailed sprayOwn a champion fertiliser spreader have realised this trend is not always ers have a number of other advantages Zambian farmers can now also benetrue and opted for practical rather than for the modern farmer, allowing much fit from using the Amazone ZA-TS emotional implement purchases, with greater versatility in their operations. fertiliser spreader with Argus Twin, versatility and cost being two of the The advances in technology, particu- which was awarded the “Machine of the main determining factors. larly from companies such as Amazone, year” title for special innovation at the ensured that the capacity of mounted AgriTechnica in Hanover, Germany in sprayers now match, or even exceed, November 2015. that of self-propelled options.

The innovation of the ZA-TS with The lightweight design allows the Argus Twin features the monitoring of use of smaller tractors that can be the lateral distribution of the fertiliser used for other operations on the farm at both spreading discs with the aid of while they are not spraying. Many radar sensors. In case of deviations of the larger operators have already from the pre-determined values, the replaced a self-propelled with two or electric delivery system is automatisometimes three mounted sprayers. cally readjusted, ensuring a constant This enables multiple parts of the farm optimum lateral distribution. This also to be sprayed at one time to eradicate applies to changing fertiliser qualipests quicker, and a reduction of the ties, travelling on slopes, starting and time spent on the spraying process. braking procedures or worn spreading This also suits the farmer who has land vanes. in different locations, for he can have one tractor and a mounted or towed sprayer working at each site.

These sprayers and spreaders, as Downtime is another concern when well as Falcon’s other equipment, owning only one sprayer. Having two or are available in Zambia through three mounted versions ensures sprayAFGRI Corp and Saro Agro. Coning can continue while one machine is tact any one of their authorised being repaired or serviced. In addidealers. To find the closest dealer tion, some farmers may use a sprayer in your area visit FIND A DEALER for liquid fertiliser and this then allows on their website at Amazone’s mounted sprayers are both fertilising and pest control prowww.falconequipment.co.za the ideal solution for a farmer who cesses to be done with one machine. needs versatility in his operations.

A particularly popular machine is

by Du Preez de Villiers

Falcon: Amazone offers top-notch sprayers and spreaders

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XFarm:

Plant with precision for more production

by Annemarie Bremner

“F

or us it is all about the precise placement of seed and fertiliser, and the accurate application of chemicals to ensure minimal waste and optimal growth,” says Rinus Willemse from Xfarm.

Xfarm shared a stand with Farmco International and Topcon at Agritech, as their technologies and services are all interlinked. Xfarm utilises Topcon technology for precision farming and Farmco is the distributor of the technology.

Rinus explains that their approach to all their designs is to create optimal agronomical conditions to establish crops and promote growth with as little stress as possible on the plants - and therefore on the farmers!

The X in Xfarm means that all their products come from the farm (exfarm), designed and built for farmers in Africa. Simplicity, ease of operation, and maintenance are very important.

Rinus says: “A number of farmers from huge farming operations with lots of equipment have told me that their planters, sprayers and spreaders from Xfarm have the lowest operational cost per hectare on the farm.”

This does not mean that the equipment is lagging behind in technology.

When Rinus built his first planter more than 20 years ago on his father’s farm near Riversdal in SA’s Western Cape, he employed precision technology unknown in Africa at that time.

Since 2000, the well-known DBX

planters have been able to perform variable planting, although most farmers only started realising the potential in 2004.

That is also the year in which production moved to a well-equipped factory in the nearby town of Albertinia, where the Xfarm series was expanded to include a whole bouquet of crop establishment and care implements.

“We provide equipment for all kilowatts of tractors and sizes of farms, and we hope to be involved in the process of helping small-scale farmers rise to the challenge of commercial farming. The fact is: If you farm on one hectare, you can provide food for your family; but if you farm on a hundred hectares, you can provide food for a thousand people and give your children a better chance to succeed in life,” says Rinus.

Meet the Xfarm series

Xfarm has a wide series of planters and airseeders for broadcast and row cropping, suitable for min-till and no-till farming practices. The no-till planters can also be used in conventional production systems.

At the Agritech stand Himesh Patel, Rinus Willemse, Rakesh Patel and Christo Helm were more than ready to explain the value of precision technology to farmers.

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DBX planters DBX stands for Deep Blade System and these bright orange and green minimum tillage planters are quite well known in South Africa. Some of these planters have been working for 20 years with no end in sight!

Rinus says he has been asked by farmers to upgrade the planters they bought before 2002 with new weighing cell technology for automatic calibration, as they are not willing to let go of their trusted equipment.

There are 36 different sizes and

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configurations of planters in the DBX series. The principle used by all them is a three stage system of planting involving deep under-seed cultivation, a shallow bed for seed, a defined trench for water harvesting and a protective environment for germinating seeds.

The DBX modules are designed for separate seed and fertiliser delivery, providing a system to give you: • Correct seed depth • Precise fertiliser placement • Subsoil cultivation, which is vital for the control of root disease • Exact environment for the seed • Cost-effective chemical usage and safe application

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The three stage system: Stage 1: The DBX blade gives vertical cultivation deep into hard pans or barriers and the flat leading face causes soil to break up to improve aeration and water infiltration.

Fertiliser can be placed behind the digging blade, profiled, or a percentage deposited with the seed as a ‘starter’.

Stage 2: This tool collapses soil back into the Blade trench, creating a firm and even seedbed onto which the seeds are deposited. The rear edge of this tool is faced with a tungsten tile, ensuring a long life whilst maintaining the width of the tool throughout its operating life. It has a 30 mm closing width and its round face reduces the amount of material that accumulates whilst passing through the ground.

Stage 3: The wheel pushes soil forward in a wave action, causing the soil to flow inwards, while covering and gently firming it around the seed.

Ground following gives precise depth placement.

NTX planters The No-Till System was developed in 2015 to fulfill the following strict set of criteria: • The seed must be placed perfectly accurate in respect of both depth and spacing • The planter must be capable of cutProAgri Zambia 29

• •

• •

ting through any soil coverage and penetrate it efficiently Absolute minimum soil disturbance was a priority It has to be robust enough to work through an entire planting season without maintenance The structural integrity must ensure a long lifetime It has to fold up for easy road transport

In the end, this series

His Honourable President Edgar Lungu listening attentively to Rinus Willemse from Xfarm while he explains how Zambian farmers can benefit from technology. Xander Pieterse, ProAgri Sales Consultant, was also present at the stand.

of planters exceeded all expectations in seed placement as well as operating costs with a miniscule 4 kW of power required per unit. One of the many unique qualities of the planter is that hydraulic technology is being used to transfer the weight from the hopper unit carrying the seed and fertiliser to the wings, enabling them to follow the contours of the land and maintain the necessary down pressure on the soil.

There are six models in the NTX series, with different sizes and configurations for each model.

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Xpray field sprayers Two Xpray models are available. There is the 2 500 litre sprayer, with a 300 litre fresh water tank which can also be

utilised for enlarging spraying capacity.

The boom widths vary from 14 to 24 metres.

The larger model has a 4 200 litre tank, also able to expand with another 300 litres, and the boom widths vary from 27 to 36 metres.

The same precision technology used for the planters also controls the effective sectional application of chemicals through the sprayers.

Xspread spreaders Xpread spreaders are available in two sizes, 10 and 16 tonnes. They have a spreading pattern of up to 36 metres for granular fertilisers and 13 metres for lime. The spinner speed can be set from within the cab from 500 to 1 000 rpm. The double overlap design ensures uniform spreading.

Wide tyres allow for higher flotation and therefore prevent soil structure damage and excessive compaction.

The spreaders also use Topcon precision technology for minimum waste and maximum production.

Contact Rinus Willemse at +27(0)82-441-7255, +27(0)28735-2425 or rinus@bdx.co.za to order your Xfarm solution. More information is available on www.xfarm.co.za.

Topcon precision technology used by Xfarm and distributed by Farmco was interactively demonstrated at Agritech.

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The ABC... of Fish Farming...

Part 1: How to get started

Once the fish is stocked, you can proceed with the feeding, which should commence two days after stocking.

Written by Aquaculturist Jackson Siame

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ish farming can be practiced in different ways, namely pond culture, cage culture, raceway (flow-through) culture and tank (recirculation aquaculture system) culture. In Zambia, pond culture is the most practiced system. Pond culture is simply the rearing of fish in a pond.

Site selection Firstly a site with a moderate slope is selected on a given piece of land. Soil from the same site is then sampled to determine its water holding capacity.

An earthen pond can be constructed on soil with a good water holding capacity.

In an event were the soil is unable to hold water, a pond liner can be used.

Pond excavation A pond can be excavated manually or using an excavator. An ideal pond should be 1,1 m on the shallow side and 1,3 m on the deeper end. Dykes must be well designed and strong enough for their purpose. The inlet pipe/canal should be placed slightly higher over a shallow part to create a fall as the water fills the pond. This will increase the dissolved oxygen in the water. The outlet pipe must be strategically positioned for easy draining and flushing of the pond.

Lime Agricultural lime can be sprinkled in a

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pond at a rate of 15 kg/100 m². It is necessary to add lime in an earthen pond right at the beginning of the culture. However, ponds lined with pond liners may only be required to be limed at the second culturing cycle and onwards.

Manure Once the pond is constructed, it can be filled with water up to a depth of 60 cm, and chicken or pig manure can be added at a rate of 8 kg per 100 m².

Put the manure into a bag with small holes for gradual release. Once the water turns green, the pond can be filled to a depth of 100 cm.

Stocking The recommended time to stock the fish is in the morning when the temperature is low. Stocking ratios to be used ranges from two to five fish/m², when the average body weight is expected to be between 800 g and 1 000 g. Six to ten fish can be added when the desired average body weight is between 300 g and 400 g. A pond of 10 m x 10 m has a total area of 100 m² and can accommodate a total number of 600 fish at a stocking rate of six fish/m² (10 m x 10 m = 100 m², 100 m² x 6 fish). The higher the stocking ratio, the more frequently you need to flush the pond. Aeration is the other alternative to flushing.

Next month we shall look at feeding schedules, pond sampling and pond management.

For any further queries or clarifications, please contact the writer directly, who happens to be the Savanna Streams Limited Aquaculturist based at the Livestock Services Centre, in the Lusaka Show Grounds. Contact him on: +26 (0)97 1570 980 or info@essentialcom.biz

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