ProAgri Zambia 035

ProAgri technology for the farmer

Z a m b i a

No 35

Free

Green Energy: Pump with sun power Treat your feet with Neptun Boots

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number of massive agricultural acquisitions were seen over the past two years. Bayer bought Monsanto for $63 billion in a transaction completed in June this year. This was a two year long process and had to be approved by the anti-monopoly authorities of 30 countries. The value of this transaction is more than two times the gross domestic product of Zambia and their total workforce all over the world is 115 000! Five banks, namely BofA Merrill Lynch, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, HSBC and JP Morgan, took part in financing this deal.

At the end of August last year the equal merger between Dow AgroScience and DuPont was completed under the name Dow-DuPont. The transaction was worth a mind-blowing $130 billion.

Today Dow-DuPont is number 47 on the 2018 Fortune 500 list of corporations

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in the United States. In June 2019, the company will split into three, namely Corteva Agriscience, Dow and DuPont.

They will take ownership of the agriculture, material science and speciality products divisions respectively.

In July last year, ChemChina took over ownership of Syngenta for $43 billion.

ChemChinia is a Chinese state-owned chemical giant and ranked 211th on the Fortune Global 500 companies. China is very eager to boost their local agriculture and this was the largest ever foreign purchase by a Chinese firm.

These massive transactions might pose an uneasy feelings for farmers.

Concerns about products taking longer to reach the farm due to new organisational complexities or monopolised prices, are valid. But it is reassuring to see that the anti-trust laws of all the countries involved kicked in before these transactions were completed.

Since governments are very concerned about food security, I believe that they made the right decisions.

Combined brain power in the R&D departments of these huge corporations might actually benefit the Zambian farmer in terms of effective lower inputs and innovations. It will be very interesting to see what they will come up within the following years.

This month we take a walk in a pair of Neptun boots and Zimmatic tells us about a 40-year old pivot still in operation. Novatek and Tiger Feeds once again give excellent advice on animal nutrition.

Farm smartly!

Du Preez de Villiers dupreez@proagri.co.za

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Novatek explains careful ewe feeding

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Green Energy: Your expert supplier of pumps and solar energy

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Advice from Tiger Feeds Part 4: The art of perseverance in beef

Content

production 8

Bonnox keeps animals in and out – neatly, quickly and effectively

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Sheep farming made easy: Part 11: Pens

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NoseRing: Silent, stress-free weaning is achievable

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Aquaponics 5: From biology to hardware

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40-year old Zimmatic still going strong

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Live the farm life with a pair of Neptun boots

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Spray to protect your crops: Part 11

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Make more from your crops: Processing of oil seeds: Part 11

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Dairy Board Zambia: We need more milk collection centres

ProAgri Zambia 35

Cover

Letter from the Editor

Abamix is the product used by many farmers who are serious about protecting their tomatoes, fruit, maize, beans, peas and other crops from a wide range of pests. Farmer’s Africa is the proud distributor. Learn about their other products on their advertisement on page 19.

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 Ackermann > +27 73-105-6938 benine@proagri.co.za Senior Production Manager: Zainab Pandor > +26 (0)97-769-9786 zainab@proagri.co.za Marketing Manager Diane Do Nascimento > +27 82-555-6866 diane@proagri.co.za Marketing Xander Pieterse > +27 79-524-0934 xander@proagri.co.za Tiny Smith > +27 79-531-0024 tiny@proagri.co.za Anelda Strauss > +27 76-687-4419 anelda@proagri.co.za Gerhard Potgieter > +27 74-694-4422 gerhard@proagri.co.za Design Christiaan Joubert > christiaan@proagri.co.za 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 Zambia 35

Careful ewe feeding: The key to successful lamb production

by Wiehan Visagie

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ny sheep farmer will agree that when production is effective, profitability on the farm will improve. The best way to maintain income is to focus on the development and growth of the off spring. In sheep production, farmers have to invest a lot of eff ort to secure the nutrition of the ewe, as it is one of the most important factors influencing foetal growth, milk production and subsequent lamb performance. Proper nutrition also develops the ewe’s udder, which, in return, provides the lamb with plenty of high-quality milk during the first six weeks of its life. During this phase, the lamb is solely dependent on the ewe and needs energy to grow efficiently while it develops to the best of its genetic potential.

Energy input Research has shown a positive correlation between nutrition during gestation and the performance of the ewe, as nutrition affects the ewe and its off spring.

McGovern et al. (2015) published work in the Journal of Animal Science that indicates that when ewes are fed to receive only 80 percent of their energy requirement during the last few weeks of gestation, they achieve lower body condition scores than those receiving all the energy input required. When ewes were presented with feed providing 100 percent or more of their energy requirements, they produced additional milk and higher levels of good quality colostrum.

Lambs that receive an adequate milk supply during the lactation period until weaning gain more weight. The effect of milk supply was demonstrated

by McGovern et al., as lambs of ewes in the group fed a 100 percent energy diet had a significantly higher lamb slaughProAgri Zambia 35

ter weight compared with those of the ewes that were fed only 80 percent of their energy requirement.

Feed management An article published in the Journal of Animal Science by Kenyon et al. (2018) indicates that when farmers anticipate a potential feed shortage, they must feed less during mid pregnancy and more during late pregnancy, when adequate nutrition is more important.

Management practices should focus on ensuring adequate nutrition in late pregnancy, as it may be possible to increase the birth weight of lambs by feeding ewes above their pregnancy maintenance requirement.

Twin lambs An ewe carrying twin lambs will require a 70 percent increase in energy from late pregnancy to early lactation. As soon as twin lambs are born, the energy requirements of ewes increase as they use nutrients to also produce milk for the lambs. Naturally, ewes produce more milk for two lambs than for one

(an average of 40 percent more), even if they are fed the same diet as ewes with a single lamb. Ewes raising twin lambs therefore require more energy; the farm needs to provide a higher density feed to prevent ewes losing weight and performing less well.

Technical advice Energy makes up the largest portion of the diet and is usually the most limiting nutrient in the ewe’s diet. Carbohydrates, fat and excess protein (not recommended) in the diet all contribute towards fulfilling the energy requirements of ewes. Meeting energy requirements without over- or underfeeding the ewe is one of the biggest challenges. Farmers, therefore, must always consult an animal nutritionist to formulate a well-balanced diet.

You can contact Wiehan Visagie at wiehanv@novatek.co.zm or MarnĂŠ Meyer at nutritionist@novatek.co.zm for any information on feeding and feeds.

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ProAgri Zambia 35

Green Energy: Your expert supplier of solar and water pumping solutions

by Du Preez de Villiers Water is the essence of life and it is within your reach without interruption, with the help of Green Energy.

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he most critical and challenging period in a farmer’s year is August to September ─ the planting season is approaching and after the dry winter months, water is scarce.

Erratic rainfall also poses a huge challenge for farmers who need a consistent water supply as many farmers want to plant crops throughout the year.

Moving water to the fields and crops as well as to livestock pens becomes more difficult, since water sources are on their lowest even if they are close by.

These are the times when you need extra help and equipment like water pumps to assist you. But water pumps need power and since Zambia is heavily dependent on Zesco and hydroelectric power, which is not always available, for peace of mind it is wise to find alternatives for a more consistent water supply.

You can’t go wrong when investing in proper water pumps and solar

The Grundfos RSI inverter is their flagship in the range and is suitable for various water supply systems, especially irrigation.

ProAgri Zambia 35

Green Energy only stocks high quality, world renowned pump brands with excellent backup and service plans. power systems from a respectable and renowned supplier. Green Energy is a leading Zambian company that offers anything pertaining to water pumping as well as solar power, batteries and systems needed to go off the grid. They source their products from countries renowned for manufacturing equipment of high standards, such as Italy, Germany, Canada and the United States.

Their quality equipment comes with full back up and service plans and will last much longer than the cheaper varieties, which means that you will save money in the long run. They believe foresight is key.

Green Energy’s main focus is on the farming community and medium to large scale farmers are their biggest market. They are making good headway and push hard to inform the farmers about solar systems for pumps.

The team at Green Energy realised that not many people know that solar panel and battery prices have dropped significantly. Now it is actually aff ordable. They have a system for less than $1 000, which pumps up to 8 000 litres a day, which is more than enough for 99% of medium-scale farmers.

The initial capital lay-out for pumps

and solar system are relatively huge, but a farmer will recover it within no time if compared to the huge cost of diesel for instance or if compared to the benefit of having consistent supply of water all your round. The payback period is very low and after that, the farmer's electricity/water use is virtually free of charge.

Green Energy do many projects for medium and large-scale farmers. They have found that there are a very large number of farmers that require water during the day only and have larger existing 3-phase pumps. Green Energy offers the Grundfos RSI pump inverter range that can power up to 37 kW pumps. This is a direct Solar-to-Pump system that’s more aff ordable for farmers as there is no need for costly battery backup.

Green Energy offers training to farmers a couple of times per year to familiarise them with what they are capable of doing with their systems.

Send an e-mail to greenenergy.zm@gmail.com with your contact details and full requirements to become an independent farmer.

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C AT T L E , S H E E P , G O A T S we feed them all!

Contact us for more info: +26(0)96 799 1847

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ProAgri Zambia 35

Advice from Tiger Feeds Par t 4: The ar t of perseverance in beef production

by Given Hamanungu

calves with Tiger Animal Feeds' Complete Feedlot Finisher, according to the feeding recommendations given to him.

After four months in the feedlot, the weight gain was more than 450 kg per calf. When Rowena visited the feedlot in September, it was clear that his vision became a reality and that he further pursued other ventures at the same farm using Tiger Feeds' quality animal feed (goat farming, chickens and crops).

Mr Mushala realised that, with such a sound team backing him up, he would surely succeed in all aspects of his business venture. Tiger Animal Feeds is committed to make a customer’s dreams come true. Following their advice is the sure way to success.

Rowena Blanco, Nutritionist from Tiger Animal Feeds, arrived at just the right time on Victor Mushala’s farm to suggest a very successful feeding programme.

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ith beef production and many other agricultural business ventures, there is a need to understand that there are three actions that contribute to a successful operation, namely singular focus, total dedication and perseverance. The constant application of these three actions is what makes dreams come true. The only way to achieve success is to accept and even embrace the challenges along the way.

The farmer must be determined and persevere in order to successfully achieve his or her goals. One such

farmer who has managed to persevere in his business venture is Victor Mushala, who is one of Tiger Animal Feeds’ beef farmers. He is fully dedicated to his beef feedlot farm in Shibyunji District in Central Province and his com-

Besides Tiger Animal Feeds’ Complete Feedlot Finisher for his cattle, Victor also uses Tiger Feeds for his goats and chickens.

Victor Mushala’s feedlot cattle know good feed when they see and taste it. Their weight gain on Tiger Feeds' Complete Feedlot Finisher over the feeding period was astonishing.

The workers on Victor Mushala’s farm are well trained on how to provide just the right amount of Tiger Animal Feeds’ Complete Feedlot Finisher to ensure growth and profits.

ProAgri Zambia 35

mitment yielded quality results.

In March 2018, Rowena Blanco, the Nutritionist at Tiger Animal Feeds, visited Mr Mushala’s unused and thickly wooded farm where the only thing of substance was the vision in his mind for the project. With the added professional advice from Tiger Animal Feeds, he bought 35 bull calves at an average weight of 220 kg for his feedlot in May 2018. Mr Mushala went on to feed the

Weight gain in a feedlot equals profit and wealth. Contact Rowena Blanco at +260-96-7991-847 or +260-96-7790-404 or e-mail rowena@tigerfeeds.com.zm for the best information and support.

Given Hamanungu is the Technical Advisor at Tiger Animal Feeds and can be contacted at givenhams@gmail.com.

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Tyrone Thomas is in control of the Oaksprings plantations and Bonsmara stud.

Bonnox keeps animals in and out – neatly, quickly and effectively

by Du Preez de Villiers

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peed and efficiency – two of the most valuable factors on any modern farm. Bonnox fencing is an excellent example of an efficient, time-saving solution for many farmers. Farmers widely acknowledge that Bonnox provides all the fencing requirements of the modern farmer and his/her farm.

Peter Thomas and his son, Tyrone, farm close to Mooi River in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. They have a vision of converting their Oaksprings Farm into a conservation area for the rare animals and birds endemic to the area; simultaneously promoting their stock breeding. Two of the threatened species found on the farm are cranes and oribi (ourebi antelope).

Oaksprings Farm also offers a scenic jogging route through the property.

There is a dairy factory on the farm (Oaksprings Dairy), a Bonsmara stud and a commercial blue-gum plantation, Smiqae. Precision planning was required to integrate the farming and conservation actions on the farm and to keep undesirable elements out at the same time. Quality fences are the key to friendship between neighbours.

As many animals from neighbouring areas graze next to the Oaksprings fence, it was imperative to erect a solid

fence that could really keep animals out and ensure that this fine balance could be maintained successfully.

Bonnox “Everybody in this part of the country knows the name Bonnox. Consequently, that was the first route that we followed,” says Tyrone. “In March last year we bought 18 km of 2,4 m Bonnox fencing and started enclosing the whole farm. The material was on special and we received an appreciable number of free rolls. We also bought the Bonnox clamp bar to make straining of the fence a much quicker and more efficient task.”

“I employed two contract workers who completed the fencing in a matter of two months. They quickly grasped the basic mechanics and ended with a really neat and satisfactory result,” says Tyrone.

Tyrone steered away from steel support posts. “They simply disappear overnight.” He opted for treated wooden poles which are easily obtainable in the area. Also a wooden dropper was fastened every five metres, which gives the fence an extremely neat and sturdy appearance. Peter is presently negotiating with the gov-

ernment to buy a neighbouring farm, which encroaches like a wedge into their property so that it can also be fenced. That will require a further four kilometres of fencing to complete the full project.

The thick and sturdy treated wooden fence posts are sourced in the area and provide a neat and pleasing fence using the Bonnox 2,4 m game fencing.

The dams on the farm form part of the conservation area but had to be enclosed with a proper and neat fence.

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ProAgri Zambia 35

The entrance to Oaksprings Farm appears neat and business-like with the attractive Bonnox fencing on either side.

Apart from being pleasing to the eye, and the fact that they are less prone to theft than steel supports, a major advantage is that it is easy to staple the Bonnox fencing to wooden posts – no hassles.

A beautiful and satisfying view of the immaculate Bonnox fence stretching over hill and dale to the horizon.

Bonnox fencing is the ideal solution to keeping neighbouring animals out and the Oaksprings Bonsmara stud in.

ProAgri Zambia 35

Thomas demonstrates how close to the ground the tight lowest wire of the Bonnox fence runs to prevent animals from creeping under it.

Contact Bonnox on 012-666-8717 or 076-169-9068, or send an e-mail to gerda@bonnox.co.za, linda@bonnox.co.za, or zane@bonnox.co.za for a quotation. You can also visit their website – www.bonnox.co.za.

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ProAgri Zambia 35

Sheep farming made easy Part 11: Handling systems – Pens

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learly defined pens for every purpose or operation makes farming so much easier and enjoyable. But keep in mind that animals staying in an enclosed area offer many challenges.

It is sensible to place your animal pens downwind and in such a position in relation to the housing and feed processing area that odours and problems with run-off will be limited.

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

Adapting pens After offloading incoming sheep, they have to be inoculated against pulpy kidney, dosed for internal parasites and vitamins A, D and E must be administered. The sheep are weighed, dipped and kept in adapting pens for five days.

The purpose of the adapting pens is to gradually make the sheep used to the ration provided in the feeding complex.

Sudden exposure to new feed can lead to acidity that may cause sheep to die.

Depending on the size of the group, sheep must be sorted on arrival or after the adaptation period. Sheep with wool older than six months are sheared before being allowed into the feeding complex.

Holding pens (receiving and dispatch pens) The area provided in front of the loading ramp is used for keeping the sheep in groups for dispatch. In the case of incoming animals, the sheep are gathered there before any treatment is given. The typical space requirement in the holding pens is 0,5 m² per sheep.

Gathering pens and crowding pens Gathering pens are pens through which sheep pass in small groups to further activities. Gathering pens usually hold 25 sheep for easy handling and a surface of 0,5 m²/ewe or 0,7 m²/ ewe with lamb should be provided.

The gathering pen is usually round or funnel-shaped and examples are shown in figures 1, 2 and 3. The sides of the round gathering pens are usually solid and typical building materials include brickwork, concrete, wood, sheet metal or rubber tyres.

Figure 3: Round crowding pen serving four entrances.

Figure 1: Funnel-shaped gathering pen.

Post-gathering pens Sheep are collected in post-gathering pens after treatment, before they are moved back to the feeding complex in a group. An area of 0,5 m²/sheep for the post-gathering pen must be provided, usually towards the crush.

In lay-outs where sorting pens are placed after the crush, it is not necessary to have post-gathering pens, because the sorting pens can be used for this purpose.

Figure 2: Round crowding pen serving two entrances.

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Sorting pens and sorting gates Sorting pens and sorting gates are used to separate certain sheep from others in the production process.

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ProAgri Zambia 35

The sheep is caught out of the alley, turned over onto the table, treated and then pushed to the front of the working alley.

Material and construction details for working alleys are the same as for those of normal crushes.

Figure 4: Sorting to different camps by means of gates.

b. Crushes For farmers who prefer to work with the sheep from the side, there is a smaller crush which is perfect for treatments such as dosing and injections. The aim of the crush is to get a single row of sheep with their heads in the same direction. Sheep should not

Figure 5: Sorting to different camps by means of gates.

The sorting pen will therefore be used to sort new animals, to separate lambs from ewes or to separate sheep to be sold from the rest.

Sorting is done from the crush and usually to the scales with the aid of a number of gates controlling access to specific camps. Figures 4 and 5 show a typical configuration for the sorting of sheep in two, three or four camps.

Sorting pens are used for relatively short periods after which the sheep move back to the feeding pens. The area must, as is the case with gathering pens, provide 0,5 m²/per ewe.

Crushes or working alleys Crushes are used to classify certain types of animals and to work on sheep or for the treatment of diseases. In the handling facility, distinction is made between crushes, alleys narrower than 600 mm and wider alleys (approximately 1 000 mm), also known as working alleys. a. Working alleys Some farmers prefer to be amongst the sheep while working with them. It is also necessary to separate treated sheep from untreated sheep during treatments such as castration and docking. For these actions, the wider, shorter working alley as shown in Figure 6 is preferred. The sides are 1 m high to keep sheep inside while enabling the handler to climb in and out of the working alley with ease.

The working alley is approximately

Figure 6: Working alley for handling of sheep.

1 m wide, 6 m long and allows for ± 10 to 15 ewes. In the configuration, the handler can treat the sheep without them passing by him. Treated sheep are let through and are thus separated from the untreated sheep. Vertical sliding gates allow the handler to lift the gates by means of ropes to let sheep in or out.

Two adjacent working alleys can increase efficiency by filling one with sheep while the handler is busy in the other alley. This cuts out the time that the handler must wait for the next group.

A portable working table as shown in Figure 7 can be used for individual treatment.

Figure 7: Example of a portable working table.

ProAgri Zambia 35

be able to turn in the crush.

The crush must have smooth solid sides, so that the sheep can only see the opening and sheep in front of them.

Sheet metal or old tyres can be used, or even a brick wall. An opening must be left on the front through which work can be done on a sheep if necessary. A crush width of 375 to 550 mm is recommended, depending on the breed. Arched crushes or crushes in an “S” shape also give good sheep flow, since they cannot see the entrance in front of them and just keep on walking.

Where V-shaped crushes are used, a base width of 200 to 300 mm and a top width of 450 to 675 mm is recommended. A gap of 75 to 100 mm between the floor and the sides provide space for the handler’s feet, allows drainage and hoof inspection and prevents young lambs from suffocating.

The sides must preferably be a steel frame construction of square tubing or pipe.

Support poles must be planted firmly into the ground and the cross-poles must be bolted to these and welded.

The walking surface can be earth or, at larger facilities, a rough concrete surface to prevent trampling. The surface must have a slight slope for runoff water.

It is also preferred that crushes be 13

placed under a roof, especially when working on sheep during rainy or very hot days.

Crush for the handling of sheep.

Next month we shall look dipping facilities. 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.

Sturdy and clearly defined pens make farming a pleasant experience.

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ProAgri Zambia 35

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E-mail: info@neriainvestments.com

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Poultry vaccines and antimicrobials | Poultry equipment and egg trays | Cattle vaccines and antimicrobials | Dips and dewromers | Semen for Dairy cattle | Specialised veterinary products | Milking equipment | Pet and horse products | Finished stock feed | Stock feed ingredients | Protective clothing | Fencing material | Wire and poles | Crates | Fertiliser | Seeds | Seed trays and growing medium | Bailing twine | Crop chemicals | Pest control products | Water tanks and pipes | Livestock handling equipment | Livestock equipment and instruments Physical Address: Livestock Services, Pamodzi Highway, Off Nangwenya Road, Showgrounds Telephone: 254024, 254497 and 254498 or 0975 474119 and 0969 635407

ProAgri Zambia 35

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Silent, stress-free weaning is achievable

by Judy Richardson and Michael Cox

During extreme weather conditions such as drought, NoseRings make earlier weaning possible.

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ast month we discussed weaning procedures that cause the least problems for both animal and farmer.

This month we introduce a very handy product to make the task of weaning even easier.

All cattle ranchers know the stress of weaning – broken fences as cows and calves try to re-unite, unsettled cattle, bawling calves and bellowing cows. The stress of weaning not only takes its toll on the farmer but on the cattle as well.

But all that can change. Silent, stressfree weaning is achievable.

Most cattle farmers have tried numerous methods and techniques to try and relieve the stress of weaning from both a management and a production point of view. The secret to stress-free weaning is a so-called two step weaning process. The use of a NoseRing allows the calf to be weaned next to its mother before being separated at a later stage. A NoseRing is a simple, plastic device that can be fitted onto a calf’s nose. The NoseRing does not pierce the inside of the nose but hooks into the nose using a fastener to tighten it as required. It is easy to fit and also easy to remove after weaning for repeated re-use.

For stress-free gradual weaning during drought periods, NoseRings allow the calves to remain in the comforting presence of their mothers but give the cows the opportunity to maintain or improve body condition for the next calving season.

Unlike the conventional method of weaning by abruptly removing the calves from the cows, NoseRings are fitted onto the calves and they remain with their mothers. The NoseRings force the cows to wean the calves themselves in a more natural manner.

When the calf tries to suckle the cow, the NoseRing not only makes it physically difficult for the calf to suckle the teat, it also provides slight discomfort to the cow’s udder causing her to nudge the calf away and so wean the calf herself over a period of several days. After the gradual weaning, the ProAgri Zambia 35

NoseRings can be removed and then the calves are separated from the cows.

Some people are automatically put off by the fact that the calves need to be worked twice, but taking a few hours to insert NoseRings into a herd of 200 calves, and a couple of hours to remove them four to six weeks later is a good time investment. The use of NoseRings for even a week will have significant production advantages.

Continued growth Time is not the only good investment associated with the NoseRings. The production advantages are enormous.

Private studies on calves weaned with NoseRings compared to calves weaned conventionally show that steers weaned gradually with NoseRings were 90 kg (200 lbs) heavier at slaughter, and finished between 60 to 100 days earlier than the conventionally weaned calves. Heifers weaned with NoseRings and kept as replacement stock had better conception rates at first breeding and needed less calving assistance than conventionally weaned heifers.

A NoseRing fits into the nose of the calf without piercing the skin.

The secret is that the NoseRings allow the calves to keep gaining weight all the time. With gradual weaning, less feed is required to grow out young stock as they don’t get ‘checked’ and simply continue to thrive. The gradual weaning of the heifers allows them to be larger and more mature at breeding, which results in fewer problems in later life.

Weaning is the most stressful event in a calf’s life. Gradual weaning using NoseRings is the secret to stress-free weaning. Not only does it make the management of weaning a pleasure but the production advantages from allowing the weaners to continue to grow and thrive is the soundest decision ranchers can make. Weaning time can be quiet and relaxed. Once weaned, the calves walk away and never look back.

NoseRing

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

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

The stress of weaning not only takes its toll on the farmer but on the cattle as well. But all that can change with a NoseRing fixed on every calf.

NoseRing is available at Livestock Services. Visit them at Pamodzi Highway, off Nangwenya Road, Showgrounds, or call them at 254024, 254497 and 254498 or 0975-474119 and 0969-635407.

Adapted from American Cattleman July 2018 – Stress-free Weaning - by Michael Cox (p 14-16).

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Aquaponics 5 From biology to hardware

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ast month we focussed on the bacteria system as the crucial element in aquaponics to form a complete ecosystem with the fish and plants. It is very important for an aquaponics system to remain in balance to create optimal conditions for health and growth.

The system is in balance when the ammonia released by the fish is changed into nitrites and nitrates by bacteria, and when there are enough plants to absorb and use up the nitrates before the water goes back to the fish. This happens when the number of fish and plants are in balance and the bacteria had enough time to do their work.

This process is called: Cycling up.

When starting a new system, this process can take weeks, depending on the size of the system. In the chart below this balance or “sweet spot” is reached where the blue and green lines cross:

by Annemarie Bremner

The question most new aquaponic growers struggle with is: How many fish do I need for how many plants and how big must my fish tank and grow area be?

Unfortunately, there is no easy formula – because fish and plants both grow. Bigger fish release more ammonia and give more nitrates. Smaller plants need less nitrates. You can’t only use the number of fish or plants as a basis; it is more accurate to use the quantity of fish food needed as the starting point of your calculations.

Inevitably you give less food to smaller fish. Tilapia eat about 1% of their bodyweight per day. In other words, a 100 g fish eats 1 g fish food and a 1 kg fish eats 10 g fish food daily. You can determine the amount of fish food needed by weighing 10 fish and calculating the average weight.

The formula determining the balance between fish and plants was worked out by Dr James Rakocy of the University of the Virgin Islands, who developed the well-known UVI aquaponic system.

It is the first commercial system based on scientific studies.

The formula was later refined by a colleague of him, Dr Will Lennard.

The formula we use is: 20 g/m2/day. That means you need to feed 20 g of fish food per day to enable 1 m2 of growth in a raft system.

Figure 1: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org 18

The guidelines are: • Decide how many plants you want to grow – for example 30 heads of lettuce (1 m²).

• If you want to plant 30 lettuce plants, you need 20 g of fish food – that means you need 2 kg of fish.

20 g fish food

2 kg fish

1 m2 plants

ProAgri Zambia 35

W W eedking eedking [GLOUFOSINATE-AMMONIUM [GLOUFOSINATE-AMMONIUM 200G/L 200G/L SL]SL]

IS THE IS THE NONSELECTIVE NONSELECTIVE POSTPOSTEMERGENCE EMERGENCE HERBICIDE HERBICIDE WHICH WHICH CONTROLS CONTROLS PERENNIAL, PERENNIAL, BIENNIAL, BIENNIAL, ANNUAL ANNUAL GRASSES GRASSES AND AND BROADLEAF BROADLEAF WEEDS WEEDS IN ALL IN ALL CROPS CROPS WITH WITH NO NO RESIDUAL RESIDUAL EFFECT EFFECT IN THE IN THE SOIL. SOIL. 1. Weed1. Weedkilling killing through through leaves leaves first first instead instead of by of roots by roots first first likelike glyphosate. glyphosate.

2. Weed 2. Weed killing killing by contact. by contact.

3. Effect 3. Effect in three in three days. days.

Glyphoste Glyphoste needs needs 7-10 7-10 days days 4. Application 4. Application in all in crops, all crops, including including vegetables vegetables andand fruits. fruits.

5. Good 5. Good effect effect in some in some difficult difficult weeds weeds killing killing 6. Transplanting 6. Transplanting in 1-4 in 1-4 days. days.

Glyphosate Glyphosate needs needs 20-30 20-30 days days

FARMERS FARMERS AFRICA AFRICA (ZAMBIA) (ZAMBIA) LTD LTD (FACTORY (FACTORY OUTLET OUTLET FOR FOR VETENARY VETENARY PRODUCTS PRODUCTS & AGRICULTURE & AGRICULTURE INPUTS) INPUTS)

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ProAgri Zambia 35

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With all of the theory and biology in your head, it is time to start building your system.

For a basic design you will need the following: A fish tank, something to remove the solids, a bacteria system, the plants and a sump for the water to flow in. The Kleinskuur system also includes a process to mineralise the solids for added nutrition. At the top is the basic system and at the bottom the Kleinskuur variation with mineralisation included in the water flow (Figure 2).

From the fish dam the water should flow with gravitation through the rest of the system until it ends up in the sump from where it gets pumped up to the fish dam again.

Figure 3: The UVI aquaponic system.

It is not that simple and you need to do your homework and sign up for a proper course, especially if you want to make a living out of it.

How big you go depends on the purpose of the system. If you just want to feed your own family you will need a growth area of about 6 m x 6 m. If you want to grow for a community, think in terms of a standard 30 m x 10 m tunnel. If you want to farm commercially and make money from the produce you are selling, you need to compete with other commercial farmers who plant in soil.

These are the questions you need to ask yourself before you start building: •

• Figure 2: Introduction to Aquaponics, Kleinskuur Aquaponics Training Manual, 2017.

Goal: What do you want to accomplish? Do you only want to supply yourself and your family with healthy produce, is it a school project, do you want to uplift a village, or do you want to compete on the open market and earn money?

Choose what you want to do, because the design of your system will depend on your needs. Choose between: Home system, semicommercial or commercial.

The components you need for a basic system: • Fish dam/tank • Conical tank with stand for swirl filter • Nitrification tank with media for bacterial growth • Gravel bed(s) • Deep water culture bed(s) • Pipes and fittings • Water pump • Air pump The UVI system only uses deep water culture (no gravel beds), but that means you have to clean out filters daily. See Figure 3.

Murray Hallam is an Australian expert who expanded on the basic UVI design by adding gravel beds as seen in Figure 4. His system is known as FloMediaTM and he sells his plans online.

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Figure 4: Murray Hallam's FloMediaTM aquaponic system design.

Many people try to do their own thing, thinking if you put some fish and plants together and pump the water through the system, you have an aquaponic system.

•

Space: How much space do you have? For a home system feeding 4 people 36 m2 should be enough; to earn money you need at least an area of 80 x 60 m.

ProAgri Zambia 35

•

•

•

•

•

•

Location: Does the area get enough natural sunlight, on which side of the mountain are you, are there tall buildings or woods around you, is hail (or snow) a problem, do you need to tame the desert or clear the bushveld before you can start?

Water: Do you have access to clean water? It should rather not be city water or run-off from the local mine. Although you use a lot less water than in a conventional system, you still need to fill the system. Make sure you have enough water.

Budget: Plan your development in such a way that you do not run out of money before you start getting an income. Don’t think that you will be getting BIG money without first putting in some BIG money. It can also be a lot cheaper to build a home system than you think, if you are handy and creative in finding your own solutions. Prepare yourself for a cost of around K20 000 for a home system and easily up to K2,5 million for an economical size commercial system.

Market: Who is going to buy from you? How far are you from your market? Do you need to transport your goods? Can you supply supermarkets? FIRST DO YOUR RESEARCH IN THIS REGARD BEFORE YOU START ANYTHING! The future: Where do you want to be in ten years? Perhaps you want to start small and build up to a huge system or multiple systems.

Plan and build in such a way that your foundation is there if you want to expand.

Business plan: Compile a proper business plan. After your capital expenditure for building the system, you will face other expenses such as rent, electricity, water, wages, office expenses, internet and telephone, transport and vehicle costs, insurance, bookkeeping, packaging, refrigeration, fingerlings, seed and especially fish food.

A well designed aquaponic system will reward you with exceptional growth.

A poorly designed system can easily make you poor!

Look at the spindly legs of these plants trying to reach some light.

The beauty of aquaponics is that once you start producing in a proper system your yields will be much much higher than in any other system without having to resort to chemical fertilisers and pesticides, and you will never have to weed!

References: www.slideshare.net/travissharma/ ten-guidelinesforaquaponics www.ecofilms.com.au/dr-wilsonlennard-on-commercial-aquaponics Hallam M., Practical Aquaponics, Master Class Training Manual, 2015 Bremner CD. & Bremner A., Introduction to Aquaponics, Training Manual, 2017 ProAgri Zambia 35

21

40-year old Zimmatic still going strong

This forty-year old Zimmatic pivot still does its work in the wheat field. It is still as strong and good-looking as the day it was installed, but over the years the sun has faded the signboard. 40 years in the Free State sun takes its toll.

M

ore than value for money – that is what a Zimmatic pivot offers the farmer; not only because of its efficiency, but also because of its durability.

In October 1978, Guillaume de Swardt, maize and wheat farmer from Taaiboschpoort close to Petrusville in South Africa, bought the second Zimmatic sold in South Africa. Nowadays, Guillaume concentrates more on his Merino sheep and Afrikaner cattle, but his pivot is still working diligently every day. After 40 years, the Zimmatic pivot is still as dependable and strong as the day it was installed on the farm.

The younger pivots may well call him Grandpa.

“The pivot can, and must last another forty years, as nothing is broken,” says Fanie Botha, Guillaume’s son in law, who is now in charge of the irrigation.

Guillaume remembers that he bought the pivot for a mere R50 000, with the assurance that it should last 15 years. The pivot far exceeded their expectations, because it was never out of action for 40 years.

At the time, Lindsay, the manufacturers of Zimmatic pivots, was not even in the country yet. In the 1950’s, Paul Zimmerer established Lindsay Manufacturing, and during the 1960’s they started to brand their pivots as Zimmatic. George Gremmels installed the pivot. His son, Thomas Gremmels, from Pinetree Irrigation, is still involved with Zimmatic, being the Zimmatic dealer in Estcourt.

Guillaume de Swardt and his son in law, Fanie Botha, with the Zimmatic pivot that Guillaume bought 40 years ago. Just look at that wheat!

by Benine Ackermann before they had to be replaced.

• Only one pipe was replaced.

• The centre drive motors were replaced, but they lasted more than 10 years.

• Some of the original gearboxes are still working on the pivot.

• The driveshafts were replaced.

• Sprinklers were replaced as they were superseded with better ones.

• The rims were replaced.

A photograph taken 40 years ago when Guillaume de Swardt’s first Zimmatic pivot was installed.

Guillaume is on the extreme right and he thinks the man second from left was a farmer who came from Lichtenburg to see the pivot.

Guillaume reflects: “I remember the installation took a week. At the time a US employee of Lindsay Manufacturing Corporation even came to have a look at the pivot.”

The pivot has 7 spans (the original ones) and conscientiously irrigates 51 hectares. Due to Grandpa’s quality and efficiency, Guillaume acquired a threespan Zimmatic in 1983 and a six-span in 1984/85. They all are still working perfectly today. More recently, Fanie bought two more two-span pivots.

Asked why he chose Zimmatic 40 years ago, he replies: “I simply liked the Zimmatic pivot more. It looked better. At the time, we had no electricity, so they mounted a generator onto the pump engine to propel the pivot.”

He also remembers how he looked from the house at night to see how the pivot was progressing. “I waited for the light to come on, for the light only came on while the last tower was moving. Today it is different – you see lights everywhere.”

The changes to this pivot over the past 40 years: • The pivot was adapted to the present technological world with a GSM system (FieldNet) so that you can control it with your mobile phone.

• A new control panel was installed.

• The Firestone tyres lasted 21 years

ProAgri Zambia 35

Guillaume and Fanie also have other pivots, but they still prefer Zimmatic.

Benefits of the Zimmatic they point out: • Zimmatic offers some features as standard that other pivot manufacturers provide at an extra cost – such as the big wheels (14,9 x 24”) that do not get stuck easily.

• The spans of all Zimmatics are of standard lengths and shape. When a part has to be replaced, it can simply be ordered from the factory. It will fit every time.

• The electric wiring runs neatly along the side of the main supply pipe; not inside with the water.

Fanie says Zimmatic parts are easily and promptly available from the Lindsay dealer, Irritech in Kimberley. They are also very satisfied with the service.

“I have never experienced a problem for which I had to call them out and no Zimmatic capsized. Speaking about wind – every Zimmatic tower has a cross strut, stabilising the whole pivot to prevent it from being blown over.

Guillaume recalls that the pivot froze all over one winter. “Then we realised that it had no low temperature shutdown. They immediately installed the shutdown and that was the end of the problem,” he said.

Contact Frederik Nel on +27(0)72-517-7581 or +27(0)21-002-1013 or e-mail Frederik.Nel@lindsayafrica.co.za for a Zimmatic pivot that lasts and lasts and lasts. Also visit their website at www.lindsay.com 23

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ProAgri Zambia 35

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Live the farm life with a pair of Neptun Boots E

very pair of boots worn by a farmer has a story to tell and the more a farmer loves his boots, the more interesting the story will be. Neptun Boot is ready to take part in the action. Neptun is proud to introduce the Strident Camo boot range specifically designed for harsh terrain conditions.

This lightweight boot weighs a mere 1,25 kg, but still offers advanced features such as water resistant, breathable uppers and full safety protection to the toe and midsole. The boot doesn’t shy away from hard wearing, has an excellent grip and is slip resistant.

Tested recently under dry conditions in the Zululand Rhino Reserve in South Africa, the field rangers found Strident to be comfortable, durable and lightweight. Hunters have also found this boot to be quiet when stalking prey.

Neptun Boot was established in 1977 in Westmead, Pinetown, in the KwaZulu Natal province of South Africa. The original focus was to supply highquality PVC gumboots to the industry, with a focus on the agricultural sector.

Over the years the business has grown and developed to become the leading gumboot manufacturer in Southern Africa. Neptun’s international market reach has grown over the years to include territories as far afield as Ghana, Australia, China, The United Arab Emirates, Peru and the Republic of Ireland, giving Neptun a truly global footprint.

The mainstay of Neptun’s range of agricultural products are the Shova™ and Marina™ product lines. Shova™ is a full-length unisex gumboot and Marina™ is Neptun’s ladies range of gumboots. Both are available in general purpose and blood and fat resistant variants. The Shova™ range is also available in the Chelsea, fishing, shoe and clog variants. The MarinaTM range also comes in a number of fashionable colour combinations as well as in clog and shoe variants.

Neptun also has a range of children’s gumboots known as Clipper™, which features many colourful variants and services a wide range of markets from school-shoe substitutes in the cold, wet, mountainous, rural regions of Southern Africa to fashionable boots ProAgri Zambia 35

sold by South Africa’s leading retailers.

In 2005 Neptun launched the Shosholoza™ mining gumboot which won a design award from the Design Institute of South Africa. It revolutionised the mining gumboot industry by introducing patented ankle and metatarsal protection as well as bringing shoe comfort levels to a gumboot. The Shosholoza™ gumboot is available with a steel toe cap, a steel midsole and a metatarsal protector. It is also available in white and grey variants. This boot is sold all over South and Southern Africa to all the major mining houses.

Further capitalising on the success of the metatarsal protection offered in the Shosholoza™ Metaguard gumboot, Neptun developed and launched the metal free Stimela™ XP boot in 2013. It is the world’s first metal-free, heavy-duty mining boot with an integral metatarsal protector and has been patented globally. The Stimela™ XP gumboot is available with a composite toe cap and an anti-penetrative textile midsole. This flagship boot is now in demand across Southern Africa and in Europe.

Neptun Boot also offers a comprehensive after sales service for its customers, with a dedicated team of technical sales representatives who are on call for any opportunities or challenges their customers might face. They pride themselves on supporting their customers in delivering the best possible product and service to the end user.

In 2015 Neptun Boot further expanded its product range by launching the Strident™ metal free, dual density PU safety boot with a textile upper.

This boot was designed specifically for the harsh mining conditions in South Africa, where the traditional leather alternatives were failing after just a few months. This safety boot is available with a composite toe-cap and an antipenetrative textile midsole. Strident™ is also available in shoe and combat boot versions to serve a wider range of industries where the user demands the highest levels of durability and comfort.

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25

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ProAgri Zambia 35

Spray to protect your crops Part 11: The calibration procedure

Compiled by J Fuls (Pr Eng)

ProAgri Zambia 35

27

Quality Horticultural inputs and Services Supplier of • Rijk Zwaan F1 vegetable seeds • Rivulis irrigation • Soil analysis and fertilizer advice

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ProAgri Zambia 35

L

ast month we discussed what you should do to prepare for calibration.

This month we look at the actual calibration process and the steps you must take to ensure that your sprayer delivers the correct quantity of chemicals.

We thank the ARC Institute for Agricultural Engineering in South Africa, who made this article available to the readers of ProAgri Zambia.

On the label of the chemicals one finds how much chemicals must be applied onto each hectare of land.

Because the chemicals in the container are very strong and concentrated, we have to mix it with water to spray with the sprayer. If we now know how many tanksfull will be used to cover one hectare with the sprayer, we can calculate how much chemicals should be added to a full tank of water every time we re-fill the sprayer tank.

To calculate this is very simple:

The formula is: (Litres per hectare needed) ÷ (Number of tanks per hectare) = Litres per tank 6 ÷ 4 = 1,5 ℓ/tank Now here is one way to determine how many times the tank will have to be filled to spray one hectare: d. Stand the tank on a level spot and fill the tank with clean water up to a clear mark inside the tank.

If the label says you should apply six litres of chemicals per hectare:

a. Flush the tank with clean water and make sure it is clean.

e. Spray up and down this 50-metre strip in the field, to cover a total of 100 metres.

And if we empty four knapsack sprayers over one hectare (Let us suppose the field is one hectare big):

b. Fill the tank with clean water and practice in the field. Make sure everything is working well.

50 m Then we must add one and a half litres of chemicals to a full tank, every time we refill the sprayer:

c. Mark off a length of 50 metres in the field, using your measuring wheel or tape measure.

ProAgri Zambia 35

f. Stand the sprayer on the same spot as previously, and re-fill it to the same mark, using the measuring jug or measuring bottles.

Write down how much water had to be added to refill to the mark. Suppose you had to add 1,25 litres of water to re-fill the tank. Now for every 100 metres you walk, the sprayer will deliver 1,25 litres of water.

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ProAgri Zambia 35

g. Calculate the distance you will have to walk until the tank is empty: On the side of your sprayer tank, you will find marks to indicate how much water is in the tank. Read next to the full mark how much water it can take.

Suppose this is a 16 litre sprayer.

The distance you will walk is 16 ÷ 1,25 x 100 = 1 280 metres.

This means that the tank will be empty after having sprayed 1 280 metres.

For each one hectare sprayed, the total distance walked will then be 2 x 100 x 111 = 22 200 metres.

•

i. Calculate the number of refillings needed for each one hectare sprayed: If a full tank lasts for 1 280 metres, and the total distance walked while spraying one hectare is 22 200 metres, the tank will have to be re-filled 22 200 ÷ 1 280 = 17,3 times. (Do not worry about the decimal ,3. It simply means we will need a little more than 17 re-fillings for each hectare sprayed.)

The quantity of chemicals to mix into each tank refill is: 5 x 6 x 0,9 x 16 ÷ 1,25 = 346 millilitres.

j. Calculate the amount of chemicals needed for each re-filling: Remember the formula at the start of this section: (Litres per hectare needed) ÷ (Number of tanks per hectare) = Litres per tank If the litres per hectare needed is 6, and the number of tanks per hectare is 17, we can calculate the quantity of chemicals to add to each tank refilling to be: 6 ÷ 17,3 = 0,346 litres, or 346 millilitres. (1 000 millilitres make up one litre.)

One can combine all the calculations into one formula.

Just remember the following: • We do the test spray over a total distance of 100 metres.

• We measure the test re-filling in litres, not millilitres.

• When spraying, we walk two times over each row.

• The chemicals to be applied per hectare is specified in litres per hectare • The row width is to be measured in metres • The tank volume must be given in litres

h. Calculate the total distance walked when spraying an area of one hectare. Remember that one hectare is a land size of 100 metres long and 100 metres wide. The row spacing you plant may be 0,9 metre. The number of rows over one hectare will then be 100 ÷ 0,9 = 111 rows.

Over the 100-metre test, 1,25 litres were needed to re-fill the tank to the same mark

The formula now looks like this: The quantity of chemicals to add to each tank re-fill is 5 x (chemicals per hectare) x (row width) x (tank volume) ÷ test volume = Millilitres

When mixing in the chemicals, use the 500 ml measuring bottle, fill it to just below the 375 ml mark and add this to the spray tank. Put on your face mask to protect your eyes, for the chemicals may splash.

Just remember to rinse the measuring bottle three times into the sprayer tank before putting it away in a safe place, out of reach of children.

In our example above, we had: • Chemicals per hectare specified on the chemical container: 6 litres/ hectare • Row width: 0,9 metres • Sprayer tank volume: 16 litres

Photo: ohioline.osu.edu Next month we shall look at safety while spraying.

Now remember that we decided to go up and down on one row when spraying, to get the required overlap for good coverage.

ProAgri Zambia 35

Published with acknowledgement to the ARC Institute for Agricultural Engineering for the use of their manuals.

Visit www.arc.agric.za for more information.

31

Sidestep fertiliser challenges:

Achieve excellent yields with PlantCatalyst®

A

“new” product on the Zambian market can help farmers deal with fertiliser shortage and increased costs.

If we tell you there is a “new” product on the Zambian market that could help you maximise the effects of the fertiliser you’re using by leading to improved production, even with only two bags of fertiliser per hectare, AND increase your profits by more than 40%, you’d probably laugh yourself silly, right? Well, you may want to sit down while you read this article.

will help Zambian farmers, particularly during the recent dramatic fertiliser shortages and price increases, without sacrificing profits or yields.

PlantCatalyst® was first introduced to Zambia in 2016 through a partnership with the international development group, iDE, who are helping smallholder farmers in the Lusaka, Copperbelt and Southern provinces find new ways to increase yields and profits.

When they learned how PlantCatalyst® can help farmers in so many ways, iDE was eager to test the product and they set up comparison plots throughout the three regions. This project allowed them to conduct research on how the product works and how it could be incorporated into Zambian farming practices.

That same year the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute (ZARI) also began to conduct research on the effect of PlantCatalyst® on maize, soya beans, groundnuts and cotton. ZARI also focused their research on how using PlantCatalyst® could affect farmers’ yields and profit margins.

The results of these research projects continued to demonstrate the effectiveness of PlantCatalyst® and conclusively proved that using it can help Zambian farmers in a number of different ways. For example, those farmers accessing inputs through the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) typically don’t get enough fertiliser. These farmers can more than make up for the insufficient fertiliser supply by adding PlantCatalyst® to their inputs. For those farmers buying larger quantities of fertiliser, such as commercial farmers, using PlantCatalyst® would help to reduce fertiliser costs while simultaneously increasing yields and profits.

For some crops, ZARI found that profit increases could be as much as 40%!

ZARI’s trials also showed how using PlantCatalyst® can help achieve President Lungu’s 21st Century agriculture goals. He wants to reduce Zambia’s dependence on fertiliser and maximising the limited supply currently available through the FISP programme.

In fact, one international agriculture development organisation, ACDI/VOCA,

PlantCatalyst® is the new whizz kid in Zambia The US product, PlantCatalyst® has recently been approved for sale in Zambia by the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA). Early indications are that it promises to change the farming landscape in Zambia forever.

PlantCatalyst® was invented in 1965

by American chemist, John W Willard PhD, and sold in the United States since 1973. PlantCatalyst® is a water additive that helps plants to better absorb and utilise nutrients, develop stronger root systems, and build greater resistance to stressful events such as drought.

This means that farmers can get the most out of as little as 100 kilos of fertiliser per hectare and still see increases in their yield by double digit percentages! And at a stable and low cost of K290 per litre, using PlantCatalyst® 32

A trial cowpea crop is preforming very well. The PlantCatalyst® treated crop is on the right and the crop without PlantCatalyst® on the left.

ProAgri Zambia 35

(Agricultural Cooperative Development International and Volunteers in Overseas Cooperative Assistance) reviewed the ZARI findings and calculated that universal use of PlantCatalyst® by Zambian farmers would save the government $47 million US annually and increase maize yields nationwide by a whopping 132 000 tonnes.

Research is continued on other crops this year. Of significance is that the Cotton Board of Zambia is also carrying out its own demonstrations on cotton this year. In Zambia it is widespread practice for very little or rather no granular fertilisers to be used in cotton. This has resulted in very low yields of the crop. Preliminary indications are that PlantCatalyst® has a very positive effect.

AgriFocus, the distributors of PlantCatalyst® in Zambia, have also done tests on the product. Below are photographs of some crops that are still growing and showing significantly improved vegetative growth. Each of the crops was planted on the same day and on the same land.

Farmers who use PlantCatalyst® can expect the following: • Significant reduction in fertiliser usage: Applying PlantCatalyst® allowed farmers to reduce fertiliser usage by up to 50% without sacrificing yield.

• Reduced costs: As less fertiliser was needed to grow the plants, a reduction in the cost was observed when PlantCatalyst® was applied. For soya beans, cotton and groundnuts, the production cost was decreased by up to 9%, which is the same as saving $26 US per hectare. In maize, the reduction of costs was up to $100 US per hectare.

• Increased yields: The yield increase, and thus the profit obtained after using PlantCatalyst®, was spectacular. In soya beans, the profit increase reached 41% compared to the trial with fertiliser only. Cotton showed an increase of 43% in profits, equal to $180 US per hectare. In the case of groundnuts, the increment in profit was

•

about 10% compared to the trial without PlantCatalyst®. For maize, the yield was increased with 18% per hectare compared to the control with only fertiliser.

Emission reduction: It is known that the use and application of fertiliser is related to CO2 emissions.

Using PlantCatalyst® reduced the quantity of fertiliser needed per hectare and it was reflected in the decrease of greenhouse emissions.

As the best results were obtained applying half the recommended quantity of fertiliser for all four crops, the reduction of CO2 emissions was about 50%.

The great thing about PlantCatalyst® is that it can be used in any agricultural operation and on any plant species, so the practice is very easy to adopt.

In the USA, PlantCatalyst® has worked well on a variety of crops, including maize, cotton and soya beans, as well as in many plants and vegetables in greenhouses. PlantCatalyst® has helped many farmers to improve their yields, minimising losses and increasing the way plants take up nutrients from fertiliser. But the mission of PlantCatalyst® is to go beyond simply putting more money in people’s pockets to helping feed the world, and we’re proud to say that the Zambia expansion has been a great first step in that direction.

PlantCatalyst® has already been available from April 2018. You can get supplies of PlantCatalyst® from AgriFocus Ltd in Buyantashi Road in the Heavy Industrial Area of Lusaka.

The other main distribution agents in Lusaka are Pamoza Agro (+26(0) 968-624-712) in Chachacha Road.

You can clearly see a darker green, healthier crop of field beans on the right where PlantCatalyst® was applied, and a higher yield is expected. Similar results were shown in green beans where yields were increased significantly with a very small quantity of fertiliser used, as compared to about six tonnes per hectare in the plot where only fertiliser was applied.

ProAgri Zambia 35

In the rest of the country, PlantCatalyst® can be found in the following towns: • Mpongwe - Pamoza Agro +26(0) 974-881-674 • Choma - AgMart +26(0) 977-898-587 / +26(0) 969-592-925 / +26(0) 964-637-637 • Mkushi - AgMart +26(0) 976-264-121 / +26(0) 968-265-774 • Mumbwa - AgMart +26(0) 962-614-074 / +26(0) 977-855-867 • Livingstone - Technical Services +26(0) 976-553-035 / +26(0) 975-270-952 • Kitwe - Technical Services +26(0) 078-388-492 / +26(0) 975-271-065 • Samfya - Technical Services +26(0) 975-271-346 • Other locally based business agents that are being appointed throughout the country.

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Make more from your crops Processing of oil seeds Part 11: Production of soya yoghurt

By Theresa Siebert, Petrus Britz, Pr Eng and Agrelek

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S

oya yoghurt (soghurt) is a cultured soya milk product produced by fermenting the fortified soya milk with a mixed culture of Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus.

The unflavoured product has a soft, fragile, custard-like consistency and a distinct acidy flavour. The composition of formulated soya milk is very similar to dairy milk and therefore the manufacturing of soya yoghurt is the same as dairy yoghurt. Soya yoghurt is also described as a dairy analogue.

We thank the ARC Institute for Agricultural Engineering in South Africa who made the information available to the readers of ProAgri Zambia.

Soya yoghurt can also be prepared in different forms and flavours. The texture of the yoghurt is determined by the soya milk protein and solids content. The richer the soya milk, the firmer the final yoghurt will be. This report describes a flavoured set soghurt.

The soya yoghurt production process Soya milk preparation Good quality soya milk is required to produce good quality yoghurt. Any off-flavours that may be present in milk will also be noticeable in the yoghurt.

Cooking, formulation and homogenisation are necessary steps in the production of soya milk intended for yoghurt.

The addition of specific sugars to soya milk is crucial for culture development and growth. A combination of dextrose and sucrose is usually added.

The addition of lactose is optional.

Soya milk is naturally lactose-free and if no lactose is added, the yoghurt is safe for consumers with lactose intolerance. Soya milk is fortified with soya isolates to obtain a solids content of 7,5% and protein content of 3,8%.

In part 8 and 9 in ProAgri Zambia 32 and 33 we discussed the preparation of soya milk.

Preparation of starter cultures Starter cultures are prepared by mixing commercial freeze-dried cultures with a small quantity of concentrated milk at 45°C. The milk is concentrated by heating for one hour in a boiling water bath followed by a cold-water bath to cool the milk to the required temperature. The added 3% starter culture and milk are mixed thoroughly before being incubated at 41°C for five hours.

The prepared (active) starter culture may then be stored under refrigerated conditions until it is used, but it must be used within two days.

Sweetening of milk The milk is sweetened with 4% sucrose and 3% dextrose and stirred continuously until the sugar has dissolved.

Heating of soya milk A small batch of soya milk (less than 2 500 litres per day) is heated in an open steam-jacketed kettle equipped with an agitator. The milk is held at 80 to 85°C for 30 minutes to pasteurise it and to modify the proteins so that they will provide the proper viscosity and gelation with minimal syneresis (extraction of liquid) in the product. Large processors use continuous high temperature short time (HTST) technology.

Soya yoghurt. Photo: veganlatina.com There are many different types of dairy yoghurt on the market, including stirred, set, sweetened and fruit yoghurts. Yoghurt may also be frozen to produce a product similar to ice cream.

Flavoured soya yoghurt.

Photo: wholesoyaco.com

Photo: leavesofkale.com

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Get your copy of ProAgri at one of these outlets Z a m b i a

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Soya beans Cleaning (Dehulling) (Soaking) (Blanching) Grinding Filtration (Deodorisation) Soya milk Formulation Homogenisation Sweetening Heating Cooling Innoculation Flavouring Packaging

inoculation and flavouring. Suitable packaging containers include preformed plastic tubes sealed with foil films or plastic snap-on caps. Snap-on lids require a safety collar to prevent tampering and spilling during transport and distribution.

Fermentation of set soghurt Fermentation is the conversion of the sugar in the milk to simpler substances such as acids by the action of the starter culture. The sealed containers are incubated for three to four hours at 40 to 44°C (or until the pH reaches 4,5). Small processors can use water baths to achieve fermentation of the product. The water level should be maintained to just below the neck of the container. Small, insulated fermentation chambers with forced air circulation that can accommodate 250 to 750 litres of yoghurt are also used for batch fermentation.

Cooling and storage of set yoghurt Set yoghurt is cooled to below 15°C to inhibit further culture activity. Batch cooling is performed by simply placing the containers in blast air cooler tunnels. The cooler capacity is of great importance. The set yoghurt should be cooled to 35°C within 30 minutes and further cooling to 15°C should be accomplished within another 30 to 40 minutes. The containers are then placed in cold storage rooms for storage at 4 to 5°C. Labelling of yoghurt The containers should be correctly labelled according to the Labelling and Advertising Regulations. All added ingredients must be listed. The storage requirements and expiry date of the product should be clearly printed.

Fermentation Cooling Set soya yoghurt Figure 1: Product description of soya yoghurt In this process, the milk is quickly heated in a plate heat exchanger to 90 to 95°C and held for 15 to 40 seconds before being cooled.

Cooling of the milk The milk is cooled to 50°C in the same jacketed kettle or plate exchanger by replacing the steam with cold water.

The milk is then pumped into fermentation tanks.

Inoculation of milk The active starter culture is added to the milk at a dosage level of approximately 3% and mixed well without incorporating air that could lead to foaming.

ProAgri Zambia 35

Flavouring of milk for set yoghurt A wide variety of flavoured soya yoghurts can be manufactured. Permitted flavouring, colouring and sweeteners may be added and incorporated with batch blenders. A cream flavour (0,01%) is a very popular variety for soghurt. A layer of pasteurised fruit may be added to the packaging container prior to filling with soghurt. Care must be taken to ensure that the acids in the fruit do not destroy the yoghurt texture at the interface.

Packaging of soghurt Set yoghurt is fermented in the final retail container and therefore packaging takes place immediately after

Next month we shall introduce the processing of sunflower seeds and specifically the production of sunflower meal.

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

LITERATURE SOURCES 1. Applewhite, TH. 1989. Vegetable Protein Utilization in Human Food and Animal Food Stuff s.

2. Lui, KeShun. 1999. Soybeans: Chemistry, Technology and Utilization. Gaithersburg: Aspen Publishers, Inc. 3. Snyder, HE & Kwan, TW. 1987.

Soybean Utilization.

4. Tanteeratarm, K. 1992. Soybean Processing for Food Uses.

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ProAgri Zambia 35

We need 200 more Milk Collection Centres!

by Rabecca Mwila

More Milk Collection Centres will mean less travel time and will enable more small scale farmers to earn a living with milking. Photo: World Bicycle Relief.

T

he Dairy Association of Zambia (DAZ) has appealed to Government to construct more Milk Collection Centres (MCC) in the country to mop up all the milk produced by farmers.

Speaking during a media interaction session held at DAZ head office in Lusaka’s show grounds recently, Mr Jeremiah Kasalo, Executive Manager, said there was need for 200 additional Centres as the current 64 were insufficient to contain all the milk produced.

He said 60% of the milk produced in the country went uncollected with most of it going to waste due to the limitation in infrastructure which include MCC structures and the raw milk bulking tanks.

He added that a lot of the collected milk went sour and was rejected by processors as the travel time for the farmers to the MCC was long due to long distances.

“Many of our dairy farmers lose out because their milk is rejected by processors as it gets sour by the time it reaches the MCC”, he said.

Mr Kasalo noted that with more MCCs built, dairy farmers will have shorter distances to cover to deliver their milk and chances of the milk being rejected by processors would be reduced adding that farmers will equally earn an income and better their lives.

Increase in import duty He also thanked government through the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Livestock and fisheries for its eff orts in aiding DAZ in creating a level ProAgri Zambia 35

playing field and competitive business environment for the locally produced raw milk by raising the import duty on full cream milk powder from 5% in the 2018 national budget to 15% in the 2019 national budget.

He appealed to dairy farmers in the country to take advantage of the business opportunity that government had created through the raised milk import duty and increase milk production which will translate into increased income for them.

Photo: A&P International

Photo: www.diva.org

Policy Monitoring and Evaluation Manager, Kapoche Mwale, Jeremiah Kasalo, Executive Manager, and Digital Information Management System (DIMS) Project Manager, Victor Ng'andu, appealed to Government to build more Milk Collection Centres at a recent media interaction centre.

The Dairy Association of Zambia wants 200 more of these centres to build the dairy industry in the country.

Contact Miriam Mbazima of the Dairy Association of Zambia at 097-760-0458 or miriambazima@ airtelzm.blackberry.com for more information.

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