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April 2024
A well-known proverb says: ‘A head start is the best start.’ a successful harvest is determined by several factors, including good growing conditions through the plant’s growing cycle – especially during the plant’s critical growth stages.
However, the farmer has no control over this aspect. The timeous implementation of management practices is very much within the farmer’s reach and they should aspire to carry out these with due diligence.
Succession planting is a method of growing different crops in the same space right after each other in the same season, with different maturation dates, to extend the harvest. The benefits of the implementation of this management practice have presented overwhelmingly good results for farmers in the eastern production regions.
Timing is everything! Succession planting allows for a prolonged planting window, spreading the risk for farmers but also allowing ample time to implement crop management practices such as fertiliser and chemical applications.
Climate variability presents many challenges to farmers, which is affecting the harvest. Many areas have received below optimum rainfall conditions, coupled with excessively hot conditions, adversely affecting the growing crop. The persistence of these conditions will subject farmers to considerable yield losses – and with this we sympathise.
There is hope for conditions that are currently unfavourable to improve, and that every farmer will realise a good harvest and make a good return on investment in the current season.
– Phumzile Ngcobo is the assistant regional manager at the Dundee office.
Publication: April 2024
Section: Pula/Imvula
