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MADE POSSIBLE BY
THE MAIZE TRUST
16
Success isn’t always about greatness.
It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work
leads to success. Greatness will come.
~ DWAYNE “THE ROCK” JOHNSON
ORDS OF
ISDOM
There needs to be a plan of action in the
back of every farmer’s mind as to how he
will address fluctuations to the norms.
T
RADITIONALLY SPEAKING A THRESHOLD IS THE
FLOOR AT THE VERY POINT OF THE ENTRANCE
INTO A BUILDING OR A ROOM – WHEN ONE ENTERS
THAT SPACE, ONE CROSSES THE THRESHOLD. IT
CAN ALSO REFER TO A PARTICULAR MOMENT IN
TIME, FOR EXAMPLE ON OLD YEARS EVE AT 12H00 WE STAND
ON THE THRESHOLD OF A NEW YEAR, AND WHEN A BRIDE IS
DRESSED IN HER WEDDING ATTIRE READY TO BE MARRIED
SHE STANDS ON THE THRESHOLD OF A NEW LIFE WITH HER
HUSBAND.
In the same way we can look at the farmers’ calendar and recognise
there are a few special moments in the season which are thresh-
old moments. An experienced farmer will instinctively know what
the thresholds are, but a new or developing farmer must learn about
thresholds in farming and more especially, he or she must learn
to ask questions about thresholds specific to the region he or she
is farming in by picking the brains of older farmers and agricultural
experts with experience. Knowing threshold dates for each crop is
important ammunition in the farmer’s toolbox!
So what are these thresholds that a farmer needs to know about?
There are optimum thresholds for planting, weed control and pest
control and for harvesting. In this article we will look at planting
thresholds.
IDEAL PLANTING DATES
A common challenge faced by developing farmers is sourcing the
finances to buy the inputs for their crops in good time. Farmers need
to get to work early on putting together a convincing and credible
business plan and then presenting it to potential financiers. We have
also seen so many instances where the farmers have been nomi-
nated as beneficiaries of a wonderful project – but then either the
financing is released too late, or the inputs are delivered too late and
this prevents the farmer from action in the fields in good time and he
cannot capitalise on the optimum planting dates.
This is so frustrating because the crop is already disadvantaged
before it is even out of the starting blocks and the yields will most
certainly be compromised. One of the responsibilities we have taken
seriously as the Grain SA Farmer Development team is to lobby and
educate other role-players about how critically significant threshold
or optimum planting dates are to the success of a crop.
Warm months
On the practical side we know that maize is a warm weather crop.
Maize needs a certain guaranteed number of heat units in order
to thrive and grow. Ideal temperatures should be between 10°C to
15°C for planting your maize. So it does not help to get a crop in the
ground too early either.
The secret is to wait for the season to reach more stable and con-
sistent temperatures as this ensures more uniform emergence of the
young plants. If late rains force you to plant later than ideal, then it is
important to know that you must adapt and possibly look at planting
one of the ultra fast growing maize cultivars or alternatively not plant
maize at all and look at another shorter growing crop. The first three
weeks post planting are critical to the success of the crop and the
prevailing conditions will influence crop potential.
Know the
planting thresholds
relevant to your growing seasons
Jenny Mathews, Pula Imvula
contributor. Send an email to
jennymathews@grainsa.co.za