SA Graan Desember 2014

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39 Koringprodusente, Quo Vadis ?
40 Landboudebat hoogtepunt by Swartland skou
41 Free State producers’ historic land reform plan promises
to lift workers from generational poverty
42 Claas bevorder besigheid met opening van
heelgoedere depot in PE
44 SA Grain/Sasol Nitro photo competition: Thanks for all the photos
RUBRIEKE/ FEATURES
1 Voorpunt
4 Graan SA Standpunt: Vasbyt
5 Grain SA Point of View: Persist
5 Uit die Woord
7 Om die waarheid te sê...
46 Kreatiwiteit met David: Inheems of nie?
47 Wiele vir die plaas: Merk hom met ‘n “X” – die nuwe Nissan X-Trail-reeks
48 E-posse aan Grootneef: Om iets na te laat
Die CaseIH STX620 Quadtrac, wat die prys
gewen het vir die “Landbouproduk van die
jaar” in Europa.
Acknowledgement is hereby given to the Maize Trust for its
financial contribution towards the distribution of this magazine.
• Die menings van die skrywers van artikels in hierdie blad
is hul eie en verteenwoordig nie noodwendig die mening
van Graan SA nie.
• The opinions expressed by contributors are their own.
They do not necessarily express the opinion of Grain SA.
• “Promosie-artikels” is betaalde artikels; terwyl “produk-
inligting”-artikels feite kan bevat oor kommersiële produkte.
• “Advertorials” are paid articles; while “product informa-
tion” articles may contain facts on commercial products.
ALLE regte van reproduksie van alle berigte, foto’s, teke-
ninge, advertensies en alle ander materiaal wat in hierdie
tydskrif gepubliseer word, word hiermee uitdruklik voorbe-
hou ingevolge die bepalings van Artikel 12(7) van die Wet
op Outeursreg Nr. 98 van 1978 en enige wysigings daarvan.
ISSN 1814-1676
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3
Voorblad/ Cover
Desember 2014
12
Conservation agriculture
tour to the USA
– a reflection and key messages
F rom 23 to 29 June this year, the 6th World Congress on
Conservation Agriculture (WCCA) took place in Winnipeg,
Canada and gave nearly 400 participants from 51 countries,
including aSouthAfricandelegationof nine (sixofficials and
three producers), the opportunity to learn from and network with
an international gathering of agricultural experts on conservation
agriculture (CA).
According to the WCCA, agricultural production systems are
not sustainable unless they are profitable, and CA holds the key
to building and maintaining healthy soils and profitable farming
systems.
After the conference, a three and a half dayDakota no-till tour took
delegates through the heart of no-till farming areas of the north
Midwestern USA. Delegates heard from producerswho have been
practicingno-till cropproduction forover twodecades.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA),
managing toobtain soilhealth canbe accomplishedby:
Disturbing the soil as little aspossible.
Growing asmany different species of plants as can practically
bedone.
Keeping livingplants in the soil asoften aspossible.
Keeping the soil covered all the time.
Managemore, disturb less
Tilling the soil is the equivalent of an earthquake, hurricane,
tornado and forest fireoccurring simultaneously to theworldof soil
organisms.Simply stated, tillage isbad for the soil.
Physical soil disturbance is destructive and disruptive to soil
microbes and creates ahostile, insteadofhospitable,place for them
to live andwork.
The soilmay also be disturbed chemically or biologically through
themisuseof inputs, such as fertilisers andpesticides.Thisdisrupts
the symbiotic relationship between fungi, micro-organisms and
crop roots. By reducing nutrient inputs, we can take advantage of
the nutrient cycles in the soil to supply crop nutrients and allow
plants tomake essential associationswith soilorganisms.
Diversifywith crop diversity
Sugarsmade by plants are released from their roots into the soil
and traded to soilmicrobes for nutrients to support plant growth.
The key to improving soilhealth isassuring that the foodandenergy
chains and webs include as many different plants or animals as
practicallypossible.
Biodiversity is ultimately the key to the success of any agricultural
system. Lack of biodiversity severely limits the potential of any
cropping system, resulting in the increase of disease and pest
problems. A diverse and fully functioning soil food web provides
nutrients, energy andwater cycling that allows a soil to express its
fullpotential.
Grow living roots throughout the year
There are many sources of food in the soil that feed the soil
food web, but there is no better food than the sugars exuded by
living roots.
Soilorganisms feedon sugar from livingplant roots first.Next, they
feed on dead plant roots, followed by above-ground crop residues.
Lastly, they feed on the humic organicmatter in the soil. Healthy
soil is dependent upon howwell the soil foodweb is fed. Providing
plenty of easily accessible food to soilmicrobes helps them cycle
nutrients thatplantsneed togrow.
Keep the soil covered asmuch as possible
Soil should always be covered by growing plants and/or their
residues, and soil should rarelybe visible from above.
Soil cover protects soil aggregates from “taking a beating” from
the force of falling raindrops. Amulch of crop residues on the soil
surface suppresses weeds early in the growing season giving the
intended crop an advantage. They also keep the soil cool andmoist
which provides a favourable habitat formany organisms that begin
residuedecompositionby shredding residues into smallerpieces.
Observations during theCA tour
to theUSA
General observations
Producers visited inNorth (ND) andSouthDakota (SD) have a long-
term viewor vision to:
buildnatural resources (soil),which is theirbig concernor focus
(not yield), and
cutdownon external inputs as far aspossible.
AsMrGabeBrown fromTheBrownRanch,nearBismarck (ND),said:
“We must remove all synthetic fertilisers to be truly sustainable,
whichwill require very high levels of soil health.” Some producers
in theUSA have indeedmanaged to remove synthetic fertilisers for
many years. 13
December 2014
ON FARM LEVEL
WorldCongress /CA
Conservation agriculture
Definition of soil health:
The continued capacity of the
soil to function as a vital living
ecosystem that sustains plants,
animals and humans.
SoilRenaissancePlan,USDA
HENDRIKSMITH,CA facilitator,GrainSA
1:Ahealthy soil is the “heart”of aCA system.
2:Different typesof rootsprovide food for adiversityof soilmicro-
organisms.
3:Agood soil coverwithmultiplebenefits for agro-ecologicalhealth.
4:Tobuild soilhealth is theprimarygoalofCA farmers in theUSA.
5:Diversified cropping systemshavemajor long termbenefits.
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CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE
12