43
September 2014
FOKUS
Geïntegreerdeplaagbeheer
Spesiale
Nommerpas-produkontwikkeling
maakdieverskil
A
s landswye verskaffer van ‘n omvattende en kostedoeltref-
fende reeks landbouchemiesemiddelsvanhoëgehalte, het
VillaCropProtection sedert sy ontstaan in 1994, tot ‘n leier
opdiégebiedontwikkel.
Dié eg Suid-Afrikaanse oesbeskermingsmaatskappy verskaf ‘n wye
reeks plaagbeheerprodukte aan bemarkers van landbouchemiese
middels wat onkruid-, insek-, swamdoders, plantgroeireguleerders
enbyvoegmiddels insluit.
Die strewe van Villa Crop Protection na die ontwikkeling van nom-
merpas-produkte vir die Suid-Afrikaanse produsent, verg ‘n mas-
siewebelegging in toegepasdeplaaslike navorsing. Diemaatskappy
maak geen geheim daarvan dat investering in produkontwikkeling
‘n belangrike fokus vir hulle is nie. Bykans R18 miljoen is verlede
jaar in produkontwikkeling belê en daar word beoog om ‘n ver-
dere 800 ten volle gerepliseerde proewe in 2014 op plaasvlak
te doen. Oorspronklik was die fokus slegs op oesbeskerming, maar
dit het tydgeworddat verwantebedrywighedeookondersoekmoet
word. Die resultaat is ‘nhele ritsbesighedewat binnedieVillaGroep
bestuur sal word:
Villa Industrial/Forestry: ‘nBesigheidbetrokkebybosindringing,
bosbou en industriëleonkruidbeheer.
Villa Fly Solutions: Vir die beheer van vlieë in verskillende om-
standighede. Hierdie reeksword later in 2014geloods.
VillaPublicHealth:Vir diebeheer vanhuishoudelikeplaeenplae
inpublieke areas.
Villa Home andGarden: Kleiner verpakkings van Villa Crop Pro-
tection seprodukte vir huishoudelike en tuingebruik.
Dr André Schreuder, besturende direkteur van Villa Crop Protec-
tion, noem egter dat hul nie bloot net ‘n maatskappy wil wees wat
generiese middels vervaardig, sonder om iets tot die bedryf by te
voeg nie. “Ons doelwit is om ‘n generiese produk heeltemal anders
teontwikkel. Ons probeerwaarde toevoegmet dieontwikkeling van
uniekemengsels enuniekeprodukposisionering tenopsigte vange-
bruike,” sêdr Schreuder.
Die grootste uitdaging is egter dat daar teminmense is wat vir die
plaaslike bedryf proewe kan doen. Tans is daar ongeveer 32 konsul-
tante landswyd wat proewe op landbouchemiese middels doen,
maar heelwat meer word benodig. ‘n Ander probleem is dat die
gemiddelde ouderdom van proefkonsultante ongeveer 55 jaar is;
daar is dus ‘n behoefte in die bedryf ommense op te lei om hulle in
die lang termyn te vervang.
Daarvoor isdieVillaAcademy in2013gestigomvoortaan ‘nverdere
bydrae te lewer met betrekking tot die opleiding van die volgende
geslag landboukundigesenkonsultante indiebedryf. “Onsbly fokus
opdie lang termyn. Suid-Afrikahetwel probleme,maar ook ‘nklomp
geleenthede. Ons is bereid om baie te belê in plaaslike produk-
ontwikkeling sowel as die opleiding van landboukundiges. Daarom
pak ons projekte aan en werk ons heeltyd daaraan om die Villa-
naamuit tebrei endiemaatskappy tegroei,” aldus dr Schreuder.
VANESSAVANWYK
vir Villa CropProtection
Produk-inligting
sudden pest outbreaks that can lead to
yield losses due to the difficulty of applying
control measures fast enough or on a large
enough scale to contain theproblem.
Crop-pest interactions
Many crops in agro-ecosystems have been
selected for pest resistance and have spe-
cific traits that reducepest damage. Climate
change may compromise crop resistance
to pests through elevated CO
2
causing a
down-regulation of genes or altering the
production of volatile defence compounds
resulting in an increased susceptibility in
crops. ElevatedCO
2
can also affect the pro-
duction of plant secondary compounds im-
pacting crop-pest interactions.
Mitigation through farming
practices
The type and extent of insect-related prob-
lems due to climate change will depend on
the specific region and crop, and problems
will have tobeaddressed regionally for spe-
cific situations. An improved understand-
ing of the interactive relationships between
pests, their hosts and climate, is necessary
to develop crop-pest models for each spe-
cific region, whilemonitoring is essential to
provide indications of a response to chang-
es in the climate.
Using local biodiversity and ecosystem
functions to enhance productivity and un-
derstanding, the local agro-ecological bal-
ance will become critical to ensure food
security in a changing environment. Resil-
ience is the ability of a system to copewith
or return tobalance after a stress and to re-
gain the capacity to produce important ser-
vices. It is a fundamental feature of natural
systemsallowing them tocopewithchange.
There isaneed to restoreandenhance resil-
ience in agro-ecosystems.
Management strategies and crop landmiti-
gation include the following:
Adoptionof no-till or low-till plantings.
Uses ofmulches forwater retention.
Soil management practices that reduce
fertiliser useand increasecropdiversifi-
cation.
Increasingagricultural diversity through
crop variety and germplasm adapted
to shifting agro-ecologies.
Promotionof legumes in crop rotations.
Promotion of low energy production
systems and avoiding burning of crop
residues.
Understanding and managing local resil-
ience in their own fields will be the best
option that producers have to face changes
andminimise vulnerabilities in their agricul-
tural systems.
Producers with queries or comments can
contact Dr Astrid Jankielsohn
at the ARC-Small Grain Insti-
tuteat 0583073431or
jankiel-
Managing insect pests in a changing
agro-ecosystemunder climate change scenarios
