Fortunately indications are that La Niña conditions will prevail for the coming season, which means that there are prospects of a better season. The winter rain which occurred over large areas also helped to improve ground water levels.
- Ground water evaluation should be an important consideration when planning the 2016/2017 yield targets. Should you have soil maps (fields have been mapped), take a spiral drill and check the ground water conditions in die different fields. Ground water inspections should still be done, even if the soil has not been mapped. Plant first on the wetter fields and allow dryer fields to accumulate more water. Historical climate and yield data should also be taken into account.
- Maintain proven practices and be realistic in your planning.
- Accumulated or stored ground water is an essential buffer to help the crop in critical times. The aim of cultivation systems should be to limit evaporation from the soil surface and transpiration losses through weeds to an absolute minimum.
- The cultivar package should be backed up by cultivar evaluation data.
- Base plant population and row width on soil potential.
- The soil surface should be of such a nature that quick and hard showers can be utilised and drainage water should be limited to a minimum.
- Should planting time run out and the ground is still relatively dry, farming operations should not be exposed to unnecessary risk.
Contract Senwes Agricultural Services for:
- Mechanisation planning
- Ascertaining of ground water
- Ascertaining of soil potential
- Soil mapping (physical and chemical) with appropriate recommendations
- Cultivation guidelines.
Gerrit Oosthuizen (Pr.Sci.Nat.)
Senior Agronomist
(SACNASP Reg. No.: 400418/14)
Tel: 018 293 1968
Cell: 084 506 8791
Fax: 086 504 0483