Citrus farmer celebrates two years of solar energy

The farm stall is a popular stop for tourists and business travelers, renowned for its freshly squeezed orange juice and local produce.

One of South Africa’s largest citrus farms, Joubert en Seuns, is celebrating their second solar aniversary. Their 265.98 kWp roof-mounted solar plant, that is made up of 806 x 330 Wp Canadian solar photovoltaic panels, was commissioned in June 2019 and has been harnessing the sun’s energy and converting it to electricity to power the farm ever since.

The well-established farming operation of Joubert en Seuns is based in Schoemanskloof, Mpumalanga. Over the years, the brother duo, Kobus and Francois Joubert, converted their father’s vegetable and maize farm into a largescale citrus production and packing facility.

Now focusing on citrus, including lemon, navel, valencia, mandarins and others, as well as macadamia nuts, they currently export in excess of 9 000 tons of produce to the northern hemisphere each year, with approximately 2 000 tons going to the local market. 685 hectares of the 1 000 hectares under irrigation on the property are dedicated to various citrus orchards, with the rest allocated to macadamia trees.

Complementary to the farming business, Joubert en Seuns operate a much-loved farm stall on the arterial road connecting Mpumalanga and Gauteng, renowned for its freshly squeezed orange juice and local produce. This popular stop for tourists and business travelers in the area is on the same property as the packing warehouse.

The solar plant that was built by New Southern Energy was constructed accordingly and made up of two sections. 768 panels were mounted on a large flat section on the packhouse roof with an additional 38 panels on the farmstall roof for visibility from the road, also contribute to the overall renewable energy share. This way, their commitment to renewable energy is loud and clear for all to see.

Since the installation of the solar plant, the farm’s electricity bill has decreased between 33% and 38% per month, depending on the property’s energy usage. Initial calculations estimated that the solar plant would amortize itself within 6 to 7 years. However, due to increased electricity costs and the high efficiency of the solar system, the system will now amortize within an estimated 4,5 years.

While the solar plant has significantly reduced the carbon footprint of the farm, Joubert and Seuns are concurrently

The more than 800 roof mounted photovoltaic panels has reduced the farm’s carbon footprint.

A section of Joubert en Seuns’ farming operation in Schoemanskloof, Mpumalanga, with citrus plantations and the packhouse.

busy with other interventions, such as the Farming for the Future certification, to ensure that their farming practices are as sustainable and beneficial to the environment as possible.

This is a grid-tied system, meaning that it is connected to the national electricity grid. “The longterm goal is ultimately to export the surplus electricity produced by the solar plant in off-peak months so that others can also benefit from our system, once we are able to finalise an export agreement with the regulator,” explains general manager Lionel Eva. “In the meanwhile, the solar system has not only been a valuable contributor to our operation, but also a great conversation starter with regular questions being asked about it by intrigued visitors to the farm stall,” he added.

“The system’s performance is monitored and controlled through a master controller, which can also communicate with the system’s inverters. All of the data is logged and saved in cloud-based storage,” said David Masureik, CEO, New Southern Energy. “Furthermore, the performance can be monitored in real time via a smart phone app, meaning that faults can be identified and rectified quickly,” he added.

BASF bied innoverende en volhoubare oplossings teen donsskimmel, witroes en botritis in wingerd

BASF fokus daarop om oor die langtermyn waarde en volhoubare oplossings aan produsente, die bedryf en die gemeenskap te bied. BASF is ʼn markleier in innovasie, met talle gevestigde en nuwe oplossings teen donsskimmel, witroes en botritis. Nou gaan ons boer!

BASF SE OPLOSSINGS VIR DONSSKIMMEL

Orvego®: Initium® en dimethomorph vorm saam ʼn kragtige kombinasie wat ʼn dubbele slag slaan in die beheer van donsskimmel op wingerd. Die voordeel van Orvego® se kort onthoudingsperiodes stel jou in staat om dit vroeg in die program sowel as nader aan oestyd toe te dien. Sy uitstekende oplosbaarheid maak die produk soveel makliker om te meng en toe te dien. Die nuwe chemiese klas waartoe Initium® behoort (FRAC Grp 45), maak Orvego® die ideale oplossing vir suksesvolle weerstandbeheer. Kruisweerstand is dus nie ʼn probleem nie. Die gunstige toksikologiese profiel van Orvego® teenoor die omgewing, gebruikers en verbruikers maak dit ʼn ideale keuse vir geïntegreerde donsskimmelbeheer. Buitengewone reënvastheid binne een uur na toediening bied beskerming op die blare en trosse, selfs tydens nat toestande. Orvego® van BASF bring ʼn innoverende oplossing vir donsskimmelbeheer in wingerd.

Acrobat® WG: Die samestelling van dimethomorph en mankoseb bied uitstaande werkverrigting teen donsskimmel tydens die aktiewe groeistadium van wingerd en verhoed verspreiding tydens die reënseisoen. Aangesien dit die vorming van oöspore inhibeer, kan donsskimmel nie die winter oorleef nie, wat die potensiaal van primêre besmetting in die daaropvolgende lente verminder.

BASF SE OPLOSSINGS VIR WITROES

Collis® kombineer kresoxim-methyl en boscalid vir uitmuntende beheer teen witroes in ʼn spuitprogram. Die twee aktiewe bestanddele reageer verskillend op en binne die plantweefsel, wat bydra tot sistemiese voorkomende werking. Dit het ook die gewenste nawerking tot gevolg. Collis® is ʼn betroubare keuse wat goed in ʼn afwisselende spuitprogram teen witroes pas.

Kumulus® WG, die ou staatmaker, is ʼn droëswaelswamdoder met goeie vermengingseienskappe. Die uiters betroubare formulasie met drie kenmerkende deeltjiegroottes wat optimum stabiliteit in suspensie het, dra by tot doeltreffende klewing en nawerking in en op die blaar- en vrugoppervlak. Hierdie eienskappe verseker vinnige werking, volgehoue vrystelling en langdurige beskerming om witroes effektief te beheer.

Vivando® se enkele aktiewe bestanddeel, metrafenone, beweeg vinnig deur die kutikula tot in die onderliggende selle waar dit opbou en vandaar verder deur die blaarweefsel versprei. Vivando® is na toediening in ʼn gasformaat rondom druiwetrosse teenwoordig, wat beskerming binne die tros bied. Dit is ook uiters reënvas en lewer goeie nawerking. Die wye toedieningsvenster sorg vir ʼn wye keuse van posisionering in die witroes-beheerprogram, met geen kruisweerstand teenoor ander aktiewe bestanddele in die beheer van witroes nie. Dis ’n uitstekende keuse om in ʼn weerstandbestuurprogram in te sluit.

BASF SE OPLOSSING VIR BOTRITIS

Cantus® WG is ʼn water-oplosbare korrel met sistemiese werking, wat beskerming bied teen beide botritis en witroes. Cantus® WG se enkele aktiewe bestanddeel, boscalid, verhoed vroegtydige spoorontkieming en swamontwikkeling op en binne die plantweefsel. Dit word as enkelbespuiting voor trossluiting aanbeveel vir optimale beskerming teen botritis. Cantus® WG verseker uitstekende siektebeheer en buitengewone werking sonder die risiko van kruisweerstand. Die betroubare formulasie verseker uitstekende reënvastheid na toediening, en dus is geen hertoediening na reën of besproeiing nodig nie.

BASF Suid-Afrika (Edms) Bpk • Sestiendestraat 852, Midrand 1685 • Posbus 2801 • Halfweghuis 1685 • Tel: +27 11 203 2400 • Faks: +27 11 203 2461 • E-pos: agcelence-za@basf.com. Acrobat® WG Reg. Nr. L6526 Wet Nr. 36 van 1947. Aktiewe bestanddele: Dimethomorph 90 g/kg. Mancozeb 600 g/kg. Versigtig. • Cantus® WG Reg. Nr. L7444 Wet Nr 36 van 1947. Aktiewe bestanddeel: Boscalid 500 g/kg. • Collis® Reg. Nr. L7489 Wet Nr 36 van 1947. Aktiewe bestanddele: Boscalid 200 g/ℓ. Kresoxim-methyl 100 g/ℓ. • Kumulus® WG Reg. Nr. L2404 Wet Nr. 36 van 1947. Aktiewe bestanddeel: Sulphur 800 g/kg. • Orvego® Reg. Nr. L9185 Wet Nr. 36 van 1947. Aktiewe bestanddele: Ametoctradin 300 g/ℓ. Dimethomorph 225 g/ℓ. Versigtig. • Ametoctradin - Initium® • Vivando® Reg. Nr. L8352 Wet Nr. 36 van 1947. Aktiewe bestanddeel: Metrafenone 500 g/ℓ. • Verwys asseblief na produketikette vir volledige gebruiksaanwysings. Acrobat®, Cantus® WG, Collis®, Kumulus® WG, Initium®, Orvego® en Vivando® is geregistreerde handelsmerke van BASF.