ProAgri technology for the farmer
Z a m b i a
June 2016 Nr 08
Free
Lick the winter with licks
More good news from
Cow care creates calves
Letter from the Editor
ach of us has about 40 chances to accomplish our goals in life. I learned this first through agriculture, because all farmers can expect to have about 40 growing seasons, giving them only 40 chances to improve on every harvest.” Howard Graham Buffet is an American businessman, farmer and conservationist and he wrote a book called: 40 chances: Finding hope in a hungry world. Part of his philosophy is to make people understand that we have a limited period of time on earth to do things right and to make the world a better place for our children. We, as the farming community, are custodians of nature. We are in the frontline of taking care of the resources our next generation will inherit, and more directly, everything we do has an influence on our next harvest, from maize to meat. In this issue of ProAgri Zambia the focus is on taking care of our animals with preventative health measures and good nutrition, especially through the winter. If we take proper care of them, they will return the favour, with flavour! We also continue our report
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In nature, every season leaves its mark. We don't know how many seasons we have to leave our mark on the world, but we can try our best to make it count! on Agritech and hope to introduce to you the supplier you may have been looking for. Please let us know where you picked up your copy of ProAgri Zambia by dropping me an e-mail. We love to hear from our readers. Farm smartly!
This photo was taken on the farm of Stewart and Ashley Parkes near Mhushi last winter shortly after harvesting; the cattle clearly enjoying the spoils of a successful maize season. Read more in this issue of the role of good nutrition as part of health and fertility management in your animals.
ProAgri technology for the farmer
Z a m b i a
Office no. 3 Fens Investment Building Lusaka Show Grounds
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Annemarie Bremner > annemarie@proagri.co.za
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ProAgri Zambia Editor Annemarie Bremner > +27 82-320-3642 annemarie@proagri.co.za
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martly!
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General Manager Zambia Quintus Grobler > +26 (0)96-216-9801 quintus@vanetechnology.com Reporters Du Preez de Villiers > +27 82-598-7329 dupreez@proagri.co.za Benine Cronjé > +27 73-105-6938 benine@proagri.co.za Marketing Xander Pieterse > +27 79-524-0934 xander@proagri.co.za Stefan van Wyk > +27 82-381-7563 stefan@agritrader.co.za Tiny Smith > +27 79-531-0024 tiny@proagri.co.za Hussein Kalinda > +26 97-857-6569 kalinda@proagri.co.za
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Preventative medicine – Pre-mating check-ups (part 2)
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The role of licks in animal production
11 BRAZseed GROWS in Southern Africa 15 Agritech opens Zambia to local and global agriculture 24 SOIL: The farmer’s most important asset (5.3) 27 Real Telematics: Your electronic eyes and ears
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Design Esta van Niekerk Enquiries Lize du Plooy > +27 12-803-0782 lize@proagri.co.za Accounts Ronel Keet > +27 861-777-225 accounts@smartpublishing.co.za Distribution Du Preez de Villiers > +27 12-803-0667 dupreez@proagri.co.za.co.za Business manager George Grobler
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Preventative medicine –
Pre-mating check-ups (part 2) Last month we discussed four management procedures or processes that we should follow in order to increase the productivity of beef cattle. In this issue Dr Dave Midgley focusses on cow management.
Back to the cows: Our aim or objective is to get as many cows as possible to calve within the first cycle, or 21 days of the calving season, with 83% calving within the first 42 days of the calving season. Our second aim is to get 86% of the heifers to calve within the first 42 days of the calving period. After calving, the following processes should receive attention: Involution of the uterus and how well it progresses. Every uterus is inspected in terms of the period after calving and how complete the shrinking to the normal size is. Therefore, the first requirement for a thorough examination is a complete list of the cows to be examined with their calving dates. Next the ovaries are evaluated for “activity” – what we are, in fact, trying to establish, is whether the hormone system has “kicked in”. This is done by palpating the ovaries, feeling either follicles or corpus lutea (yellow bodies). Two kinds of cysts can upset a cow’s hormone cycle: Follicular cysts that may cause cows to come on heat irregularly or sometimes for longer periods = “Nelly the Nymph”. Luteal cysts that release the hormone, progesterone, which makes cows think they are pregnant, causes them not to come on heat and to skip cycles. Luteal cysts can be broken down with prostaglandin injections, so that normal cycles can recommence. Sometimes, valuable cows experiencing difficulties to become pregnant are treated with a combination of hormones – according to the discretion of the veterinarian involved. The activity and size of the reproductive tract is measured on a scale from 1 to 5 and is referred to as reproductive tract scoring (RTS). While doing the rectal examination the pelvic size is also determined – 2
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this is especially important in heifers. A “pelvic score” is given on a scale of 1 to 5. Next, the cows are examined internally with a speculum. The exterior genitals are washed properly and a vaginal examination is performed. In this way, discharges that may differ in substance and colour may be detected. These infections prohibit the implantation of the embryo. Cows
with infection still come on heat, but do not conceive. Cows and ewes need two to three “cleaning cycles” before introducing them to the bulls or rams again. This is yet another reason for a shorter calving period, allowing more time between calving and breeding for this to take place. Cows with infections often also have retained corpora lutea (“persistent CL”) which, like a luteal cyst,
These two photographs show “discharges” that fell to the ground during speculum examinations:
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prevent normal cycles. Treatment will depend on the veterinarian’s decision: Sometimes, systemic treatment with the right antibiotics may suffice. The time span since calving is the determining factor in the decision on which antibiotics to use. It is best to take samples for culturing in a laboratory to determine exactly which bacteria or organisms are causing the problems on a particular farm. An antibiogram can also be performed to determine the best antibiotics to combat the specific organism(s). In most cases an “installation” is performed, placing the “medicine” inside the uterus by means of a pipette. Should the presence of a remaining corpus luteum be felt of suspected, a prostaglandin injection is also given. A combination of all these treatments is mostly done. During the mating season, these cows come on heat and are served normally, sometimes by more than one bull. At the same time other cows may also be on heat, and the “infection” is thus transmitted from cow to cow preventing implantation and subsequent pregnancy. Between mating and pregnancy testing, a few “cleaning cycles” may occur and many cows may clean themselves. Re-introduction of bulls leads to cows that calve late or out of season. I am a firm believer in “preventative medicine”. Traditional pregnancy testing is done on many farms, but June 2016
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Breeding Impuls Zambia specializes in reproductive services and products for dairy and beef cattle. We specialize in AI, synchronization, pregnancy diagnosis by sonograph, semen and AI equipment sales. Based on our international experiences we created a “breeding manual” to help farmers to choose the right breed to achieve their goals. Semen is imported from different countries over the world, to provide the best genetics for a reasonable price. Our Services: • Artificial Insemination • Pregnancy diagnosis (palpitation, sonograph) • Synchronization Our Products: • Liquid Nitrogen • Bull semen: - Dairy semen: Fleckvieh, Holstein-Friesian, Jersey - Beef semen: Fleckvieh, Simental, Aberdeen Angus (red, black), Brahman, Boran, Brangus, Bonsmara, Tuli • Synchronization hormones (Syntex) • AI equipment: Liquid Nitrogen flasks, AI kits, AI guns universal, minicutters, tweezers, sheaths, thaw units, thaw monitors, gloves, lubricants, disinfectants
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“What we gather from what we measure is more important than just measuring to know”!
in my opinion it occurs far too late in the breeding cycle to be regarded as a preventative measure. By the time you discover a low conception rate or other problems like uterine infections at pregnancy testing, you have lost an opportunity to calve down at the time of your choice. This could mean missing the best time to market your calves and/or that you have to give expensive supplements to the cow in order to raise a good sized calf. Strictly speaking, pregnancy testing is thus a reactive measure rather than being pro-active. I fail to understand why farmers do not routinely perform pre-mating checks, not to even mention why not before AI and embryo programmes. • The ideal situation is to also weigh each cow and to allocate a condition score to her before breeding. Weight alone means very little, as a 450 kg cow could either be a big thin one or a small fat cow! Condition scores are given on a scale of 1 to 5. Halves are allowed when you are in doubt. The ideal condition score at breeding would be 3 to 3,5. • In the summer rainfall areas, cows develop winter coats which are shed during springtime. Bonsma, in his book Man Must Measure devotes a whole chapter to this subject. Cows shedding their coats early in springtime are also the most fertile ones. Cows in a bad condition with thick winter coats still on them are ProAgri Zambia 08
the ones who do not conceive. Early observation and detection leads to either implementing preventative treatment or to culling of those animals before performing other costly procedures on them. The hair coat is also scored on a scale of 1 to 5. • The last score that I give while the cows are in the kraal, is the “docility score”. Apart from aggressive cows being dangerous, research has
shown that there is a definite link between docility and beef quality, with docile animals having more tender and juicy beef.
Dr Dave can be contacted by e-mail at dave.midgley@vodamail.co.za for more information in this regard.
Internal vaginal examination should be carried out after calving. June 2016
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The role of licks in animal production:
Protein is important in winter The correct licks at the correct time can supplement shortages in the grazing to ensure maximal utilisation of the grazing in order to improve animal production. In this article, which appeared in ProAgri’s Feed Production Guide, 2012, Alina Taute, from KK Animal Nutrition (now Yara) discussed the importance of protein supplements in winter.
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t is a well-known fact that the soil of Southern Africa is poor in phosphates. Apart from this shortage, the nutritional value of grazing alters according to the changing seasons. It is necessary to look at supplementation with licks in order to maintain optimal animal production on grazing with shortages and fluctuating nutritional values. When we look at the profitability of animal production, it is obvious that fertility determines approximately 65% of the profitability, while growth contributes about 30%. Factors such as inter alia carcass quality and wool production make up the remaining 5%. In short, the fewer cows or ewes coming into gestation, the fewer calves or lambs the farmer gets and the less money he makes. Therefore, it is important that as many breeding animals as possible become pregnant and bear offspring. One of the important factors that will determine whether a female animal will become pregnant or not, is her physical condition, as there is a correlation between condition score and the reimpregnation of the female animal. Breeding primarily depends on the natural grazing to supply in their nutritional needs, however, the natural grazing cannot provide in these needs throughout the year. This is where licks fit into the production system. However, it must be remembered that licks may under no circumstances replace the natural grazing. They may
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During the lush, wet summer months, animals need a lick to supplement the phosphate deficiency of Southern Africa grazing. only supplement the deficiencies that may exist in the grazing in order to ensure that the animals will be in the best possible condition, not only during the mating season, but throughout the whole year. Licks – what and when? When the farmer decides to provide licks, it is important that he should know what deficiencies may occur during which times of the year, so that he can supply the correct licks to optimise the production and reproduction of his animals. Licks during the wet season Juicy, green grass can provide in both the energy and protein needs of grazing animals, but during the summer,
animals in production need high levels of phosphate, and the grass cannot provide for this need. Therefore, phosphate must be supplemented during the wet season, and it primarily has an effect on the rumen functions, by stimulating the dry material intake. It consequently directly influences the physical condition of the grazing animal and leads to improved milk production and reproduction. Licks during the dry winter season When the grass begins to reach maturity, its fibre content increases, while the protein content drops. As the grass matures, nutrients move from the upper parts of the plant to the roots. By storing nutrients in the roots, the plant saves sufficient reJune 2016
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serves to enable it to produce foliage in the following summer. This process favours the plant, but unfortunately it leaves the farmer with grazing with a low protein content to feed to his animals. Due to its unpalatability, there is a lower intake of this grass, and due to its fibre fractions it is less digestible, causing a drop in the animal’s total energy intake. Research proved that protein supplementation becomes essential for optimal animal production as soon as the protein content of the grazing drops below 6 to 8%. Rumen microbes have a certain basic need for protein to enable them to digest the grass that the animal has taken in. The supplementation of the correct quantity of protein is therefore essential to effect the maximum intake of grazing, and thus energy provision. It has been proved that the supplementation of protein on winter grazing increased the average intake of roughage with 34,5% over the control group that received no supplements (Van Niekerk and Jacobs 1989).
With well-balanced licks, animals can be provided with suďŹƒcient protein during the winter months to produce more meat to make profit for the farmer. Natural protein sources such as oilcake are expensive, therefore it is not economical to use them as the only rumen degradable protein (RDP) source. A less expensive alternative source is feed grade urea. Urea consists of 46% nitrogen, which is equivalent to 287% protein. The rumen breaks down urea to ammonia, which is used by the rumen microbes (especially the fibre digesting microbes) to produce their own microbe protein. Microbe protein comprises approximately 60 to 80% of the total protein that reaches the small intestine, and therefore it is the most important source of protein for ruminants on natural grazing. Sulphur is also important in winter licks containing urea. Rumen microbes employ ammonia to produce amino Whenever more performance than normal is expected from animals, they acids, which are the building blocks should be provided with a suitable production lick. of microbe protein. Certain amino acids, namely methionine, cystine and Table 1: Examples of self-mix licks for stock production units: cysteine, contain sulphur and can only be produced by the rumen microbes if Element With oilcake Without oilcake they have sulphur available. The relation between nitrogen and Maize meal 250 250 sulphur in the animal’s system is Oilcake 150 10 : 1, and therefore the ideal relaFeed grade urea 100 150 tion of nonprotein nitrogen (NPN) to Kimtrafos 12/Fermafos 12 100 150 sulphur in licks is also 10 : 1. When licks are mixed, this balance can be Kalori 3000 50 50 obtained by mixing 2,5 kg of sulphur Feed grade sulphur 5 7 into the lick for every 50 kg of urea in Salt 350 350 the lick.
Total Intake: g/head of cattle/day Intake: g/sheep/day
1005 450 - 650 80 - 120
957 350 - 500 *
* Not suitable for sheep * These licks contain urea, therefore animals have to be adapted to the licks. Adapt animals by gradually increasing the volume given over 7 to 10 days. * Carefully read the warning on the back of the feed grade urea bag before administering licks containing urea. ProAgri Zambia 08
Production licks This type of lick can be given to animals during both the wet and dry season in cases where more performance than the normal maintenance of animals is demanded. The composition of production licks will differ according to production aims, the type of animal and the quality of available grazing. June 2016
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BRAZseed grows in Southern Africa by Benine Cronjé
BRAZseed enables farmers to keep more cattle on small farms, and to keep cattle well-fed during dry years.
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RAZseed, the well known seed company from Brazil, is a leader in pastures in Southern Africa. With their conviction of “pastures are profit”, they are fast gaining ground in Southern Africa. The grass can be baled with a protein content of 18%. The ideal planting time is from September to the end of February, which means it would be wise to do your planning and order your seed now. In South Africa alone, 50 000 hectares of Brazilian grass are grazed already, and in the coming season, 50 000 more hectares are going to be planted, so that towards the end of November, 100 000 hectares will be grazed. “BRAZseed is the only supplier of ‘bullet’ seed and the sole distributors in Southern Africa,” says Gielie Nieuwoudt, Managing Director of BRAZseed. “No other Brazilian grass can compete with us."
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The ‘bullet’ technology is a pelleting process which prevents the seed from germinating before there is sufficient moisture in the soil, and then nothing can stop BRAZseed. BRAZseed offers a cultivar for dry land production and one for irrigation. According to Gielie, one is as good as the other and the more you fertilise, the better results the grass will show. The seed is suitable for nearly all soil conditions in Southern Africa. “It can be used for direct grazing, standing hay, silage, baling and as a cover crop for moisture retention. It is suitable for a variety of animals such as beef cattle, dairy cows, sheep, goats, horses and game. The grass may also be planted for soil rehabilitation and integration between crops,” says Gielie. BRAZseed is a proven success, not only in Zambia, but also in South Africa and Namibia. This year’s NAMPO Harvest Day in South Africa was a major success for BRAZseed. Gielie says: “The results are very exciting. The oldest crops proved their regrowth after the drought. Particularly in the dry farming areas where the rains came too late this year, BRAZseed has made a meaningful difference to the income of farmers, as it was too late for establishing cash crops while BRAZseed can be planted up to the end of February.” The farmers who planted BRAZseed after the good rains of 15 January, attained more than R15 000 profit per hectare from dry land cultivation. The average yield under pivot irrigation was between 40 and 60 tonnes per hectare. “Our aim is to bring hope to farmers, and the growth over the past six years proved that it is possible,” Gielie says. This is no wonder grass, but if farmers follow the prescriptions, it proves to be successful. The main benefit is the fact that this is a perennial grass. “In Namibia near Grootfontein, irriga-
Gielie Nieuwoudt, Managing Director of BRAZseed, proudly shows the spectacular regrowth of BRAZseed after a drought at NAMPO in South Africa. tion farmers received up to R3 000 per tonne for their baled BRAZseed grass,” he adds. Gielie maintains that BRAZseed enables farmers on small farms to keep more cattle and thus earn an increased income. Koos Steyn, a farmer between Hartbeesfontein and Coligny in South Africa’s relatively arid North West Province, says in his 58 years of farming he has never seen a grass that shows such a success under irrigation as BRAZseed. Koos is particularly impressed with the quick regrowth after cutting and baling. This enables him to cut and bale round one and graze round two. This is a feat that Koos could accomplish for the first time ever. Call Gielie Nieuwoudt on (+27) 44606-6800 or send him an e-mail to gielie@brazseed.co.za for more information on this seed. June 2016
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Advertise your product, company or service in ProAgri Zambia We distribute 10 000 copies to farmers and the agricultural community every month. Contact our Zambian oďŹƒce: Quintus Grobler: +26 (0)96-216-9801 quintus@vanetechnology.com Or our representatives in SA: Xander Pieterse: +27 79-524-0934 xander@proagri.co.za Stefan van Wyk: +27 82-381-7563 stefan@agritrader.co.za
P.O. Box 32269, Lusaka, Zambia, Tel: 0211 843272 0211 288826 Cell: 0966-516161 E-mail: info@agrivetafrica.com Sales: sales@agrivetafrica.com Accounts: accounts@agrivet.com
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* Suppliers of quality Veterinary and Agriculture products * In-house expertise for quality advice. New premises for AGRIVET AFRICA on Kafue road, opposite Southern Cross Motors from Makeni Mall, second left turn with parking space.
Tiny Smith : +27 79-768-1599 tiny@proagri.co.za 14
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Malcolm Ross (middle) is a Tuli farmer on Milimani Estate in the Chisamba district. Two of his employees, Sydney Manda, Cattle Ranger and Steven Saili, Senior Supervisor, are helping him at the show. “My involvement with Tulis started in 1995 when I bought commercial bulls and cows from a farm in Zambia. In 1999 we imported seven Tuli bulls from Zimbabwe and in 2010 I imported seven bulls from South Africa."
AgriTech opens Zambia to local and global agriculture by Du Preez de Villiers
Last month, we wrote about the amazing experience we had at AgriTech and all the exhibitors we have met. Therefore, we felt compelled to continue with another picture article on more of the amazing products and services that are on offer for Zambian farmers. Left: Green 2000 Limited is the distributer of the USA-manufactured pivot irrigation system, Reinke, in Zambia and started their operations in 2000. “Reinke systems are light, durable and have less complications than your average brand. We carry all the critical spares and we can deliver on the farm within one week. Many of our machines work at state departments like the prisons, police and army, to grow food for own consumption and exports,” David Nganga, Sales Manager, says. David Nganga, Patrick Tembo, John Kalambata and Susan Shileshe are ready to assist any enquiring farmer. Xander Pieterse, Sales Consultant at ProAgri Zambia, stands behind them.
Poltek is a distributor of any product imaginable for the poultry industry through Livestock Services. Their impressive and practical exhibition in the Livestock Services tent drew a lot of attention. ProAgri Zambia 08
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Right: Jakkie Oosthuizen from Senter 360 has a passion for farming in Africa. “I am very excited about Zambia and here is a lot of potential if you look at the natural resources and the local need for food. Up to now we serviced Zambia from South Africa, but we are planning to move here, and to establish service points all over the country to offer peace of mind to our clients. Our structures are 65% stronger than the international standard and we offer a ten year warranty.” His wife, Anita, his son, Nico, and his daughter-in-law, Chanel, are ready to help him promoting the Senter 360 brand.
Isuzu is supporting the Zambian farmer in every aspect. Walther Wasamunu, Senior Mechanic, demonstrates the capabilities of the Isuzu braking system, Lilia Samui is the Marketing Manager; Janine Stuart is the Standards Coordinator and Jackie Kazembe is the Sales Representative at GM Lusaka. Left: Wynand Ueckermann from AfricWater is an engineer who designs complete irrigation systems and supplies plastic piping for above-ground quickcoupling systems and drip line systems. His products are based on a 75 year old concept from South Africa. “We replace metal pipes, which are heavy and expensive, with HDP (high density polyethylene) pipes and I sell a thickness range from 50 mm to 160 mm with all the accessories necessary to design a system. We design on Google Earth with precision down to 1 cm, and although we do not need to visit the farm during the design stage, we supply after sale services. ProAgri Zambia 08
Delta Auto and Equipment is based in Lusaka and Kitwe to distribute the affordable Sani construction equipment and Foton trucks and pick-ups. The new 8-series Foton medium sized truck boasts with a 4,5 litre Cummins engine. The sides are 500 mm high and it can transport almost any produce from the farm to the market and items back to the farm. Jessie Nankolongo is Acting Sales Manager.
Zanaco, the returning diamond sponsor of AgriTech, offers a wide range of financial solutions for farmers, big and small. His Excellency, President Edgar Lungu, paid their stall and their CEO, Bruce Dick, a special visit to find out how they can assist farmers with their financing options. June 2016
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Graig Shiel is the owner of Chulu Borans. Chulu is the biggest Boran breeder in Zambia and Graig has cattle in Mkushi and Chingaga. Chulu also has studs in South Africa and Namibia and has all the successful bloodlines that South Africa and Kenya have to offer. The Boran breed originated in Kenya and they have been in Zambia since the 1940’s.
Right: One of the benefits of strip-till in Africa is that the area outside the cultivated strip retains the moisture for a longer period to become readily available for the crops during dry spells. This is why the 1tRIPr from Orthman is extremely effective on the continent. Craig Ivins is the Marketing Manager of Orthman, who distributes their equipment through AFGRI.
Although this is a German brand, LEMKEN implements have proven themselves thoroughly in Southern Africa. This 6 m Ruben 9 is most popular for its versatility. It is used to cultivate the soil before planting and forms a very even seedbed. “All our LEMKEN implements are assembled in South Africa before they are transported to Zambia. Smaller parts can be sent directly from Germany if necessary,” says Blackie Swart, Area Sales Manager of LEMKEN Zambia.
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AFGRI established a large footprint in Zambia and supplies many big name brands in the country, like John Deere, Falcon, LEMKEN, Orthman, Rovic Leers and JCB Agricultural Equipment. This Gator 825i utility vehicle from John Deere is the farmer’s best solution for quick and affordable transport on the farm. The AFGRI team is present in all the major regions in Zambia, and very eager to assist a farmer with custom-made solutions for the challenges on his farm.
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Quail-farmers have to look no further than Bien Donne for superior genetics. They developed their own profitable breed for Zambia over many years. They used to import 10 000 eggs a year from France but it became too expensive, “so we selected the bigger quails and started our own breed which is bigger, lays more eggs, produces more meat and grows much faster. We can produce quails ready for slaughter in 32 days, Jean Claude Favard says. They also produce 100 000 quails every month to meet the local demand. Frans Favard is the owner of Bien Donne Genetics and he explains the ins and outs of his breed to interested farmers.
Left: Agri Wes distributes Claas and Väderstad equipment in Zambia. Nikita Herman is in Sales and Events, Willem Williams is in their Sales and Marketing Department, Nico de Kock is the CEO and Brian Mumford is Area Manager. “The show is gaining momentum and the overall focus on what is important for us is getting better. One of our popular harvesters, the Crop Tiger (smaller than the big 430 Tucano behind them), which is manufactured in India, is perfect for rice, wheat and soya and we are in the process of designing a maize header as well,” Nico de Kock says.
Left: Ruben Mushabati and O’Brian Mwansa are Technical Field Officers, Brian Royston is an Area Manager and Kobus Smith is Marketing Director for Omnia. Kobus Smith says: “We registered in Zambia in 1992 and we have two divisions. “Omnia Commercial concentrates on large-scale farmers and we have sales representatives and area managers all over the country to assist farmers with technical advice and support as well. All our sales personnel are agricultural graduates. Our other division is Omnia Small Scale which concentrates on small-scale farmers. Previously we supplied small-scale farmers via the government on a tender basis. Our current aim is to establish our own cash and carry distribution points all over the country to sell directly to the small-scale farmers,” he says. ProAgri Zambia 08
If you put the first letters of the names, Sharad, Ashok, Rohan and Oza together, you get SARO. They are the owners of the company that distributes a wide variety of agricultural equipment, from solar panels to tractors. “We are always looking for quality brand names which are popular. One of the key aspects of everything that we sell, is that we as SARO offer the technical expertise, training, backup and the spares, which is very important,” says Calvin Salah, General Marketing Manager of SARO. The SARO team demonstrates how one of their hammer mills can reduce tree branches to usable wood chips. June 2016
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h n PART 5.3: Physical properties of soil (3) Martiens du Plessis, Soil Scientist, NWK Limited & Prof Cornie van Huyssteen, Lecturer: Soil Science, University of the Free State
Soil is the most fundamental resource for the farmer, without which food and natural fibre cannot be produced. This article forms part of a series to highlight this resource. This is the third article in the series which focuses on the physical properties of soils. Soil deformation Consistency When a load is exerted on a body of soil, it will give way, deform, or crack. Consistency is the resistance that soil offers against this deformation agent and can be ascribed to the cohesive forces between the soil particles. The moisture content of the soil has a major influence on the consistency of the soil. The wetter the soil, the easier it will deform, while it may be very hard under dry conditions, offering major resistance to deformation. Consistency is described as follows: • In the dry state: loose, slightly hard, hard or very hard • In the moist state: loose, crumbly, slightly firm, firm or very firm • In the wet state: non-adhesive, slightly adhesive, adhesive or very adhesive The consistency influences the tillth of the soil and root extension through the soil. Tillage of soil with a loose consistency is easier and roots also grow better in loose soil (but not too loose), than when the soil consistency is hard or very hard. Soil strength Soil offers resistance to deformation and a specific force is required to overcome the resistance level at which the soil will begin to deform. This resistance to deformation is due to the friction of soil particles when they slide over each other and when they are “torn” apart from their interlocking positions. Soils will then normally not return to their original positions after the force is removed. When soil is pushed inwardly by external forces, such as agricultural machines, the soil is placed under 24
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Figure 1: The effect of soil depth on temperature variations between day and night. “stress” and one describes the soil as compacted or compressed. The effect this has on the physical state of the soil is, inter alia, that the soil strength (or resistance to deformation) is increased in the compacted zone, the bulk density is increased and the porosity (volume of pores) is reduced. Plant roots might therefore no longer grow through this layer. In agriculture, this resistance to deformation is measured with a penetrometer (Figure 1) and is usually illustrated in graphic format. Figure 2 indicates the compacted zone where the resistance to deformation is higher. The higher the soil strength, the greater the energy required by the tilling forces to overcome the resistant forces in the soil and to get the soil into a loose consistency once again.
nisms living in the soil and microorganisms. For this reason, it is of great importance to the land user. Biological activities increase with an increase in the soil temperature, up to an optimal temperature of 30°C. Maize roots grow best at a soil temperature of 25°C. Below 0°C, hardly any biological activity takes place anymore and for that reason mineralisation of organic material comes to a standstill. Nitrification bacteria also do not make any nitrate available under 10°C. Soil temperature also has an effect on the rate of soil erosion and on the majority of chemical reactions in the soil. It also has an influence on the viscosity of water and therefore influences the rate of water movement in the soil and therefore on the rate of evaporation of water from the soil. Soil temperature is determined by a number of factors. Firstly, it is logical that the more energy the soil receives from the sun, the hotter it will be. Plants that overshadow the soil, plant residue that covers the soil and cloudy conditions will reduce the amount of energy reaching the soil and therefore the soil temperature. Lighter coloured soils will reflect more energy, while the darker soils will absorb more energy. Soils on a northern slope (in the southern hemisphere) receive more energy than soils on a southern slope. About 10 percent of the total heat radiation of the sun is used for the heating of the soil.
Natural deformation Natural deformation takes place in clayey soils with strong expansion and contraction properties (2:1 montmorillonite clays). When the soil becomes moist it swells and when it dries out, it shrinks again to form cracks. Soil temperature Soil temperature influences the biological activities of plants, orga-
Figure 2: Results of a penetrometer reading. The graph shows a compacted zone at a depth of 280 mm to 480 mm. ProAgri Zambia 08
waterlogging, the iron is reduced, removed and relocated, leading a mottled, or grey to blue-green colour in the soil. The occurrence of iron minerals and the colour patterns thereof are therefore valuable indicators of the long-term water regime of the soil.
Martiens du Plessis measures soil compaction with a penetrometer. On a sunny day, the first few millimetres of soil will be heated to 60°C and, on cold nights, could drop to below freezing. In these conditions, and as shallow as 100 mm, the day and night temperature in the soil can differ by as much as one half (Figure 1). At 200 mm, the range varies by only about 7°C, while at a depth of two metres, the soil temperature is virtually constant. Moist soil conducts energy better than dry soil, because the water acts as a heat conductor between the soil particles. The heat conduction ability of water is about 25 times more than that of air. Therefore, moist soil will heat up more than dry soil. On the other hand, water needs five times more energy than dry soil particles to heat up. Wet soil will therefore heat up more slowly than dry soil. When water evaporates from the soil, it also uses large quantities of energy and has a cooling effect on the soil. Furthermore, clayey soils conduct the energy better than sandy soils, because there are far more contact surfaces between the soil particles. Soil colour Apart from its effect on soil temperature, soil colour does not have any direct significant effect on soil utilisation. This characteristic is, however, used to deduce other soil properties that do influence land use, while also being used to classify soil types. Soils mainly comprise white or off-
ProAgri Zambia 08
white minerals, of which quartz (white or translucent) is the most abundant. Other lightly coloured minerals are lime, aluminium oxides, feldspars and some of the clay minerals. The most important colouring agents in soil are: humus (black or brown), iron oxides (yellow to red and grey to blue-green), magnetite (black), manganese oxides (brown-black), augite (black), hornblende (black) and biotite (dark brown). These colouring agents play an important role in soil colour, although the absolute content thereof is minimal, because it only covers the soil particles, thus “painting” them. In the upper layers of soil, humus makes a major contribution to the darkening of soils. In general, it is accepted that the darker the soil, the higher the humus content. However, in some well-drained humus-rich soils, hematite (a red iron oxide) can colour the humus red. Such soils could therefore have a high humus content, even though they are red in colour and not dark. The bright red colours of drained subsoils may be ascribed to hematite which covers the soil particles. Under a microscope, it really appears as though the white or translucent soil particle has been painted red. The yellow colours may be ascribed to goethite (a yellow iron oxide). Yellow colours may be ascribed to a slightly moister soil water regime than those of red soils, in the same region. In subsoils that are subject to regular
Summary Apart from the hydraulic (water) characteristics of the soil, the most important physical properties of soil have been dealt with in the past three articles. These properties have a significant impact on the land use and farmer, as they directly affect plant growth. Some of these properties can be manipulated to optimise plant growth and it is therefore important for the land user to understand these soil characteristics and how they can be manipulated to promote plant growth. References The following sources were used extensively during the compilation of this article. Van Huyssteen, CW. 2009. Soil Ecology. Unpublished class notes for GKD214. University of the Free State, Bloemfontein. Du T Burger, R. 1979. Soil Science 115. Unpublished class notes for GKD115. University of the Free State, Bloemfontein. Brady, NC. 1990. The nature and properties of soils. 10th ed. Macmillan publishing company, New York. Marshall, TJ. & Holmes, JW. 1979. Soil Physics. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. For further information, please contact: Martiens du Plessis: +27 72 285 5414 / martiens@nwk.co.za Prof Cornie van Huyssteen: +27 51 401 9247 / vanhuyssteencw@ufs.ac.za ProAgri Zambia acknowledges Grain SA for the use of this series which originally appeared in Afrikaans in SA Graan/Grain. For further information, please contact: Martiens du Plessis: martiens@nwk.co.za Cornie van Huyssteen: vanhuysteencw@ufs.ac.za
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Real Telematics Your electronic eyes and ears
by Du Preez de Villiers With the control system from Real FMX, a farmer can now equip any implement on his farm with the most advanced control functions at a very reasonable cost.
G
one are the days when a farmer simply needed a length of wire and a pair of pliers in his pick-up to keep everything on the farm going. His tablet and cell phone are fast becoming equally important, if not even more so. On a modern farm, more and more implements and equipment depend on telematics technology (the information technology field concerned with the long distance transmission of computer created information). Such is the development of technology that technicians and service providers must now also be IT specialists in order to keep the farmer farming. A leader in this field is Real Telematics. Their Real FMX Division manufactures telematics management systems for material handling equipment. Real FMX are convinced that the agricultural market is ready for them. “Farmers and agricultural businesses are showing a growing interest in our products,” John Valentine, Director of Real Telematics, says. They are proudly African and with their modular designs they can provide management systems suited exactly to every farmer’s needs. Later, modules can be added to meet growing or changing demands. Six years ago, they realised that software kept on personal computers should be moved to the web space for easier client access and better maintenance – a practice already known to farmers. It started with forklifts Many farmers who move loads with forklifts and other material handling equipment have benefitted from Real Telematics’ systems already. One of the innovations, Excess Idle Cut Out, switches off an idling forklift after a predetermined period. This saves fuel or extends battery life in a battery driven forklift. ProAgri Zambia 08
The Real FMX device from Real Telematics is neatly and safely installed in an implement to make life much easier for both the farmer and the operator. Other functions help drivers to reduce fuel consumption, wear and unnecessary speed by adapting their driving practices, and it can also prevent unauthorised people from using a forklift. The systems can also be programmed for seasonal changes. These functions can be monitored from any spot on earth by means of a smart device. Farmers prefer to see all their implements on a screen while they can monitor the fuel, oil pressure
A farmer can gain access to the Real FMX control device from any spot on earth to maintain a watchful eye on activities on his farm.
and coolant temperature to make sure that the operators are performing their daily inspections properly. Systems range from simple to very versatile. The most basic system is isolated and offers mechanical protection, while the most advanced system sends reports and warnings and performs data analysis and mapping. However, Real Telematics decided to go even further. “Farmers and relevant agricultural businesses requested us to adapt these systems for tractors, skidsteer loaders and older farm equipment. We found that it was not only easily adaptable, but that it also works more efficiently and inexpensively than other systems,” John says. Harvest the correct GPS information Today, Real FMX fully understands a farmer’s GPS needs. From the traditional mapping function of an ordinary GPS, they created a visual tool depicting harvest and crop spraying routes. Their approach is to first determine the farmer’s needs and the weak points in his existing system through thorough discussions. “One of the things that we have found, is that the spots in an orchard where operators stop the tractors due to breakdowns are usually over or under dosed. This problem could easily be pointed out and rectified on a screen,” John says. “Every year, we gain a little in wisdom, and therefore we may rightly ask today: What can we do to make your life easier?” Get telematically clever by calling John Valentine on 082-469-0834 or 086-100-0342, or by sending him an e-mail to johnv@realtelematics.co.za. Also browse on their website, www.realtelematics.co.za. June 2016
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