Africa Agriculture Insight Jan-Feb 2023

Agriculture is the most regionally intensive industry in the world. Soil type, climate and local markets create farming, rather than the other way around.

Farmers have long produced enough food to provide 2,500 calories a day for everyone on the planet. Agriculture has done its part.

For consumers, farmers are almost the only moral touchstone in a world where everyone seems directed only by their self-interest. Farmers are wholesome, and what they do is wholesome, which is why McDonald's and so many others are trying to save their corporate brands by using their ads to paint their links to the ranch and farm.

The plenty or surplus grain should be stored and the farmers paid well for their effort. This will ensure that farmers go back to the fields and produce more in the coming season. Secondly good storage facilies will enable the region to feed the people hence ensuring food security with the region. Apart from food security, job security for those in the agricultural sector is certain with the expectaon of job creaon in other sectors of manufacturing in line with agriculture. This will reduce the cost of food producon in some of these countries and reduce the importaon of grain into the region improving the economies of these countries and the region as a whole.

Therefore governments should strive to overcome the challenges brought about by this huge harvest and ensure that removal and storage facilies are provided for the farmers. Proper packaging should be availed to the farmers to ensure proper packing of their grain before transporng it to the respecve markeng and storage facilies. For the commercial farmers combine harvester should be given to them as a measure of assisng them to quickly remove their crop from the fields. This will ensure that the crops are not affected by moisture and the possibility of them geng roen is minimised. This then calls for a strategic crop harvest management system which will be used to achieve this noble goal. We are excited to present to you yet again another exclusive copy of the Africa Agriculture Insight where we discuss everything in the farming space.

We promise to keep the momentum going and give you the informaon that's vital for your business.

Editor

Goodwill Sibanda

Cover: Packaging Solutions for Agricultural Produce

Editor Goodwill Sibanda editor@africaagricultureinsight.com

Writer Kennedy Chamu writer@africaagricultureinsight.com

Sales Lenox Marufu lenox@africaagricultureinsight.com

Muthulis Nkiwane Muthulis@africaagricultureinsight.com

Design and Layout Qhawe Maphosa design@africaagricultureinsight.com

Accounts Sharon Moyo accounts@africaagricultureinsight.com

Subscripon

Thatho Ndlovu Subscripon@africaagricultureinsight.com

General Landline : +27 11025 7031 info@africaagricultureinsight.com sales@africaagricultureinsight.com www.africaagricultureinsight.com

Disclaimer: All material is strictly copyright. The magazine or any part thereof may not be reproduced or adapted without writen permission from the publisher: - Africa

Agriculture Insight welcomes material submied for publicaon but retains the right to edit copy. The views expressed in the publicaon are not considered those of the publisher, which accepts no liability of any nature arising out of or in connecon with the contents of this magazine. While every effort has been taken in compiling this publicaon, the publisher does not give warranty as to the completeness or accuracy of its content. The publisher and the editor cannot accept responsibility for any loss inconvenience & damage that may occur there from.

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New Tools Improve Harvesting Efficiency

The popular concepon of farming as lowtech is woefully out of date. Modern farmers are high-tech operators: They use GIS soware to plan their fields, GPS to guide field operaons, and auto-steer systems to make tractors follow that GPS guidance without human hands. Given this technology foundaon, the transion to full autonomy is already in progress, leveraging commodity parts and advanced soware to get there more quickly than is possible in many other domains.

With recent volality in the cost of crop inputs — combined with the challenges of hiring and retaining quality farm labor — more than ever, your farm customers are looking for ways to increase producvity per man as well as the number of acres they cover per day. But no single acon provides

the total answer for aaining maximum profitability

It's all about striking the right mix of robust crop management, crop markeng and sound equipment decisions to best manage risk.

Combine Auto-Steer

Many different precision ag technologies have been introduced during the past 15 years, but few of them have been adopted more rapidly than GPS auto-steering systems. While the majority of these systems have been installed on tractors and sprayers, a growing number of combines are now being equipped with the same technology, both coming from the factory and added as an aermarket opon.

Auto-steer on a combine provides measurable performance improvements by

allowing any operator to harvest a full swath from one side of the field to the other A secondary benefit of auto-steer is that it helps opmize the cleaning and separaon performance of the combine because it assures uniform crop intake. Most combines on the market reach maximum performance — which includes acceptable grain losses and the most consistent grain sample — when the volume of harvested material remains consistent at a given level.

Wider Headers

While increased header widths installed on larger combines are definitely a step in the right direcon in terms of boosng field efficiency, they must be considered along with the width of other equipment on the

farm.

For example, a 40-foot combine head will divide equally into an 80- or 120-foot sprayer and will work perfectly with a 40-foot airseeder.

The larger header widths create other challenges that need to be considered. One involves the generally poor distribuon and uniformity of residue coming from the combine. It appears that the development of the wider headers is well ahead of new spreader/chopper designs.

This is even more evident with the newer 40-, 42- and 45-foot headers on the market. New technologies in this area are desperately required, because we are approaching the limits of the equipment to distribute crop residue evenly over the width of the header

Telemac Mapping

Some combine manufacturers are already offering customers the next step beyond auto-steer and yield mapping to help them boost their field efficiency even further

The new technology is called telemacs. It's an innovave system that allows the farmer or farm manager to determine the relave performance of individual or mulple combine operators.

It's a very simple system and involves tables and maps, similar to a yield map, to document where each combine pass was made in the field. The telemac maps illustrate where the combines stopped to unload and where they unloaded on the move.

Stopping the combine, especially to unload, is very costly. So, for combine and grain cart operators, it's a great learning experience in

how to boost field efficiency

Many combine operators unload their combine grain bin when it's full, rather than geng into a sequence to unload when they put the least strain on the grain cart operator, especially when mulple combines are ulized in the same field.

Grain Carts

It was only a few years ago that 800-900 bushel capacity grain carts were the largest available and most producers bought smaller ones.

Today, with 1,200-1,500 bushel carts available, many farmers are buying a 1,000bushel capacity cart, or at least one that fills their grain truck in one dump. While the direct expense of a grain cart, plus the operator and direct costs of the tractor to pull it with, may deter some producers from purchasing one, there is no debang the increases in combine performance that a grain cart can provide.

If you calculate the hourly cost of operang a larger combine at $100 per hour — and many class 8 and 9 combines will be significantly more — and the combine stops 4 mes each hour to unload, taking a total of 5 minutes between leaving the crop, unloading and starng up again, you've lost one-third of your capacity, or around $33 per hour

In a season with challenging harvesng condions, many will argue that a grain cart allows you to get your crop harvested in a more mely fashion. Also, when discussing larger grain carts with producers, don't forget to discuss the benefits of tracks. While these add significantly to the price

(compared to a grain cart on res), their benefits are immeasurable when it comes to minimizing soil compacon, especially in a no-ll system.

The Grain Handling System

Many producers have increased their combine capacity and farm size in recent years, but failed to consider the addional burden placed on their grain storage and handling facilies.

While grain storage can be an excellent riskmanagement tool and a way of avoiding long lines at the grain elevator at harvest, it needs to be large enough to handle the increasing volumes of grain that many larger combines provide.

While this is almost a topic in itself, many larger growers want to unload a truck in just a couple of minutes and have the truck heading back to the field for another load. Such a system will require a dump pit large enough to hold a loaded truck and the leg capacity to move it away prior to the arrival of the next truck.

If grain drying is commonly required, this adds an addional dimension of drying capacity and grain handling.

While many of these technologies may appear to be costly in the short term, each is an investment to increase long-term efficiency of the harvesng operaon. They should each be penciled out and their relave cost-to-benefit rao's considered. Most large and expanding producers will quickly see the benefits and add them to their shopping list for the following year

Excessive grain safely storable in low-cost plastic bags

While the ancipated size of the harvest could have a stabilising effect on food price inflaon, an increasingly compeve global market connues to pressure South African producers to find new ways of cung costs on grain and silage storage.

One such method is the use of massive Hitec grain bags on sites around the country, which is the result of a new deal between South African agricultural specialists Rhino Plascs – part of the sustainable soluons group of companies, Rhino Group – and Greece based master batches and agricultural films manufacturer Plaska Kris.

“This deal not only has significance for the local market in terms of beer value, it also offers the industry a far superior product,” says Rhino Group MD Brian van Niekerk.

This comes aer a report was released by government's Crop Esmates Commiee on January 26, stang that South African maize farmers are set to have their hands full come harvest me, aer planng almost a third more hectares this season.

The report indicated that 2.5-million hectares had been allocated to maize, which marks a 31% increase on the 1.9-million planted during the previous, drought-ridden year

Owing to this, the Hitec grain bags enable improved quality and the ability to engineer and improve costs on the end product, impacng on South Africa's ability to remain globally compeve, he says.

Van Niekerk notes that the bags boast a trademarked, seven-layered barrier film, dramacally increasing the strength of the bags, while, more importantly, reducing the oxygen permeability of the film.

He also claims that since introducing the product, demand from across the country has surged. “Customers range from farmers to agricultural organisaons stretching into Southern Africa.”

Rhino Plascs director Brendan Kelly says the bags are a soluon for storing grains such as wheat, barley, maize, sorghum, soybean, rice, rye and legumes, which are increasingly in demand globally

The seven-layered Hitec grain bag is one of many agricultural products supplied by Rhino Plascs. Other products include silage films, balewrap film, green house films, liner low density polyethylene irrigaon pipe, mulch films and dam liners, among other related products.

“The grain can be loaded in the bags directly from

Addional benefits include lower inial investment, on-site storage, flexibility and savings on freight,” notes Kelly

He says that the grain bags supplied by Rhino Plascs were used extensively by their clients during the 2016 intake season to store wheat, barley and oats – among other grains and silage. He also states that the bags handle very well on bagging machinery and have high-quality stretching and durability properes.

The Hitec grain and silage bags create a hermec environment, which promotes oxygen depleon and simultaneous carbon dioxide producon.

This is because of the respiratory process of the bioc components inside the bag, Kelly adds.

“The new atmosphere in the bag, rich in carbon dioxide and poor in oxygen, suppresses, deacvates, or reduces not only the reproducon or development capacity of insects and fungi, but also the grain's own acvity, in turn, facilitang its preservaon. Users report that the Hitec bag packs between 5% and 10% more grain than other bags of the same size,” he concludes

the harvester or from a truck and be stored safely for up to two years.

Artificial intelligence can help fight deforestation

A new technique using arficial intelligence to predict where deforestaon is most likely to occur could help the Democrac Republic of Congo (DRC) preserve its shrinking rainforest and cut carbon emissions, researchers have said.

Congo's rainforest, the world's second-largest aer the Amazon, is under pressure from farms, mines, logging and infrastructure development, sciensts say Protecng forests is widely seen as one of the cheapest and most effecve ways to reduce the emissions driving global warming. But conservaon efforts in DRC have suffered from a lack of precise data on which areas of the country's vast territory are most at risk of losing their prisne vegetaon, said Thomas Maschler, a researcher at the World Resources Instute (WRI). "We don't have fine-grain informaon on what is actually happening on the ground," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundaon.

Tracking the drivers of deforestaon

To address the problem Maschler and other sciensts at the Washington-based WRI used a computer algorithm based on machine learning, a type of arficial intelligence.

The computer was fed inputs, including satellite derived data, detailing how the landscape in a number of regions, accounng for almost a fih of the country, had changed between 2000 and 2014. The programme was asked to use the informaon to analyse links between deforestaon and the factors driving it, such as proximity to roads or selements, and to produce a detailed map forecasng future losses.

Overall the applicaon predicted that woods covering an area roughly the size of Luxembourg would be cut down by 2025releasing 205 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere.

The study improved on earlier predicons

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that could only forecast average deforestaon levels in DRC over large swathes of land, said Maschler. "Now, we can say: 'actually the corridor along the road between these two villages is at risk,"

Maschler said by phone late on Thursday

Where to focus efforts

The analysis will allow conservaon groups to beer decide where to focus their efforts and help the government shape its land use and climate change policy, said scienst Elizabeth Goldman who co-authored the research.

The DRC has pledged to restore three million hectares (11,583 square miles) of forest to reduce carbon emissions under the 2015 Paris Agreement, she said.

But Goldman said the benefits of doing that would be outweighed by more than six mes by simply cung predicted forest losses by 10 percent.

Biotechnology: A new era for plant pathology and plant protection

Plant biotechnology ushers in a new era for plant sciensts working to maintain healthy plants, opmize crop yields, and minimize pescide usage. One of the ulmate aims of agricultural biotechnology is to feed an expanding world populaon.

During the last 30 years, producon of the main food crops has doubled. This increase of producon has mainly been achieved by introducon of high-yielding variees, irrigaon, and the use of ferlizers and pescides.

Due to this increase, the share of people in developing countries with insufficient average food supply has decreased from 74 % in 1962 to 6 % in 1988, represenng 230 million people. In many regions of the world, the

intensificaon of crop producon has led to deterioraon of soil ferlity, erosion, salinizaon, reducon of biodiversity, and other deleterious side-effects.

The use of pescides has more than tripled since 1970 and is a growing concern especially in developed countries. Despite the intensive use of chemical crop protecon methods, the losses due to pests, pathogens and weeds are more than 40 % of aainable producon, represenng a value of more than 240 billion US$.

Genec engineering offers new possibilies for the breeding of plant variees with increased resistance to pests and pathogens. New resistant variees may lessen the dependence on pescides and help securing

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sufficient crop yields in the future. In plant genec engineering, genes from different organisms (other plants, bacteria, viruses, etc.) are transferred into the genome 1 of a plant cell . The bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens is frequently used as a vehicle for the introducon of foreign DNA into the plant genome. In nature, these bacteria transfer some of their genes into the plant genome, thereby inducing a plant disease which leads to producon of compounds used by the bacteria. In genec engineering, the genes causing disease are replaced by genes conferring other traits. For some plants, e.g. wheat or maize, Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer is difficult or not possible. In these cases, a

technique called parcle bombardment is oen applied. In this method, gold or tungsten parcles of about 5 µm in diameter are coated with DNA and shot into plant cells, where the DNA is released and incorporated into the plant genome. Aer incorporaon of the foreign gene, a plant is regenerated from an engineered cell, and the traits coded for by the transferred gene are expressed by the plant.

Resistance of transgenic plants to insect pests or diseases has been achieved in more than 20 different crops, including maize, potato, squash, coon, soybean, oilseed rape, tomato, tobacco, alfalfa, rice, barley and others. Very high levels of resistance to insect pests and viral diseases have been reached, while examples of successful protecon to bacterial and fungal diseases are sll scarce. Insect resistance has mostly been obtained by using a gene derived from the common soil bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis. This bacterium produces a protein called Bt toxin which is toxic for certain insects. Intensive invesgaons have led to a detailed knowledge of the mechanism and specificity of toxin acvity. In several studies, no effect of Bt toxin on humans, other mammals, and most non-target insects could be shown. Transgenic plants expressing Bt toxin were found to be protected against repeated heavy infestaons of the target insect pest which totally devastated non-transgenic control plants. Other approaches to insect resistance focus on the use of genes which are part of the natural defense system of plants. The products of these genes interfere with insect digeson. For example, plant-derived protease inhibitors prevent protein degradaon, and amylase inhibitors block starch- degrading enzymes in the insect midgut. Some of these strategies have proven to be effecve and may soon be used in the development of commercial variees. Virus resistance is mostly achieved by introducing gene sequences derived from pathogenic viruses into the crop genome. The introducon of genes coding for viral coat proteins has been very successful.

During the last years, this strategy has led to a number of crop variees resistant to important plant viruses. More recently, also

other viral genes were found to confer resistance, e.g. replicase genes, defecve viral genes or ansense coat protein genes. The mechanisms of resistance are not yet completely understood. Strategies applied to achieve fungal resistance make use of plant genes acng on different levels of the plant defense system against pathogens. Several of these strategies have led to increased resistance, but so far the level of protecon was mostly to low to be of agronomic importance. Chinase and glucanase genes coding for enzymes which break down fungal cell walls have been used in several crops including rice and have led to significant protecon in some cases. The growing understanding of plant defense mechanisms is expected to lead to increased levels of protecon in the near future. Also methods invesgated to obtain resistance to bacteria have not led to high levels of protecon yet. Reducon of disease development in tobacco was achieved by transferring a cecropin gene derived from the Giant silk moth. Cecropins are produced by insects to fight pathogen aack and had a similar effect in some plants. Other parally successful strategies make use of genes which code for toxindetoxifying enzymes or plant genes involved in the response to pathogen aack.

Besides genecally engineered plants, also viruses and bacteria have been genecally altered in order to develop new crop protecon methods. Baculoviruses are insect pathogens which have been used as a biological pescide since the 1930s. As these viruses may take weeks to kill their host aer infecon, their usefulness has been limited. By transferring genes coding for insectspecific toxins, insect hormones and insect enzymes into the virus genome, the killing me has been reduced by up to 50 %, which is not enough to achieve sufficient protecon. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) toxin genes have been introduced into different bacteria for Bt toxin delivery to insect pests. In one approach, transgenic bacteria expressing Bt toxin are killed and then

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sprayed on the crop plants like a pescide. Another approach uses bacteria living inside of plants for Bt toxin delivery The safety aspects of transgenic organisms have been discussed and invesgated since the first successful gene transfer in the early 1970s. The release of transgenic plants is subject to different legal regulaons. Before a transgenic crop may be released, potenal hazards like the possibility of gene transfer to other plants or microorganisms, weediness of the engineered crop, and the expression of undesirable traits resulng from secondary effects of the gene inseron are examined. Also possible toxic and allergenic effects are analyzed, especially if the engineered plant is desned to serve as a food crop. So far, no deleterious effects of transgenic plants or other organisms have been reported.

Several other transgenic crops are approaching commercializaon. In the field of pest and disease resistance, it is likely that more insect resistant crops expressing Bt toxins or virus resistant crops engineered with viral genes will enter the market in the near future. Within some years, variees with enhanced resistance against fungal and bacterial pathogens may also become available. Other applicaons of transgenic plants which may reach the marketplace within some years include e.g. coon with altered fibers, crops with improved nutrional value and plants producing biodegradable plasc, cheap vaccines and pharmaceucals.

Organic matter matters

The key ingredient for healthy soils and healthy crops is soil organic maer. But it has been neglected in recent decades. How could we have forgoen about it? And what is needed to bring it back in the fields and on polical agendas?

Before the 1940s, organic maer was a key theme at internaonal soil conferences. There exists a decade –old wealth of knowledge about organic maer. But things changed aer the Second World War. Organic maer became neglected, and not by accident. The process of arficially producing nitrogen was originally developed for the explosives industry, but then the resulng chemical was also used for ferlizer. The impact on maize yields was so dramac that researchers and policy makers became convinced that chemical ferlizer could solve global hunger

With this new emphasis on chemical ferlizers, world renowned researchers working on soil organic maer were systemacally neglected. Scienfic journals were no longer interested in publishing their research, and they were no longer invited to internaonal conferences. Subsequently, the importance of soil organic maer also dropped off agricultural curricula and from policy, extension and investment agendas.

Under the influence of the economic and polical power of the chemical industry new crop variees and producon methods that required large quanes of ferlizer were promoted. Slowly then, this belief, pushed by industry, narrowed the view of researchers, educaon, policy makers and extension staff and became the norm. Chemical ferlizers were so much easier to apply a few bags of ferlizers than the bulky organic maer that also demanded mixed farming.

With the use of chemical ferlizers and new variees, crop yields first increased in some parts of the world. But now, many farmers are experiencing diminishing returns. They need to apply more and more (expensive) ferlizer each season .This is largely due to the loss of soil organic maer and loss of its capacity to retain water and nutrients. Polluon from excess nutrients and eroded soil parcles entering waterways are addional long-term consequences of this historical mismanagement.

And, was hunger eliminated, or even reduced, in the process? The total food producon per capita increased, but there are more hungryand malnourished people today than ever in the history of humanity

With the globalisaon of our food systems, we are also confronng a growing global imbalance. Nutrients are mined from the soil in one part of the world, and exported in the form of crops to other parts, leading to problems on both sides.

It is high me that we revive soils with pracces that increase organic maer and do not demand ever increasing amounts of non-renewable resources.. Farmers have worked with others to develop successful agroecological strategies using fallows, cover crops, green manures, mulch, and the incorporaon of crop residues and compost into their living soils.

To restore our soils, we must overcome a range of obstacles, from local shortages of biomass to lost knowledge and oversimplified systems. We must build on and learn from farmers and their exisng agroecological pracces.

Soil organic maer is made up of a wide variety of living and dead plant and animal material. In agriculture, this can range from leaf mulch to manure and compost. Oen called 'black gold', it is a basic building block of soil life that supports plants to grow and thrive. It is important in several ways, mainly by enhancing soil life and increasing the water and nutrient holding capacity

Control All Aspects of Growing With Greenhouse Automation

Climate Control Systems Inc, has been manufacturing Greenhouse Automaon Systems since 1985. We carry 3 flagship products all designed to help growers maximize crop yields and help with water conservaon and energy savings concerning commercial greenhouse operaons. We fully automate all environmental aspects of an Industrial Greenhouse Operaon and have helped get a beer crop for Vegetable Growers, Floriculture and the new rising Medical Marijuana Growers. Through the help of Greenhouse Computer Soware we

can control and automate, what used to be very me consuming manual tasks. The Climate Manager™ is an advanced Greenhouse Control Computer capable of measuring and controlling heang and cooling, vents, fans, Co2, boilers, lighng, shading, heang on-off valves or modulaon hot water valves.

Climate Manager Greenhouse Control:

· Temperature and humidity condions in all greenhouse compartments

· Co2 Levels in each greenhouse compartment

· Displays all vent posions, louvers posions and cooling fan acvity

· Temperature, humidity, heang and venng control

· Fan, Co2, HID lighng, shading, fog and pad control

· Irrigaon and misng programs with VPD (vapour pressure deficit)

· Configure up to 16 Climate zones which can be expanded with addional panels for a total of 32 Climate zones.

· With major leaps forward in water purificaon, recycling and reducing energy consumpon, Climate Control Systems is sought aer internaonally for greenhouse automaon technology We have dedicated ourselves to produce technology that will not only save grows me and money and conserves the environments that surrounds them throughout the world.

· We are proud to achieve these milestones as we see the need for environmental controls increase in the future. Our systems have been installed in Canada, US, Mexico and abroad.

The Fergaon Manager™ is a greenhouse fergaon systems that offers some of the most advanced computer technology with all inclusive soware and instrumentaon.

Growers depend on these ferlizer programs to irrigate flower and vegetable crops on a

daily basis and according to weather condions.

Fergaon Manager Irrigaon System:

· Manage Water and Ferlizer Usage

· One Central Machine for Mulple Crop Feeds

· Customized to Your Needs with Sensors & Injectors

· Modular Design for Easy Replacement of I/O Technology

· Fully Expandable to Connue to Grow with your Greenhouse

· Updates and Upgrades to Soware Versions

Latest technology for substrate moisture sensing with conducvity & temperature monitoring and control.

Our Third Product: The Climate Control Ozone Pro Systems are the KEY to improving your boom line! Ensure your crop has fresh clean purified

water every me you irrigate.

TheCCS-SW80PlasmaOzoneTechnologyis idealforsterilizingirrigationwastewaterfor greenhouseflowerandvegetablecrops.The OzoneProsystemsareavailableforwater flowratesfrom10USGPMto1000US GPM.

Eachsystemiscustomdesignedtosuityour specificgrowerneedsandwaterflowrate.

· Save 30% on Water Usage

· Save 40% on Ferlizer Costs

· Remove Bacteria & Recycle Your Nutrient Water

The types of greenhouse automaon systems are all custom made to the Grower's needs. If you have financial constraints, you can opt for our leasing opons, we will work with you to ensure your crop is healthier than ever and producing the highest yields ever At Climate Control Systems Inc. we believe automaon is thefuture.

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Hydro Thermal Weed Management Solution

Since 1997 Weedtechnics have been eliminang the hidden cost of chemical weed control … All with Saturated Steam and Boiling Water Technology

The rapidly growing demand for 'organic' and GMO free produce with a shortage of supply has seen the economics of going 'organic' very appealing to a range of farming enterprises. The early adopters of biological and organic farming were possibly influenced

by the realisaon that they were exposed to the hidden costs of chemical weed control. These include the spiralling herbicide costs of endeavouring to control a growing list of herbicide resistant weeds, the increasing health and safety requirements, cerficaon and record keeping costs and the inherent risk associated with repeated employee exposure to known toxins. Praconers of organic and biological farming put great value

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on their soil biology and adopt methods that encourage a proliferaon of soil biology which returns dividends in plant yield and reduced pest and pathogen aack. They also stand to benefit from the financial gains of carbon sequestraon trading. Herbicides with their high salt content, chelang and anbacterial qualies destroy soil biology and the associated health and carbon sequestraon benefits.

Weedtechnics product range and systems have been recognized as an economically viable alternave to herbicide. It has assisted farmers transioning to organic producon to overcome their biggest challenge …. Weeds, and for organic producers to free up intensive labour resources ed up with hand weeding to higher level tasks and farm expansion. Weedtechnics offers the most costeffecve hydro-thermal weed control machines available. We ulise our patented, Hydro Thermal Method i.e. saturated steam and boiling water to provide a broad range of applicaons. Our SW range of instantaneous boiler apparatus and applicator heads create superheated water at almost 120C water and deliver it onto weeds as saturated steam and boiling water exploding leaf cells on contact.

Jeremy Winer- Managing Director of Weedtechnics, with his 30 years of praccal experience in implemenng integrated holisc approach to weed management, has developed, patented, manufactured, and commercialised the

Steamwand method and SW range.

. Designed for Municipal and intensive horcultural markets there are 4 models in the SW Range with a variety of mounng opons and applicator heads. The SW Range have been designed around delivering opmal volume of saturated steam and boiling water for weed control.

You can select from 4 models in the SW Range each with a variety of mounng opons. There is a growing range of applicator heads from 50mm to 120cm in width.

The Versitech range of hand held applicator heads include the VOH 5cm wide open head VCH 35cm wide or 60 cm wide covered heads and the steam spike set., Our expanding range of standard and customised heads for tractor and vehicle aachment include the new design Rowtech 55, (55 cm coverage) Orchard head 110cm coverage, Vegetech Bed head 11o cm coverage, expandable Vegetech inter row heads with 24-30cm coverage and the soon to be released Furrow Head for 30cm off treatment in furrows between

strawberry crops.

The machines also have the added advantage of being able to provide non abrasive high temperature cleaning of farm and packing equipment. Its fast and hygienic without the dangers and mess you can experience with high pressure cleaners.

Weedtechnics have been ahead of the curve, along with our clients for many years. Our clients include biological and organic farmers, horcultural enterprises, cies, municipalies, water companies, schools, land care groups, accredited contractors, hospitals, and rerement villages. With Head office in Australia, we have established distribuon partners and preferred service contractors across Australia, NZ and North America. Enquiries for purchasing equipment or sales and distribuon opportunies can made through our Sydney Head Office.

As one of our customer David Lawson, University of Colorado Boulder puts it “being more expensive than herbicide does not make the process uneconomical, it just takes a change in the paradigm of thinking from lowest cost to best soluon for long term”

Packaging Solutions for Agricultural Produce

The largest losses from farm to plate are aributed to poor handling, distribuon, storage, and purchase/ consumpon behavior. Huge resources that could otherwise be spent on more producve acvies go into producing and transporng goods that only go to waste. Losses at almost every stage of the food chain may be reduced by using appropriate packaging.

The food packaging industry sector of developing countries derives its strength from the large

volume of agricultural producon, the steady growth in food commodies and the connually increasing food demand fuelled by rising incomes

Packaging is an essenal part of a long-term incremental development process to reduce losses, that will have to employ a blend of technologies and processes .The global food packaging industry has a lot to contribute not only in addressing food losses but also in ensuring food safety as well as enhancing global food trade, which is a key to

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economic development of varying economies.

As for the type of end product, packaging manufacturing has globally the greatest share of the total industry (81%), followed by the packaging service (14%) then by packaging machinery (5%).

Packaging machinery is equipment for uses such as canning; container cleaning, filling, and forming; bagging, packing, unpacking, boling, sealing and placing of lid; inspecon and check weighing; wrapping, shrink film and heat sealing; case

forming, labelling and encoding; pallezing and depallezing, and related uses.

The trend to consume more creates a demand that drives producers to offer products in ready-to-go and prolonged shelf-life packages to induce volume purchase. Meal preparaon takes me and with the advent of double income households, where women are also preoccupied with acvies outside of the home or men are expected to share in food preparaon chores, food that comes in easy-toopen and resealable packages is extremely popular If there is an industry sector that is equally, if not more dynamic than the food sector, it is none other than the packaging industry. It is undergoing transformaon almost every day with new technologies, beer than before, taking the place of old ones (Packaging Trend-The Future Outlook, 2010). In today's high-tech world, an increasing number of companies are seeking to upgrade their products and systems using smart soluons.

Sustainable Packaging Soluons

Past innovaons have led to posive changes not only in the packaging materials and technology, but also in culture. Today's manufacturers seek packaging opons that not only offer the necessary protecon to ensure that the product arrives at its final desnaon intact, but that also provides a cost-effecve soluon that has minimal impact on the environment.

Their packaging soluons focus on Opmized materials usage,Reduced energy use, Reduced shipping weights, Increased use of recyclable

materials and Increased product life and less spoilage.

There are some food packaging materials that protect the flavor and quality while helping reduce packaging waste and spoilage.

Mpact: Packaging for profit

Returnable Transit Packaging revoluonizes the supply chain.

One of the biggest packaging influences over the last decade has been the impact of Returnable Transit Packaging (RTP) within the fresh produce industry. Led by Atlans-based Mpact Plasc Containers, with a sister plant in Brits, these polypropylene bins, crates and boxes can offer greater durability, beer hygiene, less maintenance, improved product protecon, opmal cooling condions and beer long-term logiscal performance than their wooden or carton cousins.

These long lasng and environmentally friendly crates stack efficiently to maximize outward load capacity and then nest for the return journey to minimize space.

But RTP also brings another element to the retail stable, appearance! These sturdy, bright, aracve products operate from farm to shop floor, eliminang the need for repacking in the retail space. This reduces product damage and me spent. When empty, they can simply be shipped back to their point of origin for cleaning and the enre cycle starts again!

Jumbo Bins

One of Mpact Plasc Containers most successful products has been the Jumbo Bin, which has made steady inroads into the South African agricultural market over the past 10 years and is considered by many to be the world's best quality bulk bin. This economical, high quality product offers the following advantages: Smooth interior surfaces reduce waste and downgrades;Superior inbuilt venlaon reduces cooling me and saves energy; Clean, non-porous surfaces; Eliminates HACCP problems associated with wood; Weighs 45% less than wooden bins for quicker, safer handling and stacking, Posive interlocking foot design for quicker, safer handling and stacking; Can be stacked up to eight units high; Compable with most bin handling equipment; One-piece moulding eliminates maintenance and there are Various sizes in offer

Mpact Plasc Containers also offers a range of other products including drying racks, Agrilug, stack crates, chicken coops, Supanest, Stack/Nest and prop trays. These are available throughout South Africa and are manufactured with local condions in mind. The company has a passion by innovaon and has an established track record in the development of game-changing products that are seen as benchmarks in the industry

In line with Mpact Plasc Containers commitment to environmental responsibility, both producon facilies are ISO14001 and ISO 9001 accredited and there is a close liaison with the Mpact Recycling Division, which recycles bulk paper and plascs.

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Grain & Seed Cleaning Solutions

Processing of seeds is a maer of experience and in-depth knowledge of various products and parcular processes ideally suited to the specific processing task. Gentle handling, strict and genuine separaon of different lots, as well as highly accurate final purity and uniformity, are the main supporng pillars of

seed cleaning.

All over the world, the seed industry is moving towards an increased level of industrial producon with high capacity plants for cleaning and grading the seed. This development increases the demand for high capacity, high quality and cost-effecve seed

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processing soluons.

With modern high-quality harvesters, grain is oen received fairly well cleaned if the sengs were correct and if capacity was not pushed to the limit and if grain was dry and if there were not too many dirty patches and if no heat damage took place and if conveyors

did not damage the kernels etc.

Lots of Ifs. So, if in doubt, therefore, it is recommended that fines and broken kernels in the case of maize especially, at least be removed prior to storage.

Pre-Cleaning grain prior to intake into a silo system is one of the most important ways in which to add value to the crop and to assist in the process to secure a long life for the grain during storage.

Keep in mind, the grain quality will start to deteriorate immediately once it has been harvested. The deterioraon process must be delayed as far as possible to ensure the end user sll has a quality product to work with.

Pockets of foreign material in silos, especially fines, which tend to group together during conveyance, can cause hot spots and will negavely affect aeraon. Those pockets would have a higher density than the rest of the grain and during aeraon, air would by-pass those dense pocket, causing it to retain more moisture, as moisture is captured there and not allowed to move away and out of the grain with the air that is forced through the grain.

The dockage furthermore takes up valuable storage space - even up to 5% or more may be taken up with a lowvalue product that can furthermore contain poisonous seeds that can be spread throughout the silo and can be cause for downgrading the product.

If a large parcel of grain is rejected by the buyer or the central co-op, the cost of cleaning and resubming the grain to the negave buyer can be well in excess of the cost of a good cleaner

Even if the grain is only cleaned before selling, the owner has control over the dockage and can use it as feed for livestock or sell the dockage while under his control but have no claim over the dockage once sold. He may just face deducons in the selling price.

Precleaning and final cleaning:

Pre-cleaning refers to grain that has undergone cleaning where either over or under or overs and unders have been

removed from the grain to an acceptable level. This may be up to 97 or 98 or 99%, depending on sales terms. We would recommend pre-cleaning grain to as high a level as possible and usually to around 98 or 99%.

All cleaners are more effecve at lower capacies, so if a pre-cleaner benchmarked at 40 tons per hour top capacity is used at full capacity, it would inevitably have a lower cleaning efficiency than if ulized at 30 tons per hour. The operator has control over this and should find an opmal level at which to operate the system.

Final cleaning refers to the process which grain undergoes before it enters a processing facility such as a mill. Capacies are usually lower and are geared towards the capacity of the processing facility ie. a 5 ton per hour maize mill would usually work well with a 10 ton per hour final cleaning system but does not require 40 tons per hour final cleaning system which would simply not be cost effecve.

Final cleaning usually also includes an aspiraon system whereby dust not removed through grading alone, as well as light parcles, the same size as the grain kernel and therefore not removed through grading, is included.

What cleaner should be selected?

Other than own storage, the cleaning of grain represents the most logical step for the Grainman to add value to his product. Annual seasonal changes require different approaches to cleaning. In some years heavy rains may have caused a lot of roen and undersized kernels in the crop. This causes large tonnages to be downgraded and aer a thorough cleaning by the buyers, the grain is again blended into first grade. The mills are also baling to deal with grain received at farm gate that has not been thoroughly precleaned since it places too much stress on their own final cleaners causing bolenecks and poorly cleaned grain to enter the mill which can be disastrous.

Cleaning normally includes the following elements:

1. Grading for size: This is usually the least

expensive equipment and can consist of the following main types of cleaners:

1. Rotary drum cleaners: It usually has a relavely large capacity between 20 and 60 tons per hour and should isolate over- as well as undersized parcles.

2. Vibraon cleaners: Usually smaller capacity final cleaners (5-15 tons per hour) but with a high-quality end product.

3. Eccentric cleaners: Smaller (2-8 ton per hour).

4. Oscillang cleaners with large capacies of 80 - 240 tons per hour per cleaner

5. Gravity cleaners: Only isolate throughs and cannot isolate overs as well. Large capacies of more than 200 tons per hour are achievable. (Do not confuse this with gravity cleaners that separate parcles on the basis of specific weight)

2. Aspiraon: This refers to a sucon process with a fan, cyclone, ducng and rotary valve and is used in combinaon with graders for size as the light foreign parcles of the same size as the kernel is isolated. This equipment is likewise not excessively priced.

3. De-stoners and grading according to the kernel's specific weight. Stones that passed through a size grader can be isolated here while roen kernels not light enough to be aspirated off can also be isolated. Wheat with falling number problems can, on good separators also be isolated. This is usually more expensive equipment.

4. Colour sorters can isolate speckled kernels or deviaons based on colour. These machines are normally used in high-value items such as seed material, coffee, beans, nuts etc. for human consumpon and are also used in packing plants and food processing plants. While the cost of these sorters has come down recently, entry-level machines would start at around R500,000 at 2-3 tons per hour. Lazer sorters form the new generaon.

5. Other special cleaning equipment includes sorters and other indented cylinders grading by the length of the kernel for instance as well as magnets (oen used in conjuncon with basic graders also), centrifugal cleaners etc.

Solutions for the Agriculture Mechanics

Anyone who has ever worked on equipment knows bearings can be a lot of work. First off, there are a lot of them. And on agricultural equipment, most bearings must be lubricated periodically to prevent them from wearing or seizing. But over the years, with a lot of sweat and engineering, bearings have advanced to where most of the me, you don't even know they're there.

The purpose of bearings is to support rotang machinery, shas and components. Examples include the wheels on tractors, rolls on hay balers, disks on llage equipment and gears in a transmission.

On farm machinery, bearings can be smaller than a dime or as large as a dinner plate, and they cost anywhere from a dollar to hundreds of dollars. Bearings come in at least six different types, but most common on farm equipment are rolling element bearings and plain bearings, or bushings.

BMG provides a comprehensive soluons service to all key players in the agricultural sector, including the farmer, local manufacturers of equipment and implements, as well as agricultural re-sellers. Included in BMG's agricultural porolio is a wide range of wear parts, including heavy duty bearings,which have been specially designed, upgraded and advanced for extended service life in tough African condions.

Also in the agricultural porolio are seals, adhesives and gaskets, harvester and planter chains, as well as gearboxes and electric motors. The range also encompasses PTO shas and accessories, e rod cylinders, drive belts and pulleys, couplings, fasteners and hand and power tools.

“BMG's extensive range of engineering components has been carefully selected for farmers by the company's team of

agricultural experts, to be able to cope efficiently in harsh African condions,” says Carlo Beukes, general manager, power transmission, BMG. “The company takes pride in supplying quality branded products that are compable with original equipment. All components ensure opmum performance - even in tough operang condions and also offer extended service life.

“The company's Boer Slim/Smart Farming concept, which was launched by BMG to assist farmers cope with constantly changing trends in the agricultural sector, has been well received.

“Through the Boer Slim/Smart Farming iniave, BMG's team of agricultural experts offers farming sustainability soluons throughout Africa that focus on effecve food producon, the correct use of suitable equipment for the specific task and the efficient applicaon of advanced technologies.

“We work closely with farmers to

demonstrate that the investment in the latest equipment is necessary to maximise producvity and does translate into tangible operaonal efficiencies. “BMG knows the value of using high quality replacement parts and we encourage farmers to avoid installing inferior components.

The company is commied to supplying quality guaranteed products that can replace wornout OEM or old mechanical parts at a lower price than the original equipment product, with no compromise on quality For example, BMG offers a high quality cornpicker chain at a lower price than the OEM part. All products supplied by BMG conform to all relevant internaonal quality assurance and specificaon cerficaons.

“There is a huge difference between supplying a cheap product below market price and the supply of a good quality product at a compeve, affordable price. Due to the inherent quality aspects of all BMG products, it is vital to know that BMG supplies quality branded products at an

1. BMG

acceptable price

BMG's agricultural components, which conform to relevant quality assurance and specificaon cerficaons, are engineered to improve producvity, operate efficiently for extended periods in harsh local condions and reduce costs in the long term. As an example, BTC seed coulter discs are manufactured from 6 mm tough Boron steel and are hardened between 55 and 58 hrc.

New to the agri range is the complete 8 series PTO drive sha product line, designed and manufactured by La Magdalena in Italy, to meet the requirements in technical advancements in agriculture demand. This is an OEM quality product and caters for heavy duty applicaons.

BMG's comprehensive agricultural catalogue is a praccal guide for farmers which focuses on all wear parts and components available from the company's naonal branch network. There are illustraons and easy-to follow charts to assist farmers in the idenficaon and selecon of the appropriate component for every applicaon.

Immediate availability of a comprehensive range of quality branded products and a technical support and total soluons offering, service sets the company apart in the agricultural community

2. Kverneland Group

Due to the tough operang condions experienced by machinery used in agricultural applicaons, the prospects of aaining a long service life when using standard rolling bearings are extremely limited.

Acutely aware of this fact, leading manufacturers of quality agricultural machines, such as the Kverneland Group, rely on applicaon-specific bearings from NSK. The Soester plain to the east of Dortmund, Germany, is one of the most ferle regions in Europe, making it the ideal locaon for the seeding technology competence centre and headquarters of Kverneland's Soil Processing Division.

In Soest, the company's seeding and drilling machines are developed and manufactured in large quanes in order to meet high demand across Europe, as well as increasing

uptake from customers in the USA and Asia. During seedbed preparaon, the machine's components are subjected to extremely high stresses, parcularly the disc harrow segment of the so-called U-drill. The disc harrow is used to loosen and break up the soil before the following sowing coulters dig the furrows ready to receive the seeds. The disc-shaped tools of the harrow are required to keep turning in all types of ground and at different soil depths. As a result of this low fricon characteriscs are highly important. The tools drive forward with working speeds of up to 18 km/h over uneven ground and must withstand any impact from stones. As the tools sit at an angle to the direcon of moon, the bearings are exposed to high axial forces, not to menon environmental hazards such as dust, moisture, dirt and corrosive ferliser

“The very diverse stress paerns that affect the bearings cannot be accurately predicted, which means that bearings for agricultural machinery are always designed to be much larger than needed,” says Volker Schanzenbach, R&D manager of Kverneland Group Soest GmbH. “Instead of sizing, the main challenge relates to the seal that protects the bearings from dust and moisture.”

This challenge is exaggerated by recent climate change that has led to much drier soil and, consequently, more dust. Furthermore, the efficiency demands of modern farming means that fuel consumpon, working speed, maintenance costs and machine availability take ever-higher priority. Clearly, the performance of the bearings has never been more important.

The Kverneland machines feature eight tools for each metre of working width. This means that they can be equipped with up to 48 highly stressed rolling bearings. To ensure the bearings are up to the job, the company today uses a robust and durable NSK soluon, known as the Agri-Disc Hub. Developed especially for use in soil culvaon and seeding machines, the NSK hubs comprise of a double row of angular contact ball bearings (featuring a 40° contact angle) with a separate inner ring that is designed to withstand high axial and lt

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loads. Supplying an added-value soluon, NSK fits the bearings into housings ready to be installed, thus simplifying assembly for Kverneland.

To overcome the challenge of sealing the bearing, NSK added a stac seal with three sealing lips to the disc side (opposite the bearing housing) and a dynamic seal with two sealing lips between the bearing unit and the disc carrier. A large pressure plate provides further protecon for the bearing and also serves to generate the desired pretensioning.

NSK's special Agri-Disc Hubs feature a double row of angular contact ball bearings and innovave sealing mechanisms and is capable of supporng very high axial and radial loads. According to Kverneland, this innovave sealing system has proved to be highly effecve, even with heavy dust, moisture and abrasive or corrosive elements in the soil such as sand and chemical ferlisers. Water projecon tests have shown that even when subjected to high pressure cleaning, there is no reducon in bearing durability or longevity

The bearing is filled with special performance grease which has a high pressure absorpon capacity designed to last throughout the service life of the bearing. Despite heavy use, this feature makes any subsequent lubricaon unnecessary saving me and grease whilst preserving the environment.

Aer the posive experience provided by adopng the Agri Disc Hubs, engineers at Kverneland (which was taken over by Kubota in 2012) and NSK made a study of other machines with the goal of opmising bearing locaons and increasing longevity. This work led to improved bearing points on Kverneland's disc harrows, where double row angular contact ball bearings without a flange (but with a radial sha seal on one side) are now used. At other bearing points, Kverneland seeding machines use single row ball bearings (four point bearings with a widened inner ring and a flinger seal on one side). Depending on the applicaon, various seal shapes and materials are deployed.

NSK has also developed custom rolling bearings for the seed coulters of the Kverneland single

Soluons for the Agriculture Mechanics

seed drilling machines with underfoot ferlisaon (an extremely abrasive applicaon), as well as for other soil-working machines such as short disc harrows.

According to Kverneland, this innovave sealing system has proved to be highly effecve, even with heavy dust, moisture and abrasive or corrosive elements in the soil such as sand and chemical ferlisers. Water projecon tests have shown that even when subjected to high pressure cleaning, there is no reducon in bearing durability or longevity.

The bearing is filled with special performance grease which has a high pressure absorpon capacity designed to last throughout the service life of the bearing. Despite heavy use, this feature makes any subsequent lubricaon unnecessary saving me and grease whilst preserving the environment.

Aer the posive experience provided by adopng the Agri Disc Hubs, engineers at Kverneland (which was taken over by Kubota in 2012) and NSK made a study of other machines with the goal of opmising bearing locaons and increasing longevity. This work led to improved bearing points on Kverneland's disc harrows, where double row angular contact ball bearings without a flange (but with a radial sha seal on one side) are now used. At other bearing points, Kverneland seeding machines use single row ball bearings (four point bearings with a widened inner ring and a flinger seal on one side). Depending on the applicaon, various seal shapes and materials are deployed.

NSK has also developed custom rolling bearings for the seed coulters of the Kverneland single seed drilling machines with underfoot ferlisaon (an extremely abrasive applicaon), as well as for other soil-working machines such as short disc harrows.

3. NSK Agri Disc Hub units fied to disc harrows

Galucho, the largest agricultural machinery manufacturer in Portugal and Spain, is now fing Agri Disc Hub units from NSK to the company's disc harrows. The move comes aer two years of working together and tesng the product on 700 hectares of land near Seville, a successful process that means NSK is now fully approved to assemble its Agri Disc Hub units on the disc harrows manufactured by Galucho machinery

NSK is now approved to assemble its Agri Disc Hub units on Galucho's GDM series disc harrows The latest disc harrow technology requires reliable bearing soluons to enhance quality, lower costs and protect the environment. As a consequence of the tough condions faced by machinery used on farms, where working on all kinds of hard, dry and abrasive terrain leads to constant exposure to dirt, damp, vibraon and impact, the potenal for disc harrow bearings to deliver a long working life are limited. However, NSK's Agri Disc Hub is designed purposely for agricultural applicaons.

The Agri Disc Hub is an extremely robust unit for disc harrows that meets agriculture's

requirements for greater producvity, reduced costs and environmental protecon. The units comprise double-row angular contact ball bearings that are capable of supporng very high axial and radial loads. Any sudden impact caused by stones in the earth, for example, create high axial loads as a result of the angle at which the lling equipment is posioned in relaon to the direcon of movement. Furthermore, abrasive material like dust, and corrosion caused by water and ferliser, are known to cause problems for many convenonal bearing soluons.

NSK's Agri Disc Hub is a robust unit for disc harrows that meets requirements for greater producvity, reduced costs and environmental protecon

In contrast, Agri Disc Hubs extend the equipment's working life without requiring maintenance (thus saving me), even during the severe mechanical stresses caused by agricultural use. This is thanks to a number of notable features, such as a highly efficient, opmised sealing system that stops abrasive dust and humidity from geng inside the bearings, even if the machinery comes into contact with manure or high-pressure water jets (during cleaning). It is also not possible for grease to drip on to the ground, as Agri Disc Hub bearings do not require addional lubricaon, thus protecng the environment.

Soluons for the Agriculture Mechanics