Undercover Farming Magazine March / April 2022

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GREENHOUSES I SHADE NET I HYDROPONICS I AQUAPONICS

Using Quality Seed and Premium Management to Produce Reputable Greenhouse Produce

Handrey du Plessis of Nocton Acht Agri, Thornhill produces Rijk Zwaan Brinjals in shade net structures and blocky peppers in tunnels and under net structures. the pepper plants. Nocton Acht Agri grows Brinjals on an area of 5 000 m². The average yield per square meter is between 18-20 kilograms, and on average 54 Brinjals per square meter is obtained.

“W

e plant our Brinjal seedlings in a Coir/ Coco Peat mix and make use of 100x16x15cm Vegimix growslabs supplied by Glen Cairns trading in East London. We plant 4 plants per bag and that gives us 6 litres of grow medium per plant,” Handrey explained. Brinjals are trellised in order to increase productivity, increase air and light around the plant to optimise growth potential. Three stems per plant are trellised and the side shoots needs to be stopped but not as much work as

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The irrigation and fertilizer processes are the same for Brinjals and Peppers. The farm has the advantage of a source of good quality water which means it does not require filtration. On the question of imminent diseases or pests on plants, Handrey said they follow a proven spraying program with Nulandis, and perform scouting every week. “Since the Brinjal plant has bigger leaves than the Pepper plant, it attracts thrips and red spider mite easier. So far we haven’t had any issues. You need to pay attention to detail and follow your spraying program otherwise you will encounter problems,” he advised. “The Brinjals produced at Nocton Acht

Agri are Rijk Zwaan’s varieties. We plant the purple Sharapova and striped variety called Leire. The quality is excellent and we haven’t tested other varieties from suppliers as we are satisfied with the quality and productivity of our plants. “We obtain our seedlings from Moorland Seedlings. They are close to our farm and delivers quality seedlings on time, always,” Handrey said. Rijk Zwaan Peppers Handrey reports that they plant their peppers in Coir/ Coco Peat and make use of 100x16x15cm Vegimix growslabs supplied by Glen Cairns trading in East London. They also trellis 3 stems per plant for a higher yield and quality. “Rijk Zwaan has high quality seeds, which is why we are using them. Their representative, Schalk Kotze visits the farm on a weekly basis and we have the support of their broader team at the touch of a button. We find Rijk Zwaan an excellent company to partner with. They are on top of their game with research and new varieties to improve our yields,” Handrey promptly said. The farm has two hectares under shade net houses and a half hectare with plastic covered tunnels. Their yield with

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