Vol 15 No 2
R40.00 (RSA) VAT & Postage incl.
BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE FOR GREENHOUSE, TUNNEL, SHADE NET AND Hydroponics FARMERS
• Western Cape Cucumber Producer of Note • The Farmer and his Market Agency • Manage with Advanced Technologies • Controlled Release Fertilizer Benefits
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Your guide to intensive farming u g id s tot int ensiewe boerdery
Contents • Inhoud
Please take note of the new contact e-mail addresses for Nufarmer Africa and Undercover Farming magazines. Kindly amend your address list on your e-mail system accordingly. Thank you! suzanne@axxess.co.za for all communications pertaining to Undercover Farming and Nufarmer Africa magazines editors@axxess.co.za for all press releases, editorial content expo@axxess.co.za for all communication pertaining to Undercover Farming Expo & Conference and Special Projects management@axxess.co.za for all communication pertaining to finance and administration magazine@axxess.co.za for all communication pertaining to marketing, sales and subscription to Nufarmer Africa and/or Undercover Farming magazines We apologise for any inconvenience in this instance but ensure you of improved e-mail communication in future. Suzanne Oosthuizen; Director PROPRIETOR / ADVERTISING SUZANNE OOSTHUIZEN 012-543 0880 / 082 832 1604 Email: suzanne@axxess.co.za EDITORIAL CONTENT & COMPILATION Johan Swiegers 082 882 7023 editors@axxess.co.za SUBSCRIPTIONS Annual Subscription R 180.00 (RSA only) (VAT. Incl.) ONLINE SUBSCRIPTIONS Email to magazine@axxess.co.za ADDRESS PO Box 759, Montana Park 0159 E-MAIL magazine@axxess.co.za FAX 086 518 3430 ADDRESS PO Box 759, Montana Park 0159 DESIGN Fréda Prinsloo PRINTING Business Print Centre Undercover Farming accepts no responsibility for claims made in advertisements or for opinions and recommendations expressed by individuals or any other body or organisation in articles published in Undercover Farming. Copyright is reserved and the content may only be reproduced with the consent of the Editor.
GREENHOUSE CHAT...
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he recent Undercover Farming Expo & Conference in Pretoria was actually the eighth of the annual events. This is really the event not to be missed annually. The director, Suzanne Oosthuizen has become popular among all role players in the industry and puts shoulder to the wheel throughout the year to organise the northern event in Pretoria and the Western Cape event in Stellenbosch. It is a pleasure to meet up with farmers and service providers who all have busy schedules throughout the year but see it fit to participate in these annual events. This is the only event where the undercover farming producers can meet and greet. It is such a pity that we have little recognition in the bigger playing field of agriculture. Unfortunately it is difficult to obtain an actual figure for the annual total production of all sectors in our undercover farming industry to make the powers to be take note of our achievements. Visiting a farmer who decided at a stage in his career to enter the undercover farming field as an alternative activity to his current production makes you proud to be associated with people who dare where others failed dismally. Then hearing his climb to success to be a major producer in his province and a recognised role player in our industry – may I say; WOW! It is heart-warming to notice how the younger set is taking over from the stalwarts. It shows they believe in what they are doing and are ready to take this industry to new heights. We listened at the conference how speakers motivate delegates to increase their levels of technical management systems and other important points of interest. We live in an era of many changes that takes place almost daily but luckily the young producers are much more enlightened in their approach to business. Therefore we can trust them to take the industry to higher levels. Ed.
GOLDEN WORDS • GOUE WOORDE Psalms 31:23,24 Love the Lord, all His saints! The Lord preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24,25 Die Here beskerm dié wat aan Hom getrou is, maar dié wat teen Hom opstandig is tref Hy swaar. Wees dus sterk en hou goeie moed, almal wat julle vertroue in die Here stel. S u b scrip t i o n / i n t e k e n i n g Online subs: Email to suzanne@axxess.co.za If you subscribe on-line, e-mail your deposit and address details to: magazine@axxess.co.za. More information from Suzannne Oosthuizen: 012-543 0880. Subscription form available on page 19.
v isi t u s at / b e s o e k o n s b y
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IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO ALL READERS, ADVERTISERS AND CORRESPONDENTS: CHANGE OF E-MAIL COMMUNICATION
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Front page: Nico Laubscher of Alzanne Boerdery in a cucumber greenhouse. See page 4.
Alzanne cucumber producers in Western Cape comes a long way 4 Sharing a healthy future with Rijk Zwaan 6 Managing your greenhouse with advanced technologies 8 Access to markets: the farmer and his market agency 9 Sweet Palermo brand boasts with strong image 9 Undercover Farming Conference overview 10 Advantages of the propagation bed heating system 12 The benefit of a controlled release fertilizer 14 Yellow Sparkler*, the snacking pepper that makes Sakata sparkle 15 Diesel refund reforms promise welcome relief to SA farmers 16 Aquaponics: how to practise this food production system viably 17 Innovative ways to manage leeching from a greenhouse 19 Subscription form 19
Alzanne cucumber producers in Western Cape comes a long way Nico Laubscher (Sr) started to farm in 1980 in the Vredendal district on his farm called Vleiland. The farming enterprise is called Alzanne Boerdery. In 1987 he started off with cucumbers under protective cover of plastic covered tunnels. Nico is the first producer of cucumbers in the area where today a number of cucumber producers farm. In 2004 his son Nico (Jr) came into the business and is currently in charge of the enterprise.
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n 1987 the farm was only ten hectares in size – the historical size of the farms fed by canal water. Having had a wetland area as part of their land, no wine grapes could be planted there, which curbed their capacity for farming on a proper economic scale. Nico (Sr) decided to put up six tunnels in 1987 and eventually expanded to more than forty tunnels. In 1998 they decided to construct the first multispan with pad and fan climate control from Vegtech in the Cape. More multispan greenhouses followed in 2004 and 2006. Alzanne progressed in 2009 even further by getting engaged in an empowerment project with Exxaro and the government. Two greenhouses were constructed for ten farmers in 2009 and 2012. In 2014 another ten hectares were purchased in Vredendal district where Nico (Jr)’s brother Sybrand farms. Currently eight hectares of greenhouses are in production; four ha at Vleiland and four ha at Fairview. According to Nico they were doing trials with peppers but recently decided that cucumber production is their forte as it is a fast grower. They purchase seedlings from Multiplant in Brits and do their own grafting to get best results. During summer, after the seedlings were grafted, harvesting begins after four weeks. Originally the Laubschers planted seeds to grow their own seedlings up to 2009 but after experiencing severe losses through Fussarium, they decided to purchase seedlings from a renowned grower. Netherlands researchers did successful trials with pumpkin rootstock onto which cucumber plants are grafted – a practise which is now adopted by most cucumber farmers as it conquered the Fussarium plague. At Alzanne they are planting in sawdust filled bags with a hydroponics system. This divest their plants from soil-borne diseases. “We only use the cucumber varieties from Rijk Zwaan as it really produce the best plants and offers optimal growth and yield,” says Nico. Vredendal is situated in a wine, grapes and raisin production area but, according to Nico it Nico (Jr) Laubscher in the Alzanne has a most excellent Boerdery coldroom. climate for growing
Nico (Jr) and Nico(Sr) Laubscher of Alzanne Boerdery.
cucumbers. During winter they have clear skies and a fairly warm temperature during the day; therefore they need not go to the expense of installing a heating system. What they do experience though is that humidity is very low and therefore leaves very little space for error in irrigation management. Living very close to the plants in the greenhouse is the only way to success and pays good dividends at the end. Over and above the pad and fan system to cool the greenhouses in summer when outside temperatures may reach 44°C, screens are also installed. The tunnels are coated with a special substance from Holland to cool them down in summer. After a few showers of rain it is washed off again, ready for winter. With all these techniques employed by the producer, the temperature is brought down by ten degrees which greatly helps the plants to produce optimally. Pad and fan cooling is expensive as Eskom power is used and talks of an enormous increase could make it worse. Nico and his team are discussing the possibility of introducing solar power at some stage. The Laubschers are of the opinion to rather stick to the opening of the gable ends and sides of the greenhouses and misting which they find as effective in the interim. With Clanwilliam Dam that is empty, fortunately they have contact with a farmer with a strong borehole from where they transport water to their own reservoirs for use in the hydroponics system. This is where hydroponics farming plays a major role in water conservation. They do replenish water from the hydroponics system but use it to wash the greenhouses as dust prevails in the area.
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A view of the multispans and packhouse which is part of the bigger Vleiland farm of Alzanne Boerdery.
The cucumber packhouse on vleiland farm of Alzanne Boerdery.
English cucumbers ready for the market.
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Alzanne Boerdery: samevatting Alzanne Boerdery is in die Westelike Provinsie in die omgewing van Vredendal geleë. Nico Laubscher Sr. het met komkommers geboer en kan gesien word as ‘n leierprodusent uit sy tyd wat in kweekhuise met die produk begin boer het. Die komkommers word drie keer per week na die Kaapse mark vervoer asook na drie bekende varsprodukhandelaars se koelstore. Nico se seun Nico Jr. is sedert 2004 aan hef van sake en sy broer Sybrand bestuur ‘n tweede plaas buite Vredendal ook met komkommers en konfyt tamaties. Op nog ‘n plaas naby Koekenaap word wyndruiwe, rosyntjiedruiwe en tamaties geproduseer. Alzanne Boerdery word fyn bestuur as besigheid en goeie bande is gesmee met die Mark Agente en die varsproduk kettingwinkels om volhoubare produksie dwarsdeur die jaar te verseker. ‘n Totaal van agt hektaar op die twee plase; Vleiland en Fairview is onder kweekhuise vir komkommerproduksie.
More information? Herbert Stolker Consultant South Africa T +27 (0) 72 545 5757 E h.stolker@delphy.nl
Joe Coetsee Consultant South Africa T +27 (0) 76 1123 952 E j.coetsee@delphy.nl
Majella van der Arend International Project Manager Africa T +27 (0) 82 335 3206 E m.vanderarend@delphy.nl
www.delphy.nl
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Dust brings along red spider mite and therefore washing the greenhouses regularly is important. The drought is the most severe in all Nico (Sr)’s life. The farm workers and the management are very aware of the drought and use water very sparingly as it is a major component on the farm and its people. Cucumbers are produced year round. Planting is done in winter and in summer to feed the markets throughout the year. In each tunnel two plantings take place in a year. Although the farm is some Nico Laubscher in a corner of the fertilizer mixing and distance from Cape Town, it delivers to the market and three major fresh produce retail chains in the control room. Mother City three times per week. Alzanne cucumbers are sold through two well-known market agencies on the Cape Town market. Nico is always in close contact with these agents to plan his production accordingly. The two farms of Alzanne Boerdery employ between 120 to 140 workers during the year but during the grape harvest up to 200. They have a forty ha farm at Koekenaap that produces wine grapes, and 10 ha jam tomatoes. Locally they have forty ha under wine grapes and twenty ha under raisin grapes. All sectors of the farming operation at Alzanne Boerdery is run by a team of dedicated people who understand the business of farming, principles of growing for a volatile market at times, good farmer to worker relationship and a keen spirit to progress the business in good time.
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A multispan with the bags filled and irrigation laid ready for planting in May.
Sharing a healthy future with Rijk Zwaan Vegetable growers are familiar to the name RIJK ZWAAN. Their products are available in South Africa for more than two decades. With its headquarters in The Netherlands, Rijk Zwaan is a proud breeder and distributor of quality vegetable seed.
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s a breeder of vegetable seed, Rijk Zwaan focuses on becoming a sustainable source of performing varieties on specific crop types that adds value to farmers and retail stores. The end consumer completes the chain and here quality products must adhere and surpass the needs and expectations of the consumer. “To achieve this we need to understand our market from the field to the plate. This is where we value the direct contact with our clients. Together we can work on building a more sustainable future with exciting opportunities,” explained Gerhard Smit, Commercial Director of Rijk Zwaan South Africa. The Rijk Zwaan breeding teams across the world utilize information supplied from growers to constantly develop and improve on varieties. This can only be achieved with strong relationships between supplier, grower and end user. Once a new variety is developed, they are screened and tested under local conditions to establish their performance in South Africa. A partnership with Somerset Farms near Brits was formed to serve as main screening and demo field. Because South Africa is so diverse, different growers in different areas are also utilised for the same purpose. This gives Rijk Zwaan the ability to know their varieties characteristics and performance under local conditions. “Naturally, this enables us to pair the correct product to the grower, and to give better technical assistance after the seed is sold,” Gerhard explains. Innovation is key, and Rijk Zwaan is well known for bringing new concepts to the market. On lettuce, Knox varieties delays colouring after processing, adding to shelf life. On cucumbers, snack size fruits assist mom and dad in packing lunch boxes. These concepts assist all throughout the value chain. Growers can differentiate themselves in the market, retailers have lower processing losses, and the consumer benefits by consuming an improved product. Rijk Zwaan is well positioned to supply the tomato market that is steering towards undercover farming. The correctly allocated variety under correct management can offer a massive advantage to growers, differentiating them in the market to offer higher quality fruit more consistently. The company also developed varieties for open field production. In this segment, the varietal selection differs completely and the demand for high yielding varieties with exceptional disease tolerance is the key focus. Speciality varieties for the retail sector and for growers looking to build their own brand and consumer exposure are offered. In total, Rijk Zwaan currently has ten different tomato commercial varieties available for the South African market. Nevertheless, not everything resolves around lettuce, cucumber and tomato. During 2017, Rijk Zwaan introduced an all-sweet watermelon variety in South Africa. The variety, Morgan RZ, is yielding very promising results. Exciting news is further expansion of the South African commercial assortment, with Baby Marrow and Swiss Chard joining the list of established crops. The Baby Marrow varieties offer exceptional yield potential and suitability to varying growing conditions while the unique Swiss Chard varieties offer a better eating experience when compared to what is currently available in the market.
Support is offered throughout South Africa. Sales representatives are strategically located to focus on the key vegetable producing areas. Support to sales representatives are through appointed product development managers. Rijk Zwaan varieties are cultivated throughout the country, from the borders of Limpopo to the most Southern point in the Cape. People are important to Rijk Zwaan. Their customers and employees form the building blocks of the business. Gerhard indicates that the ability to service the client on his own farm is key. To illustrate the above, Rijk Zwaan hosts various local and international open days. “Open days showcases the future varieties of Rijk Zwaan and gives growers and processers an opportunity to see the latest techniques and methods related to vegetable farming. We are almost a hundred years old, and yet we know that we are still learning,” Gerhard laughs. Rijk Zwaan South Africa can assist in attending open field days in Spain, Holland and USA. To be successful in business, and specifically in an agriculture business, is not an easy task. Rijk Zwaan embraces technology as one of the methods to ensure that it remains not only relevant, but also leads in innovation. This belief is also carried to the grower. “We live in an era where technology is generously obtainable and the benefits thereof are seen on a daily basis. Rijk Zwaan has observed this potential and is utilising technology globally, not only for breeding and seed processing, but also in understanding our market better. This gives us the capabilities and systems to gather our market requirements and to translate them into new varieties suited to our increasing demand. “A massive 30% of turnover is invested into Research and Development to breed improved varieties, new concepts and solutions with the aim to benefit all our clients. This is applicable to our market here in South Africa as well,” concluded Gerhard. Rijk Zwaan is globally known to be a strategic partner to the fresh food retail industry. Their expertise in this regard is reflected on the shelves of numerous retails chain stores across South Africa. The company’s future ambitions are true to their slogan: Sharing a Healthy Future. Growers are invited to contact Rijk Zwaan (see the contact details in the advert next to this page) for more information.
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Managing your greenhouse with advanced technologies In order to attain an efficient greenhouse production system today, it is of essence to introduce an electronic management system. There are several factors to consider before venturing into this.
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ees van der Kruk of Priva in the Netherlands was one of the presenters at the recent Undercover Farming Conference in Pretoria. He gave an overview of food production, water availability, urbanisation and food security in recent times and the future. Traditional open land food production is faced with many obstacles today. Figures from various research institutes reveal that as more people move to cities, farms as we are used to historically are on the decrease. Global warming creates the effect of drying out previous arable A typical electronics management information installation in a greenhouse. farmland. The most obvious solution is to establish labour insight, production registration and crop insight offering the producer a greenhouse farms, taking up much smaller spaces in close proximity to cities wide scope of data he needs to see that the business runs on an even keel. in order to lower transport cost and to deliver fresh produce in better condition to markets. Producing food under protective cover offers; higher yield, better and mostly even quality than open land, more accurate harvest predictability, less water use than on open land farming, more effective land usage (between 5 to 6 times better harvest than off open land and a reduction in pesticide use. Biological pest management is more effective in a closed production environment. Greenhouses are being constructed for producers at various levels. Therefore Priva caters for three different levels of producers to assist them with an effective management aid system to afford them to produce an even product at even intervals and at even quality. Connext is a Premium solution, flexible, high control needs, large scale, Energy and Water management systems. Compact; This is a high solution, high control needs system which is less flexible for the smaller scale operation but includes a water management system. Compass is an entry level solution for the start-up farmer. It therefore has lower control needs, a smaller scale system with no management facilities.
Kees van der Kruk of Priva in the Netherlands explained management technologies in the greenhouse at the recent Undercover Farming Conference.
The beautiful aspect of a Priva system with full control is that you are able to obtain insight on your whole production system while being off-site. Every aspect of your business appears on your smart phone or tablet screen and you are able to communicate with the relevant staff at their various posts. Apps are designed around
Access to markets: the farmer and his market agency Technological information is available in abundance but much less is available on access to markets. Markets rapidly changes for a number of reasons and currently the market for fresh produce and dietary foodstuffs are increasing daily.
Sweet Palermo brand boasts with strong image The Sweet Palermo brand stands for a consistently high quality. It is therefore of primary importance that the Sweet Palermo logo is visible on the product and packaging and that Sweet Palermo creates a recognisable on-shelf identity.
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complete packaging line has been developed for all market segments which offers consumers a whole new product experience and contributes to the exclusive image of this product. All packaging lines communicate the exclusive flavour of the product. On request Rijk Zwaan offers to develop other packaging concepts to support co-branding or to communicate a retailer’s own brand. The use of specific packaging lines for selected target groups will contribute to successful and effective acceptance of the Sweet Palermo. For the Sweet Palermo Growers Group there is a dedicated website (www. sweetpalermo.com) where customers can select packaging options and download or request promotional material. For consumers, there is a website providing inspiring recipes, taste tests, etc. Furthermore, the website provides information about the various growers, underlining the personal and authentic
nature of the product. The Sweet Palermo also plays a prominent role on the community website, LoveMySalad.com Following on from the success of the Sweet Palermo, Rijk Zwaan is now working to develop this pointed pepper in other colours. A yellow version is now available. To supplement the red and yellow versions, an orange version will be introduced in the near future. Needless to say, these new versions will have the same exceptional Sweet To page 13
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ccording to Dr Sjoerd Alkema of GROW fresh produce, an important issue in fresh produce production is the market you are producing for. There are many market channels available today. On the one hand there is the Municipal Markets and on the other, the Buyer’s market. On the Municipal Market side there are many Market Agencies who will gladly guide the producer with regards to timing, quality, packaging and more. These agencies depend on the commission they earn when selling the produce at the best price on any given day. Alkema referred to farmers that cannot compete with large scale greenhouse farmers. The smaller greenhouse operator does not always understand economies of scale when choosing a product for a market. His alternative to sourcing extra funds to go bigger – without doing proper research – is to find an alternative crop to grow in a greenhouse for which he is able to procure a steady market throughout the year. A very important fact is to create a steadfast Packing your produce in a sturdy box and labelling it clearly will greatly enhance the marketing of your produce. relationship with your market agent. Your part of the relationship is to produce quality fresh produce for the major part of the year and a brand name and the quality it contains. This is part of the producers marketing to deliver to the market at the time suggested by your agent. This will also ensure strategy. Alkema mentioned an example to support this. A foremost tomato you are paid out on time in order to keep your cash-flow steady. producer started 55 years ago by sending only seventeen boxes of tomatoes to the Johannesburg market. Currently – by following the principles mentioned A word of advice to newcomers to the greenhouse production industry; obtain above – the farm delivers more than a million boxes to the market. space to establish yourself as close as possible to your market. This gives you the edge over open land producers who normally are based far from town or Another important aspect of marketing today is the current focus by advertising city and mostly take a few hours to deliver to their markets. Good relationship agencies on children. Children became acutely aware of product branding. with your market agent on the floor is all important as the producer’s product The majority of mothers today give heed to their children’s wants and needs in often competes with a better looking product that was imported. If the producer branded clothing and food. It is therefore imperative when a label is designed maintains a good relationship with his agent and manages his delivery of the for a product that where ever possible, it applies to the youth. product on a fixed schedule, the product is bound to fetch a higher price than Trust is an important word when marketing through a market agency. The advice that from another source with irregularities. you obtain from them to adapt where necessary to keep playing in the front row Farmers who bring their produce unsorted and in odd boxes to the market just when it comes to presenting your product and the way it is offered to an evercannot expect the same price as other more reliable producers who takes pride changing market is most valuable. The effort and bit of ‘red tape’ when applying in their product, sorted their produce and packed it in a sturdy box with a label for Global Gap status and the rest, may well be the reason for your progress in displaying his brand name. Buyers who regularly visit the market tends to notice business and increase in bank balance.
Undercover Farming Conference overview The eighth annual Undercover Farming Expo & Conference was, according to attendees and exhibitors once more successful in the sense that it offered high quality speakers, more than enough opportunities to gather information and to discuss business with the service providers to the industry.
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hroughout the conference speakers enlightened producers on technologies available to them to supply the market with sustain ability in quality produce. The recent drought, electricity costs, ever increasing labour costs are only some of the issues undercover farmers have to address and find solutions for. The speakers of which the most are directly involved in companies that offer solutions to these problems to a great extent offered their views and the technological answers to solve a number of problems faced by producers today.
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Although the financial climate is not exactly what you would call
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‘sparkling’, still most representatives of companies that attended the conference were satisfied with the business opportunities offered through the producer attendees and even newcomers to the industry. The Undercover Farming Expo & Conference in Pretoria and in the Boland annually offers a ‘one-stop-information and business ‘ opportunity to producers of longstanding as well as new investors who are these days eager to become involved in fresh produce production in greenhouses. Anybody who starts an enterprise first of all needs to secure a market for his product. The market prescribes to a large extent what sells, when
SEEN AT THE 2018 UNDERCOVER FARMING CONFERENCE “We thank all exhibitors, sponsors, speakers and delegates for another successful event. We are looking forward to welcome our participants to the Undercover Farming Western Cape Conference in October,” said Suzanne Oosthuizen, Director: Undercover Farming Expo.
From page 10 Undercover Farming Conference overview
and what quantities are to be offered during the course of the year. On this subject Dr Sjoerd Alkema of GROW Fresh Produce enlightened farmers on the absolute necessity of building good relations with market agents and the fresh produce manager of chain stores they wish to supply. Rob Veenstra of Hortimax made a valid point by informing farmers that in current times, little space is available for error in your production system. His company is popular for their electronic irrigation and fertigation management devices that take a load off the farmer’s shoulder but at the same time save him money by being punctual in its performance.
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All the other speakers not mentioned here offered excellent advice and spoke at a comprehensible level to producers with different interests. The director of Undercover Farming Expo, Suzanne Oosthuizen thanked every exhibitor, contributor and delegate that once more made the event a tremendous success.
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Advantages of the propagation bed heating system Florad/Dynamis has been operating in the Gauteng area since 1996.Dynamis (based in Cape Town) has been a market leader in offering a range of various heating products for more than 40 years.
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he company offers experience which was gained over 40 years. This makes them the ideal choice for the greenhouse operator as his heating specialist.Their field of application includes residential, commercial and agricultural projects such as: Space heating and propagation heating for green houses; floor heating for chickens, ostriches, pigs, butterflies; heating systems for aquatic farming such as crocodiles, fish, abalone and aquaponics; are a few examples of agricultural applications. Recently Florad was contracted by Ball Straathof Company to provide a solution to heat their propagation bed tables during spring, summer to autumn. Five tables of 30m by 1.3m each with an existing steel heating tube installation were to be heated to provide a temperature of approximately 20°C for root zone develop ment. Normally without heating, night time temperature would drop to below 15°C, stunting root development. Florad’s Rainer Pruter raised his concerns about the efficiency of the steel tubes and the distance away from the actual area to be heated. In an effort to reduce heat loss and improve efficiency, curt The tables are covered and heating comes from a aining was installed heat pump water heating system. below the tables and a roof was installed above the tables. During winter months, the coal burner is started and the entire nursery is heated. The coal burner is however very costly to maintain during the other months when heating was only required for a small section of the nursery, and mostly during night times only.Florad disconnected the 5 tables from the boiler system and installed a heat pump.
HEAT PUMP WATER HEATING SYSTEM A hot water heat pump is a very efficient electrical water heater. Heat pumps have been around for decades (some of the hostels at Stellenbosch University for example have used heat pumps for hot water for more than 25 years) and is very widely used in Europe for central heating systems. Their popularity has however increased drastically due to the increase in the price of energy in the
recent years. This increase in demand has brought down the price for heat pumps considerably. A heat pump works like an air conditioning unit in reverse. It extracts heat from the ambient air surrounding it, enabling it to heat the refrigerant which is then compressed causing it to get even hotter. This is then run through a heat exchanger where the thermal energy is drawn off to heat the water and then the refrigerant is allowed to expand again, thus cooling it down and enabling it again to absorb heat from the surrounding air. Therefore electricity is only used to run a fan and compressor and the heat energy is provided indirectly by the sun. The hot water heat pump typically produces up to 4 times more heat energy than the electrical energy it consumes. Unlike solar a heat pump is not directly dependant on the sun and therefore it can operate day and night, winter and summer ensuring you the highest possible saving and piping hot water 24/7. Modern day heat pumps can typically produce water temperatures of 50-60°C and some even as high as 80°C of water, and will still operate at -20°C ambient air temperatures.
The coal burner.
The results of the installation were as promised. Nursery manager Drummond Cron shaw expressed his satis faction with the outcome of the Florad heat pump installation at Ball Straathof. Temperatures were logged and the heat pump was capable of maintaining
A heat pump installed in a greenhouse.
A schematic visual of how a heat pump water heating system functions.
required temperatures at root zone level. The huge output capacity of the coal boiler is not an economically viable solution when heat demand is not high. This, together with the manual labour component to keep boiler operating at night times, made the heat pump solution an obvious choice. To page 13
From page 9 Sweet Palermo
Palermo characteristics: a soft skin, an excellent shelf life and a deliciously rich, subtly sweet taste. “With Sweet Palermo we are responding to the increasing trend towards fruit and vegetables with a naturally sweet taste. This demand has already been addressed successfully by product innovations such as snack tomatoes and children’s apples. The sweeter, richer flavour makes Sweet Palermo ideal for many more occasions than the other long red pointed pepper – the Kapya type, which is often confused with the real Sweet Palermo – including as a healthy snack,” explains Gerhard Smit of Rijk Zwaan SA. With its soft skin and fewer seeds it opens up even more opportunities. This makes the Sweet Palermo a premium product that the market is ready for. By working together on the success of Sweet Palermo as chain partners, the company can combine their competitive strengths and secure a preferred position. The exclusive Sweet Palermo Growers Group ensures continuity in terms of both quality and availability. The Sweet Palermo really is different from a regular pointed or blocky pepper. A panel of experts from the Wageningen University & Research Centre has also established that Sweet Palermo has a unique flavour. Moreover, the Sweet Palermo is high in vitamin C, with twice the amount of an orange. It contains vitamin A and E, folic acid and magnesium, as well as beta-carotene and potassium. All of these characteristics make the Sweet Palermo a pepper which can be enjoyed on many more occasions and in many different ways than a regular pepper. RZ
like Verbascum. They also supply world novelties like Double Calibrachoas and Double Osteospermums. Florad expressed their gratitude towards Ball Straathof for the opportunity to prove their expertise in heating systems and sharing their knowledge with such an old and well-known company.
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The much faster and healthier root development resulted in increased production reaching consumers sooner. According to Florad’s Rainer Pruter the heat pump was installed on a trial basis as the effectiveness of the existing steel pipe installation was unknown. The system was monitored and the heat pump performed to the client’s requirements. Recommendations were made to get the heat source closer to the actual required area which is the rootingtray. Ball Straathof now considers this system for future installations. Florad has developed a thin capillary heating mat with water draining thermal insulation below the mat allowing for the heat source to be in direct contact with the root zone area. The result is decreased heat source temperatures and optimal efficiency. Ball Straathof is one of the largest specialty seed and young plant companies in Southern Africa. They supply annual and perennial seed and plugs to professional bedding, ornamental and cut flower growers, as well as landscapers and parks/recreational departments, both locally and internationally. This means using only the highest quality seed and cuttings, and offering the best range and service. Both seed and vegetative varieties are trial grown in Ball Straathof’s extensive 2,5ha gardens in Honeydew. The range is staggering, from the easy growing Alyssum and Iimpatiens, to rare beauties
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From page 12 Advantages of the propagation bed heating system
The benefit of a controlled release fertilizer At the recent Undercover Farming Conference at the CSIR Conference Centre, Frank de Villiers, marketing manager of Dynatrade enlightened the delegates on the benefits of controlled release fertilizer (CRF). As far as fifteen years ago a product called Osmocote was imported from the Netherlands by his company.
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RF’s such as Osmocote are different to granular fertilizers or liquid fertilizers. Rather than releasing a quick rush of fertilizer, a CRF will release the nutrients slowly over a longer period of time. CRF’s play a key role in improving yield, reducing nutrient losses and thus simplify the application process. These products also help to regulate the nutrition levels throughout the plant’s entire growth cycle. In a simple one-time application CRF leads to uniform growth, optimum yield and resistant plants – therefore maximum results with minimum effort. Each granule of Osmocote is coated for controlled release and is made up of Nitrogen, Calcium and Potassium and more essential trace elements. When water penetrates the granular cutting it starts to dissolve the nutrients. The nutrients and trace elements are being taken up through the root system and afterwards, the coating of the granule automatically breaks up in the soil as organic particles. The coating of the Osmocote particle acts as a membrane. As soon as water enters the membrane it gets in touch with the fertilizer and trace elements and these are released over a period of one to two weeks. As explained, the coating eventually breaks up as organic matter.This product is not affected by the soil, pH, salt level in the soil, irrigation quantity and rain. Only soil temperature can affect Osmocote. High temperature will speed up the release and lower temperatures will slow down the release of the fertilizer. The ideal temperature for Osmcote to release fertilizer is 21°C average day/night soil temperature. With regular irrigation the inside soil temperature is lower than the outside temperature. At soil temperatures higher than 21°C the product will release quicker and soil temperatures lower than 21°C a slower release will take place. The Osmocote product comes in different varieties for different release periods. One for instance at 21°C soil temperature releases at 1% per day. This is called Osmocote Pro that will release over hundred days 100% of its content; obviously at a regular soil temperature of 21°C. Therefore its longevity makes it popular. Another example one can observe is 26°C soil temperature; 25% higher than the standard 21°C. This will cause the Osmocote to release its contents faster and therefore the longevity of the product will be shorter. The release period shortens to about 75 days. On the other hand, if the soil temperature falls with five percent from 21°C the longevity will be shorter as the release takes much longer.
There are a number of benefits of controlled Release Fertilizer. Ease of use. The producer has peace of mind that fertilizer will be released as prescribed (depending on the standard soil temperature) regardless of outside climate activities. During moist or cold outside temperatures, the producer using top fertilizer or irrigation, must decide what the plant needs and stands a chance of over watering his crop or run the risk of nutrient deficiencies. CRF’s continues releasing fertilizer without the use of water. It only needs to be applied once unlike a water soluble fertilizer or granular fertilizer. Because CRF’s release fertilizer slowly and constantly and in a manner that is not tied to the irrigation frequency it provides more consistent nutrient release to plants offering the possibility of consistent quality. Reduced application cost. Labour is always a concern for the grower. The incorporation of CRF can reduce labour cost by eliminating the need to mix and monitor water soluble fertilizer. It does not need special injection equipment and eliminate the possibility of improper mixing water soluble fertilizer in the stock solution. Incorporating CRF does not require extra labour – the labour is already at hand. It is also simple to vary the CRF application for crops with different feeding needs. In the case of ornamental plants, CRF’s will continue to release nutrition during the transit from grower to wholesaler or market, retailer and long after it reached the consumer. Reduced environmental impact. Probably the major benefit of the CRF is an environmental one. Since the nutrients are released slowly in a frequency when a plant actually uses it, the amount of nutrients being leached in water is minimal. Especially where crops are overhead irrigated and the run-off is not collected or recycled. The Macadamia industry is booming and relies heavily on controlled release fertilizer to ensure crop quality and uniform plants. The citrus producers benefit largely from the premium trace elements mixed in with the NPK in each granule. Osmocote has been used by the forestry seedling growers for many years. Locally flower nurseries are benefitting from improved yield and quality using CRF. With a view to increase food production more technically fine-tuned management is required. Therefore it is essential for the fresh produce, fruit, berry and flower grower to change to a CRF like Osmocote with all the benefits outlined above.
Yellow Sparkler*, the snacking pepper that makes Sakata sparkle
DISCLAIMER: This information is based on our observations and/or information from other sources. As crop performance depends on the interaction between the genetic potential of the seed, its physiological characteristics, and the environment, including management, we give no warranty express or implied, for the performance of crops relative to the information given nor do we accept any liability for any loss, direct or consequential, that may arise from whatsoever cause. Please read the Sakata Seed Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd Conditions of Sale before ordering seed.
Tel: 011 548 2800 www.sakata.co.za e-mail: info.saf@sakata.eu
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t will always be a challenge to convince the consumer to buy a new product, even if it has added benefits, as consumers usually prefer to buy the products that have been in the market place for some time and that they recognise. Taste is also an objective measure and not the same for everyone, which makes the challenge even bigger. If a company can thus find a product that creates excitement over a broad spectrum of consumers, it is really noteworthy. Yellow Sparkler* is such a noteworthy Sakata variety! This yellow snacking pepper is a new introduction into the South African pepper market and with its’ exceptional flavour and high brix level it has taken the market by storm. Yellow Sparkler* is a unique variety that has a very small seed cavity with All the important very limited, if any, seeds inside that values of the company makes it ideal for snacking, stuffing or are hidden in these cutting into a salad. Yellow Sparkler*, words: People, as the name suggests, has a very rich Ambition, Sincerity, yellow colour and is sure to catch Yellow Sparkler* Smile, Innovation, the eye. Optimism and Growers also love it and commented opportunities for growers that would like to market Yellow Sparkler* Never give up! on the plant and the potential it holds as a branded product. for sustainable production, because There are similar types of products in the market, but Yellow of the high yield potential and the fact that the fruit grows beautifully on the Sparkler* distinguishes itself from other snacking peppers based on its great plant. The plant is compact with very good leaf cover. The uniform setting taste. Not only is it sweet, but it adds a very fresh pepper taste and crunchy throughout the growing season can lead to continuous supply, which is a texture to the mix, that compliments any dish from roasting, cooking or salads. benefit for such a niche market. The fruit walls are thick and adds to the good shelf life of the product. The plant itself require minimum input when it If you are interested in learning more about Yellow Sparkler*, please contact comes to trellising and pruning and is considered to be very labour friendly. us at Sakata Seeds Southern Africa or visit the Sakata website for details. Sakata feels confident that once consumers taste this pepper, they will *Experimental: This variety does not appear on the current South African definitely want more! This creates fantastic and very unique marketing Variety list, but has been submitted for registration.
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Sakata Seed’s global slogan of “Passion in Seed” means more than meets the eye. All the important values of the company are hidden in these words: People, Ambition, Sincerity, Smile, Innovation, Optimism and Never give up! Sakata Seed Southern Africa also lives out this Passion and as one of the leading vegetable seed companies in South Africa the “I” for Innovation is a very important aspect of the vegetable industry. Launching a new product into the market place is not always easy as the advantages of such a product must be communicated and understood by the consumer as well as the producer.
Diesel refund reforms promise welcome relief to SA farmers The promised reforms to the current Diesel Tax Refund system promise welcome relief to struggling SA farmers.
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hilst nothing has been confirmed by Treasury as yet, the diesel tax refund system and its administration are set for an overhaul which will see a reduction in the increasingly onerous compliance requirements to qualify for the refund. The Diesel Rebate system has been in place since 2000 in order to encourage production in the agricultural sector (amongst others), with SARS providing a refund on the fuel and RAF levies charged on diesel to qualifying farmers. However, Christine du Toit, a director of CAP Chartered Accountants advises that in order to be eligible for the Diesel Rebate, SARS insists on onerous record-keeping requirements in the form of purchase and sales invoices and comprehensive logbooks which detail both the storage and the use of fuel supplied to each and every vehicle and piece of equipment. “The level of detail required by SARS includes: the source of the diesel; date of purchase, storage and use; capacity of diesel storage tanks; opening and closing balance of diesel in the equipment and storage tanks; specifics of the equipment; opening and closing meter readings of distance, duration, or speed; the specific activity eligible for diesel rebates and location the activity took place; and details relating to any non-eligible operations performed by the equipment.” “Unsurprisingly, most farmers have found it almost impossible to comply with this level of detail, and have had their Diesel Rebates reversed when audited by SARS, and also given penalties and interest charges too,” says du Toit, who explains that before April 2013, SARS allowed for 80% of the Diesel Rebate to be paid to farmers when records were not sufficiently kept. “However in April 2013 it was ruled that no discretion is allowed and if the logbook does not comply strictly with all the detailed requirements it is disregarded and the rebate denied, irrespective of any efforts the farmer may have exerted to comply in good faith. This naturally led to a sharp decrease in the number of farming enterprises receiving a rebate - and the share of the diesel refund being paid to the agricultural sector declined from 46% to 11%.”
Things set to change
The 2015 Budget Review announced the reform of the diesel refund administration system. In 2018, following a comprehensive review of the administration of the diesel refund system, National Treasury and SARS will engage with affected industries and other role players as a next step in the reform process. A new diesel refund administration system will be announced in Budget 2019. “The reform will also separate the diesel refund system from the VAT system. From the date at which the new diesel refund system commences, vendors will no longer be entitled to a VAT deduction in respect of the purchase and use of diesel for the development of small-scale farmers,” explains du Toit. “Section 16(3)(l) of the VAT Act will be repealed and no longer applicable once the new Diesel refund system kicks in. This section specifically is overlooked by SARS as it provides specified VAT deductions which are allowed to be made in the calculation of VAT liability or refunds owing. As has been seen, SARS generally disallow such deduction without solid grounds, and levy a 10% penalty and interest for the late payment. An even in instances where all relevant supporting documentation has been provided, SARS still make the adjustment on assessment. The taxpayer must then object against such decision where SARS was wrong to make the adjustment in order to “win” time by paying out the refund. This is commonly seen in cases where a refund is due to the taxpayer.” “The Diesel Rebate is extremely important for the viability of commercial farming. Due to the devastating successive droughts in the past years, many of SA’s commercial farmers are having to consider shutting down their operations and selling their farms – a move that will lead to massive job losses and will affect food security,” says du Toit. “Government has an immediate and obvious avenue to ease the burden of farmers, and help cash-flow and profit generation and we hope that the coming months will see speedy legislative reforms that introduce a practical and more lenient approach to Diesel Rebates so that farmers are able to fully benefit.”
Aquaponics: how to practise this food production system viably It is often mentioned that farmers would perceive a specific crop or even animal with which much success was obtained in another part of the country or even in a foreign country, to grow and be successful on his farm.
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A floating plant panel lifted to show the good root formation.
Colin is a mine of information; having studied and visited so many aquaponics farmers and authorities on the subject. His own system is completely organic, chemical-free and managed without the expense of electronic systems. Through a certain amount of trial and error, he minimised losses to a large extent.
different view. Soon afterwards he learnt that Murray Hallam from Australia, an authority on aquaponics farming would be holding Practical Aquaponics Master Class training in 2015 on the subject in South Africa. In 2017 Colin also attended an aquaponics workshop presented by Dr. James Rakocy regarded as the father of modern commercial aquaponics at Stellenbosch university. Colin was also invited to give a talk at Stellenbosch on the Kleinskuur aquaponics system. Meanwhile, Colin started to study the different methodologies of hydroponics and aquaculture , the structures and technologies required for aquaponics as well as the production and financial aspects.
When Colin started out he consulted several hydroponics farmers but were put off by their rather negative attitude towards aquaponics. He was stunned as what he has been studying and researched at several universities, portrayed a
He researched systems of different countries and came to the conclusion that some of the local systems constructed were actually duplications from foreign systems and therefore proved to be unsuccessful. No wonder the local people were not convinced of the system’s profitability. A foam plug with a seedling.
The system designed by Colin utilise nature to the full. The geothermal system, that is pipes running underground, is used to heat up the water in winter and the same system will cool down the water during summer. The growing pools are interconnected and some have an over-flow to return the water to the fish pools. The fish require around 28 degrees Celsius to flourish optimally and the water feeding the root zone of the floating plants needs an average of 23 degrees Celsius to grow well. The system therefore does not require fossil fuel or other energy requirements to heat or cool Colin’s Kleinskuur aquaponics system. In this system, the fish used are Tilapia. Historically, they have been of major importance in artisanal fishing in Africa, and they are of increasing importance in aquaculture and aquaponics. Colin has both Tilapia Mozambicus and Nile Tilapia in his system. The amount of fish kept in the fish pool is calculated according to the amount of plants grown in the system in order to retain a fine balance.
Colin Bremner of Kleinskuur Aquaponics with the floating panels of plants behind him, shows a typical 'plug' plant.
The plants act as a filter system. It filters out the Nitrates which the bacteria convert from the ammonia that is excreted by the fish. The fish feed is converted by the fish as nutrients for the plants. The water going back to the fish is therefore clean water. This is a major saving as against aquaculture where a third of the water needs to be replaced because of a buildup To page 18
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An aquaponics expert that has drawn attention to his own trial system outside Pretoria, Colin Bremner of Kleinskuur Aquaponics has done much research on the system. He has been for studies at Stellenbosch and elsewhere, communicated with experts in the field both overseas and locally and came to the conclusion that with practical thinking, aquaponics systems can be constructed within the means of the farmer who truly desires to become involved and have the aptitude for marketing his produce – the latter being the most important business aspect of food production systems.
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his gross misunderstanding most often leads to the demise of the farmer because of him being ill-informed or not having done research properly. For instance – the mere position of the sun or the site of the unit play a major role in the success of an aquaponics unit.
From page 17 Aquaponics: how to practise this food production system viably
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of Nitrates to keep fish healthy and filtration systems required to clean the water. In the system designed by Colin the synergy among fish, water, plants and temperature provides for a healthy, biologically superb system at much lower cost. Kleinskuur uses a 1.1Kw water pump to move the water throughout the system and only a 0.3kW pump is required to move the water through the geothermal system. A 1.1Kw radial air pump supplies all the systems air needs. The build-up of aerobic bacteria, functioning to convert the ammonia to nitrites and nitrates is the heart of the system, just a s important as the fish and plants in any aquaponic system. This Kleinskuur aquaponics system functions well – like you would find in nature - with all the above elements in synergy to provide quality and healthy plants and fish. Generally, greens for salads are grown but tomatoes, cucumber or peppers can be grown utilising the system’s water but planted in separate gravel barrels using an ebb and flow system. Seedlings are grown by Colin himself for the aquaponics system according to the demand of his market. The fish are marketed when it reaches a marketable size. Kleinskuur has its own fish breeding component in order to keep the amount of fish even as the system requires.
Grafting in process.
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Fish in one of kleinskuur's dams.
According to Colin the system he designed does not make use of cement or concrete as it attracts algae and changes the pH of the Excellent root formation water. Structures with water proof sailcloth, food grade plastic dams, tanks and piping are utilised in the system. 40% black and white shade net is used to cover the system to keep out birds and hail but is specifically developed to allow the correct amount and quality sunlight for the plants. Various sized system plans are available for the different level of investors. Even the plants grown in floating squares are being serviced by bees and other healthy insects which in turn keep away pests from the crops. A fully biological aquaponics system such as the Kleinskuur design has been proven to be effective and financially viable in Africa. It is designed to suit the pocket of the beginner commercial farmer and is scaled up for large enterprises. The ideal is for smaller aquaponics farmers to group together to offer large quantities of produce to the big five food markets on a sustainable basis. In this manner the industry will progress in the country and offer many households a steady income from food growing systems as nature intended. Colin offers training sessions at the farm for interested people in aquaponics farming. He is currently in discussion with various other countries in Sub Saharan Africa who are keen to employ this system in their agricultural production arena.
If you leave a plant to flourish in an aquaponics system.
Innovative ways to manage leeching from a greenhouse
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area, where it is further humidified by evaporation devices. The air rises up by buoyancy, reaching the upper end of a cooling duct, where it cools down and the water vapour condenses as it reaches dew point. The cooled air becomes heavier and falls back through the duct into the vegetation area at the ground level. The concept aims to help change from an extremely water-and-nutrientsdemanding system to a water producing and nutrients recycling horticultural one. Further help towards achieving this objective is by using a closed-loop greenhouse irrigation and fertilization system, using wastewater and saline water as an input. A closed greenhouse ideally does not need any water input as it is cycling within the closed internal atmosphere. In reality, there will always be some losses, but significant water efficiency has already been achieved (at 0,5 litres/m2 below daily water demand) in intensive cultivation. Source: Greenhouse Innovations.
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o reverse this trend, various technologies and management practices have been implemented and much research is being done to find sustainable solutions. One example in particular highlights the efforts to adopt environment-friendly production techniques. Integrated pest management (IPM) was widely implemented in cultivating the main crops. IPM minimizes the use of chemicals and relies on natural enemies and beneficial organisms for crops. Almería has become the world’s leading area in using this system, ahead of countries such as The Netherlands and Israel. The implementation of IPM has led to a strong decline in the use of phytosanitary products and a partial removal of chemical residues. Another sustainable solution is the use of fertigation systems. Fertigation refers to the application of fertilizers through the irrigation water by connecting a fertilizer injector directly to the irrigation system. This allows the supply of correct levels of nutrients exactly and uniformly, and only to the wetted root volume where the active roots are concentrated. This significantly increases fertilizer-use efficiency, which means that the applied fertilizer rate can be reduced. This reduces production costs, and groundwater pollution caused by the leaching of fertilizer/ accumulation of nutrients and salts in the topsoil. Much research has been (and is still being) done to optimize resource use and decrease the impact on the environment. For instance, the WATERGY project - funded within the European Union’s 5thFramework Programme – developed the ‘closed greenhouse’ concept that involves implementing a new method of passive climate control and water treatment (desalinization and irrigation water recycling) by only using solar energy. Air in a closed greenhouse is humidified by plants. It rises up into the roof
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Despite the outstanding positive impact of a booming greenhouse industry in the Spanish economy, this “success story” has had an undesirable effect on the local environment. Local water resources have been adversely affected by irrigated greenhouse horticulture – there has been overexploitation, nitrate contamination and salinization of aquifers.
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