Undercover Farming Magazine Mch/Apr2017

Vol 14 No 2

R40.00 (RSA) VAT & Postage incl.

BI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE FOR GREENHOUSE, TUNNEL, SHADE NET AND HYDROPONICS FARMERS

• Growing Seedlings for Trees • Red Spider Mite on Tomatoes • Focus on Undercover Farming Conference 2017 • Use of UV in Aquaponics

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MARCH | APRIL 2017

JAN • FEB 2017

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YOUR GUIDE TO INTENSIVE FARMING U G ID S TOT INTEN SIEWE BOERDERY

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Growing your business for less Introducing OptiGrow, our most cost-effective greenhouse yet.

Designed to suit a variety of crops, OptiGrow is durable, versatile and provides an optimal growing environment.  Quick and easy installation  Excellent ventilation  Low maintenance  Suited to harsh environments

Vegtech is the leading supplier of undercover growing solutions in Southern Africa. Contact us to find out more about our comprehensive range.

E info@vegtech.co.za T (+27) 21 987 6980 www.vegtech.co.za

Rainer Prüter (FLORAD) at a heat pump and manifold system for the rooting greenhouse. See page 4.

PROPRIETOR / ADVERTISING SUZANNE OOSTHUIZEN 012-543 0880 / 082 832 1604 Email: suzanne@pop.co.za EDITORIAL CONTENT & COMPILATION Johan Swiegers 082 882 7023 editor@pop.co.za SUBSCRIPTIONS Annual Subscription R 180.00 (RSA only) (VAT. Incl.)

ONLINE SUBSCRIPTIONS Email to ucoverfmg@pop.co.za ADDRESS PO Box 759, Montana Park 0159 E-MAIL ucoverfmg@pop.co.za FAX 086 518 3430 ADDRESS PO Box 759, Montana Park 0159 DESIGN Fréda van Wyk 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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et us say to each other; “Greenhouse farming has a great future in South Africa!” So much negativity are doing the rounds when media jumps on the band wagon with every little bit of bad news that is supposed to ‘inform the people’. That we need to be informed is true, but how many times do we read about honourable people that plays a positive role in commerce, education, justice, health and agriculture, to name a few. There must be more ‘hollywood’-stars in towns, cities and communities that spur their fellow kinsmen on to live a better life, mean something to the community and country as a whole. According to a release the national fresh produce markets are South Africa’s primary platform for selling locally produced fresh fruit and vegetables as it provides the ideal inclusive and transparent trading environment to all fresh produce producers, be they commercial, small scale or emerging producers, to sell their produce directly to buyers. Major contracts are signed between mega-fresh producers and super chain stores. Some growers export, earning themselves good money with the poor rand, but these under present circumstances are again under pressure because of the flimsy economic status of the country. The question being; “Are our clients in foreign countries willing to purchase from us in these uncertain times?” In times like these we need to do introspection and together with educators, chef schools, and neighbouring countries promote our produce which is of high standard (even according to foreign tourists). The greenhouse industry needs a strong voice like the grains, fruit and citrus producers have. For this we need a mighty heave together to form bonds from the seedsmen to the markets and make our voice heard in parliament, on TV and radio. We have to exploit our local markets better – like when the borders of our export destinations were closed for us. We survived! And how! We actually in a lot of instances were better off. It is a good thing that insight is taken along the food chain to ensure fair profits are taken along the way. A major drive should now be to lobby young people to become involved in greenhouse farming in an organised way. Ed. 

GOLDEN WORDS • GOUE WOORDE ...

James 5:7 “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains.” / Jakobus 5:7 “Daarom, wees geduldig broeders, tot op die koms van die Here. Die landbouer wag vir die kosbare opbrengs van die grond met geduld, tot die vroeë en die laat reëns val.”

R E P R E S E N T I N G / V E RT E E N W O O R D I G

ALL UNDERCOVER PROTECTED PRODUCERS OF FRESH PRODUCE AND FLOWERS IN SOUTH AFRICA AND NEIGHBOURING STATES

V I S I T U S AT / B E S O E K O N S BY

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FRONT PAGE: Seedling trees hardening off in a greenhouse with screens at a Mondi farm. INSERT PICTURE: Sean de Haas (MONDI) and

Growing Seedlings for Trees: Technologies applied to speed up growth 4 High demand for South African fruit drives Reefer market 7 RSA Group Responds to Competition Commission Fresh Produce 8 Red Spider Mite on Tomatoes in the Greenhouse – Prevention is better than Cure!

9 Syngenta virus resistance tomato varieties enable the grower with intelligent choices 11 Sakata tomatoes caters for local producers 12 The use of UV in Aquaponics 13 Undercover Farming Conference 2017 crammed with technological information 14 Celebration ceremony highlights successful Gauteng Capacity Building project 17 ‘Sweeper’ tested in Belgian greenhouse 18 New standard on International Movement of Seed 18 Subscription form 19

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Contents • Inhoud

Growing Seedlings for Trees: Technologies applied to speed up growth The Mondi Mt Home nursery is situated in the picturesque suburb of Hilton, Pietermaritzburg in the Kwazulu Natal midlands. The nursery was first established in the early 1980’s and produces a variety of the cold tolerant Eucalyptus Grandis X Eucalyptus Nitens hybrid clones which is planted on various Mondi forestry estates in the colder forestry regions of South Africa.

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he nursery specializes in the culti­ vation cuttings grown vegeta­ tive. The GN hybrids have high cellulose content together with a high fibre yield and high wood density, all excellent wood properties and are exclusively grown for the pulp market.

A total of 4 000 ha are planted annually with the GN hybrids in the central forestry region of Piet Retief, Amsterdam and Iswepe and in the KZN Midlands. Mondi has a total of 150,000 ha planted under various species of Eucalyptus in South Africa.

Eucalyptus hybrids have been grown in greenhouses since the early 1980’s. The nursery follows a strict hygiene control pro­ gramme where all plant batches are inspected daily for any signs of disease.

Any dead or infected material is removed from the healthy plants as soon as possible. All equipment such as scissors, buckets, seedling trays etc. are regularly sterilized using Sporekill. The greenhouse’s floors are washed and cleared of all algae with a pressure washer before a fresh batch of plants is placed in the greenhouse. A Sporekill dosing system is used to treat the greenhouse irrigation water.

The nursery also follows a preventative spray program and alternate between various FSC approved products. Watering in the grow-out sections is strictly controlled and typically no irrigation will take place after 14h30 in the afternoon to allow the leaves to dry before nightfall in and help prevent Botrytis outbreaks.

Growing trees in a large commercial nursery is labour intensive. Nursery operations run 365 days of the year. Cuttings are harvested and planted

Mondi Rovero greenhouse.

Monday to Friday every week of the year. On average 50,000 cuttings are placed on a daily basis. Plant batches are in various stages of development and each stage requires a different management approach. During the in-field planting season (September – March) things get particularly busy at the nursery when various trucks have to be loaded for plant deliveries.

Mondi Forest has three main production nurseries: • Mt Home Nursery in Hilton, producing E. Grandis X E. Nitens Hybrids GN); • Kwambonambi Nursery in Zululand (North of Richards Bay), producing E. grandis X E. Urophylla (GU) hybrids for Zululand, • Piet Retief Nursery, producing Eucalyptus seedlings.

Seedling transport is outsourced and plants are transported in various trucks across the country to a number of smaller holding nurseries situated on all the major Mondi forestry estates or alternatively direct­ ly to the planting site.

The main benefit of grow­­ ing tree seedlings in a greenhouse versus open land is that the green­house allows for cli­mate opti­misation re­sulting in improved growing con­ ditions to allow for year round pro­ duction. A further benefit is that greenhouses improves crop quality and reduces the growing time which in turn extends the number of production cycles during the year.

The retractable roof nur­ se­ry tunnels offer maxi­mum flexibility ranging from open field conditions that assist with plant health to excel­ lent crop protection during ad­verse weather con­ditions such as frost, strong winds, heavy rain and hail.

Hedge banks are kept in a Cravo A-frame retractable roof greenhouse and are grown in sand beds.

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To page 6

Thokozani and Beatrice with seedling trays in the greenhouse.

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GN Hybrids are grown vegetative from cuttings which are harvested from hedge banks on a daily basis. Hedge banks are kept in a Cravo A-frame retractable roof greenhouse and are grown in sand beds. Hedges are harvested daily and an average total of 50,000 cuttings are harvested per day.

The small 5cm – 8cm cuttings are placed in plastic 128 cavity seedling trays and are placed in a double butterfly-vented Rovero greenhouse. The only grow medium used is Perlite (Pratley - Grolite) & Coir (Nutrigro). The cuttings are kept in the greenhouse for 28 – 35 days depending on the season. The main focus of the greenhouse stage is to initiate and promote root development. Both the greenhouse vents, shade screen and irrigation is controlled with a Priva software system.

The GN hybrids require a heated floor for root initiation and development. The ideal floor temperature range is 22°C – 28°C. The Mt Home Nursery has a 3 000m² greenhouse with heated concrete floor. The state-of-theart under floor heating system is divided into 12 individually controlled heating zones which are powered by 6 energy effi­ cient heat pumps supplied and installed by Florad South Africa.

The ideal floor temperature range is 22°C - 28°C. This nursery is in a 3000 m² greenhouse with a heated concrete floor. FLORAD was contracted to provide a turnkey solution for a state of the art under-floor heating system and was involved from the design phase all the way through to after sales service.

Surface beds were levelled, back­ filled and compacted to engi­ neer’s spec. Plastic floor drains were installed to fall, allowing for excess irrigation run-off. DPC 250 micron (plastic moisture layer) was installed on top of surface bed, followed by a 40 mm high density polystyrene thermal barrier, minimising heat loss to the ground.

A 20 km network of 16 mm PEX pipe with oxygen barrier was fixed to polystyrene sheets. Pipes terminated at 12 * SBK (German) manifold systems ensuring balanced flow rates to each zone. A 150 mm fibre concrete (30mPA) with falls to floor drain was cast and power-float finished.

Floor probes measure concrete temperature and regulate to 1°C accuracy. Furthermore, 6 * AERMEC 73 kWatt (Italian) heat pumps produce 40°C warm water that is pumped through the pipe network installed in concrete.

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From page 4 GROWING SEEDLINGS FOR TREES: TECHNOLOGIES APPLIED TO SPEED UP GROWTH

N DD EE RR CC O O VV EE RR FF AA RR M M II N NG G UU N

From page 5 GROWING SEEDLINGS FOR TREES: TECHNOLOGIES APPLIED TO SPEED UP GROWTH

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Once the plants are moved from the greenhouse they are stacked on tables and housed in Heat pumps can be described as mechanical plastic covered grow-out tunnels. solar collectors. As opposed to solar panels, heat pumps do not require sun light, but rather harvest free energy available in the air. Heat pumps have a typical co-efficiency of performance (C.O.P.) of above 3. This translates to every 3 kilowatts of energy produced; only 1 kilowatt is consumed.

The other free 2 kilowatts of energy are gained from the ambient air temperature.

The total hourly heat load requirement of 438 kilowatts was reduced to an input of 132 kilowatts. The total potential saving for MONDI is estimated at 3600kWhrs/day, resulting in huge energy savings and reduced carbon footprint. FLORAD completed the project in November 2015, on time fully with instruction manuals and a comprehensive 2 year warranty.

Irrigation in the greenhouse is totally auto­ mated and is controlled by a Priva system.

The greenhouse is fitted with Netafim 4-way foggers. Cuttings are kept in the greenhouse for 28-35 days and during the juvenile stage (first harden off before final grading for dispatch. The dispatch tunnel is a Cravo 14 days) plants receive water every 7 minutes for 15 seconds. As the plants flat retractable roof tunnel. The retractable roof tunnel allows for improved grow more mature and start to develop roots the irrigation frequency is crop protection against wind, frost and hail. slowly reduced i.e. every 15 minutes for 15 seconds to allow the plant to Young trees are highly sus­cept­ible to Botrytis in the greenhouses and develop strong root systems and be more “hardened off” when removed grow-out sections during the hot and humid summer months. Diseases from the greenhouse. such as bacterial blight (hot wet conditions) and powdery mildew (winter Once the plants are moved from the greenhouse they are stacked on months) also negatively impacts on plant production and survival during tables and housed in plastic covered grow-out tunnels. The plants are kept the year. in the plastic tunnels for around 60 days. During this period the plants This once more proves that growing plants of many kinds in a receive regular fertilizer, to promote vegetative growth with a focus on leaf greenhouse with the proper technical equipment suitable to the specific and stem development. crop, offer a vast number of advantages over growing the same in the Various batches of plants are sorted and sized, according to our quality open. JS.  specifications, before being moved to the grow-out / dispatch tunnel to

High demand for South African fruit drives Reefer market The reefer trade (refrigerated cargo solutions) sector contributes positively to the South African economy by creating employment and stimulating economic growth.

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his is according to Matthew Conroy, Trade Manager of Maersk Line Southern Africa – a member of Maersk Group – who says that even though 2016 saw the South African reefer market contract by about 3% – largely due to lower crop yields of citrus caused by the severe drought experienced across the region – refrigerated container trade still makes up about 19% of total South African container exports.

He explains that the reefer trade sector connects South Africa’s shopping trolley – the agriculture sector – to the rest of the world. “South Africa’s moderate climate make it the ideal location for fruit farming, which makes up over 90% of total reefer exports. “The large majority of produce that gets exported via reefer containers from South Africa is fruit, consisting mainly of citrus and deciduous varieties. Citrus fruits such as lemons and oranges make up the bulk of this trade, accounting for about 58%, while deciduous fruits such as apples, pears and grapes make up around

RSA Group Responds to Competition Commission Fresh Produce

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The RSA Group is one of nine firms targeted by the Competition Commission in a number of search and seizure operations carried out at fresh produce markets across the country on the 23rd and 24th of March 2017. A media statement issued by the Commission on the 23rd of March explained that the dawn raids were “part of an investigation into cartel conduct which was reported by the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries”. According to the Commission’s statement, it has reasonable grounds to suspect that larger market agents fix their commission rates and coordinate their pricing activities to squeeze out smaller rivals.

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he RSA Group believes that these allegations are based on a number of misconceptions as to how the markets operate,” says Jaco Oosthuizen, RSA Group Managing Director. “We will cooperate with and assist the Commission as it goes about its investigation, and have confidence that a thorough ventilation of the relevant facts and circumstances will set the record straight.”

According to the RSA Group, not only are Jaco Oosthuizen, fresh produce markets highly competitive, RSA Group MD fluid and transparent platforms, but they are also regulated by legislation (Act 12 of 1992 and the applicable rules) and monitored by a Regulator, who is appointed by the relevant minister. Market forces, coupled with the monitoring of agents’ activities by the Regulator, combine to mitigate against suggestions of collusive engagement.

“There are many fast-moving forces that impact pricing decisions during trading hours, ranging from hostile weather, product quality and perishability to supply and demand dynamics,” says Oosthuizen. “These all contribute to price volatility. If sales agents don't respond quickly and effectively in

finding the right price, the producers and buyers look to rivals, in the market or outside the market, for their business. While sales agents may react to changing market forces in similar ways this is not suggestive of collusive conduct. In fact, salespeople frequently adjust prices in different directions, according to their context in reading the market. Collusion for any purpose whether to compete with major competitors or to drive out small players - is fundamentally at odds with how a price discovery market functions.”

“Further oversight and transparency is introduced through the “gatekeeping” role of market management, which has the systemic capabilities to access all transactions as and when they occur,” adds Oosthuizen. “This allows for real time price exception reporting which results in full transparency and ensures a level playing field for all stakeholders.”

“Commissions negotiated with producers vary according to the type of product being sold and the relationship between the producer and agency,” Oosthuizen concludes. “Negotiating the commission is at the heart of our business. It is our core income. The idea of fixing commissions doesn't make sense. It would destroy the flexibility that is required to succeed in this business.”

The RSA Group has communicated with staff, suppliers, customers and business partners to inform them that while the Competition Commission's process is likely to take some time, the company's operations will be unaffected and it remains committed to all of its stakeholders.  From page 7 HIGH DEMAND FOR SA FRUIT DRIVES REEFER MARKET

We offer a wide range of growing solutions: ● Greenhouse sheeting, Shade net and other greenhouse covering ● Construction and maintenance of New and second hand greenhouses ● Supply of various equipment such as clamping profiles, ground cover, Frost cover etc ● Design, supply and installation of drip and sprinkler irrigation systems,

● PVC, LDPE & HDPE piping and fittings ● Pumps, filters Fertigation units and controllers ● Spraying carts built to specification ● Spraying equipment Jaco: 082 953 5689 • Floris: 082 574 4075 • Fax: 086 654 9499 E mail: jaco@hytech.co.za / floris@hytech.co.za • www.hytech.co.za

35%. Citrus crops are sourced from throughout the country, while deciduous crops – particularly grapes – are found predominantly in the Western Cape.”

Table grapes, peaches, plums and citrus are grown under pro­tective cover – mostly under shade net but some under plastic multi-spans.

Maersk Line Southern Africa has over 80 years of experience in ship­ping fresh produce. “Transporting perishable goods halfway around the world can be challenging but our profound understanding of reefer transportation, combined with the best service and new technologies, gives our customers peace of mind,” Conroy adds.

In contrast to the thriving reefer export trade, Conroy says that reefer imports for South Africa are very low. “Total reefer imports that South Africa receives are in single digits. Operationally, because of the imbalance, we actually bring thousands of empty reefer containers into South Africa just to service our strong reefer export market.” Conroy says that in terms of demand, the European continent receives close to 60% of South Africa’s reefer exports, a market which has been very consistent over time. “Our biggest importer region would be the EU, which receives around 35%, while the UK and Russia receive roughly 15% and 7% respectively. Other import regions include Asia (17%), the Middle East (16%), Intra-Africa (5%) and North America (4%). The market has experienced no major shifts in demand with this split having been largely the same over the past five years.”

While South Africa is still experiencing extremely dry conditions in certain regions, Conroy concludes that moderate growth can be expected in 2017.

“South African fruit is in high demand globally, so the market decline is more a reflection of the reduced crop output associated with the drought. As fruit farms are spread across the country and the drought has impacted each of these regions differently, the full impact of the drought on 2017 produce remains unknown. While this impact is very much dependent on water supply, our initial esti­mate is that there will be mid-single digit growth.” 

Red Spider Mite on Tomatoes in the Greenhouse – Prevention is better than Cure!

The red spider mite - also known as the 'Two Spotted Spider Mite' - is one of those greenhouse pests that can be quite common on tomatoes grown under protection. Unfortunately it can also prove quite difficult to control.

Using Insecticides There are many sprays marketed mainly or solely for the eradication of mites.

Syngenta’s PEGASUS falls into this category. For resistance management, PEGASUS is a group code 12A insecticide - a suspension concentrate acaricide and insecticide for the control of red spider mites and whiteflies in tomatoes. Any insect population may contain individuals naturally resistant to PEGASUS and other group code 12A insecticides. The resistant individuals can eventually dominate the insect population if these insecticides are used repeatedly and exclusively in programs. These resistant insects cannot be controlled by PEGASUS or any other group code 12A insecticide.

Delay insecticide resistance Avoid exclusive repeated use of insecticides from the same insect group code.

Alternate or tank mix with products from different insecticide group codes.

Integrate other control methods (chemical, cultural, biological) into insect control programs. For specific information on resistance management contact the registration holder of this product. An anti-resistance strategy in agricultural pests is very important. Use alternative products for the control of red spider mite and sucking pests in those areas where the cotton aphid has not yet developed resistance to organophosphates.

Importance of scouting Make use of a scouting system and economic threshold values to determine when to commence application of PEGASUS for insect and mite control in tomatoes. Regular and a controlled scouting program will ensure the producer can act at the first sighting of red spider mite on his tomatoes and therefore save his entire crop.

Method when spraying When spraying, make sure to wet the entire plant. Do not overdose by overlapping applications or by exceeding the recommended rate. Avoid To page 13

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How do we get rid of spider mites? Or better yet, how do we prevent spider mites from infiltrating our greenhouses in the first place? If you are diligent about prevention, eradication may not be necessary.

Mites are generally brought into the greenhouse by none other than the workers. Mites can ride in on clothing, hair, or any outdoor materials you bring in with you. For this reason, it is important to ensure that clothes, hands, hair, etc. are clean before entering the greenhouse – better still, to wear hygienic greenhouse apparel.

It is also important to know that mites can lie dormant when conditions are unfavourable, only to re-emerge when they think they may have a better chance at survival. When receiving any new seedlings, keep them in a separate quarantine area for the first week or two. This will keep any pests away from your greenhouse while you watch carefully for their appearance on your new seedlings. Check daily for any signs of pests like those shown in the image and treat if necessary.

In a perfect world, we would never have to treat for mites. Many of the greenhouse operators we talk to are currently fighting a mite population (again), or recently were. Most, if not all, have at one point or another.

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ike the whitefly this is another fast-colonising pest usually found on protected crops. The red spider mite is a tiny wingless insect – up to about 1 mm long – with eight legs and a one-piece body. Young and adult mites feed on the leaves extracting sap and soft plant cells.

The first sign of a red spider mite infestation are either small spider webs – often high up on the plant – or white speckling on the upper surface of the leaves. As the attack progresses, they take on a bronzed appearance and may wither and die. Fine webbing is produced, strung between parts of the plant or under the leaves. Using a magnifying glass the red spider mites and their eggs can be seen on the undersides of the leaves. In an unheated greenhouse the worst attacks occur from December to March, but red spider mites can be active year round. Serious damage to the plant is only done when population numbers dramatically increase resulting in leaf, flower and even fruit loss.

Of the dozens of different plant parasites which may plague tomatoes in a greenhouse, one of the most infamous, talked about, and feared is Tetranychida urtica – more commonly known as the two-spotted spider mite, or red spider mite. As luck would have it, these arachnids are also among the most common pests in indoor gardens. They are found everywhere. Native to Eurasia, they can now be found worldwide, particularly in controlled agriculture settings.

Although the mites' initial assault may seem innocuous, their tiny size and ability to reproduce very quickly compounds the issue. As the pests themselves are difficult to spot, a grower can easily miss the subtle signs of initial infestation if he or she does not closely inspect their greenhouse each day. A less vigilant grower might overlook these signs until leaves are already yellowing, dying and dropping off and the plants are covered in highways of webbing, not to mention hundreds or thousands of very mobile, very hungry mites.

So, we understand that spider mites are common, elusive, and destructive.

The broad spectrum insecticide / acaricide for resistance management in tomatoes

Read the label for details Pegasus contains diafenthiuron (thio-urea) 500 g / l (Reg no. L8668, Act 36 of 1947) CAUTION. Pegasus is the registered trademark of a Syngenta Group Company.

Syngenta South Africa (Pty) Limited, Private bag X60, Halfway House, 1685. Telephone (011) 541 4000 www.syngenta.co.za Š Syngenta 2000. Copyright of this document is reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

When tomatoes are grown in areas where TSWV and TYLCV are a serious problem, whether it is in the open field, greenhouse or net houses, Syngenta can provide the answer. Several important virus diseases can be controlled or minimised by planting resistant varieties. Variety selection is the most economical way to prevent losses and without resistant varieties, virus would cause substantial losses each year in most areas. The control of white fly, aphids and thrips forms an essential part of your integrated pest management program.

The multi-virus resistance variety Jimbo is a great solution for growing tomatoes in areas where TSWV and TYLCV is a big problem

For the tomato grower it is very important to find a variety which work for him under his cropand IPM management, circumstances and fertilizer program.

Staffie is a great solution for growing tomatoes in areas where TYLCV is a big problem

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Syngenta virus resistance tomato varieties enable the grower with intelligent choices

GROWER

DISTRIBUTOR/MARKETER CONSUMER

Strong plant with good continuousness and plant health

Uniform fruit shape, size and colour

Shiny attractive red colour

Long growing cycle

Good looking tomatoes

Good internal flesh quality

Very good virus resistances

No green shoulders

Long shelf-life

Large sized fruit

Firm fruit

High yield

Strong fruit skin

Very good shiny fruit colour in both mature and turning stages Jimbo is a multi-virus resistant variety with a good large sized fruit, 180-200 g, and high yields. Very good leaf coverage and vigour. A great additional feature is that Jimbo has high resistance to TSWV and outstanding intermediate resistance to the virus TSWV and outstanding intermediate resistance to virus TYLCV. Jimbo is probably the best long growing cycle tomato currently available in the market (development under high and low temperatures, strong plant growth habit, etc.). Resistance: V, Fol 1-2, For, ToMV, TSWV, TYLCV (IR), Mi (IR)

Staffie is a homogenous, large sized 180-200 g, high quality product. The Staffie variety provides high yields and maintains excellent fruit size to the end of the growth cycle. Staffie with it’s very attractive looking shiny fruit and fruit truss forming make it one of the first choices for the grower. Staffie tomatoes are firm and have an outstanding shelf life. Good development under high temperatures.

Staffie has an excellent intermediate resistance to the virus TYLCV and a great solution for growing tomatoes in areas where TYLCV is a big problem. Resistance: V, Fol 1-2, For, ToMV, TYLCV (IR), Mi (IR)

These outstanding features of Jimbo and Staffie offer a solution for all the needs of growers, distributors, marketing chains and consumer.

Syngenta South Africa | Private Bag X60, Halfway House, 1685 | Tel (011) 541 0000 | Fax (011) 541 4072 | www.syngenta.co.za We have exercised the utmost care in compiling this information. The data should however be handled by the user in accordance with his own knowledge and experience of local circumstances. We therefore cannot accept any liability in connection with this information. The term is used here refer to the known and described physios of certain pathotypes. However, other unknown and/or non-described disease physios may exist. We cannot, therefore, accept any liability for varieties listed in the leaflet turning out to be non-resistant or non-tolerant to such pathotypes. Whatever the reason. In case of doubt we recommend carrying out small scale trail production in order to test local growing conditions.

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Sakata tomatoes caters for local producers The agricultural industry has faced many challenges in recent years. It is thus reassuring that Sakata’s local tomato breeding programme is focused on releasing new varieties that are adapted for local environmental conditions. This is of course a major advantage to the tomato producer who needs to overcome major challenges when it comes to managing their crops and adapting to local conditions.

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akata’s tomato breeding station that is located at Sakata’s head office in Lanseria has recently added some new exciting varieties to the already well known indeterminate Salad tomatoes in the market.

One of the main aspects of the Sakata varieties is that they are vigorous and fairly easy to manage.

Irrigation and fertilizing is two very important factors that need to be managed when it comes to these varieties – especially not to over fertilize and irrigate at the early stage. Tomato producers should know that it is important to get good fruit set early on as this is beneficial for the entire crop cycle of the plant.

Furthermore, having consistence in fruit set, both in number of fruit and fruit size is also very important.

INGA* is one of the newest indeterminate Salad varieties that comes out of the local programme and this variety is sure to make a difference in the market.

Inga* is well adapted for local condition and good results were obtained under protection. The variety is characterized by outstanding fruit quality and uniform fruit size. The distribution of size for large to medium size fruit is very good which enables the producer to use Inga* over various packing sizes, from boxes to the 1kg bags. Inga* has a compact growth habit, but with good vigour, especially later in the season. The fruit size is also maintained later in the season. nga* performed well in winter conditions in the moderate climatic areas and colour up was excellent. Yield is comparable to opposition varieties with quality also being outstanding. The variety has a strong root system and performs well without grafting. Inga* has resistance to Tomato spotted wilt virus, which is one of the viruses that is occurring in most of the production areas, although it is sporadic.

There are other new releases from the Sakata pro­ gramme that is also sure to make a difference in the market. Jasmine* is but one of these varieties, which is adaptable for both open field production and under protection, with Tomato spotted wilt and Tomato curly stunt virus. *Experimental: This variety does not appear on the current South African Variety list, but has been submitted for registration. 

For more information on Sakata’s tomato varieties or to view the whole product range, visit the website at www.sakata.co.za..

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

The use of UV in Aquaponics “At times I am asked about the role of sterilisation in aquaponics by means of an UV steriliser or ozone generator, says Leslie Ter Morshuizen of Aqua Africa. “To me these items have no place in a properly functioning aquaponics setup as we are dealing with a natural environment in which the desirable microbes maintain optimal conditions for the growth and well-being of the plants and fish.”

spraying during the heat of the day or if foliage is wet. Allow 24 hours to expire between a PEGASUS application and overhead irrigation.

Ground application Tractor sprayers for tomato application: Apply using different spray volumes depending on plant size and application method. Ensure thorough wetting of the plants. For plants up to 600 mm use up to 500 l/ha water. For plants higher than 600 mm use up to 1 500 l/ha water.

Mist blowers and low volume spray applications for tomatoes: Complete coverage of the plant is vital. It is essential to apply the same volume of PEGASUS per hectare as would be the case when high volume spray equipment is used, notwithstanding the volume of water per hectare applied.

It cannot be reiterated enough that prevention is better than cure. Also, should it be necessary to use insecticides to save the crop, especially in a controlled environment like a greenhouse, the assistants should be protected against the remotest form of poisoning. 

H I S H T I L - SOUTH AFRICA MOOKETSI: Farmboschhoek 415, Houtbosdorp Road, Mooketsi 0825 RIEBEECK WEST: Plot 2028, Station Street, Riebeeck West, 7306

Hishtil South Africa was established in 2007 in Mooketsi in Limpopo, as part of the International Hishtil Group.

WHY Hishtil ü ü ü ü ü ü ü

Best possible start Greater uniformity Consistent quality Updated technology Technical back up Professional service Country wide delivery

Tel: +27 15 395 4034/43 | Fax: +27 15 395 4010 | Cell: +27 78 801 2746 email: sales@hishtilsa.com | P O Box 41, Mooketsi, 0825, Limpopo, South Africa

www.hishtilsa.com

L/5484/HISHTIL

Hishtil South Africa’s primary production is both grafted and un-grafted vegetable seedlings that are delivered country wide.

13 MAART/MARCH • APRIL 2017

From page 9 RED SPIDER MITE ON TOMATOES

U N D E R C O V E R F A R M I N G

T

he role of sterilisers is to kill the water borne microbes being moved around the system, thereby reducing their levels to the point where their population is so small it does not adversely affect the desirable organisms within the system negatively. Aquaponics, especially ebb and flow systems, is an environment favourable for the development of complex microbe communities, and they outcompete the undesirable organisms. This is part of the reason why aquaponics systems outperform sterile systems; it is simply a natural, healthier and more stable environment.

A further disadvantage associated with the use of sterilisers is that they breakdown certain of the micronutrients within the system, reducing their availability to aquaponics crops. Iron, boron and manganese are all rapidly broken down by exposure to the levels of UV used to disinfect water within a recirculating aquaculture system (Hydroponic Food Production, Howard Resh 2012). UV has been shown to actually limit the growth of plants in aquaponics through the removal of the nutrients they require.

The moral of the story is that UV and ozone have no place in aquaponics; they are neither required nor desirable. Source: Aqua Africa 

Undercover Farming Conference 2017 crammed with technological information

U N D E R C O V E R F A R M I N G

The sixth Undercover Farming conference held at the CSIR Convention Centre in Pretoria during March once more offered delegates much technological information to implement on their farms.

The programme consisted of well-experienced speakers on subjects of value to every delegate.

MAART/MARCH • APRIL 2017

14

A

nna Loots of Aqualytic started the presentations programme on the first day with her topic; ‘Whole Effluent Toxicity Testing’ and ‘What It Really Implies’. According to the SA Bill of Rights on Environment everyone has the right to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being; and to have the environment protected, for the benefit of present and future generations, through reasonable legislative and other measures. “However,” Anna explained, “We need to obtain results as quickly as possible and do something about it as soon as possible. Although all laboratories are equipped for doing chemical analysis, what about complex mixtures discharged and the effect on the environment?

She said that the General Authorization is an authorization to use water without a license – provided that the water use is within the limits and conditions set out in the General Authorization. She explained the three legs on which water research rest; a chemical approach with traditionally quantitative chemical analyses, “Over or under estimation of real danger”.

Secondly, Anna discussed the biological approach concerning; Biological indexes (SASS, fish health index….), evaluate hazard resulting from combined impact of all pollutants present, qualitative and quantitative comparison of indigenous fauna and flora in aquatic environment. Thirdly Toxicity Testing viz. Procedure in which the response of aquatic organisms are used to detect or measure the presence or effect of one or more substances, waste or environmental factors alone or in combination (APHA, 1989). Anna elaborated on the methods used in their laboratory to ensure accurate tests are completed on water samples for, amongst others producers of fresh produce who need to comply with strict consumer health measures.

In his presentation Charles Cherry of Cherry Irrigation discussed the basics of head control design. He reiterated that a decision needs to be made on an irrigation company who would offer continuous support for the producer in his venture. Experience in intensive irrigation design and being a SABI Approved Company member, able to design, offer turnkey installations and training for the greenhouse assistants to work with the irrigation system are important aspects to take into account when appointing the irrigation expert. Backup and support and the willingness to work with agronomists, consultants, architects etc. are also important to be assured of when dealing with an irrigation contractor.

Charles explained in detail what the head control is defined as; The

assembly of components and pipes installed at the head of an irrigated area which serves to control the functioning of an irrigation system from the aspect of initiating and shutting off the flow of water, pressure regulation, water metering, filtration and injection of fertilizer and chemicals. He gave a very interesting but thorough presentation on the subject with excellent pictures to visually support his message.

Deon van Rooyen, MD of Vegtech presented an overview of the merits of his company and the excellence of its widespread services and successful greenhouse projects completed in various countries. Deon dwelled specifically on the important issue of photosynthesis and how radiation can be levelled out by proper ventilation. He explained that plants need 30 % of energy - the rest causes heat build-up. Temperature and Relative humidity concerns; VPD, RH Disease Control, RH Transpiration, Nutrient uptake, Insect Control and RH Fungus control Mildew. Deon further discussed with the delegates insect and pest management in the greenhouse. With so much knowledge on greenhouse construction, technologies and production, one could listen to Deon for much longer.

Herbert Stolker of Delphy presented a talk on Year round Production Cycle. Herbert settled in South Africa since October 2014 and specializes in tomato, pepper, cucumber and lettuce production methods. He currently is a consultant / trainer and does bi-weekly or monthly visits of commercial growers, offers Capacity Building: Team training. His area spans over Central East and Southern Africa, formerly Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania and several other African countries. Herbert explained with visuals how construction takes place of a greenhouse and how it is planned to do year round production effectively.

Isobel van der Stoep from the SA Irrigation Board (SABI) presented a talk with visuals on the characteristics of an efficient irrigation installation. She started her presentation with; “A WATER BALANCE APPROACH TO DEFINING EFFICIENT WATER USE,” explaining that it all boils down to ensuring that most of the water taken from the source reach the intended target – the crop – by minimising losses along the way. Important questions that were raised

by Isobel was; “ The water supply system – where lies the main concerns; with the ESKOM tariff plan, the working hours per day, variable speed drives on the pumps and, what should the mainline pipe sizes be? Isobel very mathematically rendered solutions to the producers on how to save on water, energy, and labour in order to farm effectively but also financially viable.

To page 15

flowers are auctioned by means of the Dutch clock system. All the buyers are sitting on the tribune facing the clocks and all they have to do is press a button to buy. The buyers are mainly wholesalers and florists plus agents who buy on behalf of their customer florists in the rural areas. The annual turnover on the Multiflora market is around R350 million (according to Jac Duif).

Johan van Eeden of Hishtil South Africa presented a talk on the advantages of grafted seedlings for higher production. The company has a production of over 1 billion seedlings annually, including more than 90 million grafted seedlings. Over 40ha of high-tech seedling production takes place under greenhouse protection globally. Hishtil employs 1500 skilled workers world- wide and exports plant material across the globe. They specialize in grafting under hot climate conditions and have 21 years of international practical experience. Hishtil currently produces more than 140 To page 16 million seedlings annually.

15 MAART/MARCH • APRIL 2017

Jac Duif, well-known in the international flower circles and currently Secretary of the SA Flower Growers Association (SAFGA) were applauded for his intensive overview of the history and current status of the flower growers in South Africa. The South African cut flower industry started formally during the 1930’s mainly around Johannesburg. First a market place outside Johannesburg – a wholesale flower depot run by a few flower farmers was in Roodepoort close to Little Falls. In the early 1940’s, the Toxopeus brothers, GC v.d. Marwe and Willie Stock decided to start a flower auction in Jeppe Street, Newtown, close to the Municipal vegetable market.

In the beginning all the cut flowers were grown in the open. At the time there was no export and all the flowers grown were for the local market.

Today the outdoor production of flowers is very small, because of risks with the elements and labour costs. Since greenhouses came on the market, growers started growing flowers under cover. In 1975 the Multiflora Flower auction moved to City Deep, Johannesburg and it is here that todays’ quality

U N D E R C O V E R F A R M I N G

From page 14 UNDERCOVER FARMING CONFERENCE 2017

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From page 15 UNDERCOVER FARMING CONFERENCE 2017

Other presenters that kept delegates spellbound were Kevin Black of Haygrove who explained the merits of the Haygrove style greenhouse, Marieke Mendes who enlightened the delegates on the expanse of Dube Agriport and further extensions to be made and Martin Helmich of Hoogendoorn technical greenhouse management systems that fine tunes management of a greenhouse to the tee.

The ‘ever green’ Mike Cordes with his long history of fresh produce production, marketing and advisory services took the audience from farm-gate marketing through marketing to supermarkets and the presentation and quality to impress buyers at a major market and the export market.

Paddy De Vries with his ever-lively disposition kept the delegates at the edge of their seats with his discussion on the do’s and don’ts in a greenhouse. Paddy has a rich history of horticulture behind his back and lifted out specific subjects of major interest to the audience. Photosynthesis, plant population, structures

and management, ending with a ‘to do’-list for the producer. This is so often left by the wayside and therefore something small that breaks down could cause major disasters. If a ‘to do’ list is run daily, every tiny aspect of the greenhouse will function well and production will flow.

Willie Bornman of Jabeco highlighted the latest in wireless information management technologies designed and manufactured by their company. An in-depth editorial was published in the previous edition of Undercover Farming.

Yulandi Holtzhausen of Cosmocel themed her pre­ sentation; “Why worry about soil health?” She explained the qualities of soil, how man on earth slowly eradicate the top soil where plant growth takes place and steps imminent to be taken to restore the soil biologically. In order to practice Soil Health Management, there are two sides to the subject; Strategies (What to do); Manage SOM, Minimize disturbances, Diversify soil biota, Maintain living plants and Maintain soil cover. Along with that is the Practices (How to do it); Organic amendments, Reduced/No tillage, Crop rotations, Cover crops and last but not least; Mulching.

The delegates were generally delighted with the quality of the speakers and left the event with new ideas and up to date knowledge on greenhouse farming.

There was ample time in-between the sessions to visit the large number of displays and to ask questions to service providers.

The next Undercover farming Conference is held in the Western Cape on 11-12 October 2017. Enquiries can be made at Suzanne@pop.co.za 

JAN• •APRIL FEB 2017 MAART/MARCH 2017

16

Ask for the best Haifa’s advanced plant nutrition solutions help you get top yields, season by season.

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Please contact us for your nearest distributor: Haifa South Africa P.O.Box 1409, Brackenfell, 7561, South Africa Tel: 021 982 0309, Fax: 021 981 7637, E-mail: Gerrit.Burger@Haifa-group.com www.haifa-group.com

Capacity Building Gauteng project

T Partners GDARD, ARC, DELPHY, QUTOM, BUHLE and QUTOM.

Worldwide Expertise for Food & Flowers

he cooperation in the project between the local partners ARC, Buhle Farmers’ Academy, Qutom Farms, GDARD ASNAPP and Delphy started in February 2016. In this project the partners developed new ways of training, new sustainable business models and training on BTEC, a worldwide recognised course in horticulture.

This course, offered by Lentiz and adapted to South African conditions by Delphy, has a specific focus on greenhouse vegetables. Via an on-line teaching system, trainers from the local partners were trained to become future trainers of this course themselves.

New forms of cooperation The five partners in the project all represent a unique way of training and knowledge dissemination. Together with Delphy they joined forces to better serve the Gauteng knowledge infrastructure in the horticultural field. This way of complementing each other’s strengths in this field in a consortium is a new concept for Gauteng. The partners expressed their trust in this concept by signing a Memorandum of Understanding.

Specialist in Horticulture

Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD) From the start in 2016 GDARD strongly supported the project. Mr Motlatjo Makaepea has been a thriving force in this.

Continuation 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

Insights and experiences, gained in the project, raised enthusiasm with the partners and the government. Even to the extent that the partners decided to reach out to continued cooperation. The aim is to sustain innovative ways of knowledge development and knowledge implementation in Gauteng. GDARD has a positive intention to facilitate this process. In doing so GDARD and the partners hope to contribute to job creation, food security and a sustainable and economically strong agricultural sector. 

17 MAART/MARCH • APRIL JAN • FEB 2017 2017

Trainer Herbert Stolker and the trainees, proudly showing their BTEC certificates.

On Thursday the 9th of March 2017, certificates have been issued to the partners of the Gauteng Capacity Building pro­ject.

This project, made possible by the Dutch Embassy in Pretoria and the RVO, the Netherlands Enterprise Agen­cy, has been very successful in creating new ways of training and education in agriculture in Gauteng (South Africa).

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Celebration ceremony highlights successful Gauteng Capacity Building project

‘Sweeper’ tested in Belgian greenhouse

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In the past week the Sweeper team has performed tests with their harvest robot in the greenhouse of partner Research Station for Vegetable Production at Sint KatelijneWaver in Belgium. The data of the tests will be used for improving the vision algorithms for detecting ripe fruits and approach path of the robot.

T

he goal of the Sweeper project is to develop a robotic harvesting system for sweet peppers (www.sweeper-robot. eu). Several international partners work on this project, each with its own expertise. Wageningen University & Research is mainly responsible for testing and improving the robot, both hardware and software. Research Station for Vegetable Production at Sint Katelijne-Waver, performs research within Sweeper for adaption of the growing system for automatic harvest. From the 28th of March till 31th of March, field tests have been performed in these trials.

Collecting data to improve algorithms Data was gathered which will be used to improve the maturity detection and increase the robustness of it. Furthermore, a field test has been performed to improve reachability. This means how the robot should approach the fruit to reach it without harming the crop.

Improvements will be implemented and in summer new field tests will be performed in a Dutch greenhouse. Wageningen UR Photo credit: sweeper-robot.eu. 

MAART/MARCH • APRIL 2017

18

New standard on International Movement of Seed A new International Standard for Phyto­sani­ tary Measures (ISPM) on the International Move­ ment of Seed was adopted in Incheon, South Korea on 6 April 2017. This will allow companies to move seed for planting across borders with greater efficiency, while minimizing and managing the risk asso­ciated with the movement of seed.

T

he standard will enable the 183 countries that are members of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) to define more science-based and practical phytosanitary requirements for seed for planting. Since 2008, the International Seed Federation (ISF) has been engaged at an international level with the IPPC to develop the ISPM which provides guidelines for National Plant Protection Organizations (NPPO) to identify, assess and manage the pest risk associated specifically with seeds. 

U N D E R C O V E R F A R M I N G

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• Seedlings – where all crops begin • UCF Official Programme • Growing fruit trees under shade net • Tuta Absoluta

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WELCOME TO THE 6TH UNDERCOVER FARMING CONFERENCE 2017 FIND OFFICIAL CONFERENCE PROGRAMME INSIDE!

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Fill in this form, pay in your deposit and fax your deposit slip together with your details

below to: Fax: 086 518 3430 Or you may post your cheque and this form to: Undercover Farming Subscriptions, P.O. Box 759, Montana Park 0159.

Online subs: Email to Suzanne@pop.co.za If you subscribe on-line, e-mail your deposit and address details to: ucoverfmg@pop.co.za.

More information from Suzannne Oosthuizen: 012-543 0880

The subscription fee for six bi-monthly issues amounts to R 240.00 (VAT & Postage included, S.A. only).

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