Modernized and Organized Farming for Food Security and Economic Prosperity

Transcription

1 Modernized and Organized Farming for Food Security and Economic Prosperity 27 May 2016, Ovizuzu, Otjinene Fodder Sorghum: An Alternative Crop, Our Experiences at Wagnou Boerdery Prepared by Alfred Dippenaar and Johan van der Merwe Wagnou Boerdery: or

2 1. Food Security Population Growth of Namibia Year Population ? We as farmers have to feed the whole nation! 1

3 2. Bush Encroachment One Swarthaak bush uses 65 litres of water per day!! (if available) A cow uses 50 litres! The most important factor determining a livestock farmer s success, is not the quality of his livestock! 90% of breeding is feeding: the quality of grazing determines success. 2

4 3. Fodder Sorghum 3.1 What is Fodder Sorghum? Grain sorghum is known to everybody. This grain sorghum was crossed with grass like Sudan grass and Fodder Sorghum cultivated. 3.2 Advantages of Fodder Sorghum This hybrid produces excellent high yield fodder with a grain crop. More drought resistant: - Will provide a harvest with 300mm of rain. - Will hibernate in dry spells and start growing afterwards. - Rain distribution not as important as for maize. Regrowth cultivars available. 3

5 3.3 Uses of Fodder Sorghum Grazing when 1 meter tall, graze down to 15cm Regrows and can be grazed again Cut as hay Cut for silage Left for standing hay in winter The grain may be utilized for flower (porridge ect) 3.4 Disadvantages of Fodder Sorghum Needs fertilizer for proper yield Prussic acid poisoning (Blou suur) The middle rows did not receive fertiliser. 4

6 4. Rainfall in our area 4.1 Fact: Average 450mm per year. 4.2 Reality: Seldom receive the average. Varies between 200 and 700mm s, we never know in advance what we will receive! 4.3 Reality: Rain distribution varies greatly over the rainy season. The tomato sauce bottle effect! February is normally the month with the highest rainfall (approximately 100mm s), but at Wagnou Boerdery we did not receive ANY rain in February in 2015 and very little in February 2016! Crop farming in our region may not be impossible, But it is quite challenging! 5

7 5. Debushing to create arable land 5.1 Type of soil: Sand not suitable Heavier soil, more clay Depth: at least 1 meter (The root length often matches the plant length on top of the ground.) Water table lime. 5.2 Chemical Debushing Cost: approximately N$ per ha. Advantages: the whole tree dies off, including the roots regrowth limited germination of new bushes/trees prevented 5.3 Mechanical removal of trees and shrubs 6

8 5.4 Manual or mechanical gathering of woody materials Charcoal Fire 5.5 Deep ripping Clearing root material/stumps Breaking the soil 7

9 5.6 Levelling Disc clear remaining top growth Shallow top cultivation seed bed and deweeding Chemical debushing: N$ per hectare Land price N$ per hectare (3 x cost of debushing) Grazing capacity: existing land 1 LSU / 20 hectare Grazing capacity after debushing: 1 LSU / 8 hectare (2.5 x increase) Economic factor: chemical debushing 3 x 2.5 = 7.5 more cost-effective than buying new land! 8

10 6. Fodder Sorghum on Wagnou 6.1 Planting Early in season November end January Planting method: Mechanical with planter, 76cm rows Planting density: 7 kg/ha Depth: shallow 2 cm in wet soil Fertiliser: 200 kg/ha 9

11 6.2 Weed control Mechanical (or by hand) 6.3 Fertiliser: top dress 100 kg /ha at 50cm height with spreader. 6.4 Cutting Mechanical Bruiser to intensify drying process 6.5 Silage making 10

12 6.6 Bailing Big round bales 6.7 Yield 4 tons on sandy soil, up to 8 tons on heavier soil Average 6 tons per ha 11

13 7. Maize production Summary of our experience tabled below: Cultivar Growth period Plant date Yield Fertiliser at plant Yellow Pioneer / kg PHB33H Agricorn / kg SC Monsanto / kg DKC Monsanto / kg DKC White Monsanto / kg CRN Pioneer / kg 2961W Fertiliser top dress 100kg kg kg kg kg kg Rainfall October, November 20 mm December 50 mm January 10 th 25 mm 17 th mm February 24 th 30 mm March 15 th 100 mm April 25 th 20 mm May 8 th 10 mm Total for the season 355 mm 12

14 Weed control: Corvette SC Guardian S 1L/ha 1L/ha Insecticides Cylam 50 EC (Save) Cyperfos 500 EC (Poisonous) Decis Forte (Save) 120ml/ha 500ml/ha 50ml/ha Top dressing foliage BZM Super Maxiboost Boron, Zinc, Manganese and Fulvic Acid Magnesium, Iron, Manganese, Zinc, Copper, Baron, Molybdenum, Sulphur, Auxins, Cytokinins Fertiliser N (Nitrogen - Stikstof) P (Phosphate - Fosfaat) K (Potassium - Kalium) N Nitrogen - Stikstof Mobile in soil - leaching Apply every year P Phosphate - Fosfaat More stable Correct to optimum: every 3 years K Potassium - Kalium Removed if leaves are cut or graized Grain 15kg/t yield / ha 2.5kg/t yield / ha 3kg/t yield / ha Dry fodder 25kg/t yield / ha 2.5kg/t yield / ha 15kg/t yield / ha Note on fertilisers Concentration is printed on the bag - For instance: (25) always implicates the NPK relationship and concentration between brackets. This implies that only 25% of the bag contents is nutrients. A 50kg bag will only contain 12.5kg of nutrients. Rest of the bag is fillers (40) contains 20kg of nutrients. 13

15 Camel Thorn Tree Our favourite tree, the Camel Thorn: Becomes 300 years old Seeds can germinate even after 50 years Root length can be up to 68 metres, that is 7 windmills high! 14

16 Harvest feast We ve got maize and we ve got meat. A meal fit for a king! My famous farmers quote from the Bible: 1 Corinthians 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 15

17 June 2015 March 2016 The photo s where taken at exactly the same spot, less than 12 months in between. Our sincere thanks to the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry for their assistance to farmers that makes projects like this possible. Alfred Dippenaar, Wagnou Boerdery 16