2021 MakeMake contactcontact GRAIN Guide Jou trots ons passie JOU FAMILIE JOU PLAAS JOU DROOM Ons weet boerdery is nie net ’n werk nie. Dis ’n leefstyl. Dis hoekom ons daar is. Met ons passie vir innovasie, geanker in navorsing en ontwikkeling, gerugsteun deur Kom ons gesels ... die raad van kundiges en ondersteun deur volgehoue vennootskappe, bly ons streef na ’n beter toekoms vir ons land en vir jou, die boer. Om die nasie te rugsteun het jy ’n @Bayer4Crops vennoot nodig wat agter jóú staan elke oomblik van die dag. @DEKALBSA Maak Bayer daardie vennoot in jou besigheid. Bayer (Edms) Bpk. Jou trots is ons passie. Reg. Nr. 1968/011192/07 Wrenchweg 27, Isando, 1601. Posbus 143, Isando, 1600. Tel: +27 11 921 5002 www.cropscience.bayer.co.za www.bayer.co.za A27799/SAG A27799/SAG A big guide in a small package TO BRING YOU IN CONTACT n a COVID-19 year that has turned the whole producers keep on hand throughout the year world on its head, the agricultural sector has for valuable contacts in agriculture. stood out like a beacon of hope in 2020. In I Keep in mind that the Grain Guide is published spite of a multitude of challenges, the grain pro- ducers of our country have resolutely continued fully in Afrikaans and in English every year. to produce food to ensure that South Africa It also appears online on the SA Graan/Grain maintains its food security. website at sagrainmag.co.za. It has been said that a producer’s best crop Our aim is to keep on improving the Grain Guide. ever is the one that is in the fi eld now. This Feel free to contact us with suggestions or feed- is the same calibre of belief with which the back. Send an email to [email protected] SA Graan/Grain magazine’s editorial team or call 018 468 2716. approached Grain Guide 2021. And, true to the hope for tomorrow that we cling to, the local input providers and agribusinesses reaffi rmed Grain Guide greetings their belief in 2021 by once more taking their Johan Smit places in this handy reference guide, which Managing Editor PROJECT COORDINATOR PROJECT COORDINATORS JOHAN SMIT JADINE VAN HEERDEN Infoworks Infoworks Tel: 018 468 2716 Tel: 018 468 2716 [email protected] GRAPHICRAPHIC [email protected] DESIGNER Cell: 082 553 7806 ELIZMA MYBURGH MARISA FOURIE EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Infoworks Infoworks VALERIE CILLIERS, LOUISE KUNZ, Tel: 018 468 2716 Tel: 018 468 2716 KARINA MULLER [email protected] [email protected] ADVERTISING COORDINATOR ADVERTISING CONSULTANT OWNER/PUBLISHER KOLBE MEDIA SCHMILTZ MARKETING GRAIN SA Cape Town Johannesburg PO BOX 74087 LYNNWOOD RIDGE JURGEN VAN ONSELEN RUTH SCHULTZ 0040 Tel: 021 976 4482 Tel: 081 480 6413 Tel: 086 004 7246 Cell: 082 417 3874 Cell: 083 583 5243 www.grainsa.co.za [email protected] [email protected] 1 Contents A big guide in a small package to bring you in contact 1 Focus on important matters tips the balance – Jannie de Villiers 4 Grain SA events in 2021 that stand out 6 SEED Think twice about treatment 8 Record yields at Grain SA’s Grow for Gold 9 Seed quality concerns? Consider these steps 12 Breeder and producer win with this seed 17 Breeding and technology levies promote seed market 18 Store seed correctly for future use 20 Nip incorrect seed placement in the bud 23 Make your plans about inputs before hand 25 IMPLEMENTS AND EQUIPMENT Diesel rebate: Dos and don’ts 30 Repairs – do your sums like this 35 Have your say on poor after-sales service 38 Good quality diesel is 1st prize 38 FERTILISER Monitoring indicates improved quality over years 42 How to go about fertiliser complaints 45 This invisible threat is devouring grain crops 47 Agricultural lime and gypsum resources in South Africa 55 PEST CONTROL Cover your risk when purchasing input resources 65 Do the right thing with farm plastic 66 What integrated pest management entails 71 Address agri-pests eff ectively 72 Poor quality agrochemicals – here is what you should do 73 This plan helps to control gerbils 74 Buy agrochemicals from an accredited crop adviser 78 2021 STORAGE AND MARKETING Grade diff erentials for wheat 80 Grain marketing calendar 2021 82 Basic hedging of grain summarised 83 Guide GRAIN 2 IRRIGATION The most important input of irrigation 87 TECHNOLOGY Geofencing – the smart way to farm 91 ‘Swarms’ of drones envisaged in the future 92 Grain SA members do it digitally 94 Who to contact for precision farming 94 FINANCE Can your farm aff ord you? 97 Exhausted all avenues? Now try these 101 Useful web pages and Twitter handles 103 ANIMALS An overview of feed crops 106 GRAIN SA Grain SA in a nutshell 110 Grain SA's Executive per region 113 Chairpersons of Specialist Working Groups and committees 118 Grain SA carries grain and oilseed fl ag industry-wide (as at 4 November 2020) 119 SA Grain – available online too 123 How to become a Grain SA member 124 GENERAL Contacts: General 128 Getting a grip on panic and stress 131 Protocol for access to farms 132 Measurement, conversion tables and formulae 133 Rainfall calendar 2021 136 Top tips for burning veld 140 Index of advertisers 141 Calendar 2021 and 2022 142 3 Focus on IMPORTANT MATTERS tips the balance JANNIE DEDE VILLIERS,VILLIERS, CEO he past production year actually ended well. In most places the tonnage was T good, but the profi tability of the grain industry remains under pressure. The number of years it takes to recover from a drought are increasing. It is very diffi cult for me to think of what will be required to change in order to make proper profi ts in the grain industry again so that we can do something about the debt burden. Considerable focus is being placed on research to increase our yields and reduce production costs. Grain SA’s other activities focus strongly on reducing input costs and on market informa- tion to be able to negotiate the best possible prices. The removal of barriers to make new technology available to producers also remains high on the agenda at all times. The grain pro- ducer is the one person who has to put all this advice and information together to get his profi t- 2021 ability on a sustainable level. However, what we can never replace is your unique decisions about what is the best for you and your farm. All the best with that! Guide The aim of the Grain Guide is to assist you as a producer to put all the loose pieces together GRAIN 4 THE GRAIN PRODUCER IS THE ONE PERSON WHO Grain SA/Sasol photo competition – Stephan Erasmus, 2020 HAS TO PUT ALL THIS “ ADVICE AND INFORMATION TOGETHER TO GET HIS PROFITABILITY ON A SUSTAINABLE LEVEL” and making an interwoven linked network to make sure that you end up being profi table. The ultimate aim is therefore not just to chase tonnage, but profi t. Chasing tonnage requires great challenges against nature in particular, but chasing profi t also requires people and ingenuity to link networks together to overcome problems. Grain SA’s Grain Guide is one of the essential things on your bookshelf that gives you access to all the networks of reliable service providers. The market for our grain products keeps on growing – which off ers us opportunities to expand our production. However, the chal- lenge remains to expand it on a profi table basis. Predictions about the weather and the exchange rate or whatever have always been aimed at allowing you to plan better, but the predictions do not put money in the bank. 2021 will defi nitely again produce a number of things that can divert your attention from your core business, but it is your ability to focus on what is important that will tip the balance. Happy farming! Jannie de Villiers 5 Grain SA events in 2021 that stand out (as at 29 October 2020) JANUARY JULY 14 Grain SA Audit Committee 21 - 22 Grain SA Executive (Hoofbestuur), NAMPO Park 19 Grain SA Marketing Working Group 23 Grain SA SA Graan/Grain Editorial Committee and Sunfl ower and Soybean Forum 28 Southern Barley WG 20 Grain SA Executive Committee (Dagbestuur) 29 Northern Barley WG 21 Grain SA Winter Grain Working Group 22 Grain SA Canola Working Group, Lupine Working Group and SA Graan/Grain Editorial Committee AUGUST 3 Grain SA Groundnuts Working Group 11 Grain SA Sorghum Working Group FEBRUARY 12 Lupine/Alternative Crops WG 2 Grain SA Maize Working Group 13 Grain SA Canola Working Group 4 Grain SA Executive (Hoofbestuur) 17 Grain SA Maize Working Group 9 Grain SA Groundnuts Working Group 18 Grain SA Winter Grain Working Group 10 Grain SA Sorghum Working Group 20 Grain SA SA Graan/Grain Editorial Committee 16 Grain SA Sunfl ower and Soybean Working Group 24 Grain SA Audit Committee 19 Grain SA SA Graan/Grain Editorial Committee 26 Grain SA Sunfl ower and Soybean Working Group 23 Farmer Development Working Group 24 Grain SA NAMPO Exhibitors Meeting and Grain SA Production/Input Working Group SEPTEMBER 25 Grain SA NAMPO Harvest Day Committee 1 - 4 Swartland Show 8 - 10 NAMPO Cape 14 Grain SA Executive Committee (Dagbestuur) MARCH 17 Grain SA SA Graan/Grain Editorial Committee 3 - 4 Grain SA Congress, NAMPO Park 21 Grain SA Farmer Development Working Group 4 Grain SA Executive (Hoofbestuur) Grain SA Production/Input Working Group 16 Grain SA Executive Training 22 Grain SA Day of Celebration 17 Grain SA Congress Evaluation: Internal 23 Grain SA Executive (Hoofbestuur) 24 Northern Barley Working Group 30 NAMPO Alfa, NAMPO Park 25 Southern Barley WG 26 Grain SA SA Graan/Grain Editorial Committee OCTOBER 1 - 2 NAMPO Alfa, NAMPO Park APRIL 5 Sunfl ower and Soybean Forum 14 - 15 Grain SA Executive Committee (Dagbestuur) 7 - 8 Agri SA Congress planning session 14 Grow for Gold 23 Grain SA SA Graan/Grain Editorial Committee 15 Grain