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“We are not entirely powerless in the drought. Innovative thinking can bring about significant water saving without substantial financial input,” says Mr Kobus Pienaar Woolworths Foods Farming For the Future expert and Good Business Journey Manager.
South Africa’s agricultural sector uses as much as 84% of the country’s fresh water to ensure that the population has food on the table. The production of fruit and vegetables forms a substantial part of this usage. The agricultural sector should therefore take a critical look at how water is used to ensure that every drop counts.
According to Mr Kobus Pienaar, Woolworths’ Farming For the Future (FFF) expert and Good Business Journey manager, it is imperative that agriculture’s impact on scarce resources, such as water, is managed as effectively as possible. Woolworths started working with their producers back in 2009 and from this the Farming for the Future initiative was born.
This seven-year partnership between Woolworths and their vegetable, fruit and flower farmers ensures that water is used in the most effective way, without compromising quality and yield.
One such example is the 23 litres of water South African farmers use to produce one plum of 135g, compared to the global average of 237 litres of water for the same product.
Pienaar says Woolworths has a large market share in terms of fruit and vegetables and with this an equally large responsibility to, along with the retailer’s farmers, seize the opportunity to remain the leaders in the field of sustainable food production.
“Our farmers use water management practices that save water in unique ways and this is supported by the following aspects in the Farming for the Future initiative,” he says.
Maintaining the soil
Everything starts in the soil and if we manage the health of our soil properly, it can be used as a reservoir to store water. That is why FFF encourages minimal tilling, and the use of ground covers and organic material to ensure that the water capacity of the soil increases year on year.
Optimal irrigation practices
The choice of the correct irrigation method in combination with the kind of crop, soil and climate, is critical for effective water management. Other aspects that are also looked at are the maintenance of irrigation equipment and the measurement of plant available moisture in the root zone. Apart from the loss due to evaporation, irrigation beyond the root zone is not only a waste of water, but also of energy.
Plant protection
The use of a precious resource such as water to nurture a plant is an investment in that plant. It is therefore very important to ensure that all the factors that could affect the health of the plant are properly managed. Placing undue stress on a plant under irrigation by not using the correct cultivar, employing wrong methods during fertilisation and neglecting to undertake crop inspection, all amount to wasting water. FFF encourages the correct practices and measures the amount of water used to produce one kilogram.
The recycling and re-use of water
FFF encourages farmers to employ a number of techniques to capture and store as much rain water as possible. This is particularly important when growing crops in hydroponic systems. The structures in hydroponic systems are handy to capture rain water for use in the systems. FFF also encourages farmers using hydroponic methods to recycle the run-off water for re-use, which results in a significant saving of water.
In order for this to work, says Pienaar, sustainable practices have to become part of the DNA of producers.
“If we can reach the point where South African farmers are able to record accurate measurements and interpret the data, it would make decision-making easier. We need to motivate producers to think beyond doing the usual or popular thing. The use of accurate measurements and the scientific interpretation of the data could lead to greater water saving in an already dry South Africa.”
“If we start building the structure of the soil, optimising the balance between nutrients and soil biology, maintaining diversity, and use science in irrigation, it would be a good start to use water in the best possible way. Being part of the FFF programme equips our producers of fruit and vegetables with the knowledge of which aspects they need to focus on and this in turn leads to quite a number of practical and technological methods that reduce their water footprint.”
Vegetable farmer shows the way
“A good example is Greenpak, one of our vegetable farmers in the Free State. Greenpak employs technology to measure the plant available moisture in the soil at different levels. This puts an end to guesswork as they are able to determine exactly when and how much to irrigate without going beyond the root zone or placing the plant under undue stress. Their scientific approach of building the soil structure by crop rotation, the application of fertiliser and improved tilling practices, has led to significant savings in the application of water.”
“Another example is Silver Dawn, a hydroponic farm in Gauteng. By capturing rain water and recycling water that has already been through their hydroponic system, they have limited their water footprint to the minimum,” says Pienaar.
In Grabouw Fruitways employs techniques to ensure that the soil is always covered by a cover crop in combination with plant density and improved rootstock. In this way they grow less tree and more apples. They call it the “orchard of the future” and they have reduced their water usage per kilogram apples produced.
Town and city dwellers can also benefit
“The principles of FFF do not only apply to farming, but can also be used at home. Study the plants in your garden and know where their roots are. Adjust your irrigation to this and you will save a substantial amount of water. We can also capture rain and grey water in tanks, cover the soil in cover crops and use plant leftovers from the kitchen to produce compost. All of this translates into a lower water account.”
Pienaar concludes: “Innovative thinking can bring about significant water saving without substantial financial input. Let’s make it a part of our daily lives rather than having a drought force us to revisit our bad habits.”
