Farmer’s Weekly – 09 August 2019

Knowledge is key! Managing tomato^

I amfromNceraVillage 6 leaf miner
inEastLondon.Formany
years,I believedthatolder
folksmustdoallthedifficult
workathomeasI wasthe
youngestchild.Things
changedin 2010 whenmy
fatherpassedaway,andit was
onlymymother,myolder
siblingsandmyself.I was
only16,butit feltasif it was
mysoleresponsibilitytotake
overthelivestockbreeding
operationasI grewuploving
nature,andhadgaineda little
knowledgefrommyfather.
Myfatherhadleftuswith
onecowandheryoung
calf.Mymotherdecidedto
buyinheiferstoincrease
thebreedingcows.I had
littlepracticalexperiencein
livestockproduction,butI
believed that I could succeed
because of my family’s
support. Things didn’t go as
expected,andwehadcattle

mortalitiesforthreeyears.

Thedeathswerecaused

byliverfluke,wiretraps

andcattleeatingplastic.

I starteddoingresearch

ontheInternet,read

manybooksandasked

experiencedcattlebreeders

manyquestions,before

startingtoimplement

mynewlyacquired

knowledgebitbybit.

I’msoproudofmyself

becauseI’velearntso

muchaboutlivestock

breedingoverthepast

nineyears,andmyfamily

nowhave 11 cattle.Our

cattlemortalitieshave

decreased,they’rehealthier

thaneverbefore,and

theirinter-calvingperiod

hasimproved.We’vealso

developed a rotational

grazing programme

for communal land.

LwaziNqumaza,viaemail

DearBill,

I workforan

entrepreneurship

developmentorganisation

inBotswanaasa technology

businessexecutive.My

responsibilityis tomentor

aspiringandexisting

horticulturefarmersata

trainingfacilityreferredto

asa horticulture‘incubator’.

Trainingatthisfacilityis

mainly through practical

exercises, with our main

crops being tomatoes grown

in greenhouses, tunnels

and net houses. But we also

grow green, red and yellow

peppers, as well as lettuce,

broccoli and cauliflower.

Some three years ago, we

started having problems

with tomato leaf miners

(Tuta absoluta) attacking

our tomato crop.

What are the most

effective control methods

to manage this pest?

Kind regards,

Isaac Bok

Dear Isaac,

I picked up Tut a in my tomato

tunnels two years ago and still

had some Bio-Cure in stock. I

sprayed my crop with this to

wonderful effect. It is a biological

product, and safe for beneficial

insects. It has been used for

many years by many farmers.

However, the registrar decided

to force the manufacturer

to doa fullrangeof safety

checksthatwouldhavecosta

minimumof R7million, and so

the product was abandoned.

Another similar product

was also removed from the

market for the same reason.

Most suggested spray

programmes include at

least one product that will

kill beneficial insects.

There are beneficial insects

that can help. In this regard,

you can call Koppert Biological

Products on 010 020 2427.

I strongly suggest that

you spray only products

that are safe for parasitoids

and other beneficial insects.

Bacillus thuringiensis, a

Gram-positive, soil-dwelling

bacterium, is commonly used

as a biological pesticide.

I was told another company is

going to manufacture Bio-Cure,

and will try to find out who it

is. If so, I will let you know.

Kind regards, Bill

Letters

‘use products

that won’t

harm

beneficial

insects’

gotsomethingtosay?
Sendyourlettersto:Farmer’sWeekly,POBox1797,Pinegowrie2123,SA,fax 011889 0862, or email [email protected].
The views and opinions expressed on the letters page do not necessarily reflect those of Farmer’s Weekly or Caxton.
Readers’ letters will be published and edited at the sole discretion of Farmer’s Weekly.

9 August 2019 farmer’sweekly 9

ABOVE: A cow and calf belonging to Farmer’s Weekly reader Lwazi Nqumaza.

Lwazi Nqumaza