Great Canola Yields Begin With Healthy Soil

By investing in soil health, Swartland canola farmer Sakkie Rust has attained higher yields and made his crops more drought-resistant. He explained his methods to Wouter Kriel.

- Wouter Kriel

FAST FACTS

As part of his rotation system, Sakkie Rust has 2 100ha planted to wheat, 800ha to canola, and 500ha to mixed cover crops.

He achieves a 15% increase in wheat yield in the first year after canola.

In 2020, Rust was a winner in the Protein Research Foundation’s Canola Yield Competition with a yield of 2,16t/ ha.

Sakkie Rust comes from a farming family in the Swartland, but he first ventured into a career in law and then launched a transport business before purchasing his first farm, located near Tulbagh, in 2001. Since then, this crop and livestock farmer has expanded his operations to 2 400ha of his own land, and another 1 450ha leased.

In 2020, Rust was a winner in the Protein Research Foundation’s Canola Yield Competition for realising an average yield of 2,16t/ha on 806ha.

Canola forms part of Rust’s three-year rotation system, which comprises two consecutive wheat crops, followed by canola and mixed cover crops for cattle pasture and silage. He plants wheat on 2 100ha, canola on 800ha, and mixed cover crops on 500ha.

FARMING IDEOLOGY

According to Rust, his farming philosophy is anchored in the question: “How do I manage climate change with its more frequent dry spells?” His basic answer has been to ensure that groundwater is available for plant growth for as long as possible.