Better soil drainage
Farmer's Weekly|October 09, 2020
47 YEARS AGO In South Africa, a water-scarce country, farmers have to use water with the utmost care. By improving soil drainage, they can save water and ensure better yields.
Better soil drainage
Many crops can be made more profitable with better soil drainage. Many say our problem is too little (not too much) water, but civilisations have died and lands have been abandoned because drainage was inadequate.

A drive by the South African Experiment Station to raise average yields and net income of sugar cane growers by implementing better field drainage can teach other farmers valuable lessons.

Colin Whitehead, chief extension office at the station, says that many are unaware of the damage caused by poor drainage.

“Think of the patches where germination was bad and where growth is poor. In many crops there are yellowish patches. Are they due to leaching of fertiliser, or to stony outcrops, or are they due to poor drainage?” he asks.

This story is from the October 09, 2020 edition of Farmer's Weekly.

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This story is from the October 09, 2020 edition of Farmer's Weekly.

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