Bigger, Better, Bester! Young Producer Wins With Precision Farming

As the TaU Sa Young Farmer of the Year 2020, Danie Bester epitomises the ideal modern farmer: energetic, curious, techsavvy and connected to his peers globally. While his precision farming techniques have yielded him a bumper soya crop, this ambitious producer plans to do even better. Lindi Botha reports.

- Lindi Botha

Growing up on the family grain and cattle farm in Balfour, Mpumalanga, Danie Bester developed an interest in computers alongside a love for farming. This has benefitted him in an era of technology and precision farming, where GPS-linked systems and software programs have enabled him to optimise every square metre of his farm.

He also leans on a group of farmers in the US who share a common vision to obtain the maximum possible yield using the latest technology, their own research and shared learning.

“Being part of such a group has made a world of difference to the way I farm. I’m challenged to think differently about how we farm in South Africa, and question the norms,” says Bester.

NEW THINKING

One of the shifts he has made is how he views potassium application in maize and soya bean.

“What I learnt studying agriculture, and from farmers in the US, is that our entire approach to fertilisation is wrong. I’ve seen first-hand that [South Africa is] light years behind. Our fertiliser programmes need a makeover because the levels of elements, especially potassium, aren’t where they need to be. We’ve advanced when it comes to the seed genetics we use, but somehow the prescribed fertiliser norms have stayed the same down the years.

“Our potassium levels are traditionally much lower than those of farmers in the US. We’ve focused all our attention on the genetics in the seed, but as they change, they have new requirements. Potassium is a big driver of yield and because the improved genetics have more potential, they need more nutrients to sustain that potential. Current norms, which were published in 1992 and minimally revised in 2003, are about 52% lower than the latest published norms in the US, which are also lower than those being used by high-yielding growers.”