By Lloyd Phillips (sponsored content)
Retired government official Bongani Mahlaba relies on Pannar Seed for his small-scale maize requirements.
Since retiring as a local manager for the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Bongani Mahlaba has turned his attention to small-scale mixed farming in the province’s Ophepheni traditional authority area.
A visit to Bongani’s smallholding reveals a neat and organised section for cattle, goats, chickens and vegetables, and a recently hand-harvested plot of yellow maize. The production output from these micro enterprises primarily supports the Mahlaba family with food and feed. Any excess production is sold locally to supplement Bongani’s pension.
“My summer field crops are yellow maize and soybeans that I grow in a 50/50 rotation. They are mainly to feed my livestock and poultry,” says Bongani.
“Pannar and its sales representative to smallholder growers, Welcome Zulu, play a major role in helping me select suitable seed for my area and for my needs. When I want to hold a farmers’ day in my area, Pannar and Welcome also support me with this.”
Long-term average rainfall in the Ophepheni district is 700-800mm.
Bongani’s crops grow in dryland conditions and laboratory analysis of soil samples informs how they are fertilised.
Trusting in Pannar’s knowledge base
He says he does not have the space to conduct trials of different maize hybrids and soybean varieties. Instead, Bongani trusts Welcome – with the support of Pannar’s extensive information resources – for advice on which seed to plant.
“Welcome’s service is excellent. For example, during the 2023/24 summer he advised me to grow Pannar’s PAN 4R-838BR yellow maize hybrid. However, it was up to me to make sure I planted on time, on 17 November to be precise, and that the crop was fertilised and protected properly throughout the growing season. This hybrid’s characteristics really impressed me,” says Bongani.
Welcome says PAN 4R-838BR is an early growth class hybrid that reaches relative maturity in approximately 116 days. “It has performed well under a wide range of plant populations and yield potentials. Strong emergence and seedling vigour give this hybrid an early advantage. In environments where common rust (Puccinia sorghi) is prevalent, a preventative fungicide spray is advised for this otherwise well-balanced hybrid.”
PAN 4R-838BR is a genetically modified hybrid with stacked technologies. One is RoundUp Ready® Maize 2 for enhanced tolerance to glyphosate. This allows for effective weed management throughout the growing season. The second is YieldGard® Maize 2, which gives the crop inherent protection against major pest insects, such as maize stalk borer (Busseola fusca) and spotted stalk borer (Chilo partellus), also throughout the growing season.
Bongani says that with appropriate management, the benefits and tolerances of PAN 4R-838BR are evident. “Across the 2,5 hectares of it that I planted, I recorded 98% germination.
“PAN 4R-838BR seems well-adapted to the soils, climate, and pest and disease challenges of my area. I harvested it on 29 April and it yielded an average 5 t/ha that I am very happy with.
“It is important for all smallholder farmers like me to know that even though there is very good crop seed on the market, it must be properly managed so that it can perform to its best potential.
“Take soil samples. Talk to your seed representative to select the right hybrid or variety. Prepare the soil properly. Use the correct fertilisers. Check the growing crop regularly for weeds, pests and diseases. If you don’t know what they are or how to control them, ask your seed representative for help.”
