EMA gives tips

Here are the agronomic practices during the month of March.
General activities

• Commence silage and haymaking this month.

• Commence lifting up of groundnuts by the end of the month when the ground is moist.

• Prepare land for winter cropping.

• Repay loans and make fresh loan applications to financial institutions.

• Compile annual farming work plan and farm budget.

• Maintain farm records.

• Purchase inputs for the next season.

• Early fireguard burning commences.

Tobacco/Paprika

• Continue reaping, curing and baling.

• Cotton

• Start using pyrethroids in cotton for pest control in the highveld.

Forestry

• Continue seed collection as for February.

• Continue with late planting if weather conditions permit.

• Nursery tending operations including watering, root pruning and weeding continue.

Vegetables

• Sow cape flat onions from mid March to early April for the main crop.

• Make larger sowings of cauliflower, cabbages and peas seed, carrots, spinach, tomatoes and beans.

• Plant Pests and Disease Control

• Spray potatoes and tomatoes against Late Blight and red spider mites.

• Spray citrus against black citrus aphids, soft brown scale and citrus psylla.

Livestock

• Continue with short period rotational grazing.

• End the bulling season.

• Cull non-pregnant heifers.

• Vaccinate four to tem months old heifer calves against contagious abortion.

• Dip all cattle weekly.

• Vaccinate calves at six months against Quarter Evil.