LANDBOU
“ Fortunately , I have not planted new hectares for a long time and don ’ t know what it costs nowadays .” The ignorant may assume that once the trees are planted , the debt serviced and the trees are in full production , the farmer can relax and literally enjoy the fruit of his labour . Not so . Like people and animals , trees grow old and less productive . However , there are no old-age homes for trees and they are not put to pasture . They are simply removed and replaced .
“ No , we don ’ t replace trees annually , it is done on a rotational basis . Look , an orange tree reaching
25 years is an old tree with all sorts of problems arising , like fruit size . Another problem on a farm like this which has been farmed for 128 years , is that the soil becomes a problem because it ’ s not as good as farming on soil that could be described as virgin not long ago .”
Adrian is fortunate to have parts of his orchards on virgin soil and the difference compared to those on older soil is significant .
“ If you don ’ t have access to virgin soil , you need to consider different rootstock , as the old soil will be infected with pathogens which not only prohibit growth but also
Left : Of course , lucerne is a valuable crop in its own right , but also regenerates soil which has been farmed on for decades almost ( but not quite ) into virgin soil . Right : Prior to the Orange River / Fish River Scheme , citrus farmers were dependent on water from the Darlington Dam which slowed the industry ’ s progress .
10 MARKtoe ! Oktober 2023