SPECIALIZED CROP PRODUCTION B

[PTP4702] [Theory]

MODIFIED BY: PROF KHAYALETHU NTUSHELO

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND ANIMAL HEALTH

2019
© 2019 University of South Africa
All rights reserved
Printed and published by the University of South Africa
Muckleneuk, Pretoria
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

STUDY UNIT 1
Agro-ecological regions of South Africa
……………………………………………………
SELF-EVALUATION QUESTIONS ………………………………………………..

STUDY UNIT 2
Field Preparations Techniques
……………………………………………………………….
SELF-EVALUATION QUESTIONS
…………………………………………………

STUDY UNIT 3
Maize production ……………………………………………………………………….
……
SELF-EVALUATION QUESTIONS ……………………………………………..…

STUDY UNIT 4
Wheat production ……………………………………………..
…………………………….
SELF-EVALUATION QUESTIONS ……………………………………………….

STUDY UNIT 5
Soybean production
…………………………………………………………………………
SELF-EVALUATION QUESTIONS
………………………………………………...
SPECIALIZED CROP PRODUCTION B [PTP4702]

NQF level: 7
Credits: 12
Semester or year: Semester module
Module type: Typical taught theory
Implementation date: 2020
CESM category: First order: 01 Agriculture
Second order: 0103
Third order: 010303
Purpose statement
The purpose of this module is to introduce students to special crop
production topics. The topics discussed are: agro-ecological regions of
South Africa; field preparations techniques; maize production; wheat
production; soybean production; conservation agriculture; African leafy
vegetables; and urban and technology-enhanced farming.

Students who complete this module should have a good grasp of the
above-mentioned topics. They must understand the correct cultivation,
planting, protection, harvesting, processing and storage practices for
maize, wheat and soybeans.
Timeframe

The average student needs at least 120 study hours for this module.
(Some students may need more or fewer hours.) Remember, if you have
registered for more than one module, you should plan ahead to ensure
that you have enough time for each module. We advise you to keep a
study schedule or diary so that you have a clear indication of the time
you have available for study.
OVERVIEW
This module is divided into the following study units:

Study unit 1: Agro-ecological regions of South Africa

Study unit 2: Field preparations techniques
Study unit 3: Maize production
Study unit 4: Wheat production
Study unit 5: Soybean production
 UNIT 1

Agro-ecological regions of South Africa

Course map
Study unit 1: Agro-ecological regions of South Africa
Study unit 2: Field preparations techniques
Study unit 3: Maize production
Study unit 4: Wheat production
Study unit 5: Soybean production
Study unit 6: Conservation agriculture
Study unit 7: African leafy vegetables
Study unit 8: Urban agriculture and technology-enhanced crop
production

1.1 INTRODUCTION

In this study unit we discuss the climatic conditions in the various agro-
ecological regions of South Africa. These are very important as they
determine the types of crop that can be grown in each region. Different
field crops have different water, soil, temperature, humidity and altitude
requirements. South Africa is blessed with a variety of conditions, from
the coastal regions through to the lowveld of Mpumalanga, which allow
the growing of a wide variety of crops. You should be able to differentiate
among these regions and offer advice to farmers in the various regions
based on the conditions in those regions.

1.2 LEARNING OUTCOMES

After you have completed this study unit, you should be able to
 distinguish between the agro-ecological regions in South Africa
 identify crops that are suitable for the different agro-ecological
regions
 discuss the factors that affect the selection of crops for different
regions
 advise farmers on selecting the crops that most appropriate for their
regions and when to grow them

1.3 KEY WORDS

The following key words are used and explained in this study unit:

Agro-ecological region; Mediterranean climate; subtropical climate;

desert climate; temperate climate

1.4 FACTORS DETERMINING SOUTH AFRICAN CLIMATE

The climate of South Africa is influenced by the position of high pressure

cells, ocean currents and the altitude of the land. Temperatures are
influenced by variations in elevation, terrain and ocean currents more
than latitude. Temperature and rainfall patterns vary in response to the
movement of a high pressure belt that circles the globe between 25º and
30º south latitude during the winter, and low-pressure systems that
occur during summer.

Climatic conditions in South Africa generally range from Mediterranean

in the south-western corner of the country to temperate on the interior
plateau and subtropical in the north-east. A small area in the north-west
has a desert climate. Most of the country has warm, sunny days and cool
nights. Maximum temperatures often exceed 32 ºC in the summer, and
reach 38 ºC in some areas of the far north. The country's highest
recorded temperatures, close to 48 ºC, have been recorded in the
Northern Cape and Mpumalanga. Frost occurs at high altitudes during
the winter months. The coldest temperatures have been recorded about
250 kilometres northeast of Cape Town, where the average annual
minimum temperature is –6.1 ºC. Record snowfalls (almost 50
centimetres) occurred in July 1994 in mountainous areas bordering
Lesotho

Climatic conditions vary noticeably between east and west, largely in

response to the warm Agulhas (Mozambique) ocean current, which
sweeps southwards along the Indian Ocean coastline in the east for
several months of the year, and the cold Benguela current, which sweeps
northwards along the Atlantic Ocean coastline in the west. Rainfall varies
considerably from west to east. Rainfall generally occurs during summer
(November to March), although in the south-west, around Cape Town,
rainfall occurs in winter (from June to August). In the northwest, annual
rainfall often remains below 200 millimetres. Much of the eastern
Highveld, in contrast, receives 500 to 900 millimetres of rainfall per year;
occasionally, rainfall there exceeds 2 000 millimetres. A large area in the
centre of the country receives about 400 millimetres of rain on average,
and there are wide variations closer to the coast. The 400 millimetre
rainfall line is significant because land east of the rainfall line is
generally suitable for growing crops, and land west of the rainfall line,
only for livestock grazing or crop cultivation on irrigated land.

1.5 CLIMATIC REGIONS OF SOUTH AFRICA

Figure 1: Climatic regions of South Africa
Source: http://cnx.org/content/m22273/1.1/

South Africa is a country with unreliable rainfall – large parts of the

country receive less than 500 mm of rainfall per year. Therefore,
droughts are a common feature of South African climates. There are six
major climatic regions in South Africa. These regions are discussed
below.

(a) Desert
Very little rain falls in the desert regions of South Africa (parts of the
Northern Cape and Northwest). In these regions, rain falls often in the
form of flash thunderstorms. Inland the temperatures can be very high,
especially when hot winds blow from the interior. On the coast the
temperatures are lower owing the cool Benguela current and fog occurs.

(b) Mediterranean
In South Africa, the Mediterranean-type climate is mainly experienced in
a narrow coastal area near Cape Town. The summers are warm and dry,
but with occasional rainstorms. Winters are cool and wet. Hot winds
blowing from the north in summer bring warm dry conditions, while
winds from the sea bring rain in winter.

(c) Semidesert
The semidesert region lies between the tropical region and the true
desert. In this region, temperatures are high and rainfall is low. Rainfall
usually occurs in summer, but high evaporation rates reduce the
effectiveness of rainfall.

(d) Subtropical east coast

Subtropical winters are mild and the summers are warm. Breezes from
the sea keep the coastal areas cool. Rain falls throughout the year, but
summer is the wettest season.

(e) Subtropical Lowveld

This region is characterised by hot summers and temperatures that can
reach 40 ºC. Most of the rainfall occurs in the form of heavy
thunderstorms in summer. The eastern parts of this region are wetter
than the western parts because the eastern parts are closer to the
subtropical east coast, whilst the western parts are closer to the
semidesert region.

(f) Temperate interior

In the temperate interior, temperatures are hot and rainfall mainly
occurs as summer thunder storms. Winters are very dry and clear. In
winter, night temperatures often drop to freezing point, especially on the
higher ground, therefore frosts are common and snow falls in the
mountains.

1.6 FARMING REGIONS OF SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa is further divided into nine farming regions according to

climate, natural vegetation, soil type and farming practices. These
regions are discussed below.

(a) Western Cape – Cape Town

The Western Cape climate is a typical Mediterranean climate, which is
characterised by warm dry summers, mild moist winters and low summer
rainfall. Near the coast, the summer temperatures vary from 15 to 27 ºC.
Inland temperatures are 3 to 5 ºC higher. Coastal winters see the
mercury dropping to 7 ºC at night and rising to 18 ºC by day. Away from
the coastal areas, the inland temperatures vary between 5 and 22 ºC. In
winter (from May to July), the peaks of the Boland and the Cederberg
mountains are covered in snow. Spring is from August to October.

(b) Gauteng
Summer days are warm with no wind, and winter days are crisp and
clear. Johannesburg and Pretoria differ in temperature by about 2 ºC
(Pretoria being the warmer of the two).

Johannesburg has a mild climate, neither humid nor too hot for comfort.
There are about six weeks of chill in mid-winter (from July to August).
Summer runs from October to March. The seasons are flexible, one
running into the next, and summer habitually spills over into spring and
autumn. Summer is the rainy season. Rainstorms are often harsh
accompanied by much thunder and lightning and occasional hail.

Pretoria's climate is similar to that of Johannesburg, but the city lies at a

somewhat lower altitude than its neighbour and its air temperatures are
on average about 2 ºC higher. This is a summer rainfall region. Between
November and February, summer thunderstorms produce flashes of
lightning and brief but torrential afternoon downpours. Summer days are
hot.

(c) KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)

The climate of KZN is a subtropical climate that is characterised by hot,
rainy summers and very mild winters. In Durban, temperatures range
from 16 to 25 ºC in winter and from 23 to 33 ºC during in summer
(September to April). January is generally Durban’s hottest month, with
an average daily temperature of + 32 ºC. The warm Mozambique current
flowing along the coast throughout the year means that the sea
temperature rarely falls below 17 ºC, even in the middle of winter.
Further north, conditions become more subtropical. Moving inland, the
low-lying coastline makes way for the emerald hills of Zululand and the
Thukela region, and further east towards the Great Escarpment altitudes
rise and temperatures drop.

(d) Eastern Cape

The coastal area of the Eastern Cape lies directly between the
subtropical conditions of KZN and the Mediterranean conditions of the
Western Cape, while its inland area is bisected by the Great Escarpment.
The southern reaches of the Eastern Cape are defined by a series of
rivers and corresponding wetland regions, while the north contains the
high plains of the Plateau and Great Karoo. These topographical
differences cause the climatic differences and conditions experienced by
towns and cities in these areas. In the north-east along the Wild Coast,
towns like Port St John’s experience long, hot and balmy conditions and
high rainfall, while Graaff-Reinet, in the heart of the Great Karoo,
experiences long hot summer months and moderate winters. Towards the
Free State (at towns such as Lady Grey and Aliwal North) the rise in
altitude lead to a corresponding lowering in temperature.

(e) Free State

The Free State region is situated almost uniformly at about 1 300 m
above sea level and its weather is typical of an interior plateau, with
summer rains, chilly winters and plenty of sunshine. To the north, the
Vaal irrigation area nourishes the farming communities below it.

Bloemfontein is the capital city of the Free State. Its average summer
temperature is +23 ºC and its average winter temperature is +8 ºC.
January is the hottest month with a temperature range of 15 to 32 ºC,
while June is the coldest coldest month with a temperature range of 1 to
17 ºC. Bloemfontein receives an average rainfall of 500 to 600 mm
annually. The latitudes south of the city are even hotter, while
temperatures are markedly lower in the high-altitude north-east.

(f) Limpopo
Limpopo is South Africa’s northernmost province and is bisected by the
tropic of Capricorn. The province is know for its sunshine and long
summer afternoons. Polokwane, the capital city of Limpopo, lies more or
less in the centre of the province and its weather reflects that of the rest
of the province. Only the region east of the city offers a markedly
different climate, with most the subtropical conditions of the Lowveld
and weather more suited to dense forests than the thorny bushveld of the
lands above the Great Escarpment. It can get rather hot in Limpopo
during the summer months (October to March), when the average
temperature is 27 ºC. In the Lowveld, summer afternoon temperatures
can reach 45 ºC in towns such as Phalaborwa. Summer afternoons are
characterised by heavy clouds and brief thunderstorms.
 (g) Mpumalanga
Mpumalanga’s weather is defined by its topography. Mpumalanga is a
province of two halves, namely the high-lying grassland savannah of the
Highveld escarpment and the subtropical Lowveld plains. The western
side of Mpumalanga, on the Highveld escarpment, is tropical and
characterised by high temperatures in summer. The west is drier, hotter
in summer and much colder in winter than the rest of the province.
Nelspruit, the capital city of Mpumalanga, lies at the edge of the Lowveld
and enjoys summer rainfall (an average of around 620 mm falls between
September and March). Mild to hot subtropical conditions prevail in the
Kruger National Park.

(h) Northern Cape

Although the Northern Cape is mainly a semidesert region, the western
areas of the Northern Cape, including Namaqualand, a small section of
the Green Kalahari and Calvinia, Nieuwoudville and Loeriesfontein in the
Karoo fall into the winter rainfall area and get rain from April to
September. Spring season is from July to October. The eastern summer
rainfall areas get thunderstorms. The Northern Cape’s weather is typical
of desert and semi-desert areas. It is a large dry region of fluctuating
temperatures and varying topographies. The annual rainfall is sparse –
only 50 to 400 mm of rain fall per annum. In January, afternoon
temperatures usually range from 34 to 40 ºC. Summer temperatures
often exceed the 40 ºC. Winter days are warm. Sutherland in the Karoo is
one of the coldest towns in South Africa; its the average minimum
temperature is –6 ºC. In winter snow often blankets the surrounding
mountains.

(i) Northwest
Northwest forms the southern part of the Kalahari Desert and it offers
almost year-round sunshine. The capital city, Mafikeng, enjoys weather
that similar to that of the Northwest Province, with towns in the
western areas only slightly hotter and those further south slightly
cooler. The summer months (August to March) bring afternoon
thundershowers. Mafikeng has an above average rainfall of 300 to 700
mm annually. Summer temperatures range between 22 and 34 ºC, and
winter brings with it dry, sunny days and chilly nights. The average
winter (May to July) temperature is 16 ºC, but can range from 2 to 20
ºC in a single day.

An average annual rainfall of 700 mm in the east and less than 300 mm
in the west limits the crops that can be grown as dry land crops.
Therefore most of the crops grown commercially are under irrigation.

The main agricultural activities in Northwest are mixed crop farming

in the east (with different degrees of intensity), which progressively
decreases towards the west due to the low rainfall and high
temperatures that are unfavourable to plant growth. Small irrigation
schemes in the province include the Manyeding, Bodibe and Tlhaping-
Tlharo schemes. Irrigation is limited to certain areas adjoining river
systems (Brits, Rustenburg, Taung, Molopo), and isolated areas where
irrigation from ground water sources is practised (Ventersdorp,
Ottosdal and Vryburg/Louwna). These areas are used for the farming
of crops like tobacco, paprika, citrus, wheat, pepper, cotton,
sunflowers, cut flowers and vegetables, which are cultivated on a
smaller scale.

Grain and seed crop production enterprises under dry land conditions
in the commercial sector include maize, grain sorghum, sunflower,
groundnuts, citrus and dry beans. Northwest is the area that produces
the most white maize in South Africa.

Now complete activity 1.1:

Based on the information given above, list all the

Activity 1.1
possible crops that can be grown in each of the agro-
ecological regions listed below:
 1. KwaZulu-Natal
2. Eastern Cape
3. Free State
4. Limpopo
5. Mpumalanga
6. Northern Cape
7. Northwest

1.7 SUMMARY

In this unit we discussed the six different climatic regions and the nine
different agro-ecological regions in South Africa. We also looked at
their different characteristics, which are important for the selection
and growing of crops. The different crops that can be grown in each
region were highlighted. In the next study unit we discuss the general
field preparation techniques or procedures followed on different
farms.

1.8 SELF-EVALUATION QUESTIONS

1. Identify and describe the climatic zones of South Africa.

2. What are the climatic environments prevailing in the nine
provinces of the country?
3. To what extent does the climatic environment determine the
agricultural activities or field crops grown in specific climatic
regions?
4. Explain the importance of crop use. What role does crop use (as
opposed to environmental conditions) play in the choice of field
crops to be grown?

REFERENCE
 Smith, B. 2006. The farming handbook. Durban: University of KZN
Press. ISBN: 10: 1-8914- 090-7.

MODEL ANSWERS TO SELECTED SELF-ASSESSMENT

QUESTIONS

Please note that we only provide model answers to selected self-

assessment questions. The answers to the other questions can be found
in the study material.

2. What are the climatic environments prevailing in the nine

provinces of the country?
KwaZulu-Natal: subtropical coast (sugarcane), subtropical Lowveld,
escarpment (maize and wheat, KZN Midlands (wheat)

Western Cape: semi-arid plateau, moderate coast, Mediterranean (wheat)

Eastern Cape: semi-arid plateau, subtropical coast escarpment, moderate

coast

Northern Cape: semi-arid plateau, desert

Limpopo: subtropical plateau, subtropical Lowveld (cotton, tobacco,

winter wheat, maize), escarpment

Free State: moderate eastern plateau, semi-arid plateau (maize, wheat)

Gauteng: subtropical Lowveld, moderate eastern plateau, escarpment

(maize)

Northwest: semi-arid plateau, subtropical plateau (wheat, maize,

sunflower)

Mpumalanga: subtropical Lowveld, escarpment, moderate eastern

plateau.
3. To what extent does the climatic environment determine the
agricultural activities or field crops grown in specific climatic
regions?
Understand the importance of crop use and the role of crop use (as
opposed to environmental conditions) in the choice of field crops to be
grown.

In rainfed conditions, the climatic environments determine the type of

crops to be grown. For example, wheat is grown in Mediterranean
environments, maize is grown in summer in Northwest and wheat is
grown in winter because it requires low temperatures for vernalisation.

However, crops can also be grown where the climatic conditions are not
favourable, for example in low rainfall areas. If the crop is of great value
or importance, environmental conditions can be manipulated to produce
it. This can be achieved by using irrigation in low rainfall areas.