Yield data damaged within the Develop for Gold competitors

The annual Grain SA Develop for Gold Nationwide Yield Competitors offers a platform for grain producers to compete with their friends in several classes based mostly on crops and manufacturing areas. The competitors goals to find out the genetic potential of various grain crops and for farmers to be taught from each other by sharing finest practices.

Now in its sixth 12 months, the awards have grow to be a trademark of producer recognition and agricultural progress. By benchmarking yields and celebrating success, the initiative encourages information sharing, motivates producers to push boundaries, and showcases the important function of the grain trade in securing South Africa’s meals future.

This 12 months’s occasion was held on 25 September on the Thaba Eco Lodge in Johannesburg, Gauteng.

“The awards are greater than numbers on a yield spreadsheet. The [producers’] achievements are an affidavit to their willpower and skill to adapt, [and this is] a celebration of the science behind cultivar improvement.

“Though the wetter second half of the previous season boosted maize and soya bean yields, it additionally resulted in illness challenges for sunflower manufacturing, corresponding to sclerotinia, negatively affecting yields. However the yields obtained are indicative of South Africa’s grain farmers’ capability to adapt. Our farmers can compete with one of the best on the earth,” Corné Louw, Head of Utilized Economics and Member Companies at Grain SA, mentioned on the occasion.

Grain producers have been honoured for his or her excellent document maize, wheat, and soya bean yields regardless of climatic challenges, with this 12 months’s winners coming from KwaZulu-Natal, the Jap Highveld, Free State, North West, and irrigation areas.

Maize

Astonishingly, six regional maize classes achieved new data, indicating beneficial seasonal circumstances in key manufacturing areas, in addition to the impression of precision farming practices and superior genetics.

The winners within the maize classes have been:

KwaZulu-Natal area: Brian du Toit from Dundee took first place with Pioneer P1225PW, attaining a document yield of 18,3t/ha. Final 12 months’s winner, Bruce Gibbings from Winterton, got here second with 14,75t/ha of the Pioneer P1197 selection. Tyson Zunckel from Bergville got here third along with his 14,66t/ha yield of Pioneer hybrid P1225.

Jap Highveld area: Danie Bester from Balfour obtained first and the second place on this class. The successful block, planted to P1197PW, a Pioneer hybrid, yielded a whopping document 20,05t/ha. The second-place block, planted to the identical selection, yielded 19,01t/ha. Martin van Jaarsveld from Greylingstad got here third with the Bayer DEKALB hybrid DKC72-66BR at 12,07t/ha.

Jap Free State area: Neul Menesis from Reitz, planting Pioneer P1975PW, received with a contest document yield of 14,79t/ha. JZ Scheepers from Fouriesburg additionally planted a Pioneer hybrid, P1225PW, and his yield of 14,25t/ha positioned him second. Adriaan Odendaal from Petrus Steyn got here third with a Pioneer hybrid P1975 yield of 13,99t/ha.

Central area: Emje Ferreira from Bronkhorstspruit planted the DEKALB hybrid DKC65-72 from Bayer and a brand new competitors document yield of 16,02t/ha landed him in first place. Stephan Potgieter from Heidelberg was second with a yield of 15t/ha with the Pioneer hybrid P1197PW. A yield of 12,65t/ha with the DEKALB hybrid DKC64-54BR from Bayer secured Jan Basson from Bapsfontein the third place.

North West area: PG van Zyl from Schweizer-Reneke planted the DEKALB hybrid DKC75-65BR and achieved a contest document yield of 14,25t/ha, securing himself first place. Jannie du Rand from Mareetsane got here second with a yield of 13,73t/ha with the Agricol hybrid VP8405BR. In third was Janna du Rand, additionally from Mareetsane, with a yield of 13,47t/ha with the Pannar hybrid PAN 5R-891BR.

Water Desk area: Jan Botma (IBOT Boerdery) from Bothaville was first with a contest document yield of 14,71t/ha by planting a DEKALB hybrid, DKC76-77BR. Second was JT Ferreira Boerdery of Bultfontein with the identical hybrid, attaining 11,28t/ha. MP Bredenkamp, additionally from Bultfontein and planting DKC76-77BR, got here third with a yield of 11,19t/ha.

Irrigation maize: Braam du Plessis from the Hofmeyer space got here out tops with a yield of 21,9t/ha with the DEKALB hybrid DKC65-60BR from Bayer. Eduard Snyman from Brits got here second with the identical hybrid and a yield of 19,76t/ha. In third place was Attie Scholtz from Douglas, with a yield of 18,9t/ha planting the Pioneer hybrid P1197PW.

Soya bean

Producers achieved three new data, with distinctive yields reported throughout irrigation and dryland areas.

The winners within the soya bean classes have been:

KwaZulu-Natal area: Kobus Louw from Paulpietersburg got here first with a yield of 5,74t/ha with the Agricol DM 61i63 selection. Final 12 months’s winner on this class, Bertie Pretorius from Newcastle got here second, acquiring a yield of 5,2t/ha with the Pioneer selection P51T42R. The 4,829t/ha put AL-DI Agri from Dundee, who planted Agricol DM 59i60 RSF IPRO, in third place.

Jap Highveld area: Dawie Brits from Balfour received with a contest document yield of seven,12t/ha by planting Agricol DM 53i54 RSF IPRO. Danie Bester, additionally from Balfour and the 2024 winner, got here second with a yield of seven,06t/ha with Agricol DM 5351 RSF. In third place was Rian Maree from Piet Retief, who obtained a yield of 6,72t/ha with Agricol DM 61i63 RSF IPRO.

Jap Free State area: Daniel Slabbert from Harrismith received this class by planting the Pioneer selection P64T39R, attaining a yield of 5,55t/ha. Wessel Heymans from Reitz secured second and third place with a Pioneer selection, P64T39R, with a yield of 5,42t/ha (second), and Agricol DM 59I60 RSF IPRO, with a yield of 5,139t/ha (third).

Central area: A contest document yield of 6,46t/ha with the Pioneer cultivar P52T52R secured Johann Pistorius from Nigel first place. Mike van Niekerk from Derby was second with the Agricol DM 61i63 RSF IPRO cultivar and a yield of 6,02t/ha. Van Niekerk additionally took third place with a yield of 4t/ha with the Pioneer cultivar P64T39R.

North West area: Theodor van Rensburg from Delareyville secured first place with a yield of 5,37t/ha with the Agricol DM 61i63 RSF IPROPG selection. In second was Henro Pieterse from Biesiesvlei with a yield of 4,83t/ha with the Agricol DM 61i63 RSF IPRO selection. Hector van Wyk from Gerdau secured third place with a yield of 4,71t/ha with the Agricol DM 61i63 RSF IPRO selection.

Water Desk area: Greyling van Niekerk from Makwassie planted an Agricol Don Mario selection, DM 6.8i RR, and yielded 6,06t/ha to clinch first place. Warrie Cilliers from Bultfontein got here second along with his Agricol DM 61i63 RSF IPRO selection that yielded 5,21t/ha. Arno Wessels from Wesselsbron planted the Agricol Don Mario selection DM 61i63 RSF IPRO and got here third with a yield of 4,93t/ha.

Irrigation: Roubel Thomas from Cookhouse got here first with a document yield of seven,7t/ha of the Agricol DM 53i54 RSP IPRO selection. Pieter Becker from Warden planted Agricol DM 53i54 RSF IPRO and yielded 6,52t/ha to take second place. Ross Braithwaite from Bergville was third with a yield of 6,3t/ha with the Pioneer selection P55T86R.

Sunflower

The winners within the sunflower classes have been:

Grain yield/ha: Ernst Jonker from Makwassie got here first with a yield of three,33t/ha with the Agricol AGSUN 5106CLP hybrid. He additionally secured first place within the oil yield/ha division with 41,3% oil (1,38 oil yield/ha). PE Kotze from Delareyville positioned second with a yield of two,755t/ha with the identical hybrid. He additionally secured second place within the oil yield/ha division with 39% oil (1,07 oil yield/ha). Kotze additionally got here third within the yield/ha competitors with one other Agricol hybrid, AGSUN 5111CLP, yielding 2,67t/ha. He additionally positioned third within the oil yield/ha division with 38,5% oil (1,03 oil yield/ha).

Wheat

The Northern and Southern Irrigation classes noticed new document yields being set, underscoring improved cultivar decisions and administration practices.

The winners within the wheat classes have been:

Northern irrigation area: Willem Kruger from the Loskop North irrigation scheme obtained the primary place with a document competitors yield of 11,345t/ha with the Sensako selection from Syngenta, SST 8205. Neels and Joseph Swanepoel from Koedoeskop got here second with a yield of 10,61t/ha with the Agricol selection IS TORDO. Sitrusrand Boerdery from Hofmeyr was third with a yield of 10,33t/ha with the Sensako selection from Syngenta, SST 8205.

Southern irrigation area: Hannes Bruwer from Hopetown obtained prime honours with a yield of 13,96t/ha of the Agricol IS TORDO selection. In second place was JH Maree from Prieska with the identical selection and a yield of 13,3t/ha. In third place was Joël le Roux from Hopetown with SST 8227, a Sensako selection from Syngenta, with a yield of 11,57t/ha.