Farmer's Inside Track

High-performing livestock operations rely heavily on quality roughage, yet the true energy value of maize silage is often compromised before reaching the feed bunk. Kerry Rowlands, a field agronomist at Pannar Seed, highlights how dairy and beef producers can elevate their feeding programmes by balancing dry matter yields with high starch content rather than focusing solely on bulk volume.
Rowlands explains how grain potential contributes up to 65% of silage energy, emphasising the importance of subsoil fertility, correct planting densities, and proactive foliar disease control to prevent leaf degradation.
In this episode, she breaks down the operational execution required from field to bunker. She provides actionable guidelines on optimal soil planting temperatures, managing seasonal heat and drought stress, and applying tight compaction and sealing techniques to eliminate oxygen and prevent yeast and mould spoilage.

Can simple record-keeping double as your farm’s most powerful profitability tool? In this episode, we sit down with Stefan Corbett, data analytics specialist at Agritistics, to demystify digital agriculture and farm data management. Many producers view digital farming as an intimidating, high-cost hurdle, but Corbett proves that transforming your operation doesn’t require expensive tech or complex platforms.
Learn the crucial difference between raw data and true operational insight, and discover why linked data points across a livestock’s lifetime reveal whether your management decisions are truly paying off. Corbett also breaks down how to avoid the dangerous “garbage in, garbage out” trap through practical standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Whether you run a small-scale farm or a commercial operation, tune in to start turning routine daily records into smarter, more profitable decisions today.

With El Niño weather patterns bringing heightened climate risk across Southern Africa, managing input costs while maintaining crop productivity is a critical priority for growers. Dr Michael Southwood, founder of the Agri Vision Foundation and organiser of the SADC Plant Nutrition Symposium, highlights how precision measurement tools, from moisture probes to sap meters, empower producers to reduce water and fertiliser use without sacrificing final yields.
Southwood explains how managing irrigation is fundamentally about oxygen management in the root zone. He outlines the importance of tracking soil water potential down 10-centimetre increments, using drone and NDVI satellite imagery to spot early plant stress, and monitoring water source quality to prevent salt and bicarbonate issues.
In this episode, he also breaks down real-time sap testing to prevent over-fertilisation and explores targeted band placement and dripper technology. Southwood invites producers to attend the upcoming SADC Plant Nutrition Symposium in Stellenbosch to learn more about advanced fertigation techniques.

In this episode of Farmer Mentor, we speak to Mogale Maleka of AB Farms, a hydroponics specialist and mechanical engineer who turned an urban farming research project into an agritech business. Maleka discusses how hydroponic systems can help farmers overcome land and water constraints, improve production efficiency and explore new market opportunities.
He shares insights into building a hydroponics business, accessing funding, choosing suitable crops and the importance of starting small, being patient and embracing technology. The conversation also explores how collaboration, farmer training and innovation can support food security and create opportunities for young people in agriculture.

Escalating input costs and climate shifts require growers across Southern Africa to bridge the gap between global agricultural research and immediate field execution. Dr Michael Southwood, founder of the Agri Vision Foundation, highlights how the upcoming SADC Plant Nutrition Symposium connects international scientific developments with practical application to optimise crop performance and export quality across 15 SADC countries.
In this episode, Southwood breaks down practical strategies for managing El Niño weather threats. He explains how cover crops, mulching, and biostimulants enhance photosynthetic capacity and carbohydrate levels to buffer plants against extreme heat, drought, severe winds, and frost.
Southwood also shares event registration details and explains how symposium proceedings support the Agri Vision Foundation’s mission to foster food security and entrepreneurship in impoverished communities.