Combat Crop Sunburn as El Niño Turns Up the Heat
Prepare for scorching temperatures this summer as El Niño continues to bring the heat. Crop farmers, take heed and protect your precious plants from the dreaded crop sunburn.
Donovan Gumede, a seasoned crop farmer from KwaZulu-Natal, expresses his concern over the potential damage caused by intense sunlight, high temperatures, and dry conditions. When crops are exposed to these harsh elements, they can suffer from sunburn. Gumede advises fellow farmers to adopt crop rotation practices to ensure a bountiful harvest.
Gumede emphasizes the importance of crop rotation, as growing the same crops repeatedly without variation can attract diseases and make crops more susceptible to sunburn. By diversifying their crops, farmers can mitigate these risks and safeguard their yields.
To combat the scorching sun, Gumede suggests utilizing greenhouses and shade netting. Greenhouses provide a shield against the sun’s intense rays, while shade netting offers additional protection. While sunlight is generally beneficial for crops, direct exposure can be detrimental, depleting plants of vital water and nutrients.
Mhlobo Mbane, a crop farmer from the Eastern Cape, stresses the significance of proper irrigation during these challenging periods. Adequate irrigation not only cools the crops but also increases moisture levels, counteracting the effects of strong sunrays. Sunburned crops result in reduced production yields and lower volumes per hectare, making irrigation a crucial factor in maintaining optimal crop health.
As El Niño continues to unleash its fiery wrath, farmers must take proactive measures to shield their crops from sunburn. By implementing crop rotation, utilizing greenhouses and shade netting, and ensuring proper irrigation, farmers can safeguard their livelihoods and secure a fruitful harvest.
Market Access Risks
Sophy Musabeni, a crop farmer in both Limpopo and Gauteng, knows firsthand the challenges that come with high temperatures, clear skies, and intense sunlight radiation. These conditions not only affect her crops but also pose a risk to her market access. However, Musabeni has found a way to combat this issue.
According to Musabeni, installing shade nets and greenhouses can help prevent crop sunburn. Additionally, maintaining good leaf coverage on the crops and avoiding excessive pruning, especially during the summer, is crucial. This practice, known as leaf removal, can significantly reduce the risk of sunburn.
The impact of sunburn on crops goes beyond the farm. It also affects farmers’ ability to sell their produce in the market. As Musabeni explains, “Losing a share of the market is a major concern because no one wants to buy sunburnt vegetables. Moreover, these vegetables are not suitable for processing as they tend to rot faster.”
In the competitive world of agriculture, maintaining the quality and appearance of crops is essential for market success. By implementing strategies to prevent sunburn, farmers like Musabeni can ensure their produce remains appealing to buyers and suitable for various uses.
So, whether it’s protecting crops from scorching sun rays or preserving market access, farmers must stay vigilant and take proactive measures to safeguard their livelihoods.
sthenos
SOLAR PROTECTOR AND ANTIOXIDANT
sthenos is a suspoemulsion (SE) of complexed calcium and other compounds with photoprotective and antioxidant properties, developed to protect fruit from sun exposure. sthenos reduces oxidative damage and lowers the surface temperature of fruit, thereby reducing the risk of production and post-harvest quality losses due to over-exposure to solar radiation.
The Lfb complex acts on the surface of the fruit in three ways: blocking radiation thanks to a screen formed of a colorless layer of inorganic particles, absorbing energy through organic solar filters so that it does not spread in the fruit, and mitigating the effect of solar radiation through antioxidants and vitamins.
