Jackson Baloyi, a farmer from Giyani in Limpopo, has journeyed with CropLife SA and participated in trials with maize varieties containing both insect-resistant or Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) trait technology for protection against stalk borers, as well as herbicide tolerance for weed control.
According to Baloyi, he was not aware of the technology before being selected to participate in the biotech demonstration trials. That did not stop him from being curious and wanting to learn. The main aim for Baloyi was to expand his knowledge.
Willingness to learn
“I was not aware of the technology at all and accepted the trials because even those that started farming in 1950, kept on learning. I accepted to gain knowledge and learn more about maize production,” says Baloyi.
Meanwhile, the Mega Biotech trial coordinator, Lesley Mabasa, says when he met Baloyi for the first time he realised that Baloyi knew a lot about maize production, but only conventional maize.
“I realised that he doesn’t know at all about GMOs. He was reluctant about the technology because he thought he knew what he was doing. But I must say that he opened up to be taught new techniques,” says Mabasa.
For Baloyi, the best experience about the trial was the fact that the maize was not eaten by pests.
“The maize that you planted here – the ones that are not eaten by pests and the ones that are eaten – taught me a great lesson. I will benefit from using this technology because I’ll save money that would’ve been used to buy spraying chemicals for pests and weeds,” says Baloyi.
Challenges and benefits
It wasn’t all smooth sailing, says Mabasa, and he recalls there were a few biotic and abiotic challenges during the trials. There were also guinea fowls that were eating the germinating seeds.
In this episode, Baloyi also discusses:
- Advice to farmers on biotechnology; and
- How he gained a new perspective on farming.
Want to know more? Listen to the full episode of Farmer’s Inside Track.
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Option 3: Click here to listen on Google Podcast.
ALSO READ: Grasping the benefits of GM seed technology
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