Experts expect hot weather to persist in many parts of the country this summer due to El Niño. Crop farmers are advised to be extra cautious and take care of their crops during this period to avoid crop sunburn.
According to KwaZulu-Natal crop farmer Donovan Gumede, this is concerning because when crops are exposed to intense sunlight, high temperatures, and dry conditions, they can get sunburnt. This is why he advises farmers to rotate their crops for a better harvest.
He mentioned that if farmers keep growing the same crops without rotating, they might attract diseases, and their crops could get sunburnt due to the strong sunlight.
Measures to consider
“Farmers should plant their crops in greenhouses in times when there is strong sunlight because they help reduce the strength of the sun rays. Also, shade netting helps farmers.
“Sunlight is good for our crops, but direct sunlight sometimes becomes a disadvantage and can affect crops negatively. The rays of the sun shine directly on the plant and drain the plant of its water and nutrients,” explained Gumede.
Meanwhile, Eastern Cape crop farmer Mhlobo Mbane said proper irrigation during these periods is crucial.
“Irrigation would assist a lot and farmers will benefit from it as it helps cool the crop and increases crop moisture when there are strong sunrays. Sunburn in crops reduces production yields and volumes per hectare,” Mbane said.
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Risk to market access
Sophy Musabeni who is a crop farmer in both Limpopo and Gauteng, said when she experienced high temperatures, clear skies, and high sunlight radiation, she also experienced crop sunburn. There is a way to avoid it, however, she said.
“We can avoid it by installing shade nets and also greenhouses and maintaining good leaf coverage on the crops while avoiding excessive pruning in the crops and also pruning in summer. This is also known as leaf removal.”
Sunburn on crops also affects farmers at the market.
“Losing a share of the market is also a concern because no one wants to buy vegetables that are sunburnt. [Also], these vegetables aren’t suitable for processing because some crops rot faster when they are sunburnt,” explained Musabeni.
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