“At this stage a policeman will probably arrest you if he finds dagga in your possession, but it is possible that the magistrate will afterwards enjoy sharing a reefer with you!” This is how a smiling Gail Pedra of Kernel Country explains the present legal position regarding cannabis and its use in South Africa.

Gail was a very popular speaker at this year’s Undercover Farming conference and exhibition. Her paper dealt with cannabis production in South Africa and Africa. She said the Constitutional Court determined on 18 September 2018 that the private consumption of dagga had to be legalised, but until now the legislation to regulate the use of the plant is not yet in place.

“South Africa should pull up its socks if it wants to take the lead with the commercial production of cannabis before the rest of the world jumps on the wagon and take over. The climate and conditions in Southern Africa are ideal for the cultivation of dagga and local cannabis plant species display all the required characteristics for medicinal use of the plant. The plants can fare extremely well in tunnels with the correct management and control,” she said.

Another popular speaker was Colin Bremner of Kleinskuur Aquaponics, who explained how farmers could cooperate with nature to achieve excellent production utilising hydroponic systems.

He said in traditional fish farming and hydroponic systems the presence of bacterium created problems and a lot of trouble is taken to sterilise systems. In aquaculture bacterium are welcomed as part of the production process to convert waste products of the fish to nutrients for the plants.

Lindi Grobler of Agri Alchemi discussed the role of calcium in people’s bodies, in water and the soil, and as nutrient for plants. She said calcium was essential although the absorption of calcium often presented problems because there were so many different factors that could influence the process.

Absorption depended on temperature, the moisture content of the plant and the sugar levels and application of calcium, and if all the other factors were not in place, it could result in more problems than solutions; especially leaf spraying could cause problems.

Her solution is that every farmer should develop a system that suits his/her soil, growing medium and water. “Measure the plant’s sugar and moisture levels before application and always keep transpiration in mind,” she said.

Deon Snyman of Plusnet emphasised the advantages of cultivation under shadow cloth, especially for fruit farmers. He said the best known advantages were protection against insects, the damaging rays of the sun, hail and wind. But the correct light spectrum could also exert a major influence, for example with budding, determination of harvesting time, fruit forming and size, productivity of the plant and vegetative growth. He said Plusnet could assist farmers with the complete planning of netting structures should they be interested in bigger profits.