Wangwa Farms are very diverse and spectacular and this is the fourth consecutive month that we are writing an article on Peter Luyt’s operations near Chisamba.

Besides the combined Tilapia and pig farm, Wangwa is also big in soil cultivation and haymaking, for which RovicLeers supplies the full range of implements. They grow soy, beans, wheat and maize and bale the pastures for winter feed. They also bale some wheat straw for bedding for Peter’s horses. Denny Kennedy, Wangwa’s Crop manager, has a special place in his heart for the RovicLeers equipment he is using.

Soil cultivation

“Every year we alternate soy beans and maize as summer crops and we always plant wheat in the winter,” Denny says.

Between the maize harvest and wheat planting, Denny does the following land preparation: He mulches the maize stubble with a Kuhn RM480 shredder with a working width of 4,8 meter, but it folds up to a neat 2,5 meters when transported. The shredder only needs 129 kW to do the job.

After the shredder, they broadcast the fertiliser and add 10 mm of water. “Then we send through the Optimer +, a big disc harrow, to cultivate, to mix the organic matter with the soil and to form a fine, firm seed bed with the roller at the back. I want my clods to be very fine and the Optimer + is fantastic in giving me exactly what I want. It is so solid and fine that I struggle to see where I’ve planted,” he says.

Following the winter wheat, they use the Rovic Shearer nine tine chisel plough, which works a depth of 400 mm. A 200 kW tractor is more than enough to do the job. Every year they apply the chisel plough on 30% of the planted area, followed by the Optimer + The balance of the planted area is zero tillage.

Haymaking

March is haymaking month and Denny uses two Kuhn FC 302RG mower conditioners with cutting widths of three meters. The free swinging flail fingers bruise the grass to remove the moisture in next to no time. When there is sufficient sunshine, Denny sends in his Kuhn SR 110 speed rake to create neat, straight windrows for the balers to do their job. “We have two Krone Comprima round balers and we have made over 60 000 bales between the two already. They need between 75 and 92 kW to work effectively,” he says.

“Wangwa acquired the big brother, the 12130 4X4, in the BigPack-series. It makes high density, super large, square bales which are up to 25% denser and heavier. The chamber is big enough to spit out bales of 120 cm by 130 cm and does that without having to stop. “When I use the speed rake for the Bigpack, I have to use both wings to create one big windrow to cater for the baler’s enormous appetite.”

The Krone balers lubricate themselves automatically, saving much time and effort. All the necessary netting and twine to keep the balers rolling are supplied locally by Afgri.

“Dawid Lombaard from RovicLeers is my mainstay when the season is upon me, and he is only a phone call away. I appreciate his services and RovicLeers even invited me once to go visit their factory in Cape Town,” Danny says.

With equipment from RovicLeers there are no weak links in any farming operation. Phone Victor van der Berg at +26 (0)96-385-3388 to find out how it will benefit your farm.

The Krone Bigpack 12130 square baler doesn’t play around when the haymaking season is upon Wangwa farms.

Denny Kennedy, Crop Manager of Wangwa Farm, with the 9 tine RovicLeers Shearer that works 400 mm deep.