Episode 2 of 23: Nematodes in soybean productionIn this episode of ‘We’ve bean around the block’, we catch up with world renowned nematologist Prof Driekie Fourie and discuss the nematodes that are problematic to soybean production in South Africa. The root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are considered the biggest nematode problem in South Africa, but the lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.) are very widely distributed across all the soybean production areas in the country. The cyst nematode (Heterodera) is not currently found in the country, but Prof Fourie sounded the warning that it had recently been detected in neighbouring Zambia. Control of nematode numbers in our soils and population dynamics are discussed and the conclusion is drawn that an integrated strategy involving poor host plant species in rotation, resistant cultivars, cultural practices and new era chemical active ingredients are required to build soil health and suppress nematode populations in our soybean production.

Episode 1 of 23Cane in painIn this episode of ‘We’ve bean around the block’, we re-visit the topic of dry beans in rotation with sugarcane. This episode follows a previous podcast (Episode 5 of 21) with advanced thinking of how to incorporate beans into a rotation with sugarcane. Host Antony Jarvie discusses rotation ideas and practicalities with forward thinking cane farmer, Deon Schröder. The problem with incorporating dry beans into a sugarcane rotation is always going to be the herbicide residues from the cane component. The shrinking crushing capacity in the industry is forcing a reduction in sugarcane output, which for the first time, provides an incentive for a multi-year and or a multi-crop rotation strategy. The idea to bring in glyphosate tolerant hybrid maize as a first rotation crop and then to follow this with beans in the second season, as a way to avoid the effects of sugarcane herbicide residues, is discussed at length.  The practical aspects of turning a sugarcane operation into a more diverse farming unit is also discussed. The podcast was recorded with Deon Schröder, but it followed a workshop discussion that included input from Dave Wilkinson, Shaun Carroll, Marcel Ortmann and Andrew Braithwaite.

Episode 6 of 22Adopting Success: ZamukeleIn this episode of ‘We’ve bean around the block’, host Antony Jarvie discusses the Zamukele project with Success Mdluli of the Schoeman Group. Zamukele is a Zulu word that means ‘adopt’, and it is a platform that the Schoeman Group have developed to adopt small-scale farmers into their canning bean enterprise. After an initial screening process, successful applicants to the scheme are assisted with agronomic support, seed and fertilizer inputs to begin their small white canning bean production. Once the harvested crop is delivered back to the Schoeman Group, the costs of the inputs are paid off and the profit is returned to the farmer. It is in essence a private sector initiative to assist small-scale farmers to access finance for their production. Without land ownership, small-scale farmers have no access to the formal banking sector for production loans. This remains a hurdle that the government has been unable to address adequately. Agribusinesses wishing to support the Schoeman Group by carrying some of the risk related to inputs in this project, can get in contact with Success Mdluli via email (success@witklip.co.za) for details.

Episode 5 of 22Agronomic strategies for following a wet seasonIn this episode of ‘We’ve bean around the block’, host Antony Jarvie and experienced agronomist Grant Pringle explore the prospects for the 2022/23 summer cropping season.  In this podcast, the agronomic strategies that should be considered are explored in a crop agnostic fashion. The very wet preceding two seasons, which by many accounts has been largely positive for agriculture in South Africa, now lays a foundation for increased crop disease risks. The need for rotation is discussed, as well as increasing the length of the rotation and the obligation to protect the most vulnerable crop within the rotation. Cultivar choices which emphasize yield stability are important, as is the need to prioritise disease resistance. Current disruptions to global supply chains could mean that important inputs like fungicides may not be freely available, which accentuates the need for comprehensive defensive trait packages in the cultivar choices made for the season. Seed treatment considerations are discussed, as is the need for certified or disease-free seed in crops such as dry beans. Lastly, the call for patience at planting time is made to ensure that the soil conditions are ideal at planting. While this podcast assesses agronomic strategies for the next season, Wandile Sihlobo the highly acclaimed agricultural economist, has captured the economic drivers that have shaped the agricultural outlook for the 2022/23 season in his new podcast channel. This is well worthwhile listening to in conjunction with this episode.

Episode 4 of 22: Nitrogen fixationIn this episode of ‘We’ve bean around the block’, host Antony Jarvie discusses nitrogen fixation with UKZN’s Professor Mark Laing. The discussion is centred around nitrogen fixation in soybeans, but it broadens into a discussion that covers legumes and non-legume crops. The fragile Bradyrhizobium japonicum used in soybean production is not indigenous to South African soils, so it needs to be inoculated at planting. The importance of out-competing other microbes and wild strains of rhizobia is discussed, as is the need to inundate the rhizosphere with the desired highly efficient N-fixing strains. The most widely used rhizobia strain (WB74) has been deployed for more than 20 years, and current soybean cultivar selection has been optimised on this strain. With climate change, soil environment conditions are changing rapidly, and there was much debate around the requirement for strain improvement to meet these changes. There are allied microbes that we should be developing alongside the rhizobia to buffer their exposure to harsh conditions. Professor Laing went on to introduce the topic of nitrogen fixation by free-living microbes. The examples given included N-fixation in sugar cane, cereals such as wheat and maize and in forestry. His own ground-breaking research is poised to commercialize a N-fixing Bacillus species, which could contribute towards reducing agriculture’s reliance on fertilizer nitrogen. For those interested in this topic, the links provided below offer some peer-reviewed scientific articles on the topic. https://www.tsnf.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Cocking-and-Dent-2017.pdfhttps://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acssynbio.1c00049

Episode 3 of 22: Grant us technology, in abundancePeering down the Corteva soybean pipeline is a bit like overhearing a farmers’ prayers… grant us technology, in abundance. In this episode of ‘We’ve bean around the block’, host Antony Jarvie brings you both Grant and technology. The guest for this episode is Pannar agronomist Grant Pringle, who shepherds the discussion through the soybean technology on its way to the South African producer through the Corteva pipeline. The new trait package is called Conkesta E3, abbreviated to CE3, which includes three herbicide resistant genes (2.4D, glyphosate & glufosinate) stacked with two Bt proteins (Cry1Ac, Cry1F) for lepidopteran insect control. There is a configuration of this package just called E3, which only includes the three herbicide resistances that may be used as a stand-alone trait package or as refuge for the CE3. Both E3 and CE3 are designed to be used with the Enlist herbicide system. Enlist is the new choline formulation of the herbicide 2.4D, which is used in a tank mix with either glyphosate or glufosinate for exceptional weed control.  This new trait development will change soybean production in South Africa for good.

Episode 2 of 22: Seedling disordersIn this episode of ‘We’ve bean around the block’ host Antony Jarvie talks to product agronomist Grant Pringle about seedling disorders in dry beans. Often poor germination and emergence are blamed on seed quality, but as Grant explains, there are a host of reasons why the germination percentage on the seed bag may not align with what is experienced in field. The cool wet conditions faced this season has resulted in poor germination, un-even emergence, and variable maturation. The effects of moisture, temperature, compaction are discussed and expanded to their interaction with fertilizer, herbicides and soil pathogens. The major soil-borne pathogens that are mentioned include Pythium, Rhizoctonia and Fusarium.

Episode 1 of 22: 2021 year in reviewQuestions from the mail bag‘We’ve bean around the block’ podcast host Antony Jarvie invites an avid listener, Colin Prince, to critically review the channel and to assist with listener questions. Colin, who is a seasoned enthusiast of podcasts and claims to have listened to all the WBATB episodes, discusses the pros and cons of show length, frequency and seasonality. He then goes on to pose questions raised by listeners. The End Point Royalty discussed in Episode 7 of 21 raised two important questions. Should farmers who buy seed still be liable for the EPR, and is a differential royalty rate for different cultivars a possibility? Episode 5 of 21 featured the investigation of rotating sugar cane with dry beans. This episode attracted the question of how would one get started with such a rotation? A question that followed Episode 11 of 21 on the insect pests of soybean was centered around new insect resistance technologies. Would Bt soybeans be as popular as Bt maize, and when could we expect to see this technology in the field? The last question was about show content for 2022. To ask questions yourself or suggest topics for discussion, contact the show via admin@podsquad.co.za

Episode 11 of 21: What is bugging you, Marlene?Common insect pests of soybean‘We’ve bean around the block’ podcast host Antony Jarvie interviews Dr Marlene van Rooyen, entomologist at Corteva Agriscience, about the most common soybean pests. The podcast starts off with cutworm- a ubiquitous soil pest plaguing soybean production in South Africa. This polyphagous insect is a common pest to many crops and the best strategy to control plant population loss using an integrated practice of combining cultural and chemical methods of control is debated. Stink bugs and their potential to cause quality losses in grain are discussed. The sporadic nature of leaf and pod feeding larvae are dealt with, by discussing both loopers and bollworm and their control. Finally, the insect resistance portion of the new soybean trait CE3 is discussed. Bt resistance to lepidopteran pests is on its way to soybean producers in South Africa, and the deployment of this will be incorporated into current control practices to lower risks of production in the future.

Episode 10 of 21: Deidre and the 4 decadesWe’ve bean around the block host Antony Jarvie interviews Dr Deidre Fourie to celebrate the last four decades of bean research at the Grain Crops Research Institute in Potchefstroom. Deidre has recently retired from leading the team, and the interview covers the last 4 decades of bean research, organized in eras and covers the major decisions, developments and achievements. The intent of the show is to give credit the characters that have dedicated their lives to bean improvement in southern Africa.The Willem Vermeulen eraEstablishment of the disease-free certification scheme, which is the bed-rock of our current industry. The diseases which were included in the scheme and the seed production areas and protocols that still stand today are discussed.The Liebenberg eraThe brave decision to deploy the ‘I’ gene (more on this is published on the Plant Breeders website). The building of an amazing breeding team, with  Andries Liebenberg leading this with his agronomy background. Further including Brian Edington with a genetics background, Meri Liebenberg with her mycology expertise and Deidre Fourie with her bacteriology background.The Fourie eraFollowing the retirement of Andries and Meri, Deidre took over the helm. She has been able to (single handedly) maintain the plant breeding momentum built over several decades and still develop and release new and innovative products. Her retirement leaves the GCRI at a crossroads in its history. What can the GCRI do to maintain the momentum of the last 40 years? Some funding ideas are shared. The show is wrapped up with two plant breeding stories, explaining how some of South Africa’s favorite bean cultivars were developed.

Episode 9 of 21: Soybean maturity In this episode of ‘We’ve bean around the block’, host Antony Jarvie and Grant Pringle wrestle with the topic of soybean maturity. It is such an influential factor in soybean cultivar adaptation, that it warrants detailed discussion. Maturity in soybean is dictated by both genotype and environment and the complex interactions that govern the expression, commonly causes uncertainty in production. The effect of latitude is demonstrated by comparing two locations with similar temperatures but differing latitudes. Then a similar comparison is made between locations that have the same latitude but differ in altitude. Latitude affects daylength and altitude affects temperature. Both variables interact to trigger flowering, and the speed at which the crop runs through the reproductive stage is driven by heat unit accumulation during the season. A discussion on how Relative Maturity grouping is calculated and the importance of accuracy in this ensues. Finally, Grant discusses the uniquely concise way in which Pannar group their varieties for the purpose of cultivar recommendation.

Episode 8 of 21: Sclerotinia, White mould in soybeans  In this episode of ‘We’ve bean around the block’, podcast host Antony Jarvie talks to Dr Lisa Rothmann about Sclerotinia, which is without doubt the most serious pathogen limiting soybean production in South Africa. Lisa is a plant pathologist and researcher associated with the UFS, specializing in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, commonly known as white mould. Sclerotinia is a major disease of many important agronomic crop species, including dry beans and sunflower but the discussion in this episode is quite soybean centric. In a ten-year survey commissioned by the Crop Estimates Committee, the prevalence of Sclerotinia in different seasons was as low as 7% and as high as 55%. Different regions also varied in prevalence, but it was important in all the major soybean production regions. The life cycle of the pathogen is discussed concentrating on sclerotia, the melanised structure that allows the white mould to survive in debris or soil for many seasons and to re-infect crops in the future. Germinating sclerotia form small fruiting structures called apothecia, which release ascospores that infect susceptible host plants. Soybeans are most susceptible to infection during their flowering period, and as the infection progresses, characteristic white mould colonises the plant. Sclerotia are formed when the white mycelia harden and may remain embedded in the infected stems of the plants or dispersed on the soil surface during the harvesting process. Sclerotia are often of similar size to soybean grain, which means that they could potentially land up in amongst seed, if the conditioning processes are not sensitive enough to remove them. In order to prevent seed from being a major source of re-infection of fields, the South African seed certification scheme limits the presence of sclerotia in certified seed bags to 0.2%. Beside using good quality seed, producers can also limit the impact of Sclerotinia on their crop by rotating with a grass species crop like maize, utilizing cultural practices like plant population and row width to make conditions less favourable for infection. The pros and cons of tillage and cultivar maturity and habit are discussed.  Any action that is aimed at reducing the number, viability or lifespan of sclerotia should be considered because it is a long-term solution that targets the problem, not just the symptom. Scouting for apothecia during the season assists in establishing the crop risk, helping with the decision of whether to spray or not to spray. Recognising the apothecia could be aided by the photos on the Sclerotinia Research Network. This website also has a hotline, and you may use this to contact the experts directly for specialist opinion.Further reading: There are several good local articles on Sclerotinia in soybean, the one in SAGrain Mag by Hanlie du Plessis offers great insights.

Episode 7 of 21: The End Point Royalty in soybeans‘We’ve bean around the block’ host Antony Jarvie interviews John Odendaal about the End Point Royalty system, now in its third collection season in South Africa for soybean grain. John is the National Marketing manager for the Pannar brand of seed, and as such has been instrumental in positioning the company to accommodate this form of revenue collection. In South Africa, the EPR is in fact a statutory levy imposed on grain deliveries that has the aim of compensating institutions for cultivar development and trait deployment. A defined portion of the levy is ear-marked for transformation projects within the industry. Legislation allows for farmers to retain grain for the purposes of planting on their own farms, and the soybean industry has historically been characterized high levels (in excess of 80%) of farm-saved-seed. This has negatively impacted cultivar development and new technology deployment, so the EPR was implemented to correct this. The revenue collected is apportioned to the companies based on cultivar market share. The market share is determined by a formula based on certified seed sales, farmer declaration and genetic fingerprinting. John and Antony discuss how the EPR has impacted the producer, the processor and the seed business. Of course, the question is asked ‘Has the EPR had the desired effect?’ This is answered with evidence of reduced seed prices, increased company involvement, improved cultivar registration and confirmation of a number of new traits in the process of de-regulation.For those who would like to hear about a similar system in operation in Australia, listen to Hanna Senior’s podcast interview with Tress Walmsley https://soundcloud.com/user-528708317-524990744/s2e5-plant-breeding-stories-tress-walmsley

Episode 6 of 21: Eat with your eyes In this episode of ‘We’ve bean around the block’, podcast host Antony Jarvie discusses dry bean market classes and culinary quality with Dr Rob Melis. Rob is a retired Professor of Plant Breeding at the University of KwaZuluNatal who has had a parallel career in commercial breeding of several crop species including dry beans. The historic refining of the local bean industry from a multitude of market classes down to only two (Speckled Sugar bean and Small White) classes is discussed at length, but the conclusion reached is that the reduction in diversity offers no significant threat to the industry. In fact, the diversity has been captured by introgression of genes from different gene-pools and the genetic gain has been concentrated in the important two market classes. The small white canning class needs to meet the very strict criteria set by the canning industry to allow for the optimisation of their factory operations. For canning, the variety and area of production of the grain batches are preserved to insure uniformity in the canning process. Canned beans are a ready-to-eat product which fits into the busy lifestyle of the middle class, whereas beans sold in dry packs are more suited to the budget of the less wealthy. For sugar beans sold in dry packs, the visual presentation of the grain is vitally important. This includes a good colour contrast between the white background and the red speckle. A dark background colour is actively selected against on the supermarket shelf because it is associated with older stock which is again linked to longer cooking times. The take home message is that the visual aspect of beans is important throughout the value chain, because at the end of the day, the consumer eats with her eyes.

Episode 5 of 21: Cane and beans- It is a crop rotation strategy, not a cocktail. In this podcast episode of ‘We’ve Bean around the Block’ host Antony Jarvie joins up with sugar cane extension specialist Dave Wilkinson to discuss the prospects of Sugar cane – Sugar bean rotation. In an industry that is threatened by oversupply and a need for diversification, sugar cane growers are looking for a suitable rotation crop that will fit into their cropping cycles. The sugar cane area of adaptation is subset of the area of adaptation of dry beans. Commercially, most of the country’s bean crop is grown on the highveld, but dry beans are well suited to planting in the warmer ‘cane areas’ areas with later planting dates. The potential problems for cane-bean rotations are discussed, including the probability of herbicide residues. The steep slopes of coastal sugar cane crops make that area less accessible to mechanized bean planting and harvesting, but around 70% of the cane in the KZN midlands region would have suitable slopes for mechanized production. Cane farmers as a group are not exposed to the intricacies of disposing of their crop on the free market, so getting involved in bean grain sales may provide a challenge to some. One of the solutions offered on this podcast is for cane producers to ‘twin’ their bean production with a current bean producer from the highveld production areas, thereby offering risk mitigation to both groups. The bean industry in South Africa desperately needs to raise hectarage to compete for research and input supplier attention and rotating cane with beans would thus serve both industries.

Episode 4 of 21: Driving soybean yield In this podcast episode of ‘We’ve Bean around the Block’ host Antony Jarvie and guest Grant Pringle analyze the factors that are driving soybean yields. Grant, who is a repeat guest to the show, is a product agronomist with Pannar Seed who has his finger on the pulse of the soybean grain production. In this episode, Grant gives examples of the massive yields that are being recorded this season, which leads to discussion on the factors driving these yields. The effect of the wet season is considered, before using the top yield rather than the mean yield as a measure of progress. The example of using a top yield 40 years ago compared to this season shows that the progress has been roughly 4 t/ha or 100kg/ha per year for the forty-year period. Factors which have changed in these forty years that could have contributed towards this progress are discussed. The effects of weed control, crop rotation, reduced tillage, cultivar, fertilization and the use of precision equipment are discussed. The parting discussion is on raising the South African National yield average. The ideal tool to start attacking this average is the yield monitor widely found within modern combine harvesters. This precision-agriculture tool allows producers to pin-point low yielding areas within a field and to develop strategies to remedy them.

Episode 3 of 21: Soybean rust control: A stitch in time…In this podcast episode of ‘We’ve Bean around the Block’, sponsored by Pannar Seed, host Antony Jarvie interviews his guest Dr Rikus Kloppers about chemical control of soybean rust. In his long career, Rikus has worked on the genetic defense of crops through pathology and biotechnology services and now has turned his hand at chemical protection of the crop. He has a truly 360 degree vision of crop protection, making him the perfect guest for the show. In this episode, the fungicidal control of soybean rust is dealt with by looking at: ‘When’; ‘What’; ‘How’. Control treatments are made after flowering of the crop and before symptoms are visible. A strong case is made for ‘A stitch in time, saves nine’; preventative action is critical for good control of soybean rust. The contrast is made between maize rust and soybean rust, where some Strobilurin products may cause cessation of sporulation in maize rust but not in the case of soybean rust. In terms of ‘What’ to spray, there are 33 products registered for soybean rust control in South Africa. Many of them are combination products with more than one active ingredient. Combining multiple modes of action is an important strategy in fungicide stewardship, and if this is combined with different products in a spraying sequence, it adds robustness and longevity to the programme. The fungicide needs to penetrate down to the lower leaves within the crop canopy to be effective. The ‘How’ this is done is not important, whether it is ground or aerial application, the important factors are good droplet distribution and effective penetration. The direction of new product development is not only to improve effectiveness but also to improve safety. As new genetic traits are added to the crop, the value of the crop increases and thus the protection of the crop yield becomes more important.

Episode 2 of 21: Dean the beanWe’ve Bean around the Block is a podcast hosted by Antony Jarvie, and his guest for the episode is Dean Brown, Operations director of Pidelta. Pidelta annually produce around 600ha of dry beans, as part of their seed maize rotation strategy. Pidelta pioneered bean production in the KZN midlands back in the 1980s, with production of very disease resistant Carioca bean types. They transitioned to speckled sugar types as the varieties and technology improved and now produce upwards of 1500t of sugar beans for the local market annually. Despite choosing cultivars with good rust and angular leafspot resistance like PAN 9216 and PAN 9213, Dean still schedules 3 fungicide sprays combined with insecticide sprays to shepherd the crop though to harvest. The more upright cultivars combined with a tight pull-to-combine schedule has improved their harvest losses due to weather staining. This has been assisted by an investment in a high through-put electronic eye that helps remove the discolored grain from the crop. Much of the crop is bought by a few regular customers, but a portion of the crop is marketed via an on-line platform.    Finally, Sclerotinia is probably their largest disease concern, and this limits their flexibility in terms of row spacing and ultimately, their ability to harvest the crop directly with a combine. In all, Pidelta have a dry bean production programme that has stood the test of time and which fills a very important rotation spot in their overall farming practice. They certainly have 'bean' around the block.

Episode 1 of 21 is entitled ‘Rust Never sleeps’ and will really be focused on soybean rust or ASR. This episode is sponsored by Pannar Seed. The studio guest for this show is Grant Pringle, a product agronomist with many years of field experience.   The title of the podcast comes from Neil Young’s  1979 rock album. He was likely referring to iron oxidation not ASR, but  the same principle applies… you cannot get complacent with ASR. Antony and Grant discuss the current cropping season. Sclerotinia has been a major problem and farmers have been dealing with it in different ways. The rooting and nodulation habits of soybean are also discussed, before the main topic, soybean rust is considered in depth.The history of soybean rust is touched on, and how fortunate the country was to have neighbouring Zimbabwe get the infection before RSA. This gave the research community the ability to prepare and reduce the impact of the disease when it arrived. The disease triangle is discussed with reference to the source of the inoculum, the environmental conditions required for infection and the susceptibility of the soybean host. The areas of production that are most affected, the strategies used for timing spray applications, and the way that this fits into production practice are debated. Finally, it is concluded that the nett effect of soybean rust has been to add a level of complexity to production but is has in doing so probably lifted the average yields in the affected areas. The crops are looked after better, the insect control is better, the grain quality has improved, and the crops are staying photosynthetically active longer.

Episode 0 of 21: Introduction to We've bean around the block, with Antony JarvieWe’ve Bean around the block is a podcast coming to you from the heart of the KZN midlands. Your host is Antony Jarvie and this episode is a very short introduction to the show, to explain a little about the aim and potential audience of the show. As the Podcast title implies, he will be discussing topics of interest to the soybean and dry bean industries in South Africa. The expression ‘we’ve been around the block’ is an idiom that that implies experience in the field. Antony has 35 years of experience in soybean and dry bean cultivar development and in each episode, he will have a co-host or expert guest, who have themselves been around the block, and together they will navigate their way through the complex topics that permeate these industries. This podcast is not directed solely at soybean and dry bean producers or farmers, but it should also have some traction with the input suppliers and the research communities that support these industries.  The future Episode titles will give an indication if the podcast is more soybean focused or more dry bean centric, so that specialist listeners can be fussy about which episodes to download. Listeners who wish to put forward topics for discussion, may do so by sending an email to admin@podsquad.co.za