AgriThority Associates Krishan Jindal and Ben Oosthuizen toured six facilities across South Africa to evaluate potential research and field trial locations. At each stop, they learned capabilities available at the facility and crop cultivation challenges local growers encounter.
The first stop was the South African Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI), a world renowned agricultural research institute at the forefront of a successful sugar industry. The facility conducts research on variety improvement, crop protection, crop performance and management, and systems design and optimization. The location also has its own extension staff who provides an essential link between researchers and sugarcane farmers.
Krishan Jindal (second from left) and Ben Oosthuizen (second from right) with the SASRI management team.
The tour covered a range of temperatures, soil conditions, pathological and entomological environments to test a broad spectrum of pesticides and bio-products. Research trials covered a variety of crops from soybean and corn to citrus, grapes, avocados and tree nuts. Experienced staff at all of the locations have researched various crops for different multinational companies and are able to collect high tech research as needed by clients.
Overall the infrastructure and cultivation conditions are excellent at the research cooperators AgriThority visited in South Africa. Locations can be used to conduct counter-season trials for North and South American companies or trials for South American companies working with bio-products in high demand as most of the country’s agricultural produce is exported to European countries. Each stop on the tour offers a variety of services that will allow AgriThority to complete marketing research and registration of a broad spectrum of new pesticides and bio-products.
Trial locations for a wide range of crops are located at research facilities and farmers’ fields
Spray pump with built in software and 13 tanks to apply various chemicals and various dosages with full accuracy
AgriThority Associate Ben Oosthuizen reviews a cotton trial
AgriThority Associate Krishan Jindal discusses wheat seed treatment and in-furrow application trial