CYCLONE ELOISE CAUSES HAVOC ON FARMS IN NORTHERN REGIONS

The heavy rain caused by Cyclone Eloise is wreaking havoc on many farms, damaging crops, infrastructure and yields. 

Water-logged soils mean increased soil borne diseases. Plants grown with Madumbi’s Root Health Programme are stronger, exhibiting increased pest and disease resistance. 

The Madumbi Root Health Program incorporates a combination of four products: 

The program is ideally tailored to each particular grower.

Biological solutions complement conventional chemistry

When implementing the Root Health program on an existing orchard with high levels of pathogen pressure (e.g. Phytophthora), it may be necessary to first apply a curative treatment as the above products are primarily preventative in nature and cannot cure systemic infections already inside the root or stem.

Fig 1 and 2. Photos taken of the same avocado tree, in Wartburg, KZN, 2 months apart during the summer of 2019/2020. This tree represents the most severely affected and diseased tree in a Phytophthora infested orchard. An annual treatment with systemic chemistry was applied to control the disease within the tree. This treatment was followed with the Madumbi Root Health program, to build, support and enhance the root system better equipping it to withstand and fight future infection. 

Plants grown with Madumbi’s Root Health Programme are stronger, exhibiting increased pest and disease resistance. Ideally, treatment should start in the nursery and continue into the field, with annual repeat applications throughout the crop’s lifetime.

The biggest benefits are usually seen in the first 2-3 years after transplanting.