Farmers hoping for one more bout of rain before winter sets in

Some farmers hope for one more bout of rainfall as South Africa officially enters autumn.

Vox Weather meteorologist Annette Botha said Thursday marks the Autumnal Equinox, which means that day lengths will gradually decrease and night lengths increase as we approach winter.

“Equinox comes from the Latin words equi, which means equal, and nox, which means night. On the day of the equinox, the sun’s rays are most direct over the equator, therefore the day and night lengths are almost equal,” she explained.

Botha added that the astronomical autumn starts on the autumnal equinox, between 21 and 23 March, and ends on the winter solstice, between 20 and 22 June.

“Meteorological and astronomical autumn start on two different dates. Many people consider the March equinox the official start of autumn, but for us meteorologists, the new season kicks off weeks before the astronomical event,” she said.

Farm production stops in winter

TLU SA chairman Bennie van Zyl said once the cold arrives for winter, the growing process stops for farmers.

“Generally, most farmers will hope and trust that the cold will stay away for as long as possible. The moment the cold comes, we are talking about frost, then the growth force is over and you will no longer have grass and plant growth,” he said.

“Farmers who planted very late just hope for a harvest before that first severe cold arrives for the winter,” he added.

Van Zyk said some farmers consider this point the completion of a season’s work.

“Some are already harvesting, and others are waiting for their maize, soya or sunflowers to ripen before they can harvest. Some farmers need more rain,” he said.

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One more bout of rainfall will be a bonus

Van Zyl said that each farm is a business entity in its own right,t and its circumstances are unique to its management planning and process.

“There are farmers who are already harvesting at the moment, especially maize that was planted earlier in the season and is now ready to be harvested. Others are now at that well-swelling phase where they are now waiting and hoping for a little more rain because the maize’s feet or roots need to be in wet soil for that purpose of well-swelling,” he said.

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“Farmers, especially in the Eastern highveld, have to make hay. They cut grass and make bales and depend on that feed for their livestock to get through the winter. Due to the late rains, some grass only grew much later and reached a point where they would not have enough feed for the season, but it differed from farm to farm,” he said.

Van Zyl said it would be a bonus if one last rain fell before winter, especially on the grasslands and bushveld.

“If you can go into the winter with a very good subsoil moisture, chances are that the grass will grow out faster after the winter,” he said.

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