Kevin Kalb, a top farmer from the USA at the SA Grain Congress. (Photo: Janice du Plessis/Maroela Media)
For Kevin Kalb, a top farmer from the USA, farming is not about how many hectares you cultivate, but about how efficiently you manage every square meter of that land.
This fifth-generation farmer from Indiana and 25-time winner of the National Corn Growers Association’s yield award, visited South Africa this week to share his knowledge with local farmers.
He is known for his record yields on dryland maize and conveyed his insights to grain producers during the DEKALB conference and the SA Grain Congress.
Kalb also farms soybeans and turkeys on his farm in Dubois and is known worldwide as host of the TV show Live to Farm.
This was Kalb’s third visit to South Africa and he makes no secret of his admiration for local farmers. Despite the challenges the local industry faces, he believes the standard of farming here is excellent.
“From my first visit to South Africa, I saw how remarkably you perform with the tools at your disposal, especially compared to what we have in the U.S. I think you grow soybeans that are just as good as ours, probably even better, even though we still have a small lead in corn.
“It’s really exciting to see how well the farmers here perform without all the tools we have. You’ll get those tools in time – it just takes a little time. I’m more than impressed with the farmers here.”
(Photo: Du Preez de Villiers)
Lessons for local producers
Kalb believes there are a few simple, but important practices that South African farmers can use to their advantage. His family farm’s productivity has improved precisely because they do smart land management and use technology.
This was Kalb’s third visit to South Africa and he makes no secret of his admiration for local farmers. (Photo: Janice du Plessis/Maroela Media)
“We focus on keeping the soil healthy and applying fertilizer at the right time and in the right amounts. Technology and data help us make better decisions on the farm. The goal is to farm smart and efficiently; not by using more products, but by using less and doing it right.”
To promote soil health, Kalb regularly uses turkey manure as organic fertiliser, as well as the application of microbes.
“The use of manure plays an important role in effectively breaking down crop residues and activating micro-organisms in the soil. This approach not only helps to strengthen the biology of the soil, but also reduces the farm’s dependence on conventional fertilisers.
“Build your soil’s health so you can improve your yield over the long term. Use your inputs smartly and precisely; don’t waste money on things that don’t work. Also use data and technology to help with decision-making.”
Kevin Kalb’s approach to soil health is holistic and focuses on restoring the soil biology after each intervention. (Photo: Provided)
Measure to know
For him, tissue analyzes are not just an extra tool, but the only way to determine whether every rand spent on inputs actually produces a return on investment (ROI).
Throughout the season, he regularly takes samples of the plants to determine exactly which nutrients are required. According to Kalb, this precision approach helps to avoid over-fertilization and protect the yield.
“The bottom line is that many farmers use fertilizers to increase yields, but there are many products on the market that do not work efficiently. High yields don’t start with more fertilizer or more soil, it starts with knowing exactly what your plant needs.
“Regardless of where you farm, you need to do tissue analysis. You need to know exactly what you’re spending your money on and whether that investment actually ends up in the plant.”
Kevin Kalb also farms soybeans and turkeys on his farm in Dubois and is known worldwide as host of the TV show Live to Farm. (Photo: Janice du Plessis/Maroela Media)
Focus on controllable factors
In an industry where external factors such as erratic rainfall and rising input costs often give farmers sleepless nights, Kalb concentrates instead on what he can control. According to him, good production management is one of the best ways to limit risk.
“There are things on the farm that you can’t control. You can’t control the prices of inputs or energy, but you can control how your production looks by mitigating the hazards.
“Just like in America, there are not many farmers who farm exactly like me, but there is a farmer in South Africa, a good friend of ours, Danie Bester, who has started to apply these practices and it works excellently.”
Continuous testing with accompanying corrections will ensure that crops perform optimally. (Photo: Steven Weeks, Unsplash)
Quality rather than quantity
Where many farmers tend to farm bigger by buying more land, the Kalb family deliberately decided to instead maximize the potential of their existing hectares. Their farm is much smaller than many South African grain farms, and the work on the farm is mainly handled by the family themselves, with no full-time or temporary workers.
“We don’t have the option to buy a lot of land and we don’t have a lot of help on the farm either. That’s why we chose a different path. Instead of chasing more hectares, we focus on how to make the land we already have more profitable. On a smaller scale, we can manage each hectare with more attention and care and increase the quality of our production.”
Where many farmers tend to farm bigger by buying more land, the Kalb family deliberately decided to instead maximize the potential of their existing hectares. (Photo: Janice du Plessis/Maroela Media)
Biology and recovery
Kalb’s approach to soil health is holistic and focuses on restoring the soil biology after each intervention. He regards the soil as a living ecosystem that needs to be nourished and, among other things, uses sugars in his spraying program to stimulate and protect the biology in the soil.
“Every time we apply a herbicide, we know it damages the biology a little bit. That’s why we add sugars to the spray mixture to start repairing that damage immediately. The same goes for fungicides. Everything we do is aimed at neutralizing the damage from the application.”
He emphasizes that this focus on biology has helped him to phase out less effective products. “This opened our eyes. Through tissue analyses, we began to notice which products – and even their quantities – we could actually reduce without sacrificing yield.”
(Foto: Unsplash)
Testing of hybrids
The choice of seed is also scientifically tested on the Kalb farm. They use their own trial plots to analyze the yield trajectory of different maize hybrids.
“We have our own premises where we test 15 to 20 different DEKALB hybrids. Our theory is that the way we feed and manage the crop can completely change the genetic potential of the hybrids.”
The results speak volumes and Kalb can write several records to his name. The pursuit of excellence also runs deep in the family. The whole family actively participates in yield competitions, and even his children often walk away with prizes. This testifies to a farming approach that has been refined over generations and continues to yield success.
The Kalb family used their own test plots to analyze the yield trajectory of different corn hybrids. (Photo: Janice du Plessis/Maroela Media)