Every day at 9 a.m., an unconventional pest-control crew gets to work on a wine estate in South Africa. The property releases nearly 1,000 ducks to eat the insects and other creatures that threaten the vines.
Here’s what to know
AFP reported that rather than depending as much on chemical sprays, Vergenoegd Low Wine Estate near Stellenbosch, outside Cape Town, uses Indian Runner ducks to help manage pests. The birds spend part of each day eating aphids, worms, and snails across the property before heading into the vineyards.
For farm manager Christiaan Cloete, the environmental benefit is a major reason for using the birds.
“Using the ducks instead of pesticides is obviously better for the ecology,” Cloete told the outlet.
Cutting back on pesticide use can help protect beneficial insects, improve soil quality over time, and support healthier growing conditions for crops.
The farm started using the method about 40 years ago, Cloete said. AFP reported that five to 10 nearby farms now buy ducks from Vergenoegd as more growers look to sustainable and regenerative farming methods.
More background
Milan Germishuizen, the farm’s ecology ranger, explained to the publication that Indian Runner ducks were first developed in Indonesia to help manage pests in rice paddies. Their long necks also make them especially effective at reaching pests on raised, trellised grapevines.
AFP added that the estate also keeps 220 sheep and close to 100 cattle among the vines, with their manure naturally worked back into the soil to build nutrients instead of relying only on artificial fertilizers.
Healthier soil can improve crop resilience, reduce degradation, and support stronger harvests over time, all of which can help make food and farming systems more stable.
“The more pesticides and artificial fertilisers you put onto your soil, eventually your soil will degenerate,” as Germishuizen explained to the outlet. “So by using natural methods … we are really looking after our soils, which eventually does give us a much better product at the end of the day.”
When the grapes are on the vines and need protection from hungry beaks, the ducks are sent instead to four irrigation dams, which AFP said their droppings help enrich in a process Germishuizen described as “fertigation.”
What’s being done?
Vergenoegd Low Wine Estate is also breeding more ducks to expand the practice.
Cloete said the property now has about 890 ducks, and another 400 hatchlings are expected over the breeding season from mid-July through the end of October, with roughly half expected to be sold and the rest staying on to replace aging birds in the estate’s flock.
The method is also drawing visitors, according to Tessa Kleynhans, commercial manager of the on-site hotel. The daily duck run has become an attraction in its own right.
“We’re trying to set the precedent for regenerative farming,” Kleynhans told AFP. “We are trying to make a use case that, if you invest the capital in the beginning, even though it’s a long, tedious process, it is worth it in the end.”
Where can I learn more?
From home gardeners to scientists and large corporations, there is a large push to avoid using pesticides.
• In the United States, M3 Agriculture Technologies is broadening chemical-free pest control for farms with limited resources.
• Scientists have created breakthrough pest-eradication technology that protects crops without the use of pesticides.
• In home gardens, growers are using good insects instead of pesticides to keep pests down.
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Dining and Cooking