Pushing ahead to change the face of potatoes
Plans are being formulated to get players in the potato value chain more invested in the success of black growers, Potatoes SA (PSA) CEO André Jooste said at the organisation’s recent transformation symposium at Cedara in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.
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Editor's letter
Instant farmers? It’s simply not possible
Every time I visit my home town, Hartbeesfontein, I realise how lucky I was to grow up in the platteland with its clean air, open spaces, smells of grass and earth, and...
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Nampo equipment reviews - Part 2
A foretaste of what to expect at the show that just keeps getting bigger and bigger.
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Planting in crop residue, the Argentinian way
Co-operation between South African and Argentinian agricultural organisations has led to a series of multi-year trials in selected South African localities to compare Argentinian direct planting technology and conventional systems with those used in South Africa. Pietman Botha reviews the first year of the trials, which were launched in 2011.
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Spacing of Cucurbitaceae
I’ve been devoting so much time to the spacing of Cucurbitaceae because this aspect is so little understood and has been a limiting factor for countless producers over the years.
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New from Horsch
The latest offerings from German manufacturer Horsch were demonstrated by SA distributors Terratill at a recent farmers’ day in Bothaville. Joe Spencer reports.
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Carrot pests and diseases
Protecting carrots from nematodes, leaf and bacterial blight and white mould.
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Fight back with technology
Only those who constantly strive to improve the efficiency of their farms will survive.
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Growing spinach
Spinach is a cool weather crop that doesn’t grow well in hot summer months when the days are long. Hot weather causes the plants to seed too soon, which is called bolting. The best temperature for growing spinach is between 16ºC and 24ºC.
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Coming soon: hot weather lettuce production
‘Switching off’ a gene that slows germination in high temperatures will allow farmers to grow lettuce all year round.
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