Farming for Tomorrow

Growing awareness of the interconnectedness between water, energy and food security is resulting in a more holistic way of measuring sustainability, says Dr Nadine Methner from the African Climate and...

Drone technology, combined with satellite images and soil samples, provides macadamia farmers with more precise orchard health data than ever before. Gerhard Uys spoke to Martin Taljaard and Jaco Prinsloo...

Groundwater resource conservation should be the most important aspect of any irrigation farming concern in South Africa, say geohydrology consultant JL van Vuuren and drilling contractor Marnus Nel. A lack...

Smart technology is a hot topic these days – and notably so in agriculture, where there are many uses, from drones and remote water monitoring, to soil analysis, animal tracking,...

After a number of farmers near Middelburg in the Eastern Cape expressed concern about increasing termite activity, James Hagan, an MSc student in ecology, conducted a study on the effects...

The crucial link between soil health and optimal, sustainable crop yield is well established. Dr Neil Miles, a soil scientist with the South African Sugarcane Research Institute, explores this subject,...

Josef van Wyngaard, a doctoral student at the University of Pretoria, has found that South African dairy cattle emit less methane than initially thought, and there is room for significant...

A new product developed in France has been specifically formulated to support plant growth and development under dry conditions. Marketed in South Africa as Polyter, the innovation has shown promising...

Production data is invaluable for enhancing farm management and improving profitability. However, collecting and analysing this information efficiently can be daunting. Western Cape farmer Wolfgang von Loeper explains why this...

Worldwide, waste generation is fast overtaking landfill availability. Heidi Newton-King, sustainability and human resources director at Spier Wine Estate, recently shared how the estate has succeeded in reducing its proportion...

Measuring soil moisture content and water extraction has an obvious advantage: more efficient water use. In addition, it creates an optimal environment in which plants can grow and utilise fertilisers...

In the two decades since their introduction, commercially produced genetically modified (GM)crops have revolutionised global agriculture. Love them or hate them, they are here to stay. Dr Hennie Groenewald, executive...