Farming for Tomorrow

According to Sappi CEO Steve Binnie, the group’s latest financial results show that it is ready to capitalise on market moves away from plastic to natural fibre and paper-based packaging....

During a recent tour to farms and the AgriTech Israel exhibition in Israel, it was revealed that despite the large volumes of water used during irrigation, South Africa could learn...

The marketplace for fresh fruit and vegetables is becoming increasingly globalised and interconnected. This affects the way that fresh produce is transported from its origin to its destination. The Fruit...

Nitrogen may be an essential element in crop production, but its inefficient use wastes farmers’ money as well as contributing to potentially deadly pollution of the environment. Dr Alan Manson,...

The improvements that Israeli companies have made to drip irrigation have seen them emerge as world leaders in irrigation efficiency. Inventors from all parts of the world take inspiration from...

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...