Allelopathy – test Results
In the second part of this two-part series,Dr Suzette Bezuidenhout discusses testing the allelopathic effect to control yellow nutsedge. Lloyd Phillips reports.
The allelopathic effect
Nature is truly remarkable. Plants employ strategies to reduce competition and keep other plants from growing too close. Crop scientist Dr Suzette Bezuidenhout says this has an application in weed control. Lloyd Phillips reports in part 1 of two parts.
Dung beetles to be used on New Zealand farms
A wave of South African dung beetles has arrived to start work on farms in New Zealand after a sojourn in Australia.
The benefits of Bt maize
Insect-resistant Bt maize is an important tool for the management of maize stem borers, according to Edson Ncube of the ARC-Grain Crops Institute (ARC-GCI) in Potchefstroom.
The fungal-bacterial ratio for soil health
Soil is a complex, integrated ecosystem. Microbiotic populations, essential to soil functioning, are indicators of soil health, says Dr Sarina Claassens.
How to stop plums from going brown
A plum can look good on the outside but be brown and inedible on the inside. Dr Mariana Jooste explains that the problem lies in the method of cold storage and can be solved.
Best practice for nitrogen applications
Farmers aiming for a better crop yield often apply nitrogen at higher than recommended rates. They may want to reconsider, once the hard costs and environmental risks have been assessed. Lindi van Rooyen reports.
The magic of mechanising: calf feeders
A new calf feeding device designed by dairy farmer Gawie Willemse has the potential to streamline calf-rearing and improve conditions for farmers and their calves. Denene Erasmus reports.
Feral freshwater crayfish: ideal food
The Redclaw is found in abundance in SA’s rivers and provides a lucrative income, while taking pressure off our ocean’s stock. Lindi van Rooyen reports.
Solar energy use on the rise in SA
A number of agricultural businesses in the Western Cape are starting to reap the cost-saving benefits of investing in solar energy. Denene Erasmus reports.
A protein plus for peas
Peas are being touted as an important food source for livestock and human consumption, due to their high protein and essential amino acid content.
Dating tusks to curb ivory trade
Scientists may have discovered a way to foil illegal trade in ivory by using radiocarbon levels to age tusks.
Record hunted kudu horns
Farmers can help in a research project on kudu populations in the Eastern Cape.
‘Farmer scientists’ needed
Here’s a chance to help farmers and policymakers address the problem of livestock predation, say Graham Kerley and Craig Tambling of the
Centre for African Conservation Ecology.
One man’s hunt for the cereal killers
In a study by researcher Dr Paul Williams, chemical imaging has been shown to be a fast, effective means of detecting fungus-infected maize.
Small-calf syndrome gene isolated
In a breakthrough, New Zealand researchers have identified a gene that will allow them to breed out small-calf syndrome, which mainly affects Holstein-Friesian crossbreeds.
New research exposes distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) myth
Producers who feed pigs with saturated fats to undo the fat-softening effect of a diet that includes distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) are wasting their time and money, according to new research.
Netting flies boosts milk yields
The use of treated mosquito nets in cow sheds has more than doubled the milk yields of small-scale farmers in Kenya. Robyn Joubert reports.
Feedlot & cropland in one
Researchers in Argentina believe they have found the ideal stocking rate for an ecological feedlot system, which allows for optimal land use. In winter, the land is used as a feedlot and in summer for crop cultivation.
Palmiet wetland conservation
It’s not too late to restore damaged palmiet wetlands, says Alanna Rebelo of Stellenbosch University’s Department of Conservation and Entomology. Roelof Bezuidenhout spoke to her about the value of
these remarkable wetlands.
