Farming for Tomorrow

This unique design, using hay bales with fire-retardant cladding, can withstand the heat of the fiercest bushfire.

Cape fox and bat-eared fox numbers are strongly influenced by fluctuations in the population of black-backed jackal, according to research conducted near Kimberley by Dr Jan Kamler of Oxford University. This conclusion holds implications for conservation of the two species, writes Roelof Bezuidenhout.

A conventional, non-GM breeding programme by the University of KwaZulu-Natal is developing high-yielding, virus-resistant crop varieties specifically for African small-scale farmers.

Precision camera technology offers automated weed control – and an intelligent means to tell the good guys from the bad. Robyn Joubert reports.

Phosphorus is a vital nutrient in livestock production, but what is the best source? Multi-national animal nutrition company DSM provided answers at EuroTier 2012 in Hanover, Germany.

Increasing energy costs have cut into many a farmer’s profitability. With more increases from Eskom on the cards, producers need an action plan to cut usage wherever possible. Koos Bouwer, an industrial engineering consultant, gives practical advice on reducing a farm’s electricity bill. Lindi van Rooyen reports.

Prof Hennie Snyman warns that slangbos (also known as bankrupt bush, bankrotbos or vaalbos) is steadily eroding farm values. So the expense of chemical control is well worth it. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.

US researchers have found that there are no significant differences between organic and conventional milk. Alan Harman reports.

US experiments demonstrate that the carbon in compost kick-starts the natural organic cycle.

Karoo lamb is a sought after product but consumers think twice before paying more for it, according to a survey by researcher Henriëtta du Plessis.

Midlands poultry producer Chris Slater is using plump, live fly grubs to replace expensive poultry feed. His story, which first appeared in Farmers Weekly on 19 October, generated such positive reader response that Robyn Joubert revisited the Slaters to find out more.

Researchers from the Grootfontein Agricultural Development Institute studied the effect of the early growth environment on the development of Dorper lambs.

Herbicide and pesticide resistance are leading to an increased use of these chemicals.

Reducing the height of forestry trees through genetic modification has advantages, say US researchers.

Correcting the soil’s pH and conserving its organic matter are key to improving plant response to fertiliser application. Robyn Joubert reports.

Confronted by declining yields and rising input costs, Limpopo farming giant ZZ2 developed and implemented a system it termed natuurboerdery. Ecologist Erik Holm gave a progress report at the PestBiz Convention in Durban in August. Robyn Joubert was there.

Increased profits, exact management of land variability and enhanced environmental protection through better use of inputs – these are just some of the benefits of precision farming, according to US agricultural expert Dr Don Tyler. Peter Hittersay reports.

This relatively unknown infectious retrovirus can go undetected for years. There is no effective treatment or efficient commercial vaccine but good biosecurity and management can play a role in prevention. Dr Jan du Preez explains.

Participate in a research project studying South Africa’s unique black-seed grass – and stand a chance of being rewarded for your efforts.

The yield potential of commercial forestry hybrids is all for naught if they aren’t transplanted properly. Dr Keith Little of the Institute for Commercial Forestry Research (ICFR) shared his tips with Lloyd Phillips.