Effective irrigation systems – horses for courses
Key factors determine the application, irrigation efficiency and economics of cost-effective sprinkler systems, whether hand-movable, solid set or centre pivot.
‘Free choice’ milking in the Netherlands
A dairy cow management system that allows cows to exercise 'free choice' about eating, resting and milking has showed positive results in the Netherlands.
Higher dairy productivity, lower greenhouse gas levels
Milk and animal production has an environmental impact – regardless. But intensifying the process can reduce this impact. Research in the Netherlands is showing the way.
Fruitlook – removing the guesswork from irrigation
The Western Cape Department of Agriculture is financing technology that enables fruit growers to measure water-use efficiency and plant growth. This could potentially save farmers thousands of rands.
Boosting communal goat nutrition
Acacia karroo is a potential source of cheap protein for goats during the dry season, says researcher assistant David Brown.
Solving forage shortages in dairy herds
Stellenbosch student Lobke Steyn won an award for the best MSc dissertation in Animal Science in 2014. Farmer’s Weekly presents an overview of Steyn’s paper, which examined the potential of...
Can once-a-day milking work in South Africa?
OAD milking is becoming increasingly popular in New Zealand, but can it work in SA?
Turning waste green
An alternative waste handling solution being piloted in Secunda aims to convert potentially harmful biosludge into an environmentally-friendly compost.
Managing water for the future
Local, regional and national government, the World Wide Fund for Nature and Nedbank’s Green Trust are partnering with farmers in a project aimed at restoring water balance in the Umgeni...
Using the secrets of nature to breed better livestock
Much excitement has been generated by the advent of genomics. This technology started out as a tool to study the human species, but has now established itself in the world...
Capturing the special character of old Pinotage
Since the genome (genetic code) of human beings was published in 2000, scientists have continued to learn more about the building blocks of many species, including the plants that feed...
Farmers, science and biodiversity
Fine-scale mapping is helping farmers, conservationists and government work together to save species and preserve biodiversity.
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