Farming for Tomorrow

Producers may soon have a tool to detect sub-fertile heifers and cows, allowing them to manage reproduction more efficiently.

A multi-disciplinary research team from the Institute of Natural Resources in Pietermaritzburg is experimenting with ways to improve banana production among small-scale growers in the Eastern Cape.

The indigenous fish of the Western Cape’s fynbos rivers are under severe threat from alien fish, which prey on them. In an attempt to save them from extinction, CapeNature, in co-ordination with the Cape Action for People and the Environment programme, has launched a project in the Rondegat River, Cedarberg. Denene Erasmus reports.

Feed efficiency is increased by adding crude glycerine, a by-product of biodiesel production, to feed.

A Swiss-produced biopesticide containing a virus targeting the African bollworm is currently on trial in South Africa – and is proving remarkably effective against this destructive pest. Robyn Joubert reports.

A step-by-step approach to soil preparation is key to ensuring the survival of beneficial micro-organisms and greater yields, writes Robyn Joubert.

Brix testing quickly indicates to a farmer how a plant responds to management changes, and provides an accurate picture of a crop’s health and taste. Jeff Joubert explains the method to Robyn Joubert.

The local deciduous fruit industry has developed a successful Mediterranean fruit fly control programme that uses environmentally friendly products, as well as the ‘sterile insect technique’. Denene Erasmus reports.

A genetic marker shows a pig’s susceptibility to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome.

The reproductive performance of a sheep flock can be improved significantly if farmers retain their best ewes for an extra year or two.

Dr Maryna de Wit and her team at the University of the Free State are studying commercially viable uses for the cactus pear. The researchers argue that although South Africa produces huge quantities of the crop, its many uses have never been fully exploited here. Annelie Coleman reports.

Professor Frikkie Neser, of the University of the Free State’s department of animal, wildlife and grassland sciences, says that breeders should aim for livestock suited to particular production environments. Lloyd Phillips reports.