Farming for Tomorrow

This invasive alien plant is difficult to destroy, but trials at Nyoka Wildlife Conservation have shown good results, writes Dave Vanderspuy.

Scientists are going to space to help farmers monitor drought and irrigate their crops.

Research by two doctoral students the University of the Free State has shown that supplementing pig feed with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) could add considerable value to the pork industry. Annelie Coleman spoke to Cobus Ferreira and Carina Bothma.

Predation can cause huge stock losses, yet farmers are under pressure to avoid methods such as gin traps and poison. A Karoo farmer’s invention might satisfy both farmers and environmentalists.

Farmers must use antibiotics more prudently to prolong their efficacy. Dr Maryke Henton, an Idexx Laboratories specialist veterinarian and Global Antibiotic Resistance Partnership member, tells Robyn Joubert why.

Trials by Free State University’s Department of Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences question the ecological sustainability of high stocking rates on Karoo veld. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.

The promise of drought tolerant maize may be just a few years from becoming a reality.

They might be an occupational hazard for farmers, but little thought is given to snake bites in livestock.

Following a report in Farmer’s Weekly of 27 January on gerbil damage to grain in Free State, North West and Mpumalanga, Annelie Coleman interviewed Dr Gerhard Verdoorn on the best way to get rid of these rodents. His advice? Get to them before they get to the crops.

A farmer development project involving collaboration between universities, the department of agriculture and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) is starting to prove successful for...

An Israeli company has cracked the code for mass-rearing a predatory wasp which could help control the destructive mealybug. Trials are underway in Eastern Cape in conjunction with Citrus Research International. Robyn Joubert reports.

Hazyview farmer Isak Fick lost the battle against termites - only to find that his mango and macadamia nut orchard boomed. Termites create superior compost right where the tree needs it most, boosting yields and soil fertility. Lindi van Rooyen reports.