Farming for Tomorrow

Zikhona Buyeye, a junior researcher at the Agricultural Research Council’s Natural Resources and Engineering Division, explores the importance of vertical farming structures for small-scale vegetable production.

Despite being a major producer of coffee in the early 2000s, Côte d’Ivoire’s coffee production has declined significantly. However, cocoa production is still massively on the rise, cementing the country’s place as the world’s top producer.

Healthy soil is a key driver of farm productivity, profits, and sustainable food production. Dr Hendrik Smith explained to Magda du Toit how farmers can improve the health and fertility of their soils.

Dr WJ Botha of the Biosystematics Division attached to the Agricultural Research Council’s Plant Health and Protection Research Institute explains why Streptomyces bacteria are an ideal alternative to chemical fertilisers and growth promoters.

With the relentless growth in population, countries can no longer afford to waste food. Manoshi Mothapo, a researcher at the Agricultural Research Council’s Natural Resources and Engineering division, examines how post-harvest losses affect smallholder farmers, and how they can be reduced with correct handling and storage.

Healthy soil is a crop farmer’s most important asset. Farmers Danie Bester and Tyson Zunckel, both of whom produce maize, soya bean and wheat, spoke to Magda du Toit about their soil-management practices.

Research and development in agriculture is accelerating to keep up with the numerous challenges in the sector. On a recent agricultural tour of Denmark, Lindi Botha discovered the many different ways in which the Danish are tackling the age-old dilemma of optimising inputs while achieving maximum output.

With bees pollinating approximately one-third of the world’s crops, commercial pollination services are a crucial and sought-after resource for many farmers. However, unscrupulous industry players are doing more harm than good, exacerbating the problem of dwindling bee populations.

Angus McIntosh, a livestock farmer at Spier, recently hosted an information day during which he discussed the importance of ‘outdoor’ livestock production for the future of food security.

South Africa is filled with an array of remarkable plant species. Landscape designer Leon Kluge spoke to Magda du Toit about this mysterious world of flora and the tricks they have developed to attract pollinators in order to survive.

Floating wetlands are successful at improving the quality of nutrient-polluted water, and can be made from a few basic materials, says Dr Alanna Rebelo, a senior researcher in the Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology at Stellenbosch University.

Professors Almuth Hammerbacher, Bernard Slippers, Brett Hurley and Chris Weldon of the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute at the University of Pretoria speak about the importance of protecting South Africa’s timber plantations.

The fouling of fresh water supplies with pollutants emanating from primary agriculture has become a serious issue in South Africa. In this article, the Agricultural Research Council discusses the origins and impact of so-called contaminants of emerging concern.

The beneficial role of insects in agriculture should not be underestimated, and this is equally true of dung beetles. As these fascinating recycling experts go about their daily business of breaking up and distributing dung in nature, they also offer a variety of benefits to the agriculture sector.

In 1984, when Charl van der Merwe purchased Brakfontein in the Northern Cape for sheep production, he could never have guessed that his farm would one day become a key element in the creation of a 240 000ha interprovincial protected area. Wouter Kriel spoke to two people involved in this far-reaching development.

South Africa looks to be heading for another large-scale brown locust outbreak this season, according to Dr Gerhard Vedoorn of CropLife South Africa and Dr Roger Price of the Agricultural Research Council. They spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the most effective means of combating these swarms.

Fire protection associations play an integral part in managing fire risk during the dry winter season. Pieter Dempsey spoke to Johann Breytenbach, general manager of the Free State Umbrella Fire Protection Association, about the importance of these organisations and how they can grow their capacity and capability.

Across the world, child labour is practised more in agriculture than in any other sector. This is despite the numerous hazards involved in farm work, including unprotected exposure to chemicals, working with potentially dangerous livestock, and carrying heavy loads over long distances. Moreover, a lack of access to quality education means these children not only suffer in terms of development, but are unlikely to escape the poverty trap. Janine Ryan investigates.

The dual nature of South Africa’s agricultural landscape precludes a one-size-fits-all approach to technology solutions. Small-scale farmers have limited budgets and challenges that cannot be solved without taking their distinctive circumstances into account.

With today’s rapidly evolving digital technology, farmers have many options, but at a high cost. Discerning between the hype and the useful is therefore crucial to buying the right tools to increase profit. Digital and technology experts Rudie Raath and Stehan Cloete spoke to Lindi Botha.