Farming for Tomorrow

Daan Hugo, managing director of CertiSure, says that while avoiding risk in the South African agricultural sector is out of the question, various risk management tools are available to help in the assessment and prioritisation of risks. Annelie Coleman reports.

Research by food scientist Dr Cindy Hunlun suggests that legislation about fruit juice labelling should be revised to reflect true nutritional value and health properties.

This innovative product could improve animal health and benefit the environment.

Farmers can use the Solvita test’s rapid testing technology to analyse biological soil health on their farms to determine whether their land can adequately support sustainable and profitable production. Wilma den Hartigh finds out how the technology works and why biological soil health should be a greater priority.

Greenhouse farming can become expensive if improvements are not made continually to achieve greater production efficiency. Hydroponic consultant, Herbert Stolker, highlights three strategies to accomplish this.

Greenhouse crop farmers are increasingly making use of retractable roof technology to create optimal growing conditions, and to reduce exposure to extreme climates.

[Examining the global opinions] A research group led by Dr Heidi Hawkins, research director at Conservation South Africa, conducted a study into the differing views on holistic planned grazing across the globe.

The use of quality packaging safeguards the time and effort a grower has put into producing top quality fruit. Dawid Groenewald of Citrus Research International (CRI) spoke about the latest packaging developments and trends at a recent CRI workshop in Stellenbosch.

Two-a-Day’s Dr Mias Pretorius and Daan Brink described to Glenneis Kriel how picking platforms are improving the company’s production.

More than 100 products were presented at the Global Forum for Innovations in Agriculture. Denene Erasmus looks at some of the inventions that can improve efficiency on smaller farms.

According to a global study, smallholder farmers who attract more wild bees and other pollinators to their land could harvest up to 24% more crops. In contrast, commercial farmers remain reliant on managed beehives. Ecological entomologist Dr Ruan Veldtman of the SA National Biodiversity Institute and Stellenbosch University contributed to the research.

The drought continues to have a major effect on livestock production. Special management practices are needed for herd management to survive a drought.

Using GPS monitoring in conjunction with aerial technology allows farmers to increase farming efficiency. The results, however, are highly dependent on interpretation of the data and the type of technology used, says Mico Stander of Agrimotion.

The establishment of a new orchard is one of the largest capital investments a fruit farmer can make. Prof Karen Theron from the Department of Horticultural Science at Stellenbosch University provides insights and advice into purchasing healthy nursery material.

Immunisation is not always effective. Dr Jan du Preez and Dr Faffa Malan examine the reasons for this.

The decreasing profitability of livestock farming means that producers must improve the biological and productive efficiency of their operations. This was the message animal scientist Dr Jasper Coetzee delivered at the 2015 Namibian Livestock Producers’ Organisation in Windhoek.

Even a single incidence of off-road driving can cause lasting damage. To protect the veld, stay on the track, Roelof Bezuidenhout cautions.

Technology is the key to the future of agriculture, often in ways we do not expect, according to Jason PH Brantley, managing director of John Deere: sub-Saharan Africa. He spoke to Gerhard Uys about recent trends.

The poultry sector is growing and traditional poultry feed is failing to meet demand. As a result, alternative protein sources for poultry feed are being researched.

Radically innovative approaches are needed to address challenges in the agriculture sector, says Dr Saskia von Diest of Stellenbosch University.