Technology

Morningdew Farms and Afgri's Delmas branch held a well-attended joint demonstration at one of Jannie Neuhoff's farms, Hadeda's Garden Estates.

Dung beetles can restore the health of farming ecosystems, reports Cornelia du Plooy. But their survival is threatened by toxic anti-parasitics. A toxicity rating system for animal health products now gives farmers an indication of how to use these products safely.

Bruce McLeod first saw the Ecorider when a friend ordered one over the internet from the manufacturers in Nairn, Scotland. “It was love at first sight,” says Bruce. “After putting the bike through its paces on our farm in Cederberg, and being well-versed in off-road driving, I had no doubt whatsoever this machine is unique, a very different animal to the conventional quad bike.

Farmers who blame the southern springhare for destroying their chicory crops often hunt it as pest. However, a recent study indicates that the springhare is an innocent victim - the damage is more likely to be caused by the common duiker, an antelope that not only injures the leaf stock but also digs into the soil to expose the chicory root.

Recently the UK Farmer's Weekly reported on the UK National Combine Driver of the Year Award. The occasion proved that correct setting and efficient driving can hugely improve combine performance and productivity.

At a recent course on sustainable farming, Graeme Sait, CEO of Australian company Nutri-Tech Solutions, promoted natural growth stimulants and pesticides such as triacontanol and aloe vera, and more effective integrated pest management.

At a recent course on biological farming, presented by Nutri-Tech Solutions, Wilma den Hartigh found out about valuable tools used to measure soil pH and brix levels, and plant sap extractors for monitoring plant health, as well as why more farmers are using foliar feeds.

Inducing systemic activated resistance is one of the active defense systems that can protect crops against disease attack. Joel Williams said inducing systemic resistance can be effective in achieving quality without sacrificing yield.

Farmers can pick up plant nutrition deficiencies before they become visible in the field by means of a leaf analysis, says Joel Williams.

The “big four” approach Joel Williams said Zimmer's discovery, known as the “big four” approach, focuses on building maximum sugar production and microbe support.

Exhibitors' fears about the demo cancellation and losing customer contact were laid to rest at this year's Nampo show. In fact, more staff were available to deal with specific enquiries - with the range of hi-tech machines available, a one-on-one with an expert beats a glimpse of a machine as it heads up the field.

IT SEEMS THAT EVERY YEAR THE EXHIBITORS AT NAMPO CATER FOR A WIDER VARIETY OF FARMERS, growing a greater assortment of crops, some of which require very specialised equipment. There was also a greater selection of general-purpose tractors and implements at the show.

Alongside natural vegetation, insects and small mammals, birds are the most underrated and underdeveloped resource in agricultural tourism on farms and game ranches. With skill and imagination and very little input, this resource can contribute significantly to the income of an enterprise.

THE GENERAL FEELING AMONG THE EXHIBITORS AT THE 2007 NAMPO HARVEST DAY SHOW WAS that business was good. Issue date 15 June 2007

Global warming might have a devastating impact on apple production in the Western Cape, Wiehahn Steyn from the Horticulture Department of the University of Stellenbosch said at the Cape Pomological Association's climate information seminar held recently in Stellenbosch. Issue date 15 June 2007

They will enable continuous remote sensing of products during production, processing, packing and distribution. Issue date 8 June 2007

The comprehensive range of agricultural equipment distributed by Northmec's national branch network includes Jacto spraying equipment, developed for high performance spray applications in orchards

The Fendt tractor brand is relatively unknown in South Africa. The only enthusiast that I know of is Manfred Wild, formerly of the Tala Valley in KwaZulu-Natal, who has farmed vegetable crops with Fendt Tool Carrier models. Fendt is one of the market leaders in Germany where it has more than 17% of the market.
Issue Date: 30 March 2007

Casper and Estie Badenhorst recently visited the EIMA Exposition in Bologna Italy. The visit was part of a sponsored study tour to Italy, which was the prize Casper won for achieving the Farmer of the Year award.
Issue date:23 March 2007

The new Challenger four-wheel-drive articulated tractors made their European debut at this year's Sima show in Paris in March. The four tractors in the MT900B series range from 320kW to 425kW (459kW with power reserve) and are currently leaders in the power competition at the top end of the agricultural tractor market.
Issue Date 16 March 2007