Safer food with cold plasma technology

Ionised gases are being used to kill food pathogens on packaged food. This method could bypass current heat treatment and chemical sanitising methods.

Protection against potato scab

Plants of the brassica family can act as natural biofumigants when chopped up and worked into the soil, says plant pathologist Dr Reinette Gouws of the Agriculture Research Council.

Bell at the Royal Show

The Royal Show, SA’s oldest and largest mixed exhibition, took place in Pietermaritzburg from 24 May to 2 June. Joe Spencer describes some of the vehicles that Bell Equipment had...

Precision farming – a global perspective

Precision agriculture (PA) allows farmers to operate more efficiently and become better decision-makers. Australian Tim Neale and Sharon Clay from the US took part in a PA conference in Potchefstroom....

Challenger RoGator RG1100

The new Challenger RoGator RG1100 high-clearance self-propelled sprayer offers more power and boom-to-boom benefits to cut fuel consumption, emissions, maintenance and operator fatigue.

Bumblebees: should SA put them to work?

The use of bees as crop pollinators is well-known, but a group of scientists warns against confusing the European bumblebee with the South African carpenter bee.

Bumblebees fly to the rescue

Bumblebees have been used worldwide since the mid-80s to deliver pollen to flowers. Now they’ve become ‘flying doctors’. Robyn Joubert reports.

Are nutraceuticals a viable alternative to AGPs in swine?

Due to underdeveloped gut microflora and immature immune systems piglets are highly susceptible to pathogenic infections which result in poor performance. To withstand these pathogens, a protective gut microflora and...