Snake bites! First aid tips for livestock
They might be an occupational hazard for farmers, but little thought is given to snake bites in livestock.
New harvesters from John Deere
The S-Series combines have more power, capacity and larger header options for increased productivity. Joe Spencer reports.
Targeting gerbils
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.
Nguni project opens opportunities for rural communal farmers
A farmer development project involving collaboration between universities, the department of agriculture and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) is starting to prove successful for...
Massey Ferguson wins
Not only did Massey Ferguson win Tractor of the Year at the recent Agritechnica Show in Germany, its famous three-point linkage system was named a ‘milestone in agriculture’. Joe Spencer reports.
Mealybug hopes pinned on parasitic wasp
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.
Termites increase soil fertility
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.
Agritechnica honours New Holland’s innovations
Joe Spencer reports from Agritechnica, the world's largest exhibition of agricultural machinery and equipment held in Hanover, Germany. This year, New Holland proved its mettle with five silver medals in the three key business segments: tractors, harvesting equipment and speciality machines, where the judges recognised the productivity and sustainability of its innovative solutions. Here are some of the winners.
New facility to expand bio-control of codling moths
A new production facility to rear and release sterile codling moths is geared to produce more than 2 million moths a week and currently supplies at least 3% of the local pome fruit industry. It's a new era in bio-control, writes Denene Erasmus.
Go green with the Sepcom
An advanced solids-liquid separating machine will help industrial and farming operations comply with increasingly stringent environmental laws.
Breed for efficiency, not size
Dr Roger Hunsley, former animal science professor at Purdue University in the US, told cattlemen how they can breed for feed efficiency without producing over-sized animals that burn through expensive feed. Annelie Coleman reports.
Merinos that don’t ‘slim for summer’
Summer weight loss in sheep can be a major problem for sheep farmers in hot climates. Alan Harman looks at new research.
