Battle of the blood

To generate heat to keep their temperature constant, all mammals must eat regularly.'
Issue date 16 November 2007

Pasta, chorizo, breadcrumbs and garlic

A Portuguese delicacy with penne

A simple pedal-pump

In the early 1970s Marc Vergnet, an engineer working in Burkina Faso, saw the terrible suffering caused by drought
Issue date 16 November 2007

A balance between pest and predator

Striking the right balance between leaf miners and the parasitic wasp population that feed on them is key to the biological control of leaf miner.
Issue date 16 November 2007

Management, like rugby, is a game of strategy

'I am endlessly entertained and fascinated by the dynamics of the teamwork involved and the similarities between rugby and business, and the lessons for management.'
Issue date 16 November 2007

Lessons from the 2007 racing season

The 2007 pigeon racing season came to an end for most South African fanciers in the middle of October and it's time now to give full attention to the breeding aspects of the sport
Issue date 16 November 2007

SA is falling behind

'The Sector Plan for Agriculture proposed a substantive increase in agricultural research funding. The failure to implement this part of the plan endangers South African agriculture's global competitiveness.'
Issue date 16 November 2007

Agritechnology for Africa

Globally recognised in agricultural technology transfer, Prof Eugene Terry of the US was recently made an Honorary Professor at the University of KZN's African Centre for Crop Improvement. On a recent visit he discussed the challenges and opportunities of bringing agritechnology to Africa. Lloyd Phillips reports.
Issue date 16 November 2007

Challenger sets new cultivation record

It's official: the Challenger MT875B tractor, using Grégoire Besson's latest XXL discs, could cultivate its way from Pietermaritzburg to Johannesburg in a day - unmodified. Joe Spencer reports.
Issue date 16 November 2007

Choose the right soya bean

JL Erasmus and H Fourie of the ARC-Grain Crops Institute in Potchefstroom explain how to identify and choose the best soya bean cultivar for your region using information from the 2006/07 National Soya Bean Cultivar Trials.
Issue date 16 November 2007

When recognition outstrips reality

She's been dubbed National Female Farmer of the Year for informal markets, but Thami Madliwa's tomato farm hasn't produced a thing in six months. Mike Burgess listens to the Madliwas' plans to resuscitate their farm, and determines what went wrong.
Issue date 16 November 2007

Getting communities to help protect the black rhino

Historically the preserve of state conservation efforts and wealthy white game ranchers, black rhino conservation in South Africa has moved to the next level. Black communities are now taking on the shared responsibility for keeping this endangered icon from extinction. Lloyd Phillips reports.

Kumato: a new tomato for SA

Peter Bakker has mastered the art of profiting from innovative crops, but his latest innovation is yet to be accepted by consumers. This oddly brown, but sugary-sweet Dutch tomato is a bit pricy but definitely worthwhile. Robyn Joubert reports.
Issue date 16 November 2007

Chickpea curry

An uncooked chickpea is damn fine ammo for a light catapult, so either buy canned chickpeas, which are soft and so-so, or get the show on the road 24 hours in advance of the meal

12th Million Dollar race at Sun City

Good news! During the first week of October 2007, a substantial number of candidates for this race were tested by the online veterinarian Dr Tina du Plessis - and she gave the loft a clean bill of health
Issue date 9 November 2007

Where ecology meets livestock production

Last week, Farmer's Weekly reported on Tony Phillips, a finalist for the Peter Edwards Award for Conservation Farmer of the Year. For long-term ecological and financial gain, Mike Burgess found Tony betting on spekboom - an indigenous plant that's not only key to its habitat, but to productive browsing and grazing too.
Issue date 9 November 2007

The sleepy hellholes of rural South Africa

An unseen tragedy is unfolding in country villages, which seem to awaken only on AllPay day and where getting drunk before breakfast is completely acceptable, writes Roelof Bezuidenhout who lives in the small Karoo town of Steytlerville. Burgeoning rural communities sadly have no income to pay for their newly-acquired amenities - unless they wangle regular payments out of the Department of Welfare.
Issue date 9 November 2007

The Puma leaps onto SA tractor market

The new Case IH Puma tractors were introduced at the SIMA Show in Paris, France, in March this year and launched in the UK at the Cereals in June
Issue date 9 November 2007

Choose your best dry bean

Recommendations for 2007/08 based on dry bean trials by Dr Andries Liebenberg, Heinra Heenop and Marietjie Fourie of the ARC-Grain Crops Institute are valuable in helping producers decide on the best bean cultivars for their specific conditions.
Issue date 9 November 2007

DWAF turns weeds into jobs

Alien invasive plants (AIPs) have invaded over 10 million hectares of SA. Uncontrolled, this area could double in 15 years. Yet across the country's most job-scarce and marginalised areas people are fighting back. Cornelia du Plooy attended the annual Weedbuster Week held in Pella in the Northern Cape.
Issue date 9 November 2007

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