Field Crops

Major apple producers across the world are switching to high-density planting to reduce labour costs, improve fruit quality and increase production. Willie Kotze, research and development manager at Dutoit Group, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the importance of a well-built trellis system when making such a change.

Nieuwoudtville farmer Pierre Rossouw is conducting trials and implementing conservation farming practices to improve the soil health of his rooibos tea lands and counteract soil erosion due to wind action.

In recent decades, crop scientists have increasingly come to recognise the importance of sulphur as a nutrient in crop production. Dr Elke Bloem, scientific director at the Institute for Crop and Soil Science at Germany’s Julius Kühn-Institut, was in South Africa recently as a guest of Omnia to share her experience with farmers and crop scientists.

It is essential that farmers understand the importance of mineral balance in their soils, says Graeme Sait, CEO of Nutri-Tech Solutions in Australia. He visited South Africa this year to explain this balance.

Although farm labour is still relatively cheap in South Africa compared with some other countries, worker output is much lower. As a result, many farmers struggle to absorb the impact of rising labour costs on farm margins. Fruit farmer Hannes Hanekom of Welgeneem Boerdery in the Witzenberg Valley, Western Cape, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about addressing this challenge.

The self-regulating ecological balance in nature’s soils is what keeps them so sustainably productive. Graeme Sait, CEO of Nutri-Tech Solutions in Australia, says that farmers need to learn more from nature and encourage a similar productive balance in their soils.

The phasing out of methyl bromide and pressure on various synthetic nematicides and other compounds have sparked global interest in the use of certain brassica species to suppress soil-borne pathogens through a process termed biofumigation. These crops can also improve soil health and soil biodiversity, says Niel Kruger, marketing manager at Terason.

Maluti Fruit’s high-risk but focused decisions are paying off for producers, placing the eastern Free State firmly on the apple map.

Swellendam farmer Hoppies Uys has started a new farming trend in the Southern Cape by planting a summer cover crop directly after harvesting a silage crop in August. He talked to Glenneis Kriel about the principles involved and the results thus far.

To combat herbicide resistance, farmers worldwide are having to become inventive in their herbicide application. Villa Crop’s Pieter le Roux offers practical solutions to the problem and looks at some do’s and don’ts.

Consumer tastes in fruit are becoming increasingly sophisticated and varied across the world, and a future trend will be growing demand for new eating experiences and exotic flavours. Riaan van Wyk, one of the directors of the fruit breeding company, re:inc innovation, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about his views on these trends.

Humus is arguably one of the most important contributors to sustainable life on our planet, yet it remains largely unappreciated. Graeme Sait, CEO of Nutri-Tech Solutions in Australia, explains why humus is so important and how we can help to produce it.

Exotic Sharon fruit was introduced to South Africa in the late 1990s, but it took years to establish in which regions the trees would produce optimally. Over the past five years, the industry has been consolidated and is now taking advantage of new export markets.

Southern Cape conservation farmers are continually looking for new ways to improve their operations. The latest technological advance in planters, the Tobin Bullet disc planter, now allows them to move from minimum till to no-till.

SA soya bean production has increased markedly over the past couple of years. As drought hits our western production regions, farmers expect to harvest marginally less of the oil seed than last year. Jaco Visser analyses the domestic and world outlook for soya bean production and prices.

Local small grain producers must optimise production through precision farming in order to stay competitive in globalised markets. Through a recent merger, the Tweekop farming enterprise in the Southern Cape has done just that. Jacques Claassen visited the farm and reports.

The local macadamia nut industry has been taken aback by a recent crackdown on illegal traders in China procuring nuts for their domestic market....

Canola is no longer a crop that farmers can neglect. It is a valuable cash crop that can achieve high yields, provided that producers make careful cultivar selections and manage the crop correctly. Jacques Claassen reports on what is expected of the 2015 season.

Long grown in India and Pakistan, and more recently in the US, Australia and other parts of Africa, guar is now being introduced to South African crop farmers as a hardy and high-value legume crop for marginal soils.

Adverse environmental conditions and disease are placing increasing pressure on maize crops in South Africa, says Dr Belinda Janse van Rensburg, researcher at the ARC-Grain Crops Institute.