Bats: the answer to macadamia pests?
Despite being well known for their pest control abilities, bats remain understudied and misunderstood, and their numbers have been on the decline for various reasons. Now research is showing that...
Controlling fungus on Cripps Pink apples
A recent study of the effect of two pesticides on Phylctema vagabunda, a fungus that causes significant post-harvest losses of the Cripps Pink apple cultivar, revealed interesting results. Dr Alana...
Careful management pays off for litchi grower
While many litchi producers in Hazyview, Mpumalanga, have chosen to exit the industry, Pieter Luus continues to run a successful operation. He explains to Lindi Botha what it takes to...
Dragon fruit: a weapon to fight food insecurity
With hunger and food insecurity a reality for thousands of South African households, any effort to reduce this problem should be welcomed. Retired business owner Frikkie Adams is convinced that...
The basics of growing groundnuts on a small scale
Groundnuts are high in protein, tasty, and a convenient and popular food. All of this makes them a potentially valuable source of nutrition in rural communities. Growing and selling them...
Growing papayas: Easy to produce, tricky to market
Papaya production poses few challenges, says Mpumalanga-based papaya producer Giovanna Secco. But with high volumes and unstable demand, farming the fruit requires careful management to ensure that the crop remains...
Free State’s first black, female raisin farmer (and she makes wine)
Picture the Free State, and you are likely to recall lands of maize and golden sunflowers stretching to the horizon. Near Jacobsdal, however, Tebogo Ditsebe is bucking the trend: she grows...
Latest technology improves macadamia quality output
Achieving the near impossible, Dian Pretorius reduced unsound kernel recovery in his macadamia crop from 6% to 1,7% over just one season, adding R1,7 million to his profit in the...
Higher temperatures increase risk of apple scab infection
The dramatic increase in South Africa’s average winter temperature over the past 40 years has altered the susceptibility of apples to fungal disease, with fungi showing a much faster adaptation...
The importance of timing to strawberry production
Professional Horticultural Consulting, a nursery-turned-strawberry producer, has become one of South Africa’s leading strawberry exporters, thanks in part to its expertise at analysing plant and soil nutritional requirements. Dr Gavin...
Latest research: Macadamias need less water than you think!
With a looming water crisis and an expanding macadamia industry, the obvious question arises: where will the water for the new orchards come from? A recent groundbreaking study shows that...
Top female farmer makes neglected orchards bloom again
Marilyn Siegels was recently named the Western Cape’s best female commercial farmer after just two years in the industry. Along with her father, Edward van Niekerk, and sister, Yolande van...
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