Butternuts: know your market and maintain quality
Butternuts are a reasonably easy crop to grow, with few in soluble problems. The real challenge is to match the cultivar with the market. Mpumalanga-based producer Francois Steyn spoke to...
Value adding and ecotourism boost small blackberry farm
The owner of a small farm has to find innovative ways to remain financially viable. Natalie Turck of Wildebraam Berry Estate spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how she and her...
Ensuring that seed is disease-free
Planting seed infected by a bacterial disease could lead to complete crop failure. Rather pay more for the seed, if necessary, to ensure that it is clean. Consider the extra...
Insects: know your friends from your foes
Hannelene Badenhorst, a PhD candidate in entomology at the University of the Free State, explains the value of differentiating beneficial insects and other arthropods from harmful ones before resorting to...
Using nitrogen as an accelerator
Of all the elements, nitrogen has the most profound effect on a crop, and this is why you need to use it wisely.
Earthworms to the rescue on degraded sugar cane land
With sugar cane being a perennial crop that is ploughed out and replanted only after a number of years, the soil in which it grows can suffer as a result...
The long, hard road to profiting from potatoes
In 1998, at the age of 45, Frans Vlok left his job as head of Kynoch fertiliser services in the Western Cape to pursue his lifelong dream of farming full-time....
Planting and harvesting green beans
Visual appeal plays a major role in the breeding of beans. Darker green, slender, straight beans have become more popular of late.
Save money on chemicals
Farmers often ask for pest control programmes for their crops. They see them as a form of insurance. Is this justified? In a word, no!
Wheat producers, treat fungicides with caution!
South African wheat producers should guard against over-application of fungicide, according to Dr Tarekegn Terefe, senior researcher at ARC-Small Grain, Bethlehem. The unnecessary use of fungicides can harm the environment...
Try the new Polysulphate fertiliser
Polysulphate® is a new, multi-nutrient fertiliser that has been introduced to South Africa by ICL Fertilizers.
Attention to detail ensures high-quality sweet peppers
While launching a new farming venture as a first-time farmer may seem daunting, Hannes Wolvaardt is proof that it can be done. He shared his tips on successful sweet pepper...
Ammonia-based fertiliser explained
Nitrogen fertiliser comes in two formulations: ammonia-based and nitrate-based. To make the correct choice, you need to understand the difference.
Labour-intensive coffee farm prospers in Hazyview climate
With the call to increase job opportunities in agriculture, many farmers have been left scratching their heads over the economic implications. But the Schroeders of Mpumalanga have found a winning...
New sweeter Dragon Fruit cultivars
Dragon fruit’s peculiar appearance and exotic name are enough to make anyone take a second look. But beyond novelty appeal, the fruit holds considerable promise for South African producers. Lindi...
Pest management in peppers
Sweet peppers need adequate levels of potassium and nitrogen. Before planting, you should therefore have a soil analysis done and apply potassium accordingly.
Boost your farm’s sustainability with the right crop rotation
Including more than three crops in a cash crop system may not only help increase yield, but significantly enhance the long-term sustainability of a farm. Dr Johann Strauss of the...
Potato farmer’s virgin soil strategy to reduce disease risk
Potato production is a high-risk, high-reward industry. Farming seed potatoes is even more so. Sabrina Dean visited Gerhard Bruwer of Genade Boerdery in the Northern Cape to find out more...
The knapsack sprayer: still useful!
Recent years have seen the introduction of ever-more advanced crop sprayers, many of which are air-assisted to improve penetration into foliage.
A beginner’s guide to planting sweet potatoes
Sweet potatoes are so hardy and easy to grow that they could almost be classified as weeds! Even without optimal fertilisation and care, they produce reasonably well, unlike many other...
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