Lucerne: A massive export market for ‘green gold’
Johan Jacobs plants lucerne to ensure mega yields from other crops in his niche farming business, as well as a good cash flow for at least nine months of the...
Growing a variety of soil microbes
Most farmers are aware that a healthy population of soil organisms is a good thing. What many don’t understand is that the number of soil organisms is directly related to...
Sugar beans: A good harvest against the odds
Shadrack Mbele has been getting good returns from sugar bean since first planting it in 2014. Sabrina Dean visited him in the eastern Free State to find out more about...
Making the most of calcium as a soil and plant nutrient
Despite being a vitally important element for optimal crop production, calcium is often largely undervalued by farmers and agronomists. Plant health expert Heather Raymond explains why this outlook needs to...
Hi-tech onion business delivering 200t a day!
Willem, Jaco and Kolver Mulke produce onions on a large scale near Douglas on the border between the Free State and the Northern Cape. Sabrina Dean visited their high-tech operation...
Pecan nut farming: high cost, big returns
The boom in nut prices in recent years is expected to continue as consumers opt for healthier foods. This has increasingly led to farmers replacing their crops with nut trees....
A guide to growing baby carrots
There’s always a market for baby vegetables, and carrots are no exception. In the past, top-shaped baby carrots were the most popular in the frozen range.
How Free State maize farmer survived the drought
Sabrina Dean visited maize farmer AC van Wyk on his farm in the Free State, to gain some insight into how an award-winning farmer tackles a difficult planting season.
How pioneers make mango production work
Bernie van den Heever and Danie Smit are proving that mango production can become a thriving enterprise in the Western Cape.
Conservation agriculture pays off in drought
Long-term conservation trials conducted on rotated grain crops in the Swartland and Southern Cape during the drought have produced promising results. Dr Johann Strauss, agronomist at the Western Cape Department...
Diesel tree: fuel for the alternative energy sector
Christo Smit, a former researcher at the Agricultural Research Council, is working on developing a sustainable biofuel industry from the diesel tree.
Carrots: get your numbers right!
Hot weather is unfavourable for carrot germination. Depending on the soil’s condition and structure, it also promotes the growth of soil fungus diseases, especially when heavy rain falls, as is...
Preparing to plant carrots: seeds and soil
Carrots have a very deep root system and a mass of fine feeder roots.
Managing resistance of African stem borer to BT-maize
Andri Visser, a doctoral student at the Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management at North-West University, explores how assumptions about the behaviour of the African stem borer affect the resistance...
Pursuing soil health precisely
Chris and Dewald Bothma of North West have converted from conventional maize production to a combination of precision and conservation agriculture methods. But the change did not come easily, and...
Why SA leads the world in effective lucerne hay grading
Lucerne is one of the most important hay crops in South Africa, but differences in quality can have a marked effect on livestock performance and profitability, especially in the dairy...
Dealing with pumpkin flies
Pumpkin flies, which are slightly larger than houseflies, are similar to the fruit flies so well-known to fruit farmers.
From fruit hawker to successful lemon exporter
Although Wayne Mansfield made useful connections in the fruit industry as a hawker, he knew little about farming.
How to control cucurbit viruses
It is also important to control aphids as these are the primary vectors of viruses. Apart from spreading viruses, they are up to no good anyway!
‘Soil Sista’ profits from the informal vegetable market
With competition fierce in South Africa’s vegetable production arena, finding clients and then adapting to their requirements are essential for success. Award-winning vegetable farmer Zama Buthelezi tells Lloyd Phillips how...
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