Crops

Two ways of reducing farming risk are to grow a variety of crops and plant in different geographical areas. Several citrus farmers from the Eastern Cape and other provinces have...

Many SA farmers are unaware of the profitability and other benefits of pulses such as cowpea, groundnut and soya bean. As a result, these plants are neglected as crop alternatives,...

Wimpie Smit, co-owner of AMW Boerdery in the Western Cape, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about beating the odds in a tough market and managing a fickle crop.

Dr Gerhard Nortje, a fertiliser consultant and senior lecturer at the University of South Africa, says that correct soil pH and nutrient balance are crucial for the sustainable and profitable...

Farmers often draw my attention to ‘weird signs’ on a plant, fearing them to be the start of a devastating virus. A closer examination often reveals the cause to be...

New vineyards can make or break a producer. Warren Bam, the Western Cape Agricultural Writers’ 2017 New Entrant to Commercial Farming of the Year nominee, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about...

The African bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) has many host crops. The caterpillar, which is spiny when young, has a light stripe on the sides and usually turns green to match the...

Christmas is associated with a host of traditions, and nowhere more so than in the UK. Here, it’s not really Christmas unless you have a real fir tree at home....

You can trick onions into providing an out-of-season crop ready for market when the price is just about at its peak by planting small bulbs called ‘sets’.

Johan Esterhuyse, who produces a range of stone fruit varieties has introduced mechanisation on his farm to ensure profitability and long-term sustainability. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the positive...

Louis and Nadine Kuys produce a range of colourful leaf vegetables in an urban aquaponics system in Vredenburg on the West Coast. Keri Harvey visited Forest Friends Aquaponics to learn...

To ensure successful fertilisation, you need to do more than simply carry out a soil analysis to determine the crop’s basic requirements. You also have to consider the needs of...

The Greenleaf Olive Company near Cape Agulhas in the Overberg planted its first trees in 2006. Just 10 years later, the olive oil produced here is one of South Africa’s...

Grain producer, Danie Slabbert, wants to manage soil sustainably so that it remains productive for future generations. Annelie Coleman visited him on his farm in the Free State to learn...

South Africa’s macadamia industry is expected to double production over the next few years. But processors will have to find new markets and add value to nuts to maintain exports,...

Sabrina Dean spoke to Deon Marais, combine harvester operator, and Richard Godfrey-Thom, a cotton farmer in the Vaalharts region of the Northern Cape, about the innovative cotton picker revolutionising and...

Protecting stored grain from insect pests is essential for Africa’s future food security. University of KwaZulu-Natal doctoral candidate, Mohamed Saeed, describes his successful tests with a widely known fungus to...

Strawberry production in South Africa is expensive, with exhorbitant set-up costs. The market is also very competitive. Mark Miller, operations manager at Redberry Strawberry Farm in George, spoke to Jay...

Gerhard Scholtemeijer, Protein Research Foundation chairperson, is an ardent advocate for soya bean production in South Africa, and has promoted the crop for the past 20 years. He spoke to...

Despite extremely dry conditions, Ceres Valley farmer, Retief du Toit, recently succeeded in producing his two best harvests ever. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about how he achieved this.