Ginger: a challenging crop, but well worth the effort
Cultivating ginger is costly on all fronts: time, labour and water. But managed correctly, the crop adds good cash flow to a farming business. Jaco Lubbe of Sabie Valley Ginger...
Family farm harvests 50t of carrots a day all year round
Bloemfontein farmer Johannes Griesel started producing carrots on 0,5ha. Today, he grows thousands of tons of this staple crop, harvesting it on every working day of the year.
Bean pests & soil diseases
One pest that every bean farmer knows is the African bollworm. This tends to appear sporadically, rather than building up its population gradually.
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...
Polysulphate an ideal fertiliser for potatoes and other crops
Polysulphate is a new, multi-nutrient fertiliser that has been introduced to South Africa by ICL.
Protecting South Africa’s trees from the shot hole borer
The polyphagous shot hole borer threatens over 150 South African tree species. If left unchecked, it could cause huge damage to citrus and avocado orchards, amongst others. Prof Wijnand Swart...
Make the most of the free market
Fresh produce growers often try to plan production to capitalise on high prices.
Growing garlic: soil types
Garlic (Allium sativum) can be grown in a wide range of soil types. What is more important is good fertility, as this crop has a modest root system.
Identifying and controlling sweet potato viruses
Sweet potatoes are an important commercial crop and contribute significantly to food security in many poorer South African households. Dr Julia Mulabisana and Dr Sunette Laurie of the Agricultural Research...
The intricacies of crop rotation
The purpose of crop rotation is to prevent the build-up of a pest or disease to which a crop is susceptible. But there is more to rotation than merely switching.
How to improve the oil yield of a sunflower crop
Dr Safiah Ma’Ali, a senior researcher at the Agricultural Research Council’s Grain Crops Institute, outlines a recent South Africa study demonstrating that farmers can significantly improve sunflower oil content and...
Cashing in on the expanding plant extracts market
Planting alternative crops for the extracts or essential oil market can be profitable, but it’s no easy road to riches. Pietersarel de Bruyn of Herbs Aplenty spoke to Glenneis Kriel...
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