Crops

Farmers often ask me how frequently and how much they should irrigate. There is no simple answer, as many aspects must first be considered.

We recently discussed how to identify mineral deficiencies and eelworm infestation. Many other problems can occur, of course.

Farmers invest considerable money and time to produce high-quality fruit and vegetables. Lucien Jansen, CEO of the Perishable Products Export Control Board, South Africa’s export certification agency, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the importance of cold chain management.

Drip irrigation systems have a well-deserved reputation for water-efficiency. Although this gives them an obvious advantage in water-scarce South Africa, irrigation specialist, Mark Zartmann, explains that there are several factors that a farmer should consider before converting to such a system.

People living in the Simalaha Community Conservancy in western Zambia have risen out of poverty through the use of conservation agriculture (CA) methods, according to Chrispin Muchindu, CA manager at Peace Parks Foundation.

Extensive diversification, including vegetable production, livestock sales and a farm stall, has helped Philippi farmer, Leon Rix, to significantly reduce his business risk. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the expansion of his enterprise.

Eelworm is generally considered the world’s worst crop pest.

The daily sales process is like a finely-tuned machine, and like any machine, it needs oil. In this case, that oil is communication.

There is more to a maize land than meets the eye. It is a mass production facility with thousands of efficient ‘factories’ per hectare, each storing the sun’s energy through photosynthesis. A system this complex and valuable needs careful management, says Grant Pringle, Pannar agronomist in KwaZulu-Natal.

Chard (Beta vulgaris) is also known as ‘Swiss chard’, ‘silver beet’, ‘mangold’ and other names. In South Africa it is usually referred to simply as ‘spinach’.

In late December, to market its Cuties mandarins, Sun Pacific introduced a marketing campaign on Snapchat, the social media messaging and imaging app.

Whitefly remains a notoriously difficult pest to control.

‘Off-season’ is a misnomer, says Marble Hall citrus farmer Piet Engelbrecht. This is when crucial tasks such as pruning take place. Gerhard Uys visited him.

The early part of the year is probably a good time to remind farmers about their responsibilities when dealing with a market agent.

A recent study published by the Water Research Commission highlights the urgent need for identifying on-farm treatment options to help reduce the high levels of microbial contamination in irrigation waters, thereby reducing the associated food safety hazards for consumers. Denene Erasmus summarises some of the report’s key findings.

Tobacco producer, Peter Kok, says that tobacco is a cash crop that can assist diversification and expansion.

When spraying different pests at the same time, many farmers try to kill two birds with one stone by making elaborate mixtures.

Almost every fresh produce market in South Africa has a licensing agreement with Freshmark Systems, the providers of the industry’s dedicated IT-based sales processing system.

As pointed out previously, the key to successful pest and disease control is optimal penetration of the spray mixture.

Occupational health and safety (OHS) play a crucial role in the workplace. So much so, that the Occupational Health and Safety Act lays down a host of precise legal requirements for employers and employees.