Value versus cost
When a farmer decides to buy a new tractor, does he choose the shiniest, most expensive model?
Cotton success for North West farmer
Last year, Gert Cilliers from Stella in North West decided to plant cotton for the first time since 1993. Gerhard Uys spoke to him about his decision.
Humus, soil organisms and plants
Last week, I mentioned how humus formation depended on nitrogen (N). Even when a large quantity of organic matter is present, very little humus can be created if the nitrogen...
Will the Markets last?
A highly experienced market man recently told me he reckoned fresh markets would be gone within 10 years. That comment got me thinking.
A planter designed for stony soil
The nature of the soil in the southern parts of the Western Cape has up to now limited the full implementation of no-till. However, Human Landboudienste recently tested a disk...
Humus – learn to appreciate it
Chemical fertilisers came into their own after the Second World War. They were convenient to use and food production became much easier, relatively speaking.
Market agents – a special breed
An agent on the Durban Market recently made an interesting remark to me.
A robust trellis reduces labour, improves quality
Major apple producers across the world are switching to high-density planting to reduce labour costs, improve fruit quality and increase production. Willie Kotze, research and development manager at Dutoit Group,...
Cations and percentages in a soil analysis
Usually, a soil analysis gives the percentage of each cation as a measure of the total cations in the soil.
Why top brands sell
Winter came late this year and the impact on the markets has been almost disastrous for many products.
Farmer pioneers sustainable rooibos production trials
Nieuwoudtville farmer Pierre Rossouw is conducting trials and implementing conservation farming practices to improve the soil health of his rooibos tea lands and counteract soil erosion due to wind action.
Know your soil – Part 5: the value of phosphorous
Continuing with our discussion of the soil analysis, we now come to phosphorous (P).
