Watermelons get cute
I've borrowed the information in this week's column from the New York Times newspaper of 17 August 2010 - I thought you might find it interesting.
Get the balance right in your vegetable garden
With careful planning you can make sure you don't end up with far too much of certain vegetables and not enough of others, writes Bill Kerr.
When is the bolting season for vegetables?
You can lose a lot of money if your crop goes to seed when you don't want it to. You need to know why and when this happens to take...
Some good news, some bad
'I see three previously disadvantaged farmers, but not one commercial farmer, market agent or buyer on the panel. They account for most of a turnover exceeding R8 billion and they...
Green manure for soil rehabilitation
Vegetable farmer Gary Fyvie is using green manure crops to replenish tired soil and to fight weeds.He told Robyn Joubert how he sacrificed 6% production for healthier soil over the...
Is planting less maize the only option?
Despite repeated calls to plant less maize, producers still managed a bumper maize crop of nearly 14 million tons in the 2009/10 season, pushing maize costs down to import parity.
Probing & prodding
Most farmers don't pay enough attention to what's happening in the soil. We usually take our soils for granted - we only monitor the chemical composition, if that, and often...
Restructuring the fresh-produce market
Depending on which side of the fence you are on, 13 August proved to be a watershed day in the fresh-produce market sector.
Growing lettuce for the home garden – part 1
Leafy greens like lettuce is an important part of most people's diets, especially as we approach the warmer months and salads return to our menus.
Organically grown vegetables VS conventionally grown vegetables
The answer is yes and no. IT depends. A prime benefit of organic produce is that it's free of pesticide residue, which is blamed for the progressive increase in cancer.
Joint venture at Durban Fresh Produce Market
Something quite significant has happened on the Durban market. I recently contributed to a week's training session there for prospective salespeople. The significance is that this was a joint venture...
Vegetable production in Queenstown
When Brad Turner began to farm in the Queenstown region in 2005, many in the area warned him about the size limitations of his 900ha stock farm, Mountain Glen. Undaunted,...
Can marigolds really control eelworm?
Studies have found that marigolds increase the populations of nematode-trapping fungi, and other fungi that attack and destroy eelworm eggs.
More about credit sales
Last week I gave A broad view of the issues surrounding credit sales on fresh-produce markets.
Tunnel farming with cucumbers methods for success
Moving from 600ha in Underberg to a 2ha tunnel farm in Margate involved a major leap of faith for Lewis and Charmaine Alcock. Today, they have reach peak production with...
Marigolds don’t control eelworm
Reading about using marigolds to suppress eelworms piqued my curiosity, so when the opportunity arose, I tried it for myself.
Practical experience achieves 16t/ha maize
The latest agricultural technology can help farmers improve their maize yields. But, as farm manager Lorenz Freese proves, decades of practical experience combined with old-fashioned hands-on management can get the...
Weeds don’t deserve their bad reputation
Farmers exterminate weeds without understanding their role in soil ecology, says Nutritech Solutions CEO Graeme Sait. An expert on high-production sustainable agriculture, he spoke to Sonja Burger about the potential...
Understanding nitrogen fertilisation in vegetables – part 3
Different vegetables require a "push" at different stages, which is why it is important to understand how nitrogen works in the soil, and its subsequent availability.
Why the commission system?
The debate about which is more desirable, commission- or wholesale-selling of fresh produce, has bounced around the industry for years.
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