Crops

Of all the plant nutrients, nitrogen has the greatest influence on the success of any crop. While a shortage of any element will be a limiting factor, its effect on crop performance will be related to its function, importance and shortage.

Even though sweet POTATOES are a generally low-care crop, some pests can cause a complete wipe-out. You need to do regular inspections and know what to look for.

You could say sweet potatoes are easier to grow than weeds. The important thing is to keep the planting material disease-free.

I suppose it’s human nature – or is it just greed for people to favour big clients?

Seed companies are outdoing themselves in developing new maize cultivars.The national maize cultivar trials, conducted by the Agricultural Research Council, looked at newcomers and old favourites to give maize producers independent research to help them select cultivars for the coming season. In this first part of a series, the focus falls on KwaZulu-Natal. Alita van der Walt reports.

Africa is the third fastest growing region in the world after Southeast Asia and the Pacific Rim. Since 2000 some 90 million Africans have moved to cities, and the continent now has as many cities as Europe.

Cheeky, the newest blushed-pear variety to be released to the South African industry, is the result of 16 years of hard work by renowned plant breeder Taaibos Human. Industry sources see it as the first significant new addition to South Africa's range of pear varieties in two decades, an early ripening variety that can be marketed before the highly profitable and popular Forelle.

A fodder radish crop can exterminate up to 95% of a cyst eelworm population and be used for biofumigation, writes Bill Kerr.

A mission station in the rural hilltops of KwaZulu-Natal has diversified into a range of agricultural activities, but peppers grown under state-of-the-art greenhouses and export avocados are the main commercial crops. Robyn Joubert reports on an extraordinary farming enterprise.

Cavity Spot is a very destructive carrot disease that has been giving farmers and researchers sleepless nights all over the world. It has been determined that cavity spots on carrots are caused by the soil fungus Pythium.

Dear Bruce Roberts-Baxter, Your chillingly accurate letter to Farmer’s Weekly for the issue 26 February 2010, captures the plight of many farmers setting out to make a living from farming.

Local farmers would do well to emulate the UK's approach of double-cropping, ecologist Ben Breedlove tells Roelof Bezuidenhout. So, instead of just harvesting a planted crop, why not also slash inputs with beneficial insects, and lure hunters to harvest increased bird populations.

Ben Krog, MD of fertiliser company Profert, understands there’s more to soil health than piling on chemicals. He told Annelie Coleman about the vital role played by soil microorganisms, especially when it comes to sequestering carbon and countering the effects of climate change.

No-till helps farmers work with nature, with massive benefits in the quality and health of soils and water use, sustainability and economics. And Bill Kerr speaks from first-hand experience.

Regardless of yield, watermelon quality is vital for sales, price and future demand for your product. Cultural practices are especially important during the last period towards maturity.

A vegetable farmer in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, who converted to biological crop production, has significantly increased yield, improved quality and reduced input costs. Robyn Joubert reports.

Nutrient-rich dairy slurry was once considered a liability and a pollutant, but the current high fertiliser price has changed all that, says dairy technical consultant Gavin Brockett. Robyn Joubert spoke to him.

Baby marrows have become very popular and have a stable market.

The winner of the Berg River Table Grape Competition for 2008 Johann Britz of the farm Tweespruit near Paarl, chose a pitted grape cultivar because he believed it was best-suited to his farm’s terroir. With attention to detail, he now exports a quality product and is expanding his vineyards, writes Wouter Kriel.

Bollworm and the spotted maize beetle are a couple of the pests which aren't recognised for the damage they can do. It's worthwhile to be aware of them so you don't get caught out with unexplained losses.