Crops

Agronomic advances, breeding, and biotechnology have increased yields to new heights. The intensive cultivation, increased nutrient demand, and farming practices can lead to multi-micronutrient deficiencies.

A sunrise industry in South Africa with potential to expand markets locally and abroad, kiwifruit offers good returns on a small piece of land. Malcolm Deacon, owner of Gold Tree...

Growing your own seedlings requires experience. Mistakes are inevitable and you’ll need to adjust your system accordingly, says Bill Kerr.

In this article, Janine Ryan looks at the importance of maize production in the world today, and its value for food security. She also explores the history of maize and...

The production and consumption of olives and olive oil are on the rise in South Africa. Magda du Toit spoke to farmers and other experts about the country’s burgeoning olive...

Farmers can plant Swiss chard in one of two ways: direct seeding or seedling transplants. Bill Kerr explains the pros and cons of each approach, and advises how to get...

TopFruit is introducing two black-skinned plums with excellent eating quality and early harvest windows. Characterised by their black skin and red flesh, they have been carefully selected and developed to...

South Africa’s relatively young macadamia industry has a long way to go to establish optimal farming practices and efficiencies. However, with nut prices falling, producers need to focus on cost...

Dragon fruit production in South Africa is growing, thanks to increasing demand from Northern Hemisphere countries.

Cabbage, which is native to western Europe, has been cultivated for at least 3 000 years and is today a major crop worldwide, says Bill Kerr.

While production on most grape farms in the Orange River region has taken a knock this season due to adverse weather conditions, GPA Boerdery has managed to achieve a decent...

You may know all that’s necessary about growing a crop, but if your timing is off, your profits will suffer severely, says Bill Kerr.

At NAMPO 2023, Pannar’s team of experts will be available to help farmers determine which maize hybrid seed with PowerCore™ technology best suits their farm for the next growing season.

Soaring energy and labour costs have sparked research into new production practices in the fruit industry. Calla du Toit, procurement manager at Tru-Cape, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about these developments.

Fertiliser is expensive, so it’s important to start with a soil analysis, and to get the balance right, says Bill Kerr.

Diseases of sunflowers, such as brown rust and head rot, can cause severe economic losses for farmers. Janine Ryan looks at the signs of these and other diseases that can help farmers...

Bill Kerr looks at the leaf miner, cucurbit ladybird beetle and African bollworm, all of which, despite being minor pests, can cause damage.vd

Uncontrolled weeds can rob pumpkins and other cucurbits of the nutrients they need for a good yield. Yet weeds can also protect pumpkins at a later phase in their growth,...

Leaf miners are a serious threat to tomato plants. Yet tiny parastic wasps are on hand to help bring their numbers down. All it requires is a bit of patience...

Three years ago, few would have foreseen that blueberry prices would plunge by more than 50%, forcing many investors to the brink of collapse. Berry farmer Luan Swart of Mpumalanga...