Crops

Kwasizabantu Mission is venturing into exotic fruit production, with a focus on the bright pink dragon fruit, to sustain its missionary work. .

Officially, the world’s number one weed is nutgrass, more correctly called ‘nutsedge’, as it’s not a grass but a sedge. (Sedges don’t have nodes as do true grasses.)

Umkomaas Valley farmer Johnny Sfaelos forged a farming career for himself 52 years ago – and the cost-effective ways of his generation have helped him cap his costs. Robyn Joubert visited him at Valley View.

The appearance of one or two unknown weeds on my land has reminded me of the danger of leaving them unattended just because they appear to pose no threat due to their low numbers.

Successful farming comes not only from hard work and attention to detail, but also through taking good advice, says DAFF’s female entrepreneur of the year Pam Fyfie. Lloyd Phillips spoke to her.

Trials conducted by the Agricultural Research Council at its Zeekoegat experimental farm in Roodeplaat have compared conventional farming practices with conservation agriculture, and have identified many benefits to CA. Peter Hittersay reports.

Marketing fresh produce is a competitive and frequently expensive business as producers seek ways to improve margins.

A type of kweek grass, called couch paspalum (Paspalum distichum), is gaining a foothold on many vegetable farms. Also known as ‘kweek paspalum’, many farmers confuse it with common kweek (Cynodon spp.).

Since I seem to be lambasting politicians and bureaucrats all the time, permit me to illustrate the sort of situation I come across almost without exception in markets.

Recently, I wrote about the necessity of ensuring vegetable transplants have enough nitrogen in the plug or in the plant to stimulate root growth and ensure an early start as well as uniform growth.

Investing R1,5 million in a technologically advanced greenhouse has increased tomato yields and profit at Valley Fresh, a social profit enterprise supporting abandoned and orphaned children.

Brussels sprouts is a luxury item not part of our daily cuisine and usually reserved for special treats. It is generally well known that this crop is a dedicated winter crop requiring cold for good performance.