How iron levels in maize have changed over 2 000 years
According to a study by Ale Vidal Elgueta et al, researchers from Chile and France, the intensification of agricultural production over the past two millennia has led to a reduction...
Tomato leaf miner: Pongola farmers’ strategy to beat the pest
In Pongola, the tomato leaf miner is threatening the sustainability of family-run Basaki Boerdery, one of the last tomato producers in the area. Brothers Sakkie and André Terblanche spoke to Lindi...
Survival strategies of farmers in the Langkloof
Tru-Cape Fruit Marketing, South Africa's largest exporter of apples and pears, hosted a media visit to the Langkloof to meet with its producers. Two of these farmers spoke to Glenneis...
The rise of macadamia production in KZN
The macadamia industry is making inroads into what have traditionally been sugar cane areas. From Malelane in Mpumalanga to Pongola in KwaZulu-Natal, cane is being replaced by nuts as farmers...
Healthy soil helps ensure 98% packout rate of broccoli on KZN farm
They are notoriously tricky crops to grow in summer, but broccoli and cauliflower flourish on Southern Block farm in KwaZulu-Natal. By focusing on optimal soil and vigorous plants, this farm...
Truffles: black gold for South African farmers
Growing black winter truffles can be a highly lucrative undertaking for farmers looking to diversify their enterprises. Volker and Paul Miros, who run Woodford Truffles SA, spoke to Marinda Louw...
Kiwifruit: South Africa’s golden opportunity
After the failure of local green kiwifruit production in the 1980s, a new group of farmers is hopeful that golden kiwis will become a South African success story. One such...
Give your orchards the health coverage they deserve
Cover crops are the gifts that keep on giving. Not only do they maintain soil moisture and improve soil health, but they are a valuable tool for reducing pest loads...
Planting and harvesting potatoes
Potatoes are grown from disease-free seed potatoes, require a lot of fertiliser, and are labour-intensive. All of this costs plenty, warns Bill Kerr.
Getting to the root of declining pecan yields
The yields of mature pecan nut orchards are failing to reach optimal levels, and concerned producers have been searching high and low to find answers, investigating everything from foliar applications...
The layperson’s guide to ley farming
Over the past few years, monocropping has largely given way to the crop rotation system, and ley farming has gained popularity in grain-producing areas such as KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, the Free...
The good and the bad of chimera
Chimera can be mistaken for a viral or bacterial infection, but it is actually a genetic disorder that could benefit some producers.
The game-changing passion fruit cultivar developed in SA
Mpumalanga-based granadilla breeder Darryn Stoltz has developed a delicious new passion fruit cultivar that offers several advantages over previous varieties. One of these is longer shelf life, enabling the export...
Award-winning veggie farmer on why she left the boardroom to take up farming
As a new producer with no prior knowledge or experience of farming, Vutlhari Chauke of VT Harvest has leaned heavily on her business skills and her willingness to learn. Her...
Don’t be too hasty to throw away old seedlings!
It’s expensive to throw away perfectly healthy seedlings. Rather keep them in limbo until you can plant them, says Bill Kerr.
A road map for reviving sorghum production in SA
Exciting times are ahead as a new report on market opportunities for sorghum in South Africa sees the light and new research indicates the best sorghum cultivars for farmers as...
A successful switch from grain to tea tree oil
On a quest to diversify away from the crops traditionally cultivated in Mkhondo, Mpumalanga, André de Waal shifted to the production of essential oils. By growing, distilling and marketing these...
Farmers’ markets: much more than sales outlets
The humble farmers’ market has gone from being a place where farmers can sell their produce to a platform that strengthens, educates and enriches communities. For food activists, it also...
Promising new mango, kiwi and passion fruit cultivars
Looking for a different crop to grow in the Western Cape? At the Subtropical and Minor Crop Workshop held last year, Glenneis Kriel spoke to a number of experts about...
Maize farming: Caring for your crop during the first 40 days
In this article, the first in a two-part series, Magda du Toit speaks to experts about the different growth stages of a maize plant in the vegetative phase, as well...
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