Packaging: get it right!

Finding ways to minimise the high cost of packaging is an ongoing challenge.

What is spinach?

The term ‘spinach’ refers to different species in different countries. In South Africa, there are two common species that we call ‘spinach’ – Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris) and baby spinach...

A culture of care

This is not the first time in this column that I’ve addressed the crucial need for care.

Regulating nitrogen in vegetable crops

Farmers have long been advised to use standard fertiliser mixtures for crops as a matter of course.

Wish list for election time

Dreams of money flowing in from government to rejuvenate our markets have partly been realised over the past year.

Wonder products

In Weimar Germany back in the 1920s, Dr Max Gerson developed what he claimed was a cure for cancer based on the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables.

Selecting the right nitrogen fertiliser

When it comes to vegetables, choosing the right nitrogen fertiliser is extremely important. For many US agronomists, ammonium sulphate is the fertiliser of choice.

The relationship between nitrogen & organic matter

Vegetable growers frequently ignore the relationship between nitrogen and organic matter when deciding on the amount of nitrogen to apply to a crop, yet it is extremely important.

How to handle fresh produce

Instilling the importance of careful handling of fruit and vegetables is not as simple as it might seem.

Food losses

I have been pursuing the theme of food wastage and loss for the past few weeks because the problem is much more serious – and complex – than most people...

More about nitrogen

The inability of soil microbes to convert ammonium to nitrate at a soil temperature below 10°C has caused reduced yields in winter without farmers understanding what the problem is.

Understanding nitrogen

Certain elements are essential for plant growth, so it stands to reason that if any of these are in short supply, the plant’s development will be affected.

Consumer needs?

Last week, I wrote about the enormous amount of food wasted on our planet daily. The statistics are alarming, but numbers tell only part of the story.

Growing baby carrots

Almost everything that applies to growing ‘normal’ carrots falls away when you plant for the baby carrot market.

Positive growth for potato industry

I recently attended a Potatoes SA (PSA) Information Day at Patensie, not far from Port Elizabeth. The area is well-known for its citrus and potatoes, which seem to occupy all...

Marketing and presentation of your carrot crop

As with most commodities, presentation of the product has a disproportionate influence on the price received.

Other carrot leaf diseases

This week, I want to look at three other diseases that are very similar, but may need different products to keep in check. These are Cercospora, bacterial leaf blight and...

Ask your market agent

Have you ever spoken to your market agent about his or her ‘legitimacy’ as a commission salesperson?

Are you covered?

Producers send huge volumes of fresh produce to the markets – over three million tons a year at last count. A large proportion of this is either placed in cold...

Know your leaf blight pathogens

When it comes to leaf blight, there are three species of Alternaria that carrot growers have to watch out for: A dauci, A radicina and A alternata.

Vegetables