Dehorning beef cattle – how you can benefit
This practice has many advantages – reducing injuries is just one of them.
Sunflower: learning the basics – Part 1
A sunflower crop performs well in dry conditions, but will struggle in sandy soils.
Evaluating an orchard
A variety of factors are taken into account when evaluating an orchard or vineyard.
Nitrogen in fertiliser: why it is important
Nitrogen is found in the chlorophyll of plants and is responsible for good vegetative growth.
Backgrounding cattle
‘Backgrounding’ is grazing an animal on pasture or in a veld camp and feeding it a supplement in preparation for more intensive feeding in a feedlot.
Tools for better energy efficiency
You can find hidden ‘tools’ on your electricity bill to help keep the cost of consumption down.
Growing cowpeas
This protein-rich nitrogen-fixing legume has a beneficial effect on follow-up crops.
Using draft animals to plough the fields
Animal draft power still has an important role to play in agricultural development, says Bruce Joubert.
The advantages of liming
There are many advantages to using lime. It neutralises acid soil and rectifies the pH so that the highest yield can be obtained.
Protect your cattle against brucellosis
All involved with cattle farming and milk processing must work together to control and eradicate this disease.
Advice on how to mark your livestock
Marking your livestock proves ownership, and it's part of the record keeping that's essential if your farming enterprise is to survive and do well.
Cleaning your borehole
Regularly checking for tree roots that grow into a borehole, usually just above the water level but as far down as 15m, can save you a lot of trouble.
How snakes can help farmers
Most people know about the destructive effect of insects on crops, but rodents can be equally destructive. This is where snakes enter the picture, says Paul Donovan.
Get the best value from your abattoir
A misunderstanding about how prices are determined can leave a farmer seething at the abattoir. Here are some guidelines from Estelle van Reenen of Sparta Beef in Welkom, where 700...
Valuing irrigation lands on a farm
The value of irrigation land is based on type, soil, distance from water source and orientation.
Safe slaughtering
The formal red meat sector is structured and organised in such a manner that the consumer is guaranteed a good product.
Getting flood irrigation right
Although this is a simple form of irrigation said to be ideal for smallholders, it’s actually a lot more difficult to get flood irrigation right than drip irrigation or the...
When to water your plants
Whether you’re starting a new garden from scratch, or have an existing one, always look for ways to save water.
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