Farming Basics

‘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.

You can find hidden ‘tools’ on your electricity bill to help keep the cost of consumption down.

This protein-rich nitrogen-fixing legume has a beneficial effect on follow-up crops.

Animal draft power still has an important role to play in agricultural development, says Bruce Joubert.

There are many advantages to using lime. It neutralises acid soil and rectifies the pH so that the highest yield can be obtained.

All involved with cattle farming and milk processing must work together to control and eradicate this disease.

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.

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.

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.

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...

The value of irrigation land is based on type, soil, distance from water source and orientation.

The formal red meat sector is structured and organised in such a manner that the consumer is guaranteed a good product.

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...

How to fertilise litchi trees and why leaf analysis is important.

Whether you’re starting a new garden from scratch, or have an existing one, always look for ways to save water.

If your soil is suitable for litchi production, it must be prepared well in advance.

Lumpy-skin disease (LSD) is a viral disease of cattle typically characterised by nodules or lumps on the skin.

Regular maintenance of systems is key to a profitable farm. Such maintenance should aim to ensure that all systems run as efficiently as possible at all times.

Mulch is nature’s way of preventing water loss and helping plants grow strong and healthy. We look at mulch application.

As livestock farming becomes more intensive, greater health problems will inevitably occur, increasing animal health costs on farms, warns Johan Steyn from Boer Goats SA.