Lactation begins at dry-off!

During its dry period, a cow is heavily pregnant with a fast-growing foetus. This is a very important time in her production cycle, and nutrition must not be neglected.

How to identify different ticks

Ticks are the most common external parasite of livestock and are vectors for a number of serious diseases. We list and describe some of the more common ticks.

Ticks – a dangerous pest

Ticks are the most common external parasite of livestock and are vectors for a number of serious diseases, cautions Paul Donovan.

Starting with tomatoes – Part 4

Bill Kerr tells us how to take the crop through to maturity.

Better parasite control

‘Selective target treatment’ seems to be gaining ground in areas where sheep and goats are mostly run on dry veld, says Roelof Bezuidenhout.

Sunflower seed bug

Nearly all parts of a plant are targeted by pests. However, most pests ignore the seeds, as they are often unpalatable or covered by a hard shell.

Starting with tomatoes – Part 3

Getting your spraying right is especially important, says Bill Kerr.

Starting with tomatoes – Part 2

Before fertilising your tomato crop, carry out a soil analysis. This is well worth the cost, explains Bill Kerr.

Redwater (Tick-borne disease)

Redwater is a disease affecting cattle and is transmitted by infected blue ticks occuring in the higher rainfall regions of South Africa, such as the Western and Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal...

Bluetongue (Midge-borne disease)

“Bluetongue is transmitted by the Culicoides midge, which breeds in moist, warm conditions,” says Dr Leask.

Careful with those licks!

Indiscriminate use of licks can do more harm than good, cautions Roelof Bezuidenhout.

Starting with tomatoes – Part 1

This is an expensive crop to grow, so do your homework before you start, cautions Bill Kerr.

Dealing with fig pests and diseases

SA’s fig-growing industry, although relatively small, produces a significant harvest for export. Here are useful tips to treat diseases and pests on this plant.