Crops
Soil Preparation book for grapevine industries just launched!
A brand new book was just released for the wine and table grape industries. SOIL PREPARATION for sustainable wine and table grape production, by Johan van Zyl and Eduard Hoffman, covers knowledge gleaned from research and practical experience that accumulated in South Africa over the past 100 years. The project was a joint venture between…
Read MoreDie heuningmakers se toekoms is op die spel
Daardie bottel op die rak met die goue, stroperige vloeistof is uiters gesog by alle mense alhoewel dit ‘n plaas se prys is. Sedert oertye is heuning nie alleen die natuur se wondergawe as soetgoed vir die mens nie maar ook die bron van baie geneeskundige waarhede omdat dit heeltemal natuurlik is en mikro-hoeveelhede natuurlike…
Read MoreHow to keep pests out of your crops
Where you have plants, you can expect to have a few pests. However, they do not have to overwhelm you. There are great organic methods you can use to get rid of pests from your crops. Why natural pest control? As it is, we use too many pesticides and chemicals in our homes. We use…
Read MoreA tiny beetle poses a huge threat to trees in South Africa
This article requires an active response after reading it. Please follow the action steps listed at the end. A minute exotic beetle that carries disease-causing fungi is threatening tree life in South Africa. This beetle bores holes into mostly the trunks of healthy, living trees where it cultivates a fungal garden to feed on. The…
Read MoreGenetic catalogue of the insect pests found on olives
A genetic catalogue of the insect pests found on wild and cultivated olive tree species in South Africa is being compiled by a small team of geneticists in the Faculty of AgriSciences at Stellenbosch University (SU) and their South African and overseas collaborators. The team has completed their efforts on olive flies and wasps, and…
Read MoreARC’s Cheeky® pear turns 10
The Agricultural Research Council celebrated 10 years of the Cheeky® pear this May. Cheeky®, a mid-season beautiful red blushed pear variety, is the brightest star to come out of the ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij pear breeding programme in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Cheeky® acts as bridge between the season-opening blushed pears like ‘Rosemarie’, ‘Flamingo’ and ‘Celina’ and the…
Read MoreVoorkoming in plaagbeheer is beter as genesing
Die klimaatstoestande is besig om drasties hier op aarde te verander of Donald Trump dit wil glo of nie. dit veroorsaak beduidende impakte op die samelewing en landbou gaan ook onder druk as gevolg klimaatsverandering. Nie alleen is reënval wispelturig nie, maar ook seisoene wat nie meer hul normale patrone volg nie. Laat somers, warm…
Read MoreReënvalvooruitsigte vir 2019/20
Alhoewel bo-gemiddelde reën teen die einde van die 2018/19-somerseisoen oor die sentrale tot oostelike dele van die land voorgekom het, duur die droogte intens voort oor die westelike en suidwestelike dele van die land asook gedeeltes van die Oos Kaap en selfs kolle in Limpopo. Groot gedeeltes van die Somerreënvalgebied is alreeds sedert 2012 in…
Read MoreHow to help farmers prepare for climate change
Floods as well as droughts and heatwaves are increasing and will continue to do so in Africa and South Asia. Farmers and governments need to adapt to this changing climate regime. But adaptation requires decisions to be made under high uncertainty, often with incomplete knowledge. This makes planning and investing in it difficult. There is an increasing demand for short-term climate information…
Read MoreManaging plastics out of the farming sector
Plastic products on the farm The year 1898 is long forgotten with nary a human being ever heard of a German scientist by the name of Hans von Pechman for who it was a turning point in his career. As happens with other many scientists, he accidentally synthesised a new chemical product called polyethylene while…
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