Preparing a lettuce land
Farmer's Weekly|March 20,2020
Lettuce grows rapidly and has a relatively shallow root system. This means you have to ensure the crop gets off to a running start. Your initial task is, therefore, to address soil fertility at the soil preparation stage.
Preparing a lettuce land

This crop does well with organic fertiliser. But if you overdo the manure or compost, the excess nitrogen and associated vigour can induce the plant to produce too many lush leaves. This compromises head formation.

I once came across a KwaZuluNatal farmer who had two neighbouring lettuce lands. One had been over-fertilised with manure, and, as a result, the lettuce here had large, very dark green leaves and small heads, with some plants producing no heads whatsoever. The lettuce in the adjoining land was perfect.

The first rule of growing vegetables is: don’t plant any crop without knowing the fertility status of the land. There is too much at stake. Carry out basic, preplanting fertilisation according to a soil analysis, followed by applications of nitrogen according to the stage of growth, rainfall, and other conditions.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 20,2020 من Farmer's Weekly.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 20,2020 من Farmer's Weekly.

ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.

المزيد من القصص من FARMER'S WEEKLY مشاهدة الكل
Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation
Farmer's Weekly

Syngenta Seedcare celebrates a decade of innovation

Syngenta's ambition is to enable their customers' investments to grow in healthy soil from treated seeds to young plants through innovation and collaboration, writes Magda du Toit.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 22, 2024
Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards
Farmer's Weekly

Agri workers shine at Western Cape awards

Lindie-Alet van Staden, a garden and olive orchard manager at L’Ormarins Wine Estate in Franschhoek, was crowned as the Western Cape Prestige Agri-Worker of 2024 at a gala event recently held near Paarl.

time-read
1 min  |
November 22, 2024
Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards
Farmer's Weekly

Small and large farmers recognised at grain awards

The annual Grain SA/Syngenta awards ceremony bears testimony to the quality of farmers in the grain industry.

time-read
1 min  |
November 22, 2024
Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach
Farmer's Weekly

Growing partnerships: Fedgroup's flexible and innovative approach

Janine Ryan spoke to Warren Winchester, general manager of impact investing at Fedgroup, about why the company became involved in agriculture, and what it offers farmers and their immediate communities.

time-read
6 mins  |
November 22, 2024
Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic
Farmer's Weekly

Why fish farms fail, and how to avoid becoming a statistic

The popularity of launching fish farms is not matched by their success. Leslie Ter Morshuizen, owner of Aquaculture Solutions, explores the factors that cause most of these businesses to go under.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 22, 2024
Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting
Farmer's Weekly

Where history and modernity meet in a luxurious setting

Brian Berkman kept his eyes peeled for ghosts in the oldest continuously run hotel in South Africa, but all he found was a fabulous two-night stay.

time-read
4 mins  |
November 22, 2024
THE HITCHING POST
Farmer's Weekly

THE HITCHING POST

I'm a stylish elderly lady with a radiant glow and a good sense of humour that keeps me young at heart.

time-read
2 mins  |
November 22, 2024
Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!
Farmer's Weekly

Cutworms: check the weeds on your fields!

Zunel van Eeden explains why understanding the ecological interplay between cutworms and weeds is crucial for effective pest management. Producers should disrupt the life cycle of cutworms to minimise crop damage.

time-read
5 mins  |
November 22, 2024
Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?
Farmer's Weekly

Does high-density grazing mimic grazing patterns of game?

In their paper on high-density grazing in Southern Africa, professors Angelinus Franke and Elmarie Kotzé from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the University of the Free State say high-density grazing systems may not accurately reflect natural ecosystems. Roelof Bezuidenhout reports.

time-read
5 mins  |
November 22, 2024
Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season
Farmer's Weekly

Global grain outlook: 2024/25 marketing season

In its latest summer crops report, the Crop Estimates Committee says South African farmers intend to plant 4,47 million hectares of summer grains and oilseeds in the 2024/25 season, up 1% from the previous season. As South Africa exports maize and soya bean, Annelie Coleman reports on the latest trends in the international grain and oilseed markets, amid fluctuations in weather conditions and ongoing armed conflicts.

time-read
5 mins  |
November 22, 2024