Predator control: do your homework!

Know your farm. Know your livestock. Know your predators. These are the keys to successful predation management, says Niël Viljoen, predation specialist at Predation Management South Africa. Susan Marais spoke to him about the lessons he has learnt over the past 13 years, and how farmers can benefit from them.

POULTRY Chicken diseases: Part 1

Disease can spread rapidly among chickens as they are kept together in a cage or chicken house and share the same food and water.

Growing onions: Part 7

There are various ways to produce your own seedlings for transplant, including direct seeding in a seedbed and using a seedling tray. Bill Kerr discusses each of these methods.

Commercial gaps for bioethanol production

The shift from fossil-based energy sources towards greener alternatives is gaining ground. One such alternative is bioethanol production. Johann Görgens, professor of chemical engineering at Stellenbosch University, carried out a study of the production of bioethanol from plant biomass, and explained the results to Pieter Dempsey.

One of SA's biggest avocado growers is on a coffee high

With some areas of South Africa having the ideal conditions for growing coffee, the country has the potential to produce a world-class product. However, only a few farmers are planting the crop, as it is highly labour-intensive. Zander Ernst of Allesbeste Boerdery is one of a handful of farmers who want to change the perception of coffee production in South Africa. Magda du Toit reports.

Caring for lambs

Farmers suffer their greatest sheep losses before weaning, with the majority of lamb deaths occurring during the first 10 days after birth, and more than 20% during the first three days. Dr Josef van Wyngaard, technical manager at Voermol Feeds, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about ways to limit these losses.

Breeding better dairy herds

A milk-on-merit scheme allowed dairy farmers to put more money into breeding, as this article showed.

A Hardy And Healthy Tomato Hybrid

In a first for South Africa, the development of marketable hybrid tomatoes promised fruit that was hardy, robust, grew vigorously, and had uniform fruit set and size, as revealed in this article from the early eighties.

How Covid-19 Changed Agricultural Policy

As governments implemented containment measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 in early 2020, they also introduced ways of limiting the effects of the virus and related lockdowns on agricultural supply chains. A recent report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development tracked these initiatives, including the South African government’s response.

Hunger in Africa: problems and solutions

Since well before COVID-19, several major drivers have knocked the world off track in its efforts to end hunger by 2030. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations’ latest report on food security highlights the need for deeper reflection on how to better address the causes of food insecurity.

Understanding and treating PPID

Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, sometimes called Cushing’s syndrome, is a common hormonal disease in older horses, says Dr Mac.

Growing onions: Part 6

As with direct seeding, there are advantages and disadvantages to the transplanting of onion seedlings.

‘It's time for NWGA to focus on grassroots level'

Billy van Zyl, new chairperson of the National Wool Growers’ Association, spoke to Susan Marais about his plan to focus on farmers at grassroots level, the challenges facing South Africa’s wool growers, and how the association is helping communal farmers enter the market.

Innovate to survive in the SA wine industry

For many businesses, COVID-19 brought with it tragedy, but for family-owned winery Van Loveren, it has served as a catalyst for change. Susan Marais spoke to managing director Phillip Retief about the way in which the pandemic inspired innovation in their business.

Putting a breeding plan in place for successful cattle production

One of the basic principles of successful livestock farming is the implementation of a seasonal breeding strategy. Prof Frikkie Neser of the University of the Free State spoke to Wouter Kriel about putting a breeding season plan in place, and how to ensure that bulls are healthy and able to perform optimally.

How to control kweekgras in croplands

Couch grass, commonly known as kweekgras, can rapidly take over a land, leading to serious crop losses. Here’s how to beat this weed.

From automation to no driver!

Michael and Philipp Horsch from agricultural technology and machinery company Horsch discuss how they are working on developments from task automation to autonomous driving systems.

A symbol of the Cape's early railways

A ganger’s cottage near Stutterheim in the Eastern Cape is a reminder of the Cape Colony’s railroads built from her port cities to the Griqualand West diamond fields during the 1870s and 1880s

A Misguided Approach To Agricultural Support

A new report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has found that even though agricultural support measures have continued to grow worldwide in recent years, the type of support given often fails to meet its stated aims of improving food security, livelihoods and environmental sustainability.

A Natural Approach To Healthier Crops

Integrated pest management has become an increasingly popular means of protecting crops against damage from pests such as weeds and insects, and is being driven by, among other factors, the growing resistance to a purely chemical approach to crop protection. Annelie Coleman spoke to several experts to find out more.

Growing onions: Part 5

Before direct-sowing your onions, prepare the seedbed with care. This will pay handsome dividends when the time comes for planting, germination and harvesting, says Bill Kerr.

Fendt premieres Rogator 900

The recently launched Fendt Rogator 900 is a complete redesign of AGCO’s Rogator. The self-propelled machine, which will be available in select markets, now features a chassis that can be raised up to 1,93m.

‘Use top-quality cows for commercial success'

Simmentaler stud owner Willem Botha from the eastern Free State says the quality of the breeding cows in a beef cattle herd is crucial to producing the best product and hence fetching the highest prices. This makes them a key component of profitability. Annelie Coleman reports.

The hope and heartbreak of the almost-Springboks

Graham Jooste tells of some great South African rugby players who saw bad communication, injury, politics, and inexplicably bad luck shatter their hopes of Springbok glory.

Proper pruning: key to pecan grower's success

Pecan farming is still in its infancy in South Africa, but with the global demand for nuts increasing, more producers are seeing opportunities to diversify their farms with pecans. Lindi Botha spoke to seasoned Gauteng-based pecan farmer Albert Bouwmeester Jnr about how he gets the most from his pecan orchard.

Harvesting, grading and storing wheat

Wheat is usually harvested over November/December, but spring and summer wheat can be harvested later.

Challenge turned to opportunity with the right partners

Corona beer, which originated in Mexico, is traditionally served with lime. But when beer-brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev added the brand to its line-up, it encountered a problem: a shortage of limes in South Africa. This presented a novel opportunity to increase local lime production and develop new farmers. Lindi Botha reports.

Global body launches goals for sustainable beef production

The Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB), an initiative established in 2010, recently launched its global sustainability goals, which are aimed at advancing and improving the sustainability of the global beef value chain

Pöttinger launches mechanical crop-care range

Pöttinger, the Austrian specialist manufacturer of grassland, tillage and seeding equipment, recently announced that it would offer rotary hoes, constant-pressure hoes and vario hoes from August this year. The company also launched the third generation of its high-performance-series loader wagons.

Getting started with egg production

From small beginnings and facing many challenges in poultry production, Kobedi Pilane, who farms near Parys in North West, has grown his egg farm into a 5 000-layer commercial operation. Pieter Dempsey spoke to him about his journey.