CATEGORIES

The Many Advantages Of Humus

The volume of organisms in any body of soil is dependent on the soil environment and supply of food for them; it is not a static amount.

Mixed Farming Unlocks Rented Farm's Full Production Potential

Cash crop production is allowing Western Cape farmer André Cloete to add value to livestock production and mitigate fruit production risk on the farm he leases near Greyton. He spoke to Glenneis Kriel about his livestock and cash crop enterprises.

Helping Small-Scale Farmers Reach Commercial Status

Sinelizwi Fakade is a successful grain farmer in the Eastern Cape, but it is his passion for helping small-scale and subsistence farmers improve production that makes him particularly compelling, says Pieter Dempsey. He spoke to Fakade about his farming operation and his role in mentoring future farmers.

The Basics Of Growing Groundnuts On A Small Scale

Groundnuts are high in protein, tasty, and a convenient and popular food. All of this makes them a potentially valuable source of nutrition in rural communities. Growing and selling them can also earn much-needed income. Loureine Muller, a groundnut agronomist at commodity trading company Triotrade, explains how to produce this crop.

Genetics Drive Dairy Production Profitability

The use of top genetics and agrotechnology enables Kluitjieskraal Jersey Stud in the Western Cape to weather the impact of volatile prices and rising input costs. Stud manager Arno Schoonwinkel outlined his methods to Glenneis Kriel.

Radical veld improvement

In the second of this two-part series, Dr Louis du Pisani, an independent specialist agricultural consultant, discusses how to improve veld to restore the natural water cycle.

Standard and long-life wear parts go head-to-head in field test

Replacing worn-out parts on ground-engaging implements is costly. Equipment manufacturer Bednar recently carried out a trial to find out whether long-life parts made more financial sense.

Efficient cattle a must for Nigel stud breeder

The 2020 Unistel/SA Stud Book Developing Breeder of the Year, Bookholane Mokoena of Boggie Bonsmaras in Nigel, Gauteng, says that one of his most important breeding aims is to maintain optimal body condition, with the goal of producing cattle that are fit and efficient. Siyanda Sishuba reports.

An Innovative Mobile Macadamia Dehusker

When Fairview Farm was using a static Macadamia Dehusker, KwaZulu-Natal macadamia farmer Robert Carlton-Shields estimated that his pickers each lost about two hours’ productivity a day during the harvest season. He set about remedying this, and his subsequent collaboration with an engineering company has resulted in a mobile macadamia dehusker that saves time and money. Lloyd Phillips reports.

Mentor-Breeder's Strategy For Profitable Beef Farming

Johan Erasmus, who farms near Derby in North West, is one of the pioneers of the Boran cattle breed in South Africa. He uses his experience as a stud breeder and a commercial crop farmer to assist and mentor new farmers in a number of Southern African countries. Pieter Dempsey reports.

A Deadly Face-To-Face In A Fjord

On 10 April 1940, a fierce naval battle took place in a Norwegian fjord between the Royal Navy and the German Kriegsmarine. A South African-born naval officer, Lieutenant Lindsay de Villiers, was amongst the many men who perished in the encounter.

South Africa's Expropriation Law: What It's All About

Elmien du Plessis, associate professor of law at North-West University, outlines the long road that has been travelled to get to South Africa’s Expropriation Bill in its current form.

Getting To Know Earthworms

More than 2 000 species of earthworm have been identified worldwide and there are 300 known species in South Africa. The presence of earthworms is a good indication of soil health.

Growing Success For A Small-Scale Wattle Farmer

Mthandeni Ntanzi has combined ingenuity, expert advice and sheer hard work to improve production on his small black wattle plantation, becoming an award-winning farmer in the process. Lloyd Phillips visited him at his operation in KwaZulu-Natal.

Dorpers: The Great Survivors

According to Northern Cape sheep breeders Hennie and Hercules Erasmus, the Dorper was bred to thrive on harsh veld. Putting these animals under feedlot conditions ‘waters down’ their hardiness, they explained.

Benefits And Risks Of A Digitised Farm Sector

Digital technology can make food markets more efficient and inclusive. However, according to a recent report, the digital divide places farmers in some of the world’s poorest regions at risk of being left behind.

The role of forests in global food security

The expansion of agriculture increases the risk of deforestation, which will not only have a negative impact on climate change mitigation, but also diminish food security for millions of desperately poor people. This report looks at the link between food security and forest ecosystems.

Collaboration and safety high on agenda of new Agri Western Cape boss

Villiers Loubser, newly elected president of Agri Western Cape and a farmer near Durbanville, is keen to see the old divisions in agriculture give way to greater unity between all role players, creating a better future for all farmers. Jeandré van der Walt spoke to him about this and other pressing issues in agriculture.

Take the bite out of rabies

Domestic dogs are the most common reservoir of the virus, with more than 99% of human deaths from the disease caused by dog-mediated rabies.

Growing guavas: Part 4

This week’s article deals with pests and diseases you need to guard against to ensure healthy plants and a good yield.

Breeding wireworm-resistant Meatmasters

Through rigorous selection, Meatmaster stud breeder Nico Grobler from North West has succeeded in significantly reducing wireworm infestation in his Kern Meatmaster flock. This has enabled him to run the stud successfully in an area highly susceptible to the parasite. Annelie Coleman reports.

Dragon Fruit: A Weapon To Fight Food Insecurity

With hunger and food insecurity a reality for thousands of South African households, any effort to reduce this problem should be welcomed. Retired business owner Frikkie Adams is convinced that dragon fruit is ideal for growing at home, as its high nutritional content can benefit families. He showed Lloyd Phillips his experiments at propagating the plant.

A Bright Future For Solar Energy In South Africa

Against a backdrop of severe economic pressure and an unreliable base-load power supply, the local uptake of renewable energy is gaining momentum. Henri van Eetveldt, solar and storage consultant at Energy Partners Solar, explains the nuts and bolts of solar energy to Jeandré van der Walt.

Climate-Proof, No-Till Crop Production In The Maize Triangle

Cocky Mokoka has been farming since 2007, but only started incorporating conservation agriculture principles to improve his soil in 2015. He spoke to Pieter Dempsey about the practices he implements on his 740ha farm.

Savvy producers use social media to maximise profit

Social media offer small food and farm businesses a cheap and effective means of advertising. Yvonne Fontyn spoke to three e-commerce entrepreneurs about how they identify their target market, decide which platform to use for marketing, and go about advertising their goods and services online.

Making every drop of rainwater count

In this first of a two-part series, Dr Louis du Pisani, an independent specialist agricultural consultant, explains the basic components of the water cycle and how these apply to the growth of grass on the veld.

The wheat blast disease threat

The recent detection of wheat blast in Zambia raised alarms in the wheat industry in the SADC region. Once established, the disease is difficult to control, say researchers Dr Tarekegn Terefe of the Agricultural Research Council’s Small Grain Institute and Dr Willem Boshoff of the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of the Free State.

New Technology To Detect Mycotoxins In Animal Feed

Prof Cobus Visagie, a mycologist studying fungi at the University of Pretoria’s Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute, was recently awarded a prestigious research grant under the Future Leaders’ African Independent Research programme. He explains the impact of mycotoxins on humans and animals.

More money for the Land Bank

Minister of Finance, Tito Mboweni, announced in his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement that despite serious efforts to curb government spending over the next three to five years, the Land Bank would be allocated another R7 billion to finance its restructuring plans. Denene Erasmus reports.

What's behind the locust swarms damaging crops in Southern Africa?

In this article, originally published by theconversation.com, Prof Frances Duncan of the School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand, whose research involves investigating the survival strategies of brown locusts, explains what is behind the migratory locust outbreak ravaging crops and pastures across Southern Africa.