CATEGORIES

Essentials for housing poultry

Chickens and other poultry are generally delicate creatures, and need careful attention. Amongst their requirements is secure, dry, warm shelter. In this article, we look at the essentials you need for a chicken house.

Get the best out of good seed - practise good seed storage!

Peter Craven, seed supply and quality lead at Syngenta, and Kobus van Huyssteen, technical manager at the South African National Seed Organisation, spoke to Magda du Toit about the importance of proper seed storage.

Living up to its name, Siyavuna is harvesting growth

Started in 2008 to help ensure food security for a charity, the Siyavuna programme has expanded to focus on farming, training and growing its value chains.

Get to know your livestock's nutritional requirements

If you understand the essential nutrients that your cattle need, and how to provide these, you will end up with a profitable livestock business, says Shane Brody. Here's how to ensure that the animals get enough to thrive.

Relationships are the basis of good business

Personal relationships are the rails on which your business runs. Don't leave them to chance. Work on them consciously, with sincerity, professionalism and deep respect

Hybrid maize brings massive yields

This article reported on the tremendous strides made in maize production in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in the early 1970s.

These Irish farmers influence public opinion

Public opinion on farming practices has taken a negative slant the world over as social media perpetuate stereotypes of farmers who only seek profit, to the detriment of the environment. Irish farmers Pete and Paula Hynes are challenging those views by placing their farm firmly in the spotlight. Lindi Botha reports

Black rot: take care to prevent this destructive disease

Xanthomonas campestris can destroy a cabbage plant. It can also occur on dead organic matter under the proper conditions, warns Bill Kerr

Kissing spine can be inherited

Scientists have found a gene that predicts kissing spine, a disease affecting mainly Warmbloods and Thoroughbreds

The reality of livestock and climate change

Livestock are often said to be unfriendly to the environment, costing a huge amount of feed and water to produce. However, these statements are largely inaccurate

Five ways to make sure fermented food is safe for eating

A typical West African menu is not complete without a fermented food or drink, which are foods transformed by natural processes involving ‘friendly’ micro-organisms such as bacteria or yeast

Guideline to the most popular cannabis extraction methods

The effective extraction of cannabinoids, terpenes and other components is crucial in the production of cannabis products. Thomas Walker discusses various extraction techniques, and how they affect the end product

It's time for SA to rethink its food security strategies

In these trying times of high food prices, we need to reconsider how all South Africans can be afforded access to safe, nutritional diets that enable them to live healthy lives

Solar energy could boost water supply

Renewable electricity research conducted on KZN's North Coast could bolster the local economy

SADC talks focus on agriculture, food security and youth unemployment

At its recent Plenary Assembly Session, the Southern African Development Community Parliamentary Forum addressed how agriculture could resolve socio-economic crises. Jyothi Laldas reports on the concerns raised

Creation Wines ranked fourth in world's top vineyards

Creation Wines, in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley in the Western Cape, has moved from the 38th position in 2022 to fourth in the 2023 World’s Best Vineyards ratings

Zim authorities wary of deadly rabbit disease in SA

Zimbabwe's rabbit farmers' lobby group, the Zimbabwe Commercial Rabbit Breeders' Association (Zicorba), has called for an immediate ban on the importation of live rabbits from South Africa

Why the renewal of AGOA is so important for South Africa

Readers who follow international relations will know that the US Congress is due to review the countries included in the African Growth and Opportunity Act

The advance to automation in potato planting

This article examined the move towards greater mechanisation in the production of potatoes

The pros and cons of freezing meat

Dr Kedibone Modika and Tebogo Pitse, agricultural economists at the Agricultural Research Council, look at how the flavour, colour and tenderness of beef change during the freezing and thawing process

Wool up in Australia

At the last sale of the Australian woolselling season, the market for Merino wools of between 19 and 22 microns closed 3% up on the previous sale. A total of 43 697 bales were on offer, of which 92% were sold. According to Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), wool of 19 microns sold for A$1 479c/kg (about R183/kg), while wool of 18 microns was sold for A$1 621c/kg (R200/kg).

Politics, princesses, and high-flying drama

Patricia McCracken reviews a political and historical satire on our country, Lady Anne Glenconner's second memoir, a jet-speed thriller of confusion and betrayal, and a lively children's book that teaches a love of nature.

A sturdy tree house overlooking a dam

Jonno Smith is a registered architect.

Five-ingredient chunky guacamole

Guacamole is a firm favourite the world over. It is used as a side, meal topper, dip, sauce and filler, and even as an entire meal in its own right.

SHEEP: Bapedi sheep - the basics

Pedi sheep arrived in what is now Limpopo in about 1500 CE with the Bapedi (Northern Sotho) people, who migrated southwards from Central Africa.

FLOCK MANAGEMENT: Dealing with seed problems in Angoras

There is no quick or cheap way to remove seed from mohair, but good management helps, according to Pierre van der Vyver, general manager of The House of Fibre. He outlined his tips to Roelof Bezuidenhout.

Western flower thrip: a major seasonal threat to brassicas

This important pest damages brassicas by sucking sap from the leaves. Its population can grow rapidly, so scouting is essential, says Bill Kerr.

Pest control: using both old and new methods

Magda du Toit looks at the interconnectedness of more traditional pest control and the newer integrated pest management. Some experts also give advice on how to keep pests and diseases down to acceptable levels.

Securing the future of meat production in SA

A Feedlot Information Day at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research's Convention Centre in Pretoria saw industry experts, including farmers, nutritionists and veterinarians, gather to discuss meat production in South Africa. Magda du Toit reports.

The Land Bank can be fixed: here's how

Johann Kirsten, director of the Bureau for Economic Research at Stellenbosch University, and Wandile Sihlobo, a senior fellow at the Department of Agricultural Economics at Stellenbosch University, look at the gains and losses of the Land Bank over the decades, and what can be done to turn the institution around.