From regulations and research to integrated and regenerative practices. By Anna Mouton. “How will the deciduous-fruit industry transition to more sustainable pest and disease management in a world where traditional actives are disappearing?” asked Dr Minette Karsten, Crop Protection Programme…
How to optimise crop protection and reduce spray drift through canopy-adapted spray application. By Anna Mouton. “Where do pesticides go when the droplets have left the nozzle?” asked Dr Peter Triloff, addressing the audience at the 2026 Hortgro Technical Symposium…
Fruit growers are subject to increasingly strict drift-reduction regulations. What are their options for compliance? By Anna Mouton. “We need plant-protection products to control insects and diseases, but in Europe, we feel a lot of pressure from the government and…
Do gap-detection systems make sense in the South African context? By Anna Mouton. Theoretically, deciduous-fruit growers should be enthusiastic adopters of precision sprayers that promise to improve efficiencies, cut costs, and reduce drift. However, South Africans have been slow to…
French researchers develop standardised methods for classifying spray deposition and drift-reduction potential. By Anna Mouton. “Over the past 10 years, we’ve observed a diversification of the sprayer fleet in French orchards,” said Florence Verpont, an engineer at CTIFL (the Interprofessional…
Advances in virus detection are reshaping how the industry understands the hidden role of viruses in orchards. By Ilyaas Rhoda. When growers think about the threats to orchard performance, viruses are seldom at the top of the list. However, advances…
Key pointers for establishing and managing high-performing orchards. By Anna Mouton. “We need to chase profitability,” said Nic Finger. “Not in a single year, but we must make money over the lifetime of the orchard. How to do that will…
South African apple growers are leveraging rootstock diversity to adapt and thrive in an increasingly complex industry. By Anna Mouton. In a 1978 issue of The Deciduous Fruit Grower, Dr Oloff Bergh and co-authors rated M.793 as the top rootstock…
Industry experts share their take on M.9 versus G.778, where to plant what, and other factors influencing orchard success. By Anna Mouton. The crop-production panel discussion at the 2026 Hortgro Technical Symposium focused on an evergreen topic: apple rootstocks. To…
Embracing technology can help growers farm more efficiently and sustainably. By Jenny Underhill. “Cigarette lighters are amazing, aren’t they? But what do they have to do with agriculture?” asked Arie van Ravenswaay, Assistant Director for Innovation, Technology Design and Transfer…