Advances in artificial intelligence could enable the detection of internal disorders using in-line X-ray imaging. By Anna Mouton. “It takes a lot of effort to produce fruit at the right maturity and of good quality at harvest,” said Dr Pieter…
Attention to light management sustains high yields and pack-outs in a 27-year-old Packham’s Triumph orchard. By Anna Mouton. The trees produced 120 tonnes per hectare in 2022 with an average fruit size of 73 millimetres and Class 1 pack-outs of…
Growers need to consider all the preharvest influences on fruit quality when establishing and maintaining apple orchards. By Anna Mouton. Fruit quality is more important than ever in a time of skyrocketing living costs. This is why Prof. Stefano Musacchi…
New technology offers exciting opportunities to complement traditional practices and optimise crop management. By Anna Mouton. Digital agriculture refers to the application of new technologies for data collection and analysis to help growers manage seasonal and environmental variability. Stellenbosch University…
Researchers aim to understand how the interaction of genetics and environment drives tree performance. By Anna Mouton. An eight-year Hortgro-funded project in collaboration with Stellenbosch University and independent cultivar-evaluation company Provar is untangling the factors driving adaptability and stability in…
A Hortgro-funded project assesses the effect of draped nets on external and internal fruit quality. By Anna Mouton. There is a growing consensus among most plum technical advisers that protective nets are becoming essential for maximising Class 1 pack-outs of…
“I initially thought of studying pharmacy,” says Doré de Villiers. So how did she end up researching apple replant disease with Prof. Adéle McLeod? It all started when she chatted with Dr Lynn Hoffman of the Department of Horticultural Sciences…
Although she describes herself as a lifelong city child, born and raised in Bellville, Dr Anél Botes opted to study Viticulture and Oenology at Stellenbosch University. “I wanted to do something where I wouldn’t be in an office all day,”…
Dr Lindsay Muchena is originally from Zimbabwe but has gotten to know South Africa well during her studies. She started her journey in 2010 in the Eastern Cape, where she obtained her BSc in agronomy and crop science from the…
Dr Renate Smit was introduced to the deciduous-fruit industry as an undergraduate working for Dr Elmi Lötze in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Stellenbosch University. After graduating with a BSc in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology in 2009, she managed…