Dr Rinus Knoetze
“I grew up in a small Karoo town called Klipplaat,” says Dr Rinus Knoetze. “It’s a farming community, and I was on farms almost more than I was at home.” His father was the postmaster, so Knoetze junior knew everyone…
Dr Sebinasi Dzikiti
Dr Sebinasi Dzikiti obtained his undergraduate degree in physical sciences from the University of Zimbabwe. He says he was interested in water from the start. “There was a lot of irrigation in Zim, and I was keen on getting into…
Dr Stephanie Midgley
“I got into climate change from day one in my first job,” recalls Dr Stephanie Midgley, Climate Change and Risk Assessment Scientist at the Western Cape Department of Agriculture. Midgley originally completed her MScAgric in horticultural science, but she started…
Dr Yolanda Petersen
For many years, the same person would deliver laboratory consumables, including PCR primers, to the ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij in Helshoogte Road. The PCR primers came in a flat, cardboard envelope. “One day, the delivery man asked me what was inside these…
Dry matter in apples
The preliminary results of a three-year Hortgro-funded project assessing the relationship of dry matter to other fruit characteristics. By Anna Mouton. Modern shoppers are spoilt for choice when it comes to fruit. Supermarket shelves are brimming with a rainbow offering…
Ecophysiology and technology in Italy
An ecophysiologist discusses how new technology can allow growers to communicate with their trees. By Anna Mouton. Prof. Luigi Manfrini is an ecophysiologist in the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the University of Bologna. His research focuses on…
Effective pollination period of plums
What is the window of opportunity for pollination of popular Japanese plum cultivars? By Anna Mouton. Japanese plums account for about 10% of hectares planted to pome and stone fruit in South Africa. Despite setbacks ranging from severe droughts to…
Escape the cost-income wedge
A focus on yield and quality is indispensable to profitable pome-fruit farming. By Anna Mouton. “The good news is that there are some brilliant orchards — and growers — that are making a lot of money,” said Graeme Krige, technical…
Estimating water consumption in Japanese plums
A project comparing three methods to determine water use finds that they provide similar results. By Jenny Underhill. “We could estimate the water requirements of plums based on international work, but there wasn’t a dedicated study on plums in South…
Exploit physiology to transform yields
Will 200 tonnes per hectare become the new normal? By Anna Mouton. Debates about the relationship of yield to planting systems and tree structure are as old as horticulture, according to plant physiologist Dr Ken Breen of the New Zealand…