Overcoming phytosanitary obstacles
South African fruit must meet phytosanitary requirements to access certain key markets. How are these determined?
Post-harvest disease
Spores of decay-causing fungi are an ever-present threat to stone and pome fruit. Understanding exactly how the rot sets in can help growers prevent losses. By Anna Mouton. A post-harvest disease is any disease where the symptoms appear after harvest…
7 steps to dodge decay
Three experts on post-harvest disease share advice for growers. By Anna Mouton. Post-harvest diseases start in the orchard. “What you do before harvest will largely affect what happens after harvest,” says Dr Pieter Louw, portfolio manager of crop protection at…
Decay control in the pack house
Ongoing research aims to optimise old and discover new methods to maintain fruit quality. By Anna Mouton. Delivering fresh fruit to distant markets partly depends on chemical control of decay-causing organisms. “The importance of orchard practices can never be discounted,”…
Temperature and humidity
Environmental conditions after harvest can make or break stone-fruit quality. By Anna Mouton. “Low temperatures are important for maintaining fruit quality,” says Handré Viljoen, stone-fruit research manager at ExperiCo. “At the correct temperatures the fruit will develop fewer internal defects…
A European perspective on post-harvest diseases in pome fruit. Q+A with Dr Marcel Wenneker
Dr Marcel Wenneker, senior crop-protection researcher at Wageningen University and Research in the Netherlands, shares his insights. By Anna Mouton. Q: What is the status of post-harvest diseases in pome fruit in the Netherlands? A: Post-harvest diseases are a minor…
Hot off the press
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released their most recent report in August 2021. What are the implications for South African agriculture? By Jorisna Bonthuys. Recently an assessment of our planet’s future was performed by the IPCC — Intergovernmental Panel…
Climate-change guidelines for growers
A recent Hortgro-funded project focused on how climate change will impact growers in key production regions. By Jorisna Bonthuys. Climate change poses a significant threat to the sustainability of the pome- and stone-fruit industries, according to Prof. Stephanie Midgley, Climate…
Future-proofing fruit production
Hortgro-funded projects that aim to develop a climate-change response strategy for the pome- and stone-fruit industry, and to investigate erratic weather conditions during early spring. By Jorisna Bonthuys. The impact of climate change on agriculture can no longer be ignored…
A tool to decode climate data
TerraClim is a climate and terrain tool for the Western Cape that offers powerful decision-making support to pome-fruit growers. By Anna Mouton. We are all aware that environmental variables such as temperature are decisive for pome-fruit production and quality. This…