Apple scab 101
What is it and what can be done about it? By Anna Mouton. Apple scab or black spot is a disease of apples caused by the fungus Venturia inaequalis — unaffectionately known to many growers as fusi — short for…
Apple-growing in Australia
Fifteen years of the Future Orchards project. By Anna Mouton. The Future Orchards project was launched in 2006 to help Australian apple and pear growers improve orchard productivity and fruit quality. Fifteen years on, Fresh Quarterly spoke to apple grower…
Are cover crops hosts for lesion nematodes?
Cover crops in orchards have many benefits, but could there also be risks? By Kyra-Kay Rensburg. A Hortgro-funded project led by Dr Rinus Knoetze, senior researcher at the Agricultural Research Council, screened cover crops earmarked for trials in apple orchards…
Are mancozeb formulations rainfast?
The broad-spectrum fungicide mancozeb is the go-to option for apple-scab control. But what happens to mancozeb when it rains? By Engela Duvenage. “Some mancozeb products on the market claim in their advertising to be more rainfast than others,” says Prof…
Back to earth
New crop protection projects focus on orchard ecology. By Anna Mouton. There’s an old saying that nature abhors a vacuum, and this certainly applies to orchards. Establish a block of fruit trees and other life follows: plants of one kind…
Back to the future
The birth of the Orchard of the Future programme. By Glenneis Kriel and Wiehann Steyn. Hortgro Science launched the Orchard of the Future programme in 2010 to stimulate discussion and spark innovation in the apple industry. Ten years later, Fresh…
Be realistic about water savings under nets
Nets protect apples from sun, hail, sleet, and wind. But do they reduce water use? Preliminary data suggests yes, but less than elsewhere in the world. By Engela Duvenage. Hortgro is co-funding a project with the Water Research Commission to…
Be savvy about salt
Brak management in crop production. By Grethe Bestbier. In South Africa, the term ‘brackish’ refers to any salt-related issues. While salts are a natural part of any farmer’s soil, it is important to manage it correctly to reduce risks of…
Below the surface
Exploring groundwater as a significant sustainable water source. By Grethe Bestbier. “One thing I can tell you,” said Prof. Eilon Adar, leading groundwater hydrologist and former director of the Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev,…
Benchmarking South African plant improvement
Certification of pome- and stone-fruit plant material is at an all-time low. What are the problems, and how do we solve them? A summary of the task-team report. The percentage of certified pome- and stone-fruit trees sold has dropped to…