This branch of artificial intelligence can help pome- and stone-fruit growers extract actionable information from the data deluge. By Anna Mouton. Deciduous-fruit production is a complex system of many moving parts. And while information is critical for decision-making, growers often…
A pilot project suggests that machine learning could enable devices to identify infected trees in the orchard. By Anna Mouton. Plum marbling, caused by plum viroid 1, is named for the irregular skin discoloration associated with infection of Japanese plums.…
A summary of Hortgro-funded research on water and irrigation. By Anna Mouton. Water scarcity was already a recognised risk in 1998 when Dr Theresa Volschenk and colleagues of what is now the ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij began investigating the Soil Water Balance…
Scientists utilise satellite images for early detection. By Anna Mouton. The impact of drought has been front-of-mind for many South Africans in recent years. Agriculture has been hit hard and people have been forced to make do with water shortages…
The analysis of water use commissioned by Hortgro provides an interesting perspective on evapotranspiration data for pome and stone fruit. By Anna Mouton. The lead researcher on the project, agrometeorologist Dr Caren Jarmain, collaborated with Dr Nicky Taylor, senior lecturer…
Stone- and pome-fruit growers need water — but so does everyone else. This is why water is high on the Hortgro agenda. By Anna Mouton. Stone- and pome-fruit production in a relatively dry South Africa has always been constrained by…