“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…
What can physiological profiling tell us about this Cripps Pink mutation? By Anna Mouton. Apple growers are always on the lookout for new Cripps Pink strains that can deliver higher Class 1 pack-outs. Lady in Red is one such promising…
Innovative packaging strategies can improve energy efficiency and space utilisation in shipping containers. By Anna Mouton. The South African deciduous-fruit industry is built on exports. But soaring shipping costs are squeezing profits while consumers question imported food’s green credentials. Could…
A new Hortgro-funded facility protects and expands South African pome- and stone-fruit market access. By Anna Mouton. Gaining and maintaining market access for South African deciduous fruit often comes down to phytosanitary risk management. We must demonstrate that we can…
Soil fumigation is the cornerstone of replant control. Can research provide growers with more options? By Anna Mouton. Apple replant is a soilborne disease of apples established on soils previously occupied by apples. The condition primarily stunts the growth of…
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…
Research shows that netted apple orchards need less water – but growers should read the fine print. By Anna Mouton. Deciduous-fruit growers are adopting nets to protect their crops against everything from hailstorms to sunburn. Can nets also help trees…
A Hortgro-funded project assessed the response of new and popular apple rootstocks to deficit irrigation. By Anna Mouton. Dwarfing rootstocks are quite literally the foundation of high-density apple orchards. They encourage earlier bearing that supports the rapid attainment of full…
White root rot caused by Rosellinia necatrix afflicts everything from apples to avocadoes. By Anna Mouton. Rosellinia necatrix is a soil-borne fungus that attacks the roots of more than 350 plant species, notably pome- and stone-fruit, grapevines, avocadoes, citrus, and…
The name Phytophthora literally means plant destroyer — fitting for a genus that abounds in disease-causing species. By Anna Mouton. Phytophthora infestans thrust the genus into notoriety by launching the Irish Potato Famine of 1845–1849, estimated to have killed 1…