Paardekloof
Maximising returns on investment. By Anna Mouton. “To earn more money, you need to put more apples into the export market,” says Willie Kotze, technical adviser with Dutoit Agri. “You’re not going to win by trying to cut costs.” The…
Parting ways with plastic
Exploring collaborative solutions across value chains. By Anna Mouton. “Why is plastic packaging so ubiquitous?” asked Lorren de Kock from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). WWF is the largest conservation organisation in the world and is active in…
Past research on packaging options
Past and present project. By Dawie Moelich and Anna Mouton. The Post-Harvest Innovation Programme and the Deciduous Fruit Producers’ Trust — now Hortgro — funded a project on internal packaging for Golden Delicious and Pink Lady apples, Bon Chrétien and…
Peach fruit fly
Whereas spotted-wing drosophila is the black sheep of an otherwise blameless family, the peach fruit fly is one of the Mafiosi of the insect world. By Anna Mouton. The peach fruit fly — Bactrocera zonata — shares a genus with…
PHYLA focuses on phytosanitary research
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…
Phytophthora
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…
Pick postharvest winners
Growers consider many factors when deciding which cultivars to plant — postharvest performance should be one of these. By Anna Mouton. Planting trends often follow fruit prices, observes Keith Bradley, general manager of Fruitways AgriServices. “People look at their returns…
Piecing together the packaging puzzle
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…
Plum marbling
What is it and what can be done about it? By Anna Mouton. What is plum marbling? Plum marbling is an infectious disease of Japanese plums caused by plum viroid I. Viroids are small circular strands of RNA — short…
Polyphagous shot-hole borer
Is it coming to an orchard near you? By Anna Mouton. Shot-hole borers are diminutive beetles that cause oversized trouble. One member of this group — the polyphagous shot-hole borer — has invaded South Africa and was recently detected in…