What have we learnt over the past ten years? By Anna Mouton. Internal browning is a post-harvest disorder in which the flesh of apples turns brown while remaining firm. The two main types are diffuse browning and radial browning. These…
Strategies to mitigate the risk of internal browning. By Anna Mouton. “Internal browning touches people’s pockets,” says Dr Elke Crouch, a post-harvest physiologist with the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Stellenbosch University. “Particularly in Cripps Pink, because it’s a high…
The effect of extended bloom period on fruit quality. By Grethe Bestbier. “I don’t have to explain to this audience the challenges of trying to farm apples with mixed maturity,” said Dr Esmé Louw from the Department of Horticultural Science…
What are the pre- and postharvest risk factors, and how can they be mitigated? By Anna Mouton. Lenticel breakdown in apples is characterised by dimpling and pitting of the skin around lenticels. The lesions usually appear within days of packing…
The pros and cons of low- and high-density tree planting. By Grethe Bestbier. When Anton Müller, technical manager of Kromco, visited Italy ten years ago, he came back with quite a few things to rethink. While explaining why, in South…
Developing a South African phenophase-temperature database. By Anna Mouton. A need to better understand seasonal temperatures and bud break in pome and stone fruit has inspired a new project that aims to establish a phenophase-temperature database. The project is jointly…
A new Hortgro-funded study compares tree performance and root development in low- and ultra-low-flow drip-irrigated apples. By Engela Duvenage. Continuous low-flow drip irrigation is being used with great success by the South African citrus industry. A Hortgro-funded project launched in…
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 you need to know to get started. By Anna Mouton. Pome and stone fruit production under nets is surging — but are nets appropriate for all orchards? Fresh Quarterly spoke to six people across the industry about their practical…
Growing greener Grannies. By Anna Mouton. “Granny Smith is a very high value apple,” says Graeme Krige, technical adviser at Fruitmax Agri, “but it has to be perfectly green or it’s out. It’s not the case that mild sunburn is…