Bokveldskloof
Work smarter, not harder. By Anna Mouton. “We have to improve the colour of our fruit,” says Hendrik Pohl, production manager at Bokveldskloof in Ceres. “And we have to increase our percentage class 1 fruit on the tree. We’re not…
Buchuland
Christo Strydom of specialist pear-packhouse Wolfpack and Buchuland production manager Henk Rossouw discuss two top-performing pear orchards. By Anna Mouton. Buchuland lies just outside Ceres in the Warm Bokkeveld — an area that Strydom describes as Forelle heaven. Their best…
Keep your apples in the pink
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…
Late bloomers
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…
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…
Red bugs shifting into fruit trees
Some areas are seeing this orchard-floor dweller moving up and damaging fruit. By Carin Smith. Cenaeus carnifex, commonly known as the red bug due to its colour, is indigenous to South Africa and ubiquitous in orchards, usually on the orchard…
South African pear production and exports
We are growing more pears — what happens to them? And where will we sell them in the future? By Anna Mouton. Total South African pear production has increased from just over 200 000 tonnes to very nearly 500 000…
The secret life of weevils
Shining light on a nocturnal pest. By Anna Mouton. Weevils — kalanders in Afrikaans — are a group of vegetarian beetles. There are nearly 100 000 species of weevils. Most live blameless lives but a few troublemakers cause problems by damaging…
Water use in pears
Research investigates water-use efficiency and the impact of different irrigation strategies on tree physiology and fruit characteristics. By Anna Mouton. Irrigation is indispensable for producing deciduous fruit in South Africa, but growers share our limited water supplies with many other…