New technology offers exciting opportunities to complement traditional practices and optimise crop management. By Anna Mouton. Digital agriculture refers to the application of new technologies for data collection and analysis to help growers manage seasonal and environmental variability. Stellenbosch University…
Creating a virtual orchard requires advanced data collection and processing. By Anna Mouton. Innovation in pome- and stone-fruit production often progresses one orchard or one season at a time. Researchers developing new tree-training systems or growers trying to understand mixed…
An ecophysiologist discusses how new technology can allow growers to communicate with their trees. By Anna Mouton. Prof. Luigi Manfrini is an ecophysiologist in the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the University of Bologna. His research focuses on…
A perspective from Tatura SmartFarm. By Anna Mouton. Agriculture Victoria’s world-renowned Tatura SmartFarm is synonymous with horticultural innovation. Dr Mark O’Connell is a senior research scientist in horticultural production science at Tatura. He has more than three decades of experience…
How De Rust Estate uses infrared imaging as a cost-effective tool to identify and address stress in orchards. By Anna Mouton. Is there an affordable tool for rapid water-stress detection in orchards? This question set Karin Clüver, production director at…
Combining information from different imaging systems can help growers achieve more uniform trees and fruit. By Anna Mouton. Variability is the bane of the pome- and stone-fruit grower’s existence. The different soil types of most orchards lead to non-uniform tree…
A project comparing three methods to determine water use finds that they provide similar results. By Jenny Underhill. “We could estimate the water requirements of plums based on international work, but there wasn’t a dedicated study on plums in South…
Matching rootstock and scion genetics to environmental and management factors is essential for establishing a winning orchard. By Anna Mouton. Rootstock selection begins with a vision of the winning orchard, according to soil scientist Mico Stander of agricultural consultancy Agrimotion.…
Ever-evolving apple production systems in a diverse Western Cape environment require a continued focus on optimising tree nutrition. By Anna Mouton. Mineral-uptake characteristics aren’t a primary consideration in rootstock selection, but growers should be aware of the interactions between rootstocks,…
Apple rootstocks directly and indirectly impact fruit’s mineral content and the risk of nutrient-related disorders. By Anna Mouton. “It all starts in the soil, but the soil is often not the main factor driving nutrient-related disorders — it’s the plant’s…