Esmé Louw
Dr Esmé Louw was born in the Langkloof but grew up in sugarcane country in Empangeni. She went to Tuks where she majored in microbiology and biochemistry. “I’ve always had a love for animals,” says Louw. “I went to the…
Estimating water consumption in Japanese plums
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…
Everything counts in large amounts
What are collembolans doing in your orchard? By Anna Mouton. Collembolans are among the most common animals on earth — they occur on every continent and in almost all terrestrial habitats. You can probably find somewhere between 10 000 and…
Exploit physiology to transform yields
Will 200 tonnes per hectare become the new normal? By Anna Mouton. Debates about the relationship of yield to planting systems and tree structure are as old as horticulture, according to plant physiologist Dr Ken Breen of the New Zealand…
Extreme is the new normal
How climate change and extreme weather are impacting growers in Italy. By Anna Mouton. Prof. Luca Corelli Grappadelli leads the Ecophysiology Laboratory in the Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences at the University of Bologna in Italy. His main research…
Farming with nature at ZZ2
A 20-year journey has validated their decision to transition from industrial agriculture to farming in harmony with nature. By Anna Mouton. The family-owned ZZ2 group began thinking about a different approach to food production back in the 1990s. “We started…
Farming’s most difficult season
This is arguably one of deciduous-fruit farming’s most difficult seasons. By Hugh Campbell. Exports on almost all crops are down, and many technical experts agree that things have not been easy. To get a broader perspective on the past season,…
Five factors affecting fruit set
Expert advice on getting the best out of your Japanese plums. By Anna Mouton. The past season was remarkable for the disastrous set in certain Japanese plum cultivars in some areas, most notably the Breede River Valley and Klein Karoo…
Forewarned is forearmed
New research projects will help growers plan for the future. By Anna Mouton. We could all use a crystal ball. Imagine if we could know today whether Saturday a month hence will be braai weather? Or whether or not we…
From blossom to apple
Understanding why some flowers set and others drop. By Grethe Bestbier. Many questions regarding fruit production were raised during the past season. With heat waves, warmer autumn temperatures and drought conditions, growers were uncertain what to expect, especially in terms…