A guide to PSHB biology. By Anna Mouton. What are PSHBs? Polyphagous shot-hole borers — PSHBs — are beetles in the weevil family. They form part of a group called ambrosia beetles. Ambrosia beetles feed on fungi that they establish…
This invasive pest was featured in the September 2023 Fresh Quarterly. What have we learnt since then? By Anna Mouton. Polyphagous shot-hole borers are wood-boring beetles that establish and cultivate fungal gardens in their host plants. The beetles feed on…
Pests and diseases threaten food security and farm profits. How can we mitigate the risk of spreading plant pests and diseases through trade? By Dane McDonald. “Plants provide nearly 80% of our daily calorie intake,” said Jan Hendrik Venter, Director…
Expert insights into achieving good deposition. By Anna Mouton. Effective crop protection is conditional on effective spraying. Growers need to apply the appropriate products at strategic times using correct techniques. Sounds straightforward — except spray application turns out to be…
Bacterial pathogens cause financial losses to fruit growers worldwide —South Africa is no exception. By Anna Mouton. The genera Pseudomonas and Xanthomonas contain disease-causing species that attack many different plants. But whereas all Xanthomonas species are associated with plants,…
Measuring is the first step in managing soil health. By Grethe Bestbier. Is there life in my soil? What kind of life? Does my soil provide enough food for microbes and plants? Soil health tests provide answers to these and…
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…
A summary of current, completed, and new research. Compiled by Grethe Bestbier. Hortgro Science has supported and funded several research projects on apple replant disease, and continues to do so. Apple replant disease is caused by a complex of organisms…
The highlights from three Hortgro-funded projects. By Jorisna Bonthuys. Three projects funded by Hortgro are generating new knowledge about plant-parasitic nematodes. The studies focus on whether different cover crops host any of three lesion-nematode species, whether new apple rootstocks are…
White root rot caused by Rosellinia necatrix afflicts everything from apples to avocadoes. By Anna Mouton. Rosellinia necatrix is a soil-borne fungus that attacks the roots of more than 350 plant species, notably pome- and stone-fruit, grapevines, avocadoes, citrus, and…