Oak Valley
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…
Orchard water use relates to leaf area
Control vegetative growth to improve the water-use efficiency of apple orchards. By Engela Duvenage. This is one of the conclusions in a recent report by a team of researchers from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, the Agricultural Research…
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…
Research rundown
A summary of Hortgro-funded research on water and irrigation. By Anna Mouton. Water scarcity was already a recognised risk in 1998 when Dr Theresa Volschenk and colleagues of what is now the ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij began investigating the Soil Water Balance…
Rest-breaking alternatives for apples and pears
The search continues for chemical rest-breaking alternatives to hydrogen cyanamide for South Africa’s pome-fruit industry. By Jenny Underhill. Rest-breaking agents stimulate and synchronise bud break in fruit crops that do not receive adequate winter chilling to overcome dormancy. Since most…
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…
Thirst trap
How much water do high-performing apple orchards need? By Esté Beerwinkel. A lingering drought and remarkably high-yielding orchards compel farmers to give their irrigation practices a second thought. A four-year project set on establishing how much water apple orchards need…
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…