To the last drop
Reclaiming deserts for farming. By Engela Duvenage. Sewage or effluent is not waste. It is a treasure. If managed correctly, it can be sustainably used by the agricultural sector. If Israel can do it, South Africa can do it too.…
Reform holds the key to economic growth
Individuals should control communal land. By Engela Duvenage. Prof. William Gumede, an economist and political scientist at the School of Governance at the University of the Witwatersrand, briefed the audience about South Africa’s political landscape after the May 2019 elections.…
New study on water needs of pears
Good news for the pear industry – a project to quantify the water requirements of high-performing pear orchards has been approved for funding by the Water Research Commission. By Engela Duvenage. The project is set to begin in April 2022,…
Low-flow drip irrigation in apples
A new Hortgro-funded study compares tree performance and root development in low- and ultra-low-flow drip-irrigated apples. By Engela Duvenage. Continuous low-flow drip irrigation is being used with great success by the South African citrus industry. A Hortgro-funded project launched in…
Dwarfing rootstocks and water stress
Promising preliminary results from a Hortgro-funded study show that dwarfing rootstocks are not more susceptible to water stress than conventional rootstocks. By Engela Duvenage. Initial findings from a three-year study run counter to the views of some producers that dwarfing…
Be realistic about water savings under nets
Nets protect apples from sun, hail, sleet, and wind. But do they reduce water use? Preliminary data suggests yes, but less than elsewhere in the world. By Engela Duvenage. Hortgro is co-funding a project with the Water Research Commission to…
Water use in plums
A new study investigates water use in full-bearing Japanese plum orchards, and how water availability impacts fruit yield and quality. By Engela Duvenage. The project is co-funded by the Water Research Commission and Hortgro. It is led by Prof. Nebo…
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…
The Water Research Commission
Ensuring that decisions about water are informed by science and technology. By Engela Duvenage. The Water Research Commission, which in 2021 celebrated its 50th anniversary, is a valuable knowledge partner to the deciduous-fruit industry. Over the years, the Commission has…