Winners and losers of climate change. By Engela Duvenage. There is increasing concern about how insect pests will respond to global warming. Will populations increase, or spread to other regions in South Africa? Will some species die out because of…
Landbouweekblad panel discussion. By Engela Duvenage. Four panellists shared their experiences of South Africa’s land reform programmes at the Hortgro Science Technical Symposium. The session was sponsored by the agricultural magazine Landbouweekblad, and was ably chaired by editor Chris Burgess…
Researchers turn to nature for help. By Engela Duvenage. Does nature provide its own little helpers to support the South African agricultural sector in controlling its fruit fly problem? Indeed, said Dr Pia Addison, upon reflecting on four years of…
Detection data should inform regulation. By Engela Duvenage. An ominous anniversary of sorts was celebrated on 5 June 2019 when Prof. James Carey from the Department of Entomology and Nematology at the University of California, Davis gave an overview of…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…