Bokveldskloof
Work smarter, not harder. By Anna Mouton. “We have to improve the colour of our fruit,” says Hendrik Pohl, production manager at Bokveldskloof in Ceres. “And we have to increase our percentage class 1 fruit on the tree. We’re not…
Can dwarfing rootstocks cope with drought?
A Hortgro-funded project assessed the response of new and popular apple rootstocks to deficit irrigation. By Anna Mouton. Dwarfing rootstocks are quite literally the foundation of high-density apple orchards. They encourage earlier bearing that supports the rapid attainment of full…
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…
Graymead
Innovation adds value. By Anna Mouton. “M.9 has been used successfully as a rootstock all over the world,” says Keith Bradley, general manager of agri-services at Fruitways Farming, “but there was always the perception that M.9 wouldn’t work in South…
To pot or not
Why grow nursery trees in containers? By Anna Mouton. The traditional way to produce a nursery tree is to grow it in a field and lift it during dormancy. The biggest problem with this approach is transplant shock. Root damage…