Fire blight
A single outbreak of fire blight in Michigan led to the death of 220 000 apple trees and estimated losses of USD 42 million in 2000. This is not a disease we want in South Africa. By Anna Mouton. Fire…
Forelle early market access
Unlocking new value from an old cultivar. By Anna Mouton. “Forelle has been around for 350 years,” says Dr Ian Crouch, director of research at ExperiCo. “Historically it’s been eaten as a sweet and juicy pear. But our problem was…
Forelle Early Market Access
Post-harvest innovation has helped South Africa become a global leader in Forelle pear production and exports. Updated from an article originally published in Fresh Quarterly issue 3. Forelle has been around for 350 years, says Dr Ian Crouch, managing director…
Fruit size
The principles and practices affecting pome- and stone-fruit development throughout the year. By Anna Mouton. “There will never be an oversupply of big stone fruit. All our markets want big fruit,” says Charl Stander, technical adviser at Freshness First. “Big…
How much water do orchards use?
The analysis of water use commissioned by Hortgro provides an interesting perspective on evapotranspiration data for pome and stone fruit. By Anna Mouton. The lead researcher on the project, agrometeorologist Dr Caren Jarmain, collaborated with Dr Nicky Taylor, senior lecturer…
How to achieve good red colour in apples and pears
This checklist of pre-plant decisions and management considerations will help growers increase pack outs with the required red colour. By Wiehann Steyn. Plant redder strains of existing cultivars. Don’t plant apple cultivars that colour up with difficulty in areas where…
Improve postharvest outcomes with preharvest ethylene inhibitors
Experts explain two agrochemical options that growers can use to manage harvest maturity. By Anna Mouton. Ethylene is a plant hormone that promotes fruit ripening, flower opening, and leaf dropping. In mature pome and most stone fruit, ethylene drives the…
Integrated mealy bug management
Growers must adopt a strategic approach to overcome this ancient pest. By Anna Mouton. Mealy bugs co-evolved with vascular plants over millions of years, and modern mealy bugs comprise more than 2 000 species exploiting a vast range of hosts. Despite…
Low-oxygen strategies against scald
Initial and repeated low-oxygen stress can extend the scald-free storage life of Packham’s Triumph pears. By Anna Mouton. Packham’s Triumph remains South Africa’s biggest pear cultivar by area planted and volume exported — nearly 40% of pear cartons we shipped…
Mealiness in Forelle
Mealiness was probably a Forelle issue long before it was first planted in South Africa in the 1800s. How is modern science solving this old problem? By Engela Duvenage. Research on Forelle was already underway by the 1990s, with work…