A focus on yield and quality is indispensable to profitable pome-fruit farming. By Anna Mouton. “The good news is that there are some brilliant orchards — and growers — that are making a lot of money,” said Graeme Krige, technical…
Will 200 tonnes per hectare become the new normal? By Anna Mouton. Debates about the relationship of yield to planting systems and tree structure are as old as horticulture, according to plant physiologist Dr Ken Breen of the New Zealand…
This is arguably one of deciduous-fruit farming’s most difficult seasons. By Hugh Campbell. Exports on almost all crops are down, and many technical experts agree that things have not been easy. To get a broader perspective on the past season,…
Stink bugs or stem-pitting virus? By Anna Mouton. A new research project funded by Hortgro aims to establish the cause of dimpled and deformed pears seen in Western Cape orchards. The project is led by Dr Rachelle Bester and Prof…
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…
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…
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…
New research projects will help growers plan for the future. By Anna Mouton. We could all use a crystal ball. Imagine if we could know today whether Saturday a month hence will be braai weather? Or whether or not we…
Understanding why some flowers set and others drop. By Grethe Bestbier. Many questions regarding fruit production were raised during the past season. With heat waves, warmer autumn temperatures and drought conditions, growers were uncertain what to expect, especially in terms…
Tonnes are not enough — growers must focus on boosting Class 1 pack-outs. By Anna Mouton. Technical adviser Willie Kotze of Dutoit Agri thinks that apple producers are leaving money on the table by not optimising fruit quality. He believes…