Light brown apple moth
Larvae of the light brown apple moth eat pretty much anything — this is never a good sign in a pest. By Anna Mouton. The light brown apple moth — Epiphyas postvittana — is a leaf-roller moth in the well-known…
Brown marmorated stink bug
What do growers, chocolate lovers, car manufacturers, and homeowners have in common? Hostility to brown marmorated stink bugs. By Anna Mouton. The brown marmorated stink bug — Halyomorpha halys — is a pentatomid bug. Familiar pentatomids include antestia — Antestiopsis…
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…
Spotted-wing drosophila
Most drosophila fruit flies hang around overripe or rotting fruit. But the spotted-wing drosophila prefers to raise its offspring on fresh fruit. By Anna Mouton. Almost everyone is familiar with fruit flies in the genus Drosophila — they are those…
Overcoming phytosanitary obstacles
South African fruit must meet phytosanitary requirements to access certain key markets. How are these determined?
Farming’s most difficult season
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,…
The recipe for green colour in apples
This checklist of dos and don’ts can increase the green colour of fruit at harvest. By Wiehann Steyn. Fruit need good light exposure in the first 40 days after fruit set to get satisfactory green colour at harvest. The chlorophyll…
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…
The oddity of red colour development in pears
We know we shouldn’t compare apples and oranges, but what about apples and pears? With red colour development in pears, it is best not to compare these two fruits. By Wiehann Steyn. Red colour development in pears is an anomaly…
Thirst trap
How much water do high-performing apple orchards need? By Esté Beerwinkel. A lingering drought and remarkably high-yielding orchards compel farmers to give their irrigation practices a second thought. A four-year project set on establishing how much water apple orchards need…