Benefit from agrochemicals, but avoid the hazards!
Agrochemicals are often used as a scapegoat for agriculture’s impact on the environment, yet these chemicals do not by definition harm the environment, and they play an important part in food production, according to Dr Gerhard Verdoorn of CropLife South Africa.
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Erroneous citrus black spot classification threatens exports
First, it was false codling moth, and now the EU using citrus black spot (CBS) as an excuse to block citrus exports from South Africa.
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Well-managed dams and smart forecasting can limit flooding in a world of extreme storms.
As rising global temperatures make extreme storms more common, the nation’s dams and reservoirs – crucial to keeping communities dry – are being tested. California and states along the Mississippi River have faced similar flood control challenges in 2023. Managing these flood control systems is a careful balancing act. Do managers release water to make room for the storm’s runoff, increasing…
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Meet the 12-year-old ‘farmer’, who is already planting seeds to tackle food insecurity
Fred Junior, 12, is a farming prodigy in the North West.
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Preventing and controlling diseases of sunflowers
Diseases of sunflowers, such as brown rust and head rot, can cause severe economic losses for farmers. Janine Ryan looks at the signs of these and other diseases that can help farmers to identify them, as well as some control and prevention strategies.
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Farming robot kills 200,000 weeds per hour with lasers
A person can weed about one acre of crops a day. This smart robot can weed two per hour.
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Sustainable farming has great potential in Africa. Why does it face so many roadblocks?
Adopting sustainable farming practices can help improve crop yields while reducing costs for farming and can even limit climate impacts and boost economic growth, but it will require a mindset change, writes Luke Gomes.
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The award-winning cucumber farmer who’s focused on the future
Planning and forward thinking are important in farming, says Kobela Mokgohloa, the owner of Korema Farm in Winterveldt near Pretoria. He spoke to Magda du Toit about how he grew his cucumber production, as well as his plans for the future.
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Favourable outlook for summer and winter field crops
Farmers intend to plant 542 600ha of wheat in the 2023 production season, 4% less than last season’s 566 800ha, according to the latest report by the Crop Estimates Committee.
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What Is Digital Agriculture?
Specifically, in the agriculture and food sector, the spread of mobile technologies, remote-sensing services and distributed computing are already improving smallholders’ access to information, inputs and markets, increasing production and productivity, streamlining supply chains and reducing operational costs.
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