Animals-and-Pets
Farmer's Weekly
Vehicle Path Management: Key To Reducing Compaction
Efficient in-field mechanisation is a major contributor to higher yield and lower production costs. Unfortunately, mechanisation also means that machinery wheels regularly compact the soil. According to precision farming specialist Ian Beecher-Jones, traffic-induced soil damage can be limited by implementing controlled traffic farming. Denene Erasmus reports.
3 min |
August 24, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
No-till: Key To Greater Profits
Tillage over-aerates the soil and stimulates soil organisms to rapidly break down organic materials. This is a difficult concept to grasp, as it seems logical that loosening the soil creates a better growing environment and enables rapid root development.
2 min |
August 24, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Breeding Stately Peafowl
28YEARS AGO Peafowl are not only beautiful, they also make good eating. In this article, Roy Billett explains how to raise your own peafowl, from hatching chicks to feeding your cocks and hens.
3 min |
Farmer's Weekly 1 December 2017
Farmer's Weekly
Imports Threaten SA's Banana Farmers
South Africa’s banana industry has expressed concern that if significant imports are allowed to continue, a large number of jobs could be lost and banana enterprises closed down. Lloyd Phillips reports.
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 1 December 2017
Farmer's Weekly
SA Forestry Sector On Alert For New Eucalyptus Pests
A call has been issued for foresters and concerned citizens to keep an eye out for specimens of the shell lerp psyllid (Spondyliaspis spp.) and the eucalyptus gall wasp (Ophelimus maskelli), and to urgently notify forestry scientists if any are spotted.
1 min |
Farmer's Weekly 1 December 2017
Farmer's Weekly
Communal Farming: Let's Start With The Basics
In his new column, Shane Brody provides an introduction to communal farming in SA and what must be done to make the sector more profitable.
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 1 December 2017
Farmer's Weekly
KHOI Meets French: Award-Winning Winemaker's Rise To The Top
Berene Damons, the department of agriculture’s 2017 Female Entrepreneur of the Year in the agro-processing category, started work at the Hamilton Russell Vineyards 17 years ago. Promoted almost immediately to a marketing assistant, she soon developed an interest in winemaking, and went on to produce an award-winning, export-quality Pinot Noir wine, Tesselaarsdal. Jeandré du Preez reports.
4 min |
Farmer's Weekly 1 December 2017
Farmer's Weekly
Are Tomato Tunnels Practical In SA?
In Europe, tomatoes are grown in tunnels during winter. Why, then, is the same practice not followed here in South Africa, particularly in frosty areas?
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 1 December 2017
Farmer's Weekly
From Our Archives
Calf surgery
3 min |
19 January 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Feast Or Famine
The source of the deadly strain ST6 of listeriosis, which has infected nearly 1 000 people and caused more than 180 deaths in South Africa, has been identified at an Enterprise Foods factory in Polokwane.
1 min |
March 30, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Cushioned Overshoes For Horses
In the US, Soft-Ride boots are often used to make a horse more comfortable on a hard floor, such as in a stable or a horsebox. South African owners should consider using them too
2 min |
March 30, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Weed Control In Carrots
Successful carrot producers mechanise their operations to reduce labour to the minimum.
2 min |
March 30, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Thinking At Gunpoint: It's Time To Fast Track Land Reform
The expropriation without compensation resolution has polarised opinion. We need urgent, innovative solutions to land reform, and must deal with communal land ownership and title deeds, says Malapane Thamaga, an agricultural economist at the African Farmers’ Association of South Africa.
4 min |
March 30, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Keep That Fly At Bay
The common housefly remains a significant problem in South Africa.
3 min |
March 30, 2018
Farmer's Weekly
Reap Returns On Investments By 'Farming The Markets'
‘Farming the markets’ originates from the analogy that exists between personal finance (investing) and farming. Brenthurst Wealth Management financial adviser, Richus Nel, looks at how managing personal finance and investing can be improved by thinking like a farmer.
3 min |
Farmer's Weekly 8 September 2017
Farmer's Weekly
Farming In Harmony With Mother Nature
Climate change and increased pressure on natural resources have necessitated the introduction of alternative farming practices.
3 min |
Farmer's Weekly 8 September 2017
Farmer's Weekly
Late Blight: Fungus In The Fast Lane
Unlike Alternaria as discussed last week, late blight (Phytophthora infestans) does not creep into a tomato crop.
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 8 September 2017
Farmer's Weekly
'Knock, Knock.' 'Who's There?'
‘It’s me. Detonation. I’m here to wreck your engine.’ Seriously, though, detonation (also called knock) is no joke. Jake Venter explains why it can cause damage, and what is done to prevent it.
3 min |
Farmer's Weekly 8 September 2017
Farmer's Weekly
Caring For Brachycephalic Breeds
They’re friendly, loyal and feisty, and have become immensely popular as pets, but that cute ‘flat face’ could also cause severe health problems, warns Shane Brody.
2 min |
Farmer's Weekly 8 September 2017
Farmer's Weekly
Soldier, Sportsman And Legendary Farmer
Neville Fletcher of Cathcart in the Eastern Cape is an extraordinary man. A war veteran who saw action in the fierce Italian campaign, he returned to South Africa to enjoy a long, highly successful farming career. As if that were not enough, he was a national champion in both tennis and gymkhana. Mike Burgess visited him.
5 min |
6-13 January 2017
Farmer's Weekly
Are Lick Supplements Worth While In Beef Production?
Cattlemen operating under extensive conditions are always looking for ways to increase production and profitability, says Dr Liesel Foster, a beef producer from Zastron. Her PhD research concluded that farmers should carefully consider the cost and management involved in supplementary feeding to achieve this goal.
4 min |
6-13 January 2017
Farmer's Weekly
Showing: A Lot Of Work, But Well Worth It!
If you love beautiful horses and enjoy training them, showing might be the discipline for you, says Kim Dyson.
2 min |
7 April 2017
Farmer's Weekly
A Successful Boer Goat Stud In The Hantam Karoo
Careful management and marketing are both crucial in Boer goat production. Pip Nieuwoudt of Nama Stud, the oldest Boer goat stud in the Western Cape, spoke to Jeandré du Preez about his management strategy and how he tapped into the Middle Eastern market.
5 min |
7 April 2017
Farmer's Weekly
How to Detect and Manage Groundwater Resources
Most of South Africa’s water comes from groundwater reserves, according to Frans Putter, a geologist from Potchefstroom. Annelie Coleman spoke to him about groundwater exploration.
5 min |
10 March 2017
Farmer's Weekly
We All Want Land Reform. Let's Make It Work!
Meaningful land reform is crucial, not only to allay the farming community’s fears, but to help restore the economy and benefit South Africa’s poor.
5 min |
10 November 2017
Farmer's Weekly
Tsatse Fly Repallant From Waterbuck
Prof Christian Borgemeister, a leading entomologist at the University of Bonn in Germany, researchers from the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology and the Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources in Kenya, as well as Rothamsted Research in the UK, have developed a tsetse fly repellent for cows from waterbuck odour.
1 min |
10 November 2017
Farmer's Weekly
Top Young Breeder Takes Angus To New Heights
Despite being a stud breeder for only five years, the ARC’s 2017 National Young Beef Cattle Breeder of the Year, MJ Ernst, has already made his mark. Annelie Coleman visited him on the family farm between Klerksdorp and Wolmaransstad to find out more about his Red Angus stud.
5 min |
10 November 2017
Farmer's Weekly
Precision Farming: Changing Litchi And Avo Prodution For The Better
Demand for litchis and avocados has soared and encouraged producers to embrace precision farming methods. Stephan Schoeman, owner of Soetkalmoes Consultation in Nelspruit, an advisory service for the tree crops industry, tells Gerhard Uys how these practices are improving yield and crop quality.
5 min |
10 November 2017
Farmer's Weekly
Cutting Propogation Made Easy
Many people think that growing new plants or trees from cuttings should be left to qualified horticulturists. In fact, this technique is relatively simple, says Shane Brody.
4 min |
10 November 2017
Farmer's Weekly
Measures To Prevent Curly Stunt Virus
The tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) occurs worldwide, and was first identified in South Africa in 1997. There are several strains of the virus; South African authorities named the local strain ‘curly stunt virus’ (ToCSV).
2 min |