Cover up! Or be exposed
Cover up! Or be exposed. by André Strauss, Head of Soil Microbiology, Agri Technovation What is a cover crop? Just as human skin is damaged by the radiation of sun rays, soil is damaged if not covered. One of the best “suntan lotions” for soil is the planting of cover crops. Cover crops refer to […]
Tree crops: Soil variation and its impact on irrigation strategies
Tree crops: Soil variation and its impact on irrigation strategies by Gareth Glasspool, Senior Soil Scientist and Marnus Ferreira, Head of Soil Science Most producers over-irrigate As controversial as this may sound, it is true. To avoid this, all factors that impact irrigation must be understood and considered when deciding on an irrigation strategy. The […]
Citrus vs the salt of the earth
Citrus vs the salt of the earth by LJ Venter & Markus van Renssen (Horticulturists, Agri Technovation) The challenge of salinization Soil salinization presents a serious challenge in areas with a semi-dry climate. Saline soils lead to a variety of complications, especially in citrus, which could have a direct or indirect impact on the producer’s […]
PICKLOGGER™ is a game changer
PICKLOGGER™ is a game changer By Albert Bijker and Erald Smith PICKLOGGER™ is a game-changing device that helps farmers and their stakeholders to identify and manage various factors that affect the yields of hand-harvested crops. By recording and logging data points during harvesting, PICKLOGGER™ makes it possible for farmers to produce yield maps, giving them […]
How your avocado orchard benefits from carbohydrate analyses
How your avocado orchard benefits from carbohydrate analyses By Dr Elmi Lötze (Head of ITEST™CARBOHYDRATES and ITEST™LEAF) and Wilmé Brown (Plant Physiologist), Agri Technovation Carbohydrates as physiological indicator of plant status The use of carbohydrate analyses to study plant performance is an established practice in the research environment (Wolstenholm, 1987; Whiley et al., 1988; […]
Blue Gold: Let’s start digging
Blue Gold: Let’s start digging by Hestia Pienaar Responsible and efficient irrigation A satellite remote sensing study conducted by the WRC reported that 1 334 562 hectares were actively irrigated in South Africa during 2015. The agricultural industry is under constant pressure to account for the allocation of this water and to ensure […]
Measure, understand, improve
The combination of PICKLOGGER™ and MYSOIL CLASSIFICATION™ in fruit crops By Marnus Ferreira, Head of Grains, Agri Technovation This article focuses on three actions or concepts as outlined in the title: measure, understand and improve. Together these three actions represent the best current method available for improving yields meaningfully, especially on farms that already […]
Secrets to successful almond production
Secrets to successful almond production By Brady Colburn, Horticulturist, Agri Technovation California California is the world’s largest almond growing region with over 1.3 million acres producing overall, and an average yield of just under 2,200 pounds per acre (USDA NASS, 2022). Most growers begin to harvest at the third or fourth leaf and see a […]
Blueberry flowers
Blueberry flowers By Jaques Landman, Technical Manager, Agri Technovation New Zealand / Agri Technovation Australia East Coast Over the past five years, global blueberry consumption has doubled to reach 650 000 tons per annum. Indications are that it is set to double again during the next five years, reaching a global consumption rate of 1,5 […]
Why do irrigated fruit crops perform better on some soils
Why do irrigated fruit crops perform better on some soils By Marnus Ferreira, Head of Soil Sciences, Agri Technovation This article aims to better explain the intricacies of how soils behave under irrigation in a scientific yet practical way. Due to the massive variation in soil types that exists in areas of Southern Africa, we […]