ITEST™ CARBOHYDRATES analyses for pome fruit
ITEST™CARBOHYDRATES analyses for pome fruit by Dr Elmi Lötze (Head of ITEST™CARBOHYDRATES and ITEST™LEAF) and Wilmé Brown (Plant Physiologist) Biological indicator for management decisions The ITEST™CARBOHYDRATES service is now also available for pears and apples. Although the impact of carbohydrates on pome fruit cultivation has been investigated locally for many years, a commercial service making […]
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) 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; Davie et al., […]
PICKLOGGER™ is a game changer
PICKLOGGER™ 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 a clear picture of […]
Blue Gold: Let’s start digging
Blue Gold: Let’s start digging by Hestia Pienaar (Senior Agronomist, Grains and vegetables) 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 […]
Citrus vs the salt of the earth
LJ Venter & Markus van Renssen (Horticulturists, Agri Technovation) The challenge of salinisation Soil salinisation 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 pocket. Where soils are irrigated with high-salinity water (high […]
Measure, understand, improve
The combination of PICKLOGGER™ and MYSOIL CLASSIFICATION™ in fruit crops By Marnus Ferreira, Head of Soil Science and ITest Soil, 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 […]
Carbohydrates and nutrients on blueberries
By: Nina du Toit Horticulturist Carbohydrates and nutrients on blueberries Carbohydrates produced during photosynthesis are widely recognised in plants for their crucial significance as energy sources and carbon foundations for organic molecules and storage components. They help with flower development, fruit set completion, berry growth, and shoot and root growth, among other things. Carbohydrates are […]
Avocado: What is happening in spring
By August Kruger Horticulturalist Agri TechnovationPhysiology Research Center With higher mean temperatures and the in- creased length of daylight that accompany our seasonal transition from winter to spring, the stage is set for the next important step in annual avocado tree phenology, fruit set, cell division and cell enlargement. Integral physiological pro- cesses – the […]
Why do irrigated fruit crops perform better on some soils?
By Jaques Landman Technical Manager AT New Zealand / AT Australia East Coast Over the past five years, global blueberry con- sumption has doubled to reach 650 000 tons per annum. Indications are that it is set to double again during the next five years, reach- ing a global consumption rate of 1,5 million tons […]
Blueberry flowers
By Jaques LandmanTechnical ManagerAT New Zealand / AT Australia East Coast Over the past five years, global blueberry con- sumption has doubled to reach 650 000 tons per annum. Indications are that it is set to double again during the next five years, reach- ing a global consumption rate of 1,5 million tons per annum. […]