Category: TECHNOLOGY

The greatest threat to South Africa’s farmlands doesn’t come from the global economy or government policies. It’s to be found under a farmer’s feet. According to Dr Hendrik Smith, conservation agriculture facilitator, 95% of food production is estimated to rely directly or indirectly on soil. Yet this resource has long been taken for granted, and…

With the expected increase in world population in the coming decades, crop yield per hectare and a reduction in the use of chemicals in agriculture will both be of paramount importance. Actinobacteria or ‘ray bacteria’ are Gram-positive bacteria that comprise a significant percentage of soil microbial populations, the soil food web and the root microbiome…

Farmer Giovanna Secco stands in silence among the sweet-smelling macadamia and papaya blossoms on her farm in Lows Creek, Mpumalanga. “Where are the bees?” she asks. It should be one of the busiest times of year for pollinators on the farm, but despite the fact that Secco has hired around 300 hives, at R90 000/month,…

South Africa’s diverse landscapes are home to a unique and astounding variety of fauna and flora. “South Africa is the hub for the world’s flora. Across the globe, South African plant species are planted in gardens and used as cut flowers,” says Leon Kluge, an award-winning South African landscape and garden designer. Speaking at a…

Wood is a valuable renewable resource that is used widely across various sectors, from the paper, textile and bioelectronic industries to construction and mining. When plantations are harvested sustainably for their resources, they provide economic, environmental, cultural and human-health benefits. Pest-control strategies form a vital part of sustainable forest management. South Africa is a global…

By its nature, a commercial farming business generates substantial quantities of data in the form of hand-written notes, hard and digital copies of documents, and, in the cases of more technologically advanced operations, a stream of data from an array of electronic sensors and user inputs. A challenge faced by many South African farmers is…

Planet-threatening challenges such as radical climate change and declining natural resources and global food insecurity call for relentless innovation and bold leadership. Farmers are hard-pressed to meet the challenge of providing nutritious food for a rapidly growing population constantly demanding healthier food. Growers will have to substantially increase both the quantity and quality of their…

The world’s population is steadily growing and urbanisation is increasing. Farmers are trying to meet the global challenge of providing nutritious food for a rapidly growing population demanding healthier food. At the same time, food is still scarce in large parts of the world, and yet there should be plenty of food to go around.…

Gene editing technology has been around for several years, but an inability to pinpoint exact genes and their functions, and change them for specific outcomes, has made it a laborious process. However, the discovery of the CRISPR-Cas9 technology has not only made quick identification and editing possible, but has provided a solution to the problem…

The general perception that livestock is a major contributor to global warming started in 2006, when the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization published the study, ‘Livestock’s Long Shadow’, which indicated that livestock is responsible for 18% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This figure has since proved to be a gross overestimation, with real figures coming in…