News + Information

The most common species of blight is caused by Botrytis cinerea. Botrytis infections are favoured by cool, rainy spring and summer weather usually around 15°C. Commonly called, Gray mould, Botrytis can be particularly damaging when rainy, drizzly weather continues over several days.

Written by Bates Booyens (Cert.Sci. Nat) Regional and Technical Manager – Western Cape North South Africa has limited available land for food production and it is therefore of the utmost importance that we nurture our soil resource. The way in which we manage our soil can either improve or degrade the quality of the soil. … Read More

Often, we fall into the trap of believing that farming is just about working the land, managing the growth of crops, and reaping the harvest. Perhaps this was the case hundreds of years ago, but it certainly isn’t Koshik Sitaram’s farming practice. Together with his brother Dicky, and son Yasteel, the men work together to … Read More

There isn’t much a farmer can do when it comes to the ravages of hail on their crop; however, if that crop is healthy and robust from the get-go, it can make a huge difference to the final yield.

Johan Conradie, ‘n boer van Bultfontein in die Vrystaat, het begin wonder of sy standaard boerderyprogram die enigste manier is om koring te verbou. In ‘n onlangse gesprek verneem Johan van sy pa dat hy so onlangs as twee dekades gelede slegs twee sakke kunsmis per hektaar benodig het om in sy bemestingsbehoeftes te voorsien. … Read More

Pieter Rheeder en sy familie woon op sy plaas ‘n ent buite Bultfontein. Hy is ‘n derdegeslag boer wat grootgeword het met die beoefening van tradisionele boerderypraktyke op droëland. Toe hy die boerdery oorgeneem het, het hy besluit om sy boerderymoontlikhede uit te brei tot koringverbouïng onder spilpuntbesproeiïng. Met die toepassing van standaard boerderypraktyke was … Read More

Die pad na Charl de Villiers (Oom Charl) se plaas lê besaai met klein ronde klippies. Dit is die gevolg van ‘n bolaag wat van sy plaas geskraap is deur ‘n diamantmaatskappy in hul soeke na diamante. Die klippies lê opgehoop langs die pad en rondom die basisse van witgatbome (‘n beskermde boom endemies tot … Read More

The realIPM team recently met with Oom Fritz Breytenbach on his farm, Middelplaas, to discuss his evolving approach to farming, why he uses realIPM’s products and the impact on quality and yield.

As one of the top five oldest wine farms in the Cape, Vergelegen certainly has heritage and experience in farming vines. This deep understanding of the culture of wine farming, as well as the realization that the usage of potent chemicals is unsustainable, has led the Farm Manager of Vergelegen, Rudolf Kriel to begin the … Read More

By Dr. Gulu Bekker Head Technical | Western Cape As within the rest of the world’s vine growing regions, Planococcus ficus or vine mealybug (hereafter VMB), is a key pest on vines (wine and table grapes) in South Africa. In the Western Cape, VMB was first recorded as a pest in 1930 (Joubert, 1943), and … Read More