Research & Technical
Boosting profits with weather insights
Farming is faced with the growing pressures of climate change, erratic weather patterns, and increasing disease outbreaks. Potato growers therefore need advanced solutions to optimise production and protect their crops.…
Read MoreEastern Free State cultivar trial under irrigation at Bethlehem in 2023/24
The Eastern Free State is a major potato producing region where 19% of the country’s commercial potatoes are produced on approximately 9 522 ha (2023 harvest year). The most prominent…
Read MoreThe development of region-specific crop rotation programmes for the Eastern Free State (Part 1)
The advantages of crop rotation have been known for centuries and are utilised by producers to enhance soil fertility and control diseases, pests, and weeds through the inclusion of specific…
Read MoreDie ontwikkeling van streekspesifieke wisselbouprogramme vir die Oos-Vrystaat (Deel 1)
Die voordele van wisselbou is al eeue lank bekend en word deur produsente toegepas om grondvrugbaarheid op te bou en siektes, peste en onkruide te beheer deur spesifieke gewasse by…
Read MoreLet’s talk about drip on potato
Although drip irrigation is not yet widely practiced in potato production, its adoption is steadily increasing along with knowledge of its successful application. Netafim is driving this process, which is…
Read MoreSouthwestern Free State cultivar trial under irrigation at Petrusburg in 2023
Approximately 1.7% of South Africa’s commercial potatoes are produced on 954 ha (2023/24 harvest year) located in the Southwestern Free State potato production region. The main cultivars produced for commercial…
Read MorePrecision breeding for resilient spuds
Genetic variation refers to variability between the DNA sequences or genomes of individual living organisms and is the basis of the biodiversity we see around us. Even within a single…
Read MoreWhy standardised testing is an important industry tool
When potato certification started in South Africa in the 1990s, one of the strategic decisions of the potato industry to ensure the cost-effectiveness of certifying seed potatoes, was the establishment…
Read MorePassive rainwater harvesting
Southern Africa, like several regions in the world, experiences water constraints as well as severe and prolonged droughts. Figure 1 shows a global perspective on the regions that experience water…
Read MoreLimpopo-kultivarproef onder besproeiing op Tom Burke in 2023
Limpopo is ‘n groot aartappelproduksiestreek waar ongeveer 25% van die land se totale kommersiële aartappels deur 103 produsente in die vroeë-, hoof- en laataanplantings (2023 data) geproduseer word. Die mees…
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