die joernaal vir die vrugtebedryf in suid-afrika april/may … · april/may 2016 | sa fruit journal...

D I E J O E R N A A L V I R D I E V R U G T E B E D R Y F I N S U I D - A F R I K A A P R I L / M AY 2 0 1 6

CONTENTSVOLUME 15 | PART 2

Design and layout by

Colleen Goosen

082 779 2943

[email protected]

Printed and bound by Paarl Media, Paarl

Redakteursbrief 2

Foreword/Voorwoord 3

Spoeg ‘n Pit 5

SA Fruit Journal Board of Directors 6

Fruitful Ideas 82

Last Word 85

The impact of the drought on the fruit industry 7

Emerging Growers hit Europe 8

HORTGRO TECHNICAL SYMPOSIUMChange, the only constant 10

Robertson skole kry groot skenking vir boekwurms 12

GLOBALG.A.P. re-elects Africa's Producer Representative 14

ARC’s low chill apples keep cool 14

SAPO TRUST completed their restructuring process 15

SIZA Sustainability Initiative of South Africa 16

CAPESPAN and YUPAA forge a strategic alliance in India 16

ELKE UITGAWEEVERY ISSUE

BEDRYFSNUUSINDUSTRY NEWS

Multi-national joint venture launches global test for new EvercrispTM apple 19

Prof Linus Opara: in service of industry 20

Small farms benefit significantly from a few extra pollinators 26

Citrus Academy 2016 28

2016 Bursary Fund Students 28

Citrus Resource Warehouse 29

Are container lines profiteering on the back of the low bunker price? 31

Using standardized wording for post-harvest treatment declarations for export citrus 32

Global Citrus Scan 34

COVER: Fruit SA CEO Dr Konanani Liphadzi in front of the SA stand at Fruit Logistica 2016.

RESEARCH &TECHNOLOGY

ADVERTORIALSPROMOSIE

HORTGROSCIENCE

Harvesting systems and labourer platforms as a tool for the fruit farmer 56

Eye on Fruit Farms: FruitLook technology assists farmers 62

First stone fruit harvest at an Emerging Farm, Stutterheim, Eastern Cape 66

Plum Shrivelling 68

PLUMTREE DIEBACK SEMINAR:

Dieback of plum trees isn't a new problem 71

Link between stem canker and plum tree losses still uncertain 74

Nematodes might play a role in plum tree deaths 76

A river runs through . . . the Berg River region 78

Growing Fruit IQ: CA & PostharvestGroup rises again 84

CITRUS RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL

Research for citrus exports: A Sector-specific Innovation Fund from DST 36

Extension Briefs for April and May 2016 38

Uitstekende Deelname aan 2016se CRI Na-oes Werkswinkels 45

Report back on a workshop to discuss CRI’s horticultural research strategy for citrus 52

Farm Costing Solutions helps to manage wage increases 24

ViBacSanTM post-harvest natural product range 30

FELCO in Suid-Afrika vier 70ste bestaansjaar 42

Rovic Leers: Toediening van Kompos en Dekmaterialal in Boorde 61

2 SA VRUGTE JOERNAAL | APRIL/MEI 2016

IGNATIUS VLOK ADVERTENSIES

Cell: 082 331 [email protected]

TARRYNWETTERGREENSATI Tel: 021 863 [email protected]

GLORIAWEARECGA Tel: 031 765 [email protected]

TIMGROUTCRI Tel: 013 759 [email protected]

ELISE-MARIESTEENKAMPHORTGRO Tel: 021 882 [email protected]

REDAKTEURSBRIEF

Gemengde gevoelens? Aan die een kant is daar die kwesbaarheid van ons almal en hoe kosbaar elkeen van ons se gesond-heid is - soos ons nou weer met Christa

se siekte ervaar. Aan die ander kant moet die spreekwoordelike “show” aangaan. En ‘n hele klompie ander goed tussen-in – alles belangrik, maar met verskillende prioriteite en dringendheid gegewe elkeen van ons se persoonlike ervarings en binne konteks van die groter geheel.

Dus, nie net in terme van ons handel en wandel om ons daaglikse brood te verdien en materieel na ons afhanklikes om te sien nie, maar ook in terme van ons afhanklikheid van Hom wat bo alles oor ons lot beskik.

In die opsig is hierdie uitgawe met goeie spanwerk en samewerking steeds op tyd en glo ek met dieselfde passie, sorg en gehalte soos altyd deur Colleen Goosen en Ignatius Vlok, die gebruiklike insette van die verskillende bedrywe, rubrieke en artikels, tesame met die koördiner-

ing en insette van Elise-Marie Steenkamp en Esté Beerwinkel van HORTGRO, “soomloos” aanme-kaar gesit. Die inhoud spreek vanself en is ‘n bewys dit die prosesse en strukture wat stilweg deur Christa in plek gesit en bestuur is, werk.

Lesers sal ook merk dat die Sagtevrugtejoernaal mettertyd effens anders sal begin lyk. Daar word tans geskaaf aan die sogenaamde, “look and feel”, met betrekking tot die bladuitleg hoofsaaklik om leesbaarheid te vergemaklik; asook om die kernboodskappe beter uit te lig sodat ons aan die behoeftes van ons primêre lesers – die produse-nte – kan voldoen. Dit volg op ‘n strategiese gesprek deur die tydskrif se aandeelhouers aan die einde 2015 om enkele fokusveranderinge te maak. Ons sal in die komende maande ook weer ‘n lesersmeningsopname doen om verdere idees te toets. Soos hulle sê: “Watch this space”.

My dank aan almal wat hierdie uitgawe help moontlik maak het. Vriendelike groete.

ANTON RABE (namens die redaksiespan)

Waar ek die redakteursbrief vir hierdie uitgawe namens Christa skryf, sit ek met gemende gevoelens. Soos enkele van ons lesers dalk mag weet, is sy tans onder behandeling vir die groot ‘K’ en na intensiewe behandeling die afgelope paar weke op siekverlof. Sy sterk intussen tuis aan en haar prognose lyk goed. Ons glo en vertrou dat die behandeling suksesvol sal wees en dat sy spoedig weer op haar pos sal wees. Ons wens Christa alles van die beste toe in die hersteltyd.

3APRIL/MAY 2016 | SA FRUIT JOURNAL

WILLEM BESTBIERCEO, SATI

In the mid-eighties, with sanctions against South Africa in full swing and agriculture very much regulated and isolated from interna-tional competition, I was assigned to visit

Australia, the then “role model” of the so called New World Wine producing countries, to find out what made them so successful. This rather complex question I asked to about two dozen role players, ranging from growers to wine makers to exporters. In contrast, the consensus answer was quite simple and one dimensional. “We became successful when we started to export” was the golden thread that ran through all the answers.

We as South African fruit industries are very fortunate to find ourselves in positions where we are truly playing in the international arena, competing head to head with the best the world has to offer. I would like to claim that it is exactly this that makes our fruit industries successful. Greater and global competition stimulate growers and export companies to innovate and to become more productive and drive down the costs of inputs. We are all exporting a major portion of our annual crops. For example, the South African table grape industry exports in excess of 90% of its annual crop. This is therefore an asset and dynamic of our respective industries that all role players not only have to protect, but preferably will use all endeavours to protect and grow.

South Africa needs faster export growth of fresh fruit to propel economic growth, job crea-tion and rural development. This is especially important as the government has identified the export sector as a key driver of faster growth. The country’s National Development Plan

targets export volume growth of 6% a year in tackling high unemployment and the much needed foreign earnings. The fruit industry is ideally positioned in this regard. Increasing exports, particularly in fresh fruit, could make a substantial and much needed contribution towards skilled and low-skilled job creation to substantially reduce high overall unemploy-ment.

There are currently a few crucial factors that are holding back fruit exports from realizing their full potential. It will require a disciplined industry that engages with government in mutually beneficial partnerships in pursuit of national interest.

The role of government is to gain access to new and exciting markets, to negotiate preferential and free trade agreements, resolve the infra-structural bottlenecks that constrain exports and to provide leadership and capacity to ensure that the highly complicated and techni-cal business of international fresh fruit trade is efficiently supported and regulated.

The fresh fruit industries have a responsibility to satisfy the requirements of the discerning export markets by building and maintain-ing the quality of our products and service and differentiating it away from just being a commodity. The old saying still rings true in this regard “If you are in the commodity business, you deserve to be there”. A case in point here is the unhealthy high volumes of fresh fruit that gets shipped from our shores without its final address known.

Speculative exports will in the long run put our exports as the crucial success driver at risk.

The combined commitment of the fresh fruit industry and government would help propel South Africa towards faster growing exports of fresh fruit andhelp the industry and country to realize its goals for job-intensive growth and foreign earnings outlined in the National Development Plan.

FOREWORD

4 SA VRUGTE JOERNAAL | APRIL/MEI 2016 © 2016 AgroFresh. All rights reserved. SMARTFRESH is a trademark and service mark of AgroFresh.

To learn more, please contact your AgroFresh representative:Wehan Groenewald: + 27-82-453-4933, [email protected] Wood: + 27-82-463-2036, [email protected]

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SF_016SAfricanScaldAd_FruitJournalSpring.qxp_SF_016SAfricanScaldAd_FruitJournalSpring 12/24/15 9:19 AM Page 1

5FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016 | SA FRUIT JOURNALFEBRUARY/MARCH | SPOEG 'N PIT

Die pad tussen Calvinia en Williston is ‘n stil en eensame een. Op my motorradio is dit net RSG wat duidelik deurkom

tussen die ysterklippe deur. Die gesprek gaan daaroor dat ‘n mens die lewe moet aangryp, elke dag, asof dit jou laaste is. Moenie dit wat vir jou kosbaar en belangrik is uitstel nie, sê ‘n vrou met ‘n begrafnisstem. Leef in die oomblik, elke oomblik. Maak tyd.

Ja? En hoe maak ‘n mens tyd, wonder ek sinies. Wat gooi jy bymekaar?

Maar dis Hennie na wie my gedagtes draai. Hennie, en die les wat hy nagelaat het.

Hennie was ‘n besige ou. Altyd tyd vir ‘n vinnige bladskud, maar ook altyd haastig want met drie plase in sy dagtaakportefeulje was daar nooit genoeg tyd vir alles nie. By sy roudiens was dit dan ook waaroor die dominee gepraat het: Hennie se hardwerkendheid, sy toewyding aan sy boerdery, sy sukses.

By die koek en tee agterna was sy buurman egter ‘n bietjie meer krities oor Hennie se immerse haastigheid.

“Hy’t hom doodgewerk, man. Altyd op spoed, altyd besig. Nooit tyd gehad as ek hom saam-nooi êrens heen nie. Hy’t altyd gesê eendag as sy dinge lekker glad loop met die boerdery, dan kan ons kuier, dan sal hy tyd hê. En kyk nou.. waar’s eendag nou?”

Dieselfde buurman was ook die laaste persoon wat van aangesig tot aangesig met Hennie gepraat het.

“Weet jy wat was sy laaste woorde, net voor hy daar weggetrek het met sy bakkie? Weet jy? Hoe laat is dit? Daai was sy laaste woorde!”

Skaars vyftien minute later het die noodlot toegeslaan, kop aan kop, nie twintig kilometer van sy huis af nie. Die ambulans het ‘n halfuur gevat en die dokters daarna ook omtrent so lank, voor Hennie se hartklop geval het tot ‘n lewelose lyn op die skerm.

Ek draai die radio sagter. Arme Hennie is genoeg verkwalik na sy dood, dis nie nodig dat

die vrou met die begrafnisstem ook nog ‘n hou inkry nie.

Langs die pad skitter die Janswartsberg se ysterklippe in die oggendson. Ek voel ek wil stilhou, die stilte en die grootsheid beleef, maar die groen syfertjies op die paneelbord sê ek moet aanstoot as ek betyds op Niekerkshoop wil wees.

Hoe versoen ‘n mens Leef in die Oomblik met tydsdruk in hierdie gejaagde lewe? Is dit hoegenaamd moontlik? En wat presies is die ‘oomblik’ in elk geval? Hoe lank, as ‘n mens dit sou wou definieer, is so ‘n hier en nou?

As ‘n oomblik ‘n enkele sekonde sou wees, is dit volgens die amptelike SI definisie die tydsduur waarin daar 9 192 631 770 oorgange tussen die hiperfynvlakke van die grondtoestand van 'n Sesium 133 atoom by 'n temperatuur van 0K plaasvind.

Maar die spreekwoordelike oomblik, veral as dit een van vervulling is, kan seker nie so eng omskryf wees nie. Selfs al duur dit ‘n uur.

‘n Uur is ‘n mensbepaalde aantal minute, elke minuut bestaande uit ‘n mensbepaalde aantal sekondes, wat elkeen so vinnig verloop dat dit, buite dinge soos sport en wetenskap, eintlik van geen praktiese nut as ‘n tydeenheid is nie. Hoekom sal ‘n mens byvoorbeeld wil weet hoe lank ‘n vlinder se vlerkklap duur? En wat maak dit vir die gewone mens saak wat ‘n millise-konde is, as die natuur in elk geval geen rekord daarvan het nie?

Dae, ja. Dit kry jy wel in die natuur. Aangekon-dig deur die son se opkoms en afgemerk deur sy ondergang. Langer dae of korter dae, wat saam met hul nagtelike skadumaats die kortste tydeenheid in die natuur vorm.

En maande, natuurlik, want die maan - soms so vol van haarself en ander kere weer skreefoog skaam - het ‘n sigbare siklus wat ons raak.

En jare, afgetel deur die wenteling van die seisoene.

Net 'n Oomblik . . .

VERVOLG OP BLADSY 6

HERMAN JONKERRubriek


Hierdie tydsiklusse is natuurlik, maar ure? Minute? Sekondes? Nee, nie in die groter bestek van dinge nie. Soos die ysterklippe getuig, is Moeder Aarde veels te geduldig om haar deur sulke nietige verdelings van Vader Tyd te laat aanjaag.

Maar geduld is mos nou een ding wat die mens nie het nie. Nie sedert hy behep geraak het met die uurglas nie. Tussen die kalender en die klok jaag ons, streef ons, haas ons na die volgende dringende taak. Daardie ure, minute, en sekondes wat ons self geskep het, raak die duiwel wat ons dryf.

Einste die duiwel, ja. Ek maak my somme met die groen syfertjies en hou die wit naald dop. Niekerkshoop lê nog wyd. Ek moet wikkel.

Na die middag, toe ek by Prieska afsak na die groot Gariep, dink ek weer aan die ‘oomblik’.

Dis eintlik die skeiding tussen die verlede en

die toekoms, besef ek. ‘n Klinkklare verdeling, net soos die rivier die landskap hier verdeel, tussen elkeen van ons se groeiende verlede en sy immerkrimpende toekoms. ‘n Dun lyn wat aanhou aanskuif, maar enige oomblik tot stilstand geruk kan word soos Hennie s’n.

Anderkant die brug trek ek van die pad af en klim deur die draad. Ek buk onder die doring-bome deur en gaan hurk langs die kabbels van die oewer. Wag, dink ek, en ek trek my hemp uit en hang hom oor ‘n tak. Ek steek my hande in die geel waters en gooi ‘n handvol van die lewegewende gawe wat van die verre Maluti’s af sy kronkelende pad gevind het tot hier, oor my.

En skielik, al vloei die Oranje so vaal

en modderig, ervaar ek ‘n kristalhelder

oomblik.

VERVOLG VAN BLADSY 5

Net ‘n Oomblik . . .

SAFJ SHAREHOLDERS

SAAPPA • SA APPLE & PEARPRODUCERS’ ASSOCIATION

Tel: 021 870 2900 • Fax: 021 870 2915258 Main Street, Paarl • PO Box 163, Paarl 7620

[email protected] • www.hortgro.co.za

CGACITRUS GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION

PO Box 461, Hillcrest 3650 • Tel: 031 765 2514Fax: 031 765 8029 • [email protected]

www.cga.co.za

SATISOUTH AFRICAN TABLE GRAPE INDUSTRY

63 Main Street, Paarl 7646 • Tel: 021 863 0366 [email protected]

SASPA • SA STONE FRUITPRODUCERS’ ASSOCIATION

Tel: 021 870 2900 • Fax: 021 870 2915258 Main Street, Paarl • PO Box 163, Paarl 7620

[email protected] • www.hortgro.co.za

FPEF FRESH PRODUCEEXPORTERS’ FORUM

Private Bag X5, Century City 7441Tel: 021 526 0474 • Fax: 021 526 0479

www.fpef.co.za

ANTON RABEExecutive Director, HORTGRO

JUSTIN CHADWICKCEO, CGA

ANTON KRUGERCEO, FPEF

WILLEM BESTBIERCEO, SATI

KONANANI LIPHADZICEO, Fruit South Africa

SAFJ DIRECTORS


The Impact of the Drought on theFruit IndustryThe Impact of the Drought on theFruit Industry

The drought is specifically impacting regions such the Northern Provinces, Berg River, Wolseley, Tulbagh, and Ceres (including the Koue Bokkeveld) production regions.

The areas indicated above have started imple-menting a drought management programme with reference to irrigation quantities and scheduling. Orchards are prioritised in terms of water requirement and risk, as well as the reduc-tion in crop loads. Due to this, orchards are not receiving the full required amount of water in an attempt to see the crop through to harvest.

The irrigation buffer in these regions for next season is also depleted and water table levels of boreholes will not be sustained at current abstraction rates. Hence the impact may not just on the current crop, but will spill over to the next season if good early winter rains does not fall by April/May.

It is however not only the drought condi-tions that are cause for concern, but also the associated climatic conditions (heat waves and strong winds) that further aggravates the production regime. Ceres, Wolseley and Berg River areas being the worst affected, are currently experiencing some crop losses due to these water shortages and heat waves.

The Klein Karoo and Langkloof areas have enough irrigation water, but the heat waves have caused some quality problems. The over-all volumes, quality and size of fruit however, remain good.

The Elgin, Grabouw, Vyeboom en Villiersdorp (EGVV) region also has enough irrigation water for now, although dam levels are below aver-age. There has also been some quality issues due to the heat waves but due to new plant-

ings coming into bearing a higher crop than in 2015 is expected.

More issues spilling from heat wave conditions include an increased ripening rate on early stone fruit varieties, problematic colour devel-opment on premium blush and bi-coloured varietals due to higher night temperatures, and an increase in pest and chemical control.

Current Western Cape climate projections for 2050 indicate more hot and fewer cold days, more heat units and fewer chill units, increased evaporation, a reduction in winter rainfall, both increased and decreased mean annual rainfall, and a good likelihood of more intense precipi-tation events.

Looking forward, bigger dams are required to increase water storage capacity to catch water during times of high rainfall. Increased invest-ment in production infrastructure (e.g. netting) to prevent sunburn and to yield bigger fruit and crops will also be required. These measures will however increase establishment cost which many of especially the smaller producers will be unable to afford.

Research and development on drought resistant rootstocks and production method-ologies will need increased focus (e.g. netting combined with mulching, irrigation efficiencies, etc.). National crop and/ or disaster insurance would also be a priority, as more extreme conditions are approaching and emerging producers are especially vulnerable.

Despite all this, the overall quality and eating quality remain good and not all regions are negatively influenced.

Most regions still predict a very good season.

The occurring drought conditions throughout South Africa, have been of some concern to the deciduous fruit industry as a direct loss of R720 million has been estimated.

ESTÉ BEERWINKEL

8 BEDRYFSNUUS | APRIL/MEI 2016

Ask anyone of the new entrant growers that joined the combined HORTGRO/Western Cape Government Depart-

ment of Agriculture’s study tour to Europe this year. The tour that ended with a visit to the Fruit Logistica 2016 exhibition in Berlin, Germany, has been hailed by all as an unforget-table experience.

Why the tour?

Seeing and experiencing the different cultures are important, as is talking to industry role play-ers on various levels in the UK, the Netherlands and Germany, said Anton Rabe, HORTGRO executive director.

“It is about exposure and educating the grow-ers about standards and expectations in other countries.”

“For HORTGRO it is of critical importance that emerging growers experience the full impact of the food value chain first-hand. As a whole, South Africa’s international footprint is small and it is important that we don’t fragment our offer. In future emerging growers are going to make a bigger contribution to our produc-tion outputs – it is therefore vital that they are integrated within the current structures and marketing channels. First hand exposure to

the demands and realities of a very discerning international fruit market, gives them perspec-tives that they can hopefully plough back and assist in guiding collective industry actions,” said Rabe.

New perspectives

Pitso Sekhoto, Deciduous Fruit Novice of the Year Winner in 2015 and director of Mokolobane Farmers Enterprises in the Free State, said: “I am grateful for this opportunity to come on a tour like this. It changed my understanding of how things work for European consumers, packers and retailers. For them everything is about quality. What I found most interesting is the power that consumers have. If they find one piece of bad fruit in a packet, it has repercus-sions for everyone. The retailer has to refund the consumer and then they in turn fine the pack house/importer. This again has a negative financial impact on the whole value-chain.

“I have learned a lot and take some innovative ideas with me back to Makolobane. The one thing I think we need in our farming area is a pack house. That will increase our efficiency and profit.”

Deciduous Fruit Farm Manager of the Year, Frik-kie Jacobs, from the farm Queen Anne outside

EmergingGrowers

hit EuropeThree countries in

twelve days is a tall order. If you have

never travelled abroad before… it’s a mind warp.

ELISE-MARIESTEENKAMP

Above: Mali Makeleni, from the Western Cape Government Department of Agriculture, inspecting the fruit in the gigantic fresh produce market – the Markthal in Rotterdam.

Left: The study tour group in front of the South African entrance to Fruit Logistica 2016, Berlin.

Right: Stephen Rabe and Derich Priga at Fruit Logistica in Berlin.

9APRIL/MAY 2016 | INDUSTRY NEWS

FRUIT LOGISTICA 2016The tour ended with a visit to the annual globe event for the fresh produce industry - Fruit Logistica at the Messe in Berlin. This year an unprecedented 70,000 trade visitors from over 130 countries – a new record – attended the event. Some 2,891 exhibitors from 84 countries presented a complete market overview of the fresh produce industry. Along with the many opportunities to initiate and conclude business transactions, the global attention attracted by the trade fair was especially important to exhibi-tors. The high level of innovative strength in the sector was clearly demonstrated by no less than 27 world premieres.

Fruit Logistica 2016 proved itself as a highlight on the global fruit industry calendar, said Jacques du Preez, HORTGRO General Manger: Trade and Markets.

“The different fruit industries greatly appreciate the financial contribution the Department of Trade and Industry made to build and manage such a big pavilion. The SA stand attracted a lot of attention and was a bustling hive of people networking, fixing deals for the season and meeting up with stakeholders from all corners of the earth. It creates a platform for business to take place and relationships to be forged spanning all continents. It is very encouraging to see how the government, various industries, with the support of the embassy in Germany, can pull together to grow and propel the fruit industry forward.”

Villiersdorp, who managed to improve production on the farm with 60% within a two year period, said seeing what farm land physically looks like in Europe has been a mind-opener for him.

“Everything is flat and then you realise why platforms work so well over there. Our orchard floors are mostly not suited for some forms of technology and the use of platforms. We will have to change our orchard architecture and create orchards to accommodate the use of technology. Then we can increase production and efficiency.”

For Cathy Cornelius, new entrant grower from the Langkloof, the clever use of packag-ing to attract consumers, was a highlight.

“They have promotions and interesting packaging ideas on the retailer shelves. As a parent you want to give your children fruit to eat, when the product is innovatively packaged it makes it so much easier. It is something we have to work towards.”

Zoë Weaver from Red Communications in the UK – proudly showing a HORTGRO initiative that was launched in UK retailers.

Langkloof emerging grower Cathy Cornelius is excited about innovative packaging ideas.


Political commentator and voice of reason, Mr Max du Preez, will present a political and economic “weather prediction” at the symposium in his opening address. While fruit produc-ers have little recourse against the

winds of change and the stormy water in which the South African economy finds itself, it is

important to be aware of how these changes may affect them.

On farm level, one of the more difficult decision challenges faced by fruitgrowers, is that of what to plant? There is a bewildering array of new cultivars, the most to be discovered only after planting

WIEHANN STEYN

With this reality in mind, HORTGRO Science has designed our2016 symposium to address the major changes that present

challenges and opportunities to future fruit production.

. . . fruit production is subject to - and fruit producers, seemingly,at the mercy of - change. But while change can certainly make

fruit farming more challenging, it can also provide opportunities, for those who are mindful of future scenarios.

CHANGE, THE ONLY CONSTANT


to be dismal and very costly failures. Dr Walter Guerra heads the Pomology (Fruit Cultivation) Department at the Land- und Forstwirtschaftli-chen Versuchszentrum Laimburg in South Tyrol, Italy. The Department operates an apple evaluation centre that assesses new cultivars from around the world for their suitability to conditions in South Tyrol. Dr Guerra will present two presentations at the symposium, which may provide fruit producers with pointers of how to make sense of the cultivar chaos.

The 2015/16 growing season has been chal-lenging for most deciduous fruit farmers due to the adverse effects of the unrelenting heat and water scarcity on fruit quality and tree health.

Is a drier and warmer Western Cape our future? And what are the implications for fruit farming? Also, how do we adapt to climatic change? It is probably not a major surprise that climate change and water will be a key theme of the symposium. Prof Elias Fereres from Cordoba University in Spain is a world expert on fruit tree irrigation in water scarce conditions and the technology that can be used to make every drop count. The Crop Production Research programme at HORTGRO Science focuses on the risks to the “Orchard of the Future”. Of these risks, water availability is certainly one of the most important. Hence, we believe that Prof Fereres’ keynote addresses water preserva-tion strategy and technology, while certainly of interest to growers, is actually of critical

importance for a sustainable future.

As part of this same drive, Prof Roland Schulze, hydrologist at UKZN and voted top water researcher in South Africa in a national survey, will elaborate on climate change predictions for South Africa and how these changes may affect crop suitability in different regions. Prof Steph-anie Midgley will subsequently bring the focus closer to home and zero in on adaptations that will be required in our deciduous fruit production regions. Presentations will also be delivered on water policy and catchment area management.

Realising that the presentations that make up the bulk of our symposium don’t allow us to showcase the great research that is being conducted for HORTGRO Science, we have decided to try something new at the 2016 symposium. After each of the sessions, except for the plenary sessions, three researchers will each present a 5 min abbreviated presentation on one of their most relevant research projects. The researchers will be available in the exhibi-tion tent during the break after the session to answer any questions that members of the audience might have.

Online registrations and the full programmewill be available on the HORTGRO Science

website www.hortgroscience.co.zatowards March 2016.

Also keep an eye on our Facebook page for more information and reports.


ROBERTSON SKOLEKRY GROOT SKENKINGVIR BOEKWURMSHORTGRO se markontwikkelingsprogram in die Verenigde Koninkryk het hierdie jaar weer die Help a South African School-kompetisie koördineer. HORTGRO in samewerk-ing met LCL Logistics en Ambre Transport het op 15 Februarie die 22 ton boeke wat ingesamel is, wat uit 70% hoërskool boeke en 30% laerskool boeke bestaan, aan landelike skole in die Robertson-omgewing versprei.

Die leerders van Retreat NGK Primêre Skool, hier saam met Suzette Poole van HORTGRO, is opgewonde oor hul nuwe boeke en kan nie wag om dit oop te slaan nie.

Dié twee leerders van die Goudmyn Primêre Skool kon nie wag om hul neuse in hul nuwe boeke te kry nie.

Die 22 ton boeke wat in Februarie by die Smuts Broers se plaas Lucerne in Roberston

afgelewer is. Uit dié pakstoor is die boeke deur HORTGRO-

personeel georganiseer en verpak om by die verskeie

skole af te lewer.

ESTÉ BEERWINKEL


Die Wakkerstroom-Wes Primêre Skool se graad eentjies was omtrent opge-wonde oor hul nuwe boeke. Hier saam met die leerders is Niel Tredoux (links) en Tineke Mong (middel) van LCL Logistics en Thea Visser van HORTGRO.

Leerders van die Le Chasseur VGK Primêre Skool net buite Robertson wys hul nuwe leesstof. Hier met die leerders is (van links) Suzette Poole van HORTGRO en, Niel Tredoux en Tineke Mong van LCL Logistics.

Bo: Die rugbyspan van die Le Chasseur VGK Primêre Skool is hier fluks besig om hul nuwe boeke, met die hulp van Tineke Mong van LCL Logistics, by hul skool in te dra.

Drie graad-eentjies van die Wakkerstroom-Wes Primêre Skool net buite Roberston is oorstelp oor hul nuwe storieboeke.

Links: Thea Visser van HORT-GRO en ’n graad vier-leerder van Soetendal Primêre Skool in Wellington lees saam ’n boek.


New low chill apple cultivars were on display at the Agricultural Research Council Infruitec-Nietvoorbij’s new cultivar show-

case that was held on 22 January.

These cultivars were specifically cultivated to adapt to new climate changes. These low chill apples are currently in phase two and were created by crossing different cultivars.

The orchards were planted in Elgin from 2005-2007 and yielded their first fruit in 2014.

According to researcher Moegamat Soeker,

although these cultivars grow optimally in warmer or drought conditions and present good in size and colour, they still need some chilling and cool evening temperatures.

The ARC’s aim is to get the commercial industry involved with these cultivars as soon as possible as these apples are perfect for the local and surrounding African markets. Soeker says the reason for this is because these apples need to be sold immediately after harvest, as they don’t store well and perish after more than four weeks.

Lindi Benić, HORTGRO’s Trade and Market Access Affairs Manager, has been re-elected on the GLOBALG.A.P. Crops Technical Committee as Africa’s Producer representative. Her four year term starts this year.

This is Benić’s third time elected to this position. Benić’s position gives our industry an opportunity to have insights into the workings of GLOBALG.A.P. and gives us the opportunity to impact and influence the technical content of GLOBALG.A.P.

ARC’S LOW

CHILLAPPLES

KEEP COOL

1. Cultivar 4-53-13

2. Cultivar 4-12-3

3. Cultivar 4-1-10

4. Cultivar 4-57-69

5. Cultivar 4-79-18

6. Cultivar 4-35-78(ALL HARVESTED IN ELGIN.)

1

2

3

45

6

GLOBALG.A.P.re-elects Africa's Producer Representative


The following changes were made:

The current Pathology Business Unit (BU) amalga-mated with the Product Development and Evalu-ation BU to form a new unit namely Innovation and Support Services with Burgert van Dyk as the new Manager;

The Evaluation Department’s functions were reshuffled to accommodate the industry’s new vision and plan for independent fruit evaluation;

Ferdi van Zyl, Rudi Vos and Fred Absalom left SAPO’s services in February 2016;

Armand van Niekerk obtained his B Comm degree in Risk Management in December and was promoted to Quality manager;

Paul Stemmet was transferred as operational manager to the foundation nursery at Rivier-sonderend and Myra Mouton was promoted as administration manager at the nursery;

Divan Venter replaces Johan Laubscher as the grape expert and Johan now occupies the new role as mentor within SAPO;

Marthinus Gresse and Albert Bredell (replacing Paul Stemmet) were newly appointed in the Production BU specializing as certification and stone-and-pome fruit technicians, respectively;

Elsa Muller’s post in the Production BU was expanded to include selection and distribution of unstable varieties and co-ordination of pome fruit evaluation as well as rootstocks;

Andreas Lötze and Jessica Rochefort were appointed in the new Innovation and Support Services BU as nucleus-and-quarantinetechnician and pathologist respectively;

Eight new irrigation workers and prunerswere also appointed at Riviersonderend and Stellenbosch.

SAPO TRUSTcompleted their restructuring processSAPO underwent a full scale restructuring process over the last 8 months to:

• ensure that each Business Unit functions effectively within a sound financial system;

• expand and adept to the changing business environment and new functions allocated

to SAPO;

• improve the management and control over plant improvement functions; and

• ensure that future growth and continuity prevail within the SAPO’s management model.

Some of the new appointments from left to right: Marthinus Gresse, Albert Bredell, Jessica Rochefort and Andreas Lötze.

GLOBALG.A.P.re-elects Africa's Producer Representative


The SIZA programme is a membership-based multi-stakeholder non-profit company. All membership fees are

used to sustain the programme, and support on-going improvement of working conditions on farms through identifying needs and build-ing local capacity to respond with appropriate interventions.

SIZA used the Global Social Compliance Programme (GSCP) as the platform to bench-mark its standard and audit process against international standards in order to give it international credibility.

SIZA is governed by its own Board of Directors while a multi-stakeholder Ethical Steering Group (ESG) meets quarterly to provide over-sight and direction to the programme. The ESG consists of representatives such as producers, exporters, importers, local and inter-national retailers, organised labour and NGO’s. SIZA also works closely with international stakeholders and NGO’s as well as government

bodies, including the Department of Agricul-ture, Labour, Trade and Industry, etc. On-going engagement with stakeholders and transpar-ency are cornerstone programme principles.

SIZA provides a platform for producers and packers in agriculture to demonstrate their commitment to a Code that reflects labour practices through a monitoring process and provision of evidence of compliance and best practice to buyers. The SIZA standard gives growers the opportunity to benchmark them-selves against the South African Labour Law.

The programme has two focus areas:1. Monitoring and verification of compliance and best practice on farms which takes place through self-assessments and third party ethical audits conducted by independent audit bodies.2. A Capacity-building programme to support growers and workers with implementation of ethical standard requirements through promot-ing awareness and understanding of the Standard as well as building practical skills.

Sustainability Initiative of South Africa

SIZA is recognised internationally by a

large range of UK and EU retailers and

locally by South African retailers.

The underlying commitment is to

non-duplication and convergence and channelling

resources towards capacity-building

and continuous improvement.

Capespan has acquired a 35% stake in the Yupaa Group, a family owned business based in Mumbai, and one of India’s larg-

est diversified fruit importers and distributors.

Capespan’s managing director, Johan Dique, believes the investment in Yupaa will provide Capespan with a strategic foundation for future growth and to build new customer relation-ships within the significant and fast-developing Indian fresh fruit market.

“This investment fits well with our global strategy to expand our existing footprint through strategic partnerships in countries that

provide strong growth opportunities. Yupaa’s in-depth knowledge and experience of the local fruit markets and its extensive distribution and customer network will be crucial to take the new business forward.”

Ambrish Karvat, chairman of Yupaa, said that Yupaa is very excited to have formalised its long standing relationship with Capespan.

“With Capespan’s well-established international procurement capability, as well as itsspectrum of well-known brands, we will be able to enhance the imported volumes of top quality fruit into India whilst expanding

Capespan Group Limited

Tonie FuchsTyger Valley, South Africa

Tel: +27 21 912 [email protected]

CAPESPAN and YUPAA forge a strategic alliance in India


WHY SIZA?The aim was to create an independent, legitimate, transparent and locally driven initiative that would be internationally and locally recognised and would provide the tools and the collective framework to demonstrate ethical compliance and support continuous improvement of labour conditions on farms in South Africa.

BENEFITS FOR PRODUCERS & PACKHOUSES• South African-based, reflects South African law and is SA agriculture-specific

• Self-regulated and analysis of self-assessment provides producers with information to improve working conditions on site

• Applies a rating system that helps to identify areas of risk

• Provides support in preparation for an audit

• Data systems analyses self-assessments and

audit results and gives a clear picture of busi-ness; areas of risk, what to correct, guidance on how to correct issues, cross-reference to policies / documents, areas of good practice

• Ability to reduce audit frequency if it is a low risk site

• SIZA Capacity-building programme provides workshops for SIZA members, as well as toolkits and other resources at no additional cost

• The industry initiative is a barrier to other assurance schemes being imposed on the industry in the future.

HOW TO BECOME A MEMBERMembership is open to all supply chain stakeholders including industry associations, retailers, importers, exporters, packhouses, producers and service providers. For more information on how to register:

www.siza.co.za

SIZA supports members with various resources that include an Ethical Trade Handbook to guide them with implementation of the SIZA Standard. All resources can be downloaded off the website at no cost.

For more information, contact the SIZA help line: 086 1111 568 or email Retha [email protected]

our infrastructure and ability to serve more customers.”

Dique explained that, although the emphasis in the short term will be on imported fruit volumes, other opportunities to beneficiate local produce will also be pursued.

“The fact that this partnership provides obvi-ous mutual synergies to both Capespan and Yupaa is very exciting. This partnership opens new doors and presents greater opportunities through combined infrastructure and industry expertise within a rapidly expanding market like India. We will achieve more, at an acceler-

ated pace, through collaborative effort.”

Yupaa is a pioneer of importing fresh fruit into India. It markets and distributes fresh produce across the country. Its distribution network is active in over 32 cities and fruit is sold to wholesalers and indirect dealers covering all 29 states.

This strategic investment enhances Capespan’s footprint in India, a country with a population of over 1.2 billion people.

The transaction is in the process of being final-ised with regulatory and stakeholder approvals being obtained.

Yupaa Group of Companies

Ambrish KarvatMumbai, IndiaTel: +91 22 2368 [email protected]

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The deal was struck at the annual general meeting of the IPA in Berlin, Germany on February 1. It allows for the testing

of the variety and upon success, represents the first step towards the establishment of a joint venture company to exclusively develop and market the EverCrisp™ brand worldwide, outside the USA.

EverCrisp™ is the Brand of the new apple variety, MAIA 1, developed and released by the MAIA after more than a decade of careful cross-breeding. The variety, a cross of the Fuji and Honeycrisp cultivars, was cultivated and tested specifically for the climate and challenges faced by growers in the Midwest territory of the US.

EverCrisp’s™ most prominent advantages are its appealing, sweet flavour profile and storabil-ity, while its suitability for markets across the globe gave rise to the joint venture agreement between the IPA and MAIA.

IPA represents leading apple and pear growers, packers and marketers from the top production regions of New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Chile, Europe and the US. The organisation specialises in the procurement, testing and commercialisation of new apple and pear varieties.

MAIA was established by producers from the eponymous apple production region of the US to pursue the development of economically

and culturally viable apple cultivars for its members.

Says IPA General Manager Peter Dall: “We are very excited to partner with MAIA in this endeavour for the opportunities that MAIA 1 EverCrisp™ represents for the members of both organisations.”

Says MAIA President and CEO Bill Dodd: “The Midwest Apple Improvement Associa-tion (MAIA) is a grass roots grower-owned co-operative that began breeding apples about 20 years ago. EverCrisp™ is the first variety released from our program. We are pleased and excited to partner with the International Pome Fruit Association (IPA), another grower-driven organization, to introduce and expand the EverCrisp™ brand internationally. ”

PETER DALLGeneral Manager: IPATel: +27 (0)28 [email protected]

An historic joint venture agreement has been signed by the Midwest Apple Improve-ment Association (MAIA) and the International Pome Fruit Alliance (IPA) for the development of the apple variety MAIA1 under the trademark EverCrisp™. This is the first exclusive worldwide variety and brand development venture for both parties.

Signing of the Joint Venture Agreement.


A flip chart with the names of 16 students has pride of place in Prof Umezuruike Linus Opara’s basement office at

Stellenbosch University (SU). These are the postgraduates he hopes to mentor and guide successfully towards graduation this year.

The list is symbolic of why he takes his job as South African Research Initiative (SARChI) Chair in Postharvest Technology and distinguished professor in the SU Department of Horticultural Science so seriously. It’s much more than just researching the cold chain, packaging or quality control methods relevant to fruit and vegetables. For him it is about shaping a next generation of South African and African agri-cultural engineers and postharvest specialists.

In January 2009 this Nigerian citizen was packing up his office in the desert country of Oman, where he was director of an agricultural experimental research station. He was mentally preparing for the challenges that go along with moving to yet a new country, and of setting up a new research group.

In his office at the Sultan Qaboos University, he asked himself why he was offered the research chair ahead of other scientists from around the world. In remembering those moments of introspection, Prof Opara answers the question he put to himself seven years ago: “Perhaps there is something that I can offer more than someone else who would have wanted such a job. Perhaps I have taken for granted that over the last many years I have built my own

research capacity in different skills, which has made me suitable for the job.”

By then, this student leader and graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and Massey University in New Zealand had already worked as a postharvest research engineer and senior lecturer in the Land of the Silver Fern. In Oman, he was also the assistant dean in charge of research and postgraduate studies. His interest in making scientific research and innovation work for agribusinesses and guide policy had taken him to many countries in Europe and Asia. His expertise was called upon through programmes of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) in Rome and East Timor and the United Nations’ Oil-for-Food Programme in Iraq.

These opportunities all honed his skills as a researcher and academic. The realisation of how opportunities and mentors along his own career way had shaped him, made Prof Opara commit to providing similar opportunities to other young African students.

“Everything we do in terms of research and innovation is built around capacity,” he empha-sises. “It is very, very important, as it is the only way to assure a bright future for our young people and for industry. It is about training and mentoring these young people, and not only about getting them a degree and publishing their research papers,” he adds.

These efforts have already had a multiplying effect on the fruit industry on the continent. Since joining SU in 2009, Prof Opara has supervised or co-supervised 18 PhD and 21 MSc graduates from 15 African countries. Many have since taken up research positions in South African and other African countries.

TECHNOLOGY FOR INDUSTRY

That said, the core mission of his SARChI research chair is to use technology at best during the postharvest handling and process-

Agricultural engineer Prof Linus Opara

received the African Union’s highest

scientific honour in January.

ENGELA DUVENAGE interviewed him.

RECENT AWARDS AND HONOURS

• African Union Kwame Nkrumah Continental Scientific Award (2015)

• IMPRESSA Award from the Regional Universities’ Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture in Africa (2015)

• Honorary Vice President of the International Commission of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering (2013)

• Honorary Membership of Golden Key International Honour Society (2013)


ing of fruit and vegetables. It is after all what agricultural engineers such as Prof Opara thrive on: to apply engineering solutions to problems in agriculture.

“We work on everything in the supply chain after harvesting, such as cooling, transport, storage and packaging,” is how he summa-rises his team’s multidisciplinary approach to reducing unnecessary food loss and waste. “It doesn’t matter if it’s apples, pears, table grapes or pomegranates, all industries should benefit from the crosscutting technologies we develop. We must know the past to be able to redesign the future,” he explains why fluid dynamics models and rigorous computational and mechanical testing are used over and over again to test current packaging designs.

Non-destructive methods to accurately and quickly define and measure quality are tested and developed, including lasers, infrared spec-trosco-py and nuclear magnetic resonance techniques. His team also recently investigated the preserva-tion and quality of fish, and the potential use of cassava flour in Nigeria to make bread with.

POMEGRANATE RESEARCH

One fruit industry in particular has benefited tremendously from his expertise: pomegran-ates. A recent socio-economic assessment by

South Africa’s National Research Foundation estimates that his team’s efforts have already provided R65 million of direct and indirect benefits to the country’s pomegranate industry and national economy at large. A further R90 million is estimated until 2018.

“If our work is able to benefit our industry by adding one more Rand in profit, then we have served it well,” he says.

Prof Opara first started experimenting on pomegranates back in Oman. Soon after moving to Stellenbosch, his expertise was sought by local producers at a time when the South African industry

The African Union (AU) Kwame Nkrumah Continental Scientific Award was presented to Prof Opara by AU Chairperson and president of the Republic of Chad, Mr Idriss Deby Itno, and Dr Nkosazana Dhlamini-Zuma, Chair of the AU Commission. Photo: SuPPlied

Prof Linus Opara in his office at Stellenbosch University. Photo: engela duvenage

Over the years Prof Opara has gathered a selection of ties that reflects his passion to work in the fruit and vegetable industry.

ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS

• Among the first academics promoted to the rank of distinguished professor at Stellenbosch University in 2014

• Founding editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Postharvest Technology

• Author or co-author of over 160 articles in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, industry journals or conference proceedings

• Member of the Academy of Science of South Africa, a Chartered Engineer and Certified Food Scientist

• Life Memberships of the American Society for Agricultural and Biological Engineers, Asian Association for Agricultural Engineering and Indian Society of Agricultural Engineers

• Holds visiting professorship positions at universities in China and Nigeria.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 22


was still finding its feet.

“I realised that there was a need and an opportunity to be of assistance to industry, and therefore we put in a lot of resources,” he explains.

More than 10 students have since worked on pomegranates. These include drawing up a maturity index to help farmers predict when the fruit is ready for harvest, setting optimal storage requirements, working on controlled atmosphere storage, developing modified atmosphere packaging, investing treatments to reduce spoilage and waste, and determining the phytochemical properties and antioxidant activities of various cultivars. Some of these projects are done collaboratively with colleagues in France, Germany and Oman.

Much must still be done, for instance to developing optimal packaging. “South Africans do not have to wait for the Americans or other major producers to develop better packaging, but can become leaders ourselves,” he believes.

Another challenge is to find out why off-flavour sometimes occurs in pomegranates exported to the United Kingdom. Instead of the distinc-tive sweet-earthy taste, it can change into something resembling nail varnish.

HONOURS

The Web of Knowledge database on peer-reviewed scientific publications lists Prof Opara and Stellenbosch University as global leaders on the postharvest side of pomegranates. It’s a mean feat, given that South Africa’s pomegranate industry is still in its infancy compared to those in India, China, the USA, Turkey, Iran and Israel.

In January, he received the African Union’s highest scientific honour: the AU Kwame Nkrumah Continental Scientific Award for senior researchers. It was presented to him at the annual African Union Summit in Ethiopia, with Africa’s leaders of state present. The Nigerian president even called him over for a few congratulatory words.

“It is an honour to have one’s work recognised on such a continent-wide scale, but credit also goes to my research team and industry for supporting my ideas and research interests,” he highlights.

PERSONAL PRICE

Prof Opara lives for his work, but gets hot under the collar when reflecting on the visa regulations applicable to overseas academics and researchers working and studying in South Africa.

He has to reapply every three years for his “special skills” visa. His wife Gina and two daughters stay in the country on three other types of visas. “This still makes it difficult to have a normal life after seven years here,” he reflects on the personal stress, cost and uncer-tainty the regular reapplication process causes. “My family continues to pay a huge price.”

“The personal price you pay to serve and do you job is not always justifiable,” he wonders aloud.

Practical difficulties like securing spots in schools for the children of international people he might wish to appoint, also often stand in the way of Prof Opara being able to make suit-able appointments. He therefore believes more should be done to make overseas academics feel welcome, and to help them relocate as easily and smoothly as possible.

“You want to be able to tell postdocs that they will be able to continue their life here without any personal disruption, to the benefit of this country,”is his wish.

Prof Opara therefore calls upon higher educa-tion institutions and industry to canvas govern-ment to change visa regulations. “In many other countries, employers and government proactively take steps to assist skilled employ-ers to settle and integrate into the community because of the valuable contributions and positive impact they can make on the economy and society at large.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

24 PROMOSIE | APRIL/MEI 2016

Farm Costing Solutionshelps to manage wage increasesADVERTORIAL

The Minister of Labour, Mildred Oliphant, recently announced that as from 1 March 2016, the minimum wage

increases for farm workers would be adjusted as follows:

HOURLY RATE R14.25 2015/16: R13.37

WEEKLY RATE R641.32 2015/16: R601.61

MONTHLY RATE R2 778.83 2015/16: R2 606.78

DAILY WAGE R128.26 2015/16: R120.32for a farm worker working nine hours per day

With the continued rise in wages, it has become of utmost importance that farmers, especially those with large workforces, must monitor the productiv-ity of their employees accurately and keep track of labour-related costs.

For this reason, many of South Africa’s most successful farming businesses have turned to Time Management Solutions (TMS) to electronically record all labour costs. TMS is a product of Farm Costing Solutions, a South African-based company offering a one-stop solution to easily record and manage all costs on a farm.

HOW DOES TMS WORK?The TMS system is an easy-to-use, time saving means to electronically record and budget for labour-related costs. Farm workers are issued with a ‘tag’ that they swipe against a portable reader device when they arrive at work and leave in the evening. In this way the number of hours worked are accurately monitored.

TMS is also ideal to record piece work. Workers swipe their ‘tags’ against a portable ‘reader’ when they have completed a specific task. The system then automatically calculates each worker’s wages based on the work they have completed,

for example, how many bags of oranges were picked during that day per orchard.

This information is easily available and the system interfaces with various payroll systems, such as VIP, Donkerhoek Data and FCS's own Crest Payroll. Additionally, reports are easily accessible for absenteeism, lateness, short time, overtime, daily hours and weekly hours.

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES OF TMS?The TMS system offers the following benefits:

• Measuring of productivity per employee/team/farm

• Significantly decreases payroll processing time and administration work

• Saves costs through accurate monitoring

• Can be used as evidence in disciplinary hearings

• Leads to a more effective and efficient workforce

• Statistics and data are instantly available

• It is user friendly for the farm workers

• Customised for individual farmer needs

• Has a readily available support system of trained specialists

• Pays for itself by cost savings – excellent return on investment

FEEDBACK FROM CLIENTSANTON MULLER, FROM LABORIE BOERDERY, in Letsitele in Limpopo Province, says: “Wage increases, economic pressures and the current drought make it an absolute necessity to have a system like TMS in place that would manage labour as effectively as possible.”

Anton manages the citrus side of the Muller Family Trust and his cousin, MICHAEL MULLER, is in charge of avocado farming on Doornfontein in Polizi. On the citrus side they employ 30 permanent workers and 70 seasonal work-ers and between 12 and 20 workers for the

Farmers face many challenges. One of

them is managing their labour force during

tough economic times and increasing wages.

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vegetables. Michael employs 70 permanent workers and 120 during the season. This huge labour force during a long season that stretches from March to November made it a necessity to monitor all labour related costs and productivity.

They started to use TMS almost two years ago. “The system has paid for itself within five months,” says Anton. “We are managing our labour much more effectively and are in total control of all labour costs.” He added that TMS is not only about labour – the many software packages make it possible to improve the entire farm management.

MALAN GROWERS, from the Patensie region in the Eastern Cape, have been using TMS for about 3 years. They farm with cucumber and brinjal (6 hectares in greenhouses) as well as citrus. They employ 160 permanent workers. This large workforce and the demands of intensive farming is a huge challenge. HILDE

MALAN, production manager, says that since they have implemented TMS, most of their headaches have disappeared. Stricter control over their workforce has resulted in an increase in productivity. The accuracy of the system takes a huge load off the shoulders of adminis-tration staff. She wholeheartedly recommends the system and emphasises the exceptional after-sales service that is available, often at the most impossible times.

“I needed something to accurately measure the productivity of my labour force, which has become one of the biggest costs on the farm,” says ADRIAN WALTON, owner of the LUPUS

DEN citrus farm in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province. Walton has greatly increased the productivity of his business after implementing TMS.

Minister Oliphant said on 3 February 2016: “Wage adjustments are morally right so as to ensure that workers’ earnings keep pace with the rising cost of living while boosting the

purchasing power which benefits the economy.”

Most farmers accept the fact that they must provide sustainable jobs where hard work is reward-ed. This would provide the worker with dignity and set him or her up on a ladder to a better life.

[email protected] | www.timemanagementsolutions.co.za

In reality not all workers are equally motivated and it is difficult to monitor the productivity. For accurate monitoring and motivation, TMS is invaluable, especially in these demanding economic times.


They can harness nature’s free pollination service by planting flower strips, using pesticides more carefully and restoring

natural areas around their farms. This is the advice from a five-year long global study on pollinators, which was reported on in the lead-ing journal Science and includes data collected in Limpopo. It also notes that large-scale commercial farming cannot reap the same benefits using only these methods, and will remain reliant on managed honey bee hives to ensure that enough food is produced.

The paper is among others co-authored by ecological entomologist Dr Ruan Veldtman of the South African National Biodiversity Institute and Stellenbosch University. It stems from the Global Action on Pollination Services for Sustainable Agriculture Project (GPP)), funded by the Global Environmental Facility and co-ordinated by the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO).

The project commenced in 2010 and collected data in 344 fields of small and large holdings in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, Pakistan, South Africa and Zimbabwe. It noted the number and variety of pollinators in each field, and the yield of each crop over a five-year period. It also recorded the resources (such as plants that produce pollen and serve as forage) needed to ensure that local populations of wild bees remain healthy enough to continue providing free pollination services.

Dr Veldtman was among a host of pollination experts and ecologists that contributed to the study.

The South African data used in the publication was collected by SANBI scientists in a sunflower seed producing area in Limpopo. The GPP also fully or partially funded the postgraduate research of two MSc students and two PhD students at Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of

Smallholder farmers that go the extra mile

to attract more wild bees and other

pollinating insects to their land could harvest up to 24%

more fruit or crops as a result.

Commercial farming will remain reliant

on managed honey bee hives.

This is according to the results of a global

five-year study on pollinators in the

journal Science.

Ecological ento-mologist Dr Ruan

Veldtman of the South African

National Biodiversity Institute and

Stellenbosch University contributed to it.

Small farms benefit significantlyfrom a few extra pollinators . . .


AgriSciences on matters relating to the pollina-tion of apples and hybrid seed onions and forage to support managed honey bees.

“Pollinators are an all-important link in the cycle of food production,” says Dr Veldtman, who explains that most flowering plants (including many that are used for food) only produce seeds with the help of animal pollina-tors. “We need to treasure our wild bee popula-tions as well as the managed honey bees that our beekeepers set out in orchards and fields to ensure that pollination takes place.”

Pollinating insects are however on the decrease. This is because of the influence of habitat transformation, injudicious pesticide use and various diseases and parasites intro-duced with global trade. In addition forage available to managed and wild bees are continuously on the decline because land-scapes are being transformed.

The Science study found that increasing the numbers of wild insects that pollinate flower-ing crops on smallholdings has the most pronounced effect on production volumes when the land is smaller than two hectares. In such cases yield can be increased by up to 24%.

“The effectiveness of ecological intensifica-tion through pollination services is greater for smallholdings, rather than larger farms,” notes study leader Prof Lucas Garibaldi of the National University of Rio Negro in Argentina.

The authors further suggest that large-scale crops may also benefit less from wild pollinator density because these tend to be pollinated by flower visitors with longer foraging ranges. These are usually generalist species, such as honey bees.

This study defines a farm as large if it is planted with more than two hectares of crops (was on average 14 ha). Furthermore, such farms often occur adjacent or near to other similar-sized farms. This creates vast areas of transformed landscapes with only a few small patches of

natural growth in between. These can only support a handful of different types of wild pollinators, which are not enough to adequate-ly pollinate adjacent crops.

“Using managed bees provided by beekeep-ers will therefore remain an important part of commercial farmers’ operations despite the free services that wild pollinators could offer,” says Dr Veldtman.

Increasing yield on typically large commercial farms is therefore not simply a matter of attracting a greater variety and more wild polli-nators. Yield can only increase if commercial farmers ensure adequate visitation by enough pollinators to their entire operation, across all the hectares of flowers that need pollination. In practice this means that they need to set out enough managed bee hives on their land.

This article is based on Garibaldi, L.A. et al (2016). Mutually beneficial pollinator diversity and crop yield outcomes in small and large farms. Science 351(6271): 388-391.

For more informationon the Global Pollination Project: www.fao.org/pollination/en or Dr Ruan [email protected] 808 9441


The Citrus Academy received around 400 bursary applications in 2015 and we are pleased to announce our selection of 69 students for the 2016 academic year. We would like to wish them a successful year ahead.

2016 promises to be an eventful year for the Citrus Academy with a landmark celebration – The Citrus Academy Bursary Fund 10 year Anniversary - where we look forward to spend-ing quality time with students, old and new. Our current students can also look forward to the Citrus Research Symposium and Fresh Connections later in the year.

2016 BURSARY FUND STUDENTS

MATHEW BANDA MSc Horticulture University of Pretoria

JOHANÉ BOTES MSc Horticulture Stellenbosch University

ZANE COLES BSc Agric (Hons) Plant and Soil Science University of Pretoria

MELISSA GROBLER MSc Agric Plant Pathology Stellenbosch University

FLORENCE KABANDA MSc Agric Science Horticultural University of Fort Hare

DANIEL MBULELO MAKI Master of Commerce Programme Man Cranefield College

LINDOKUHLE MAMBA Plant Pathology Honours Stellenbosch University

HELEN MARAIS MSc Agric Horticultural Science Stellenbosch University

TAMRYN MARSBERG PhD Entomology Rhodes University

SIVE MBANGISWANO PDBA Post Graduate N Dip Business Man NMMU

RODNEY MORIFI M Sustainable Agric University of The Free State

MATHOLO MOTHAPO PhD Agric University of Limpopo

LINDSAY MUCHENA MSc Horticulture University of Pretoria

PHILANI NKWANYANA MSc Agric Plant Pathology Stellenbosch University

SELBY NYERENDA PhD Sustainable Agriculture University of Free State

MICHAEL PRINS MSc Horticulture Stellenbosch University

MPABALLENG SAM MAgric Horticulture University of Pretoria

CATHERINE SAVAGE MSc Plant Pathology Stellenbosch University

WOUTER SCHREUDER MSc Plant Pathology Stellenbosch University

ADRIAAN SERFONTIEN MSc Entomology Stellenbosch University

SEAN THACKERAY MSc Entomology Rhodes University

CATHERINE BASO BSc Agric Entomology Rhodes University

CORNELIS BROEKSMA BSc Agric Soil Science and Horticulture Stellenbosch University

AMANDA FORTUNATE N Dip Plant Production University of Mpumalanga

SINDHILE KHONGELANI N Dip Plant Production University of Mpumalanga

CHUMMY KHOZA N Dip Agric Man NMMU

LUYANDA KHUBONE BSc Agric Horticultural Science University of KwaZulu-Natal

SPHIWE MASHELE Crop Production North West University

WARREN MEYER BSc Agric Economics University of Stellenbosch

MARLYN MLOMBO BTech Agric Man UNISA

TENGETILE MTHETHWA BTech Agric Man UNISA

TENDANI MULAUDZI BTech Agric Man UNISA

MPENDULO MZINYANE BTech Agric Man UNISA

MARILYN NDHLOVU BSc Agric Applied Plant and Soil sciences University of Pretoria

SANDISIWE NDLANGISA BTech Agric Man NMMU

MBOKANE NHLANHLA N Dip Plant Production University of Mpumalanga

If you would like to find out more information on our activities or if you are

looking for prospective job candidates please visit

our website www.citrusacademy.org.za.

Citrus Academy 2016

CANDICE BURGIN


SINAZO NKOMO BTech Agric Man NMMU

MURIEL RIKHOTSO BSc Agric Plant Sciences University of KwaZulu-Natal

THAMI SAMBO BTech Agric Man UNISA

DIEDERICK SCHOLTZ BSc Agric - Horticulture and Soil Science University of Stellenbosch

JOHANNAH SEANEGO BTech Agric Man UNISA

PRUDENT SEKGOBELA N Dip Plant Production University of Mpumalanga

RUTH SELAULA Advanced Diploma - Plant Production University of Mpumalanga

OLIVIA SELOWE BTech Agric Man UNISA

NJILI ZAMAZIMA N Dip Agric Man NMMU

ROZELLE ZAMUDIO BSc Agric Applied Plant and Soil Science University of Pretoria

NKATEKO CHABALALA Grade 9 Meridian Karino

ANDISWA DYONASE National Diploma Marketing CPUT

YOLANDA DYONASE Grade 10 Settlers High School

ANDA FUTUSE Grade 7 Cradock Primary

ANDISWA FUTUSE Grade 7 Cradock Primary

SINAZO FUTUSE Grade 11 Gill High School

SHANE JOSEPHS BSc Biochem NMMU

BRYAN KATOO Grade 4 Stulting Primary School

KRISTEN KATOO Grade 7 Stulting Primary School

LANDELWA KATOO Senior Bookkeeper Institution of Certified Bookkeepers SA

PRIDE KOMANE Grade 9 Meridian Karino

SIZIPHIWE MANYONTA Grade 9 Queenstown High School

PEACEFUL MATHEBULA Grade 9 Meridian Karino

BELINDA MAUNYE Grade 9 Meridian Karino

SIPHOSETHU MDUDU Grade 10 Goodhope High School

KGODISHO MESHEGO Grade 9 Meridian Karino

MIHLALI MGADLE Diploma Inventory and Stores NMMU

SOMILA MGADLE N Dip Management NMMU

YONELA MGADLE Grade 10 Kingsridge High School

SIPHIW'OKUHLE NOHAMBA B Agric Econ University of Fort Hare

SIYOLISE NOHAMBA N5 Lovedale College

AMILA NYAMEZELE Grade 5 Yellowwoods Preparatory

KARABO THABANE Grade 9 Meridian Karino

The Citrus Resource Warehouse is a new initiative by the Citrus Academy, and aims to provide online access to a wide variety of information relevant to the Southern African citrus industry.

All documents will be stored in the Warehouse with permission from the original source, and with copyright belonging to the original source. Documents already in the public domain will be made available for viewing and downloading, while documents stored in the secure members section will be accessible using login details provided.

The Warehouse will launch soon!

Citrus Academy would like to thank the Citrus Growers’ Association for their assistance with taking the lead on this exciting new project, and we look forward to it becoming a useful resource tool within the industry.

ANGELA PHILLIPS

30 PROMOSIE | APRIL/MEI 2016

WYNBERG PHARMACEUTICALS (PTY) LTD

Technology was developed between 1997 and 2014, and is based on synergistic formulations of botanical extracts and natural fruit acids. This technology platform underpins the entire product range and is proven to deliver excep-tionally effective antimicrobial, antifungal and antiviral derivatives.

Since 2013 the technology has been extended and now incorporates natural molecules which provides pH independent solutions to specific applications.

Our future activities will focus on the continued development of the technology platform to facilitate expansion into other agricultural sectors.

The Unique Features of ViBacSan™Post-Harvest Natural Products are:

• 100% Natural – ecologically friendly, bio- degradable and has a positive effect on the environment

• Highly antipathogenic

• Non-toxic

• Non-corrosive

• Derived from renewable sources

• Hypoallergenic

• Long lasting residual effect (3 – 8 hours product specific)

• Breaks down biofilm

• Low biological oxygen demand (BOD) or chemical oxygen demand (COD) upon discharge to effluent systems

Whether for cleaning, disinfecting, protection or propagation the truly holistic approach and targeted use of the carefully selected natural ingredients delivers effective solutions in hygiene and sanitation compared to conven-tional, environmentally damaging and hazard-ous synthetic chemicals.

The development of the ViBacSan™ Post –Harvest Natural Product Range & Programmes represents a milestone in the history of combating undesirable microorganisms. With these environmentally friendly products which are harmless but also highly effective, broad spectrum alternatives for current conven-tional chemicals are now available without any adverse MRL effects.

Wynberg Pharmaceuticals (Pty) Ltd is also active in the Pre-Harvest Agricultural market sector with DAFF Registered Products that promote vigorous growth and health to the higher plant species. The Pre-Harvest product range is available through exclusive National distributors, Karabos and Wenkem.

The ViBacSan™ Post-Harvest Natural Product Range is exclusively available through your National distributor Wenkem to the SA Agricul-tural sector.

Should you believe in eliminating problems associated with using products which have serious deleterious toxic, environmental and ecological hazardous consequences contact your nearest Wenkem sales agent.

Wynberg Pharmaceuticals (Pty) Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of African Equity Empowerment Investments Limited, listed on the JSE, which has investments in more than 70 companies in Africa.

For trade enquiries contact your nearest Wenkem Agent 012 345 3201 | www.wenkem.co.za

ViBacSan™ POST-HARVEST NATURAL PRODUCT RANGE

ADVERTORIAL


Most container lines charge for the bunker fuel as a separate component of the freight rate. This is seem-

ingly to ensure that the freight contribution towards the cost of bunkers is recuperated in accordance to the price of bunker fuel. In essence when the bunker price fluctuates then so should the bunker contribution. The most common terms given for the bunker contribution is Bunker Adjustment Factor (BAF), Standard Bunker Factor (SBF) and Bunker Contribution (BUC). An assessment of the vari-ous shipping lines bunker contribution shows that they seems to be a set formula applied to derive the cost of the bunker contribution, or so it appeared.

For example in the case of Maersk Lines, to derive the 40ft reefer bunker contribution on the SA to Europe trade (prior to the 1st January 2015 at which time Maersk amended the monthly adjustment to a quarterly adjust-ment), the following formula was applied: 75% monthly average of Rotterdam bunker price + 25% monthly average of Durban bunker price = bunker price factor x bunker constant of 1.889. Say the Rotterdam monthly average was USD700/Mt and Durban monthly average was USD820/Mt, the bunker contribution per 40ft reefer container = 730 x 1.889 = USD1,380 per 40ft reefer (rounded).

Up until the third quarter of 2014 the bunker contribution applied by Maersk Lines and MSC on the SA to Europe trade lane was adjusted rationally against the change in the Rotterdam monthly bunker price. From the onset of the fourth quarter of 2014, the Rotterdam bunker price has fallen from a monthly average of USD600/Mt to a monthly average of USD200/Mt in the fourth quarter of 2015. This equates to a 200% decrease in the average price of bunkers in Rotterdam. The anomaly lies in

the reduction of the Maersk and MSC bunker contribution between the SA and Europe trade over this period as follows:

• Maersk Lines: average bunker contribution during first quarter of 2015 was USD870 per 40ft reefer container. The bunker contribution in the first quarter of 2016 is USD610, this is a mere 43% reduction in the bunker contribution.

• MSC: average bunker contribution during first quarter of 2015 was USD1240 per 40ft reefer container. The bunker contribution in the first quarter of 2016 is USD930, this is a mere 33% reduction in the bunker contribution.

Given this anomaly and the fact that the formula for deriving at the bunker contribution is opaque at best, one can only ask the ques-tion if container lines are profiteering from the low global bunker price. This is merely one example of the many bunker contributions applied by shipping lines to the various global trade lanes.

Are container lines profiteering onthe back of the low bunker price?

Fig 1: Maersk and MSC bunker contribution on the SA to Europe trade lane against the monthly average Rotterdam bunker price. (Source: MaerSk, MSc and Bunkerworld)

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Rotterdam Bunker Ave IFO380 (Sec)Maersk Published SBF RSA to NWC -‐ USD / RF ContainerMSC Published BUC RSA to NWC -‐ USD / RF Container

MITCHELL BROOKE


When changes in legal marking requirements occur all pre-printed cartons bearing declarations are

immediately problematic and must either be changed, over-stickered (which is not always accepted) or abandoned. Each of these “solu-tions” attracts undesired cost. Furthermore updating carton stereos used to manufacture the cartons costs in the order of R15 000 – which when multiplied across the industry creates a great financial burden. Worst still is having rejections in the market on account of incorrect marking on the cartons leading to logistics costs and lost marketing opportunities.

At two citrus industry workshops in 2015 the marking problems and potential solutions were raised and proposed, which were ultimately communicated to the citrus industry via Cutting Edge technical notifications. The key outcomes of the process were that the marking requirements should gravitate to the business-end label rather than be printed on the carton itself and that the use of standardized terms is still important. Grow-ers and packhouses must understand the need/benefits of standardized wording for each market.

USING STANDARDIZED WORDING

The basic principles applied to post-harvest marking requirements is that if you have used a product then it must be declared. However, there is significant value in communicating this message consistently to the market. The reasons to adopt standardized wording can be summarized as follows:

• Changes to the Citrus Standards: DAFF: Food Safety and Quality Assurance have indicated to the citrus industry that they intend to change the requirements for post-harvest declarations as stated in the Export Citrus Qual-ity Standards. This requirement was prescrip-tive in the manner in which declarations had to be indicated, but will be more flexible going forward. This means the industry itself has to take the initiative to maintain standardized wording.

• Technical simplicity: To only declare what you have used may sound straightforward but what happens when a product is no longer used or just used for a short time to solve a specific disease problem? How long after you stopped using a product must you still declare

PAUL HARDMAN

USINGSTANDARDIZED

WORDING FOR POST-HARVEST

TREATMENT DECLARATONS FOR

EXPORT CITRUS

The southern African citrus industry is in transition in relation to the way post-harvest treatments are declared on the packaging.

The traditional method of placing the wording on the carton itself is being replaced with an approach where the declaration is indicated on the business-end label. This change was triggered by:

• marking requirements are becoming more specific per market

• these requirements are becoming unique to each market

• marking requirements change unexpectedly, sometimes midway through the season

• and enforcement agencies are paying more attention to the detail in the declaration and rejecting consignments that do not comply.


it (bearing in mind that residues can sometimes take time to clear through the packhouse)? Who has the information to tell you how long you should keep declaring it? Is it packhouse specific or are there rules of thumb? Will you be using the product again in the same season, thus having some cartons marked with X and others with X and Y? Will this not confuse the buyer? Try to see these questions in the context of a wider citrus industry seeking to maintain and optimize market access where non-conformances to marking requirements dent the entire industry’s standing and not just that of particular packhouses. In other words, is it acceptable that some packhouses take on more risk (and don’t declare previously used products) when there could be some cross contamination of residues onto the fruit?

• Eliminating the opportunity for buyers to trade off SA exporters against each other: Assuming all the marking requirements have been met, there is value in having standardized wording so that “food safety” is not used as a bargaining tool to discount the price. Buyers playing off one exporter against another for having declared less chemicals has been observed. Using a consistent and standardized set of phrases reduces this opportunity. CGA is also then able to play a role in defending the decisions made by packhouses on how they protect their product, who otherwise might be left alone to “bargain” with the buyer.

It has also been observed in countries like Japan that many of the retailers also prefer a standardized approach to markings from a country, as they are required to indicate the post-harvest treatments to customers in the store. If each exporter has a different set of phrases then it makes the retailer’s job difficult when new lots of fruit are brought in and potentially mixed with other fruit for display. It is more efficient having a South African phrase than one for each exporter or even packhouse.

• Contradictions with Good Agricultural Practice: The above two bullet points impact (negatively) on the decision-making processes happening in the packhouse as to the best and most appropriate legally authorized solution to solving post-harvest problems. In particular it has been noted that market-lead decisions on what solutions are acceptable favour a short-term solution over a long-term/sustainable solution. This has a direct impact on the future sustainability of the citrus business.

The above might sound rather theoretical but should the SA citrus industry not be making every effort to retain the use of an active like Imazalil for blue and green mould control? The implications are significant. Thus all packhouse managers are encouraged to make use of the proposed standardized wording as published per market in the relevant Cutting Edges. These are available from CGA or Citrus Research International.


SPANISHlemon season much shorter this yearDemand for citrus is picking up, "Sales are doing better now that the weather is colder," sats Henk Vlaeminck from Van Dijk Foods Belgium. "There has been an increase in the price of the juicing oranges due to less supply. The price of the navel orange is pretty stable . . . At the end of next week the Maroc Late will come onto the market. We will see the kind of impact the Moroccan supply will have on the juicing oranges."

"There is currently a transition from the Navel oranges to the Navel Late oranges. These are a little more expensive than the 'normal' navel oranges, but the prices are quite normal. Gradually more Nadorcott tangerines are coming onto the market, and Clemenvilla is now nearing its end."Henk continues, "We expect that the Spanish lemon season will end sooner than last year.

ARGENTINAMisiones quarantined after HBL discoveryCitrus producers in the northern part of the province of Misiones are undergoing a distress-ing situation after the National Health and Food Quality Service blocked the province because of the appearance of the Huanglon-bing (HLB or citrus greening) virus in some plantations. The measure was taken to prevent the virus from spreading to other parts of the country. There's a climate of intense discomfort among the producers affected by the measure that doesn't allow them to transport citrus fruit outside the province. According to producer Ricardo Ranger,

"the fruits are falling from the plants and we have already lost 2 000 tons of fruit." Furthermore, he said,"I have fifty employees that could lose their jobs."…Producers accused Senasa. "SENASA wants to destroy the citrus industry in Misiones," stated Ranger, adding that SENASA was responsible for allowing the income of smuggled Paraguayan citrus plants, which were infected by the HLB virus, which ultimately lead to the current situation.

[misionesonline.net; 21 January 2016]

The Primofiore variety is expected at the end of February. After which comes the later variety Verna, which is expected to last only about a month. Spanish shippers believe that the lemon season is as good as over at the beginning of April. This is a month and a half earlier than normal. The lower supply has been mainly due to the weather. This is why the harvest of the Verna lemons will be 30 - 40% lower. The prices have been high the whole season, well above one Euro."

[Freshplaza.com; 21 January 2016]


JOHN EDMONDS

ITALY

Prices above average for lemons,very low for orangesThe citrus fruit market is rather varied - things are not going well for oranges, the situation is slightly better for clementines and lemons are doing quite well. "The orange market is stalling because consumption is low and there are great volumes available, especially of Sicil-ian Tarocco. In addition, as plants produced more, grades are on average smaller," explains wholesaler Andrea Saturnini from Sa.Ga.

Frutta… The situation is better for clemen-tines, as fruit is now coming from Apulia and Basilicata rather than Calabria. "The season has been difficult, but the change in the produc-tion area is helping, as there is less produce available and prices are a little better."

The last clementines from Calabria are sold at €0.50-1.00/kg depending on the grade, whereas those from Apulia reach €1.50. Late tangerine sales started last week "with normal prices and average sales due to the pres-ence on the market of domestic clementines and oranges." Prices hover around €1/kg for packed late tangerines with big grades.

The lemon season is an entirely differ-ent matter…This is due to the fact that Spain, which rules the market, produced less volumes this year, and the same has happened in Italy. The price of premium quality Italian lemons is above €1/kg and the Spanish ones are sold at €1.30-1.40/kg."


PAKISTAN sets ambitious Kinnow export targetThe Pakistani government has set a goal to export 400 000 tons this season, and based on export numbers from previous years.

While Pakistani growers are busy working to meet orange export targets, the political situation in two key markets could force the govern-ment to adjust its export goals.

Indonesia has stopped importing fruit from several big trading partners, and if Indonesia doesn't take Pakistani oranges, then meeting the 400 000 ton goal will be almost impossible.

"Indonesia is a big market for Pakistan in terms of volume," said Jawad. "We also have to consider the sanctions on Iran."

"Pakistan considers Iran a key trading partner, though Jawad estimates that the Iranian market consumes about 50 000 to 70 000 tons of Pakistani oranges every year."

"There will be big changes now as the United States will no longer apply its crippling sanctions on Iran's economy, especially on the banking sector."

Jawad believes Pakistani shippers can grow their market share in Russia. "Egypt has its own variety and we have our own kinnows," said Jawad. "There is competition in one sense, but this just gives Russians more options in terms of taste and appearance."


If you need more information on any of these issues, or if there is anything else that CGA can assist with, please contact us at 031 765 2514 or [email protected]

YOUR LEVY WORKING FOR YOU – GROWER LEVIES ARE USED TO FUND THE ACTIVITIES OF CGA

36 TEGNOLOGIE CRI | APRIL/MEI 2016

RESEARCH FOR CITRUS EXPORTS:

A Sector-Specific Innovation Fund from DST

In July 2013, the Department of Science and Technology (DST) created the Sector-Specific Innovation Fund (SIF) as part of its Industry Innovation Partnership initiative under the government’s Economic Competitive Support

Package. The key focus of SIF is to incentivise the private sector to invest more into research development and innovation and to thereby increase exports and improve competitiveness of existing sectors of the South African economy. Through the SIF, the DST is introducing a new approach to foster Research, Development and Innovation partnerships with the private sector. The citrus industry is one such sector that has entered into a co-funding arrangement with DST under the SIF and created the Research for Citrus Exports (RCE) fund. At a time when citrus exports to Europe are being challenged by extremely stringent tolerances for citrus black spot disease and acceptable chemical options for preharvest pest and disease control are diminishing, the RCE fund provided opportunities for research approaches that were unlikely to be fully funded by the citrus industry.

The call for research proposals was published in September 2014 and the proposals received were vetted by the citrus industry’s disciplinary research committees in October 2014. Ten proposals were approved and some projects started in December 2014 while others started in April 2015. The first funds were received from DST in March 2015.

The research on false codling moth, Thauma-totibia leucotreta, includes different approaches to mating disruption and inhibition in addition to the development of a new insect virus. All of these approaches have no detrimental effects on beneficial insects and leave no harmful residues on the fruit. The practice of covering citrus orchards with nets is increasing on a trial and error basis due to perceived benefits for fruit set and fruit size, in addition to hail and sunburn protection. RCE funds are being used to conduct an in-depth randomised trial on nets in the

Western Cape where horticultural aspects will be monitored in addition to irrigation requirements and possible side-effects on pest and disease management. Citrus production regions that are more frequently experiencing climatic extremes may be able to improve export percentages with this strategy, but possible pitfalls have not yet been documented.

The faster a grower can produce export quality fruit, the quicker the return on his/her invest-ment. It is therefore essential to plant top quality trees with good root systems. Some chemicals such as methyl bromide that were used to ensure that growing media in nurseries were free of root rot pathogens have been with-drawn, so RCE is funding research to investigate alternatives.

The theme of improving the control of citrus black spot disease, Phyllosticta citricarpa, without the use of plant protection products encapsu-lated four projects investigating epidemiology, infection parameters, taxonomy and risk manage-ment, plus improving management through the use of web-based information systems. These information systems would link with an over-arching integrated information management system for the South African citrus industry which is being developed with the assistance of RCE funds as the 10th and final project and will improve communication concerning inspection of consignments and approval for export to different markets around the world.

The first RCE-SIF Steering Committee meeting was held on 14 January 2015 and a subsequent meeting was held on 6 August 2015. Members of the Steering Committee include representatives from DST, CRI, University of Mpumalanga and Department of Trade and Industry (invited). The funding cycle will continue until March 2018 by which time DST will have contributed a possible R13.3 million towards improving citrus exports from South Africa.

TIM GROUT

37APRIL/MAY 2016 | TECHNOLOGY CRI


INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT

T G GROUT, S D MOORE & A MANRAKHAN

Phytosanitary pests

All the recommendations made in the Extension Briefs for February and March also apply to this period. Monitoring numbers of fruit flies and false codling moth (FCM) is critical. Remember that for Medfly, the threshold in a Capilure baited trap is 4 males per week whilst for Natal fly, the threshold in a Capilure baited trap is 2 males per week. When using Questlure in a Sensus trap, the threshold is one female fly per trap per week for both Medfly and Natal fly. If these thresholds are exceeded, control actions must be increased. Surveillance monitoring of the Oriental fruit fly (OFF), Bactrocera dorsalis previously recognised as Bactrocera invadens per Production Unit Code (PUC) is a requirement for phytosanitary registration of citrus for export to special markets. Surveillance monitoring using traps baited with methyl eugenol should be carried out weekly. Trap details and trap servic-ing should be recorded as per trapping guide-lines (http://www.citrusres.com/market-access). The Oriental fruit fly is considered present in some areas of the following provinces: Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North-West, KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Where the Oriental fruit fly is present, growers should manage the pest by applying protein bait sprays or bait stations in combina-tion with methyleugenol-based Male Annihila-tion Technique (MAT) (e.g. Invader-b-Lok, block impregnated with Chempac ME lure and malathion, Static Spinosad ME). Growers should take measures to ensure that fruit moved out of affected production areas are not infested with the Oriental fruit fly. Growers in an affected area should apply for a removal permit if fruit is to be moved out of the area. In areas where the Orien-tal fruit fly is absent, growers should continue monitoring and if suspect specimens are found, this should be reported immediately to the relevant authorities as per trapping guidelines (http://www.citrusres.com/market-access). This is important in order to enable timely implementa-tion of monitoring and control actions.

Growers are strongly urged to conduct sanita-tion of split, stung or infested fruit in the trees, or fallen fruit on the ground, at least once a

week. Additionally, growers should be diligent about weekly monitoring of fruit drop under 5-10 data trees in each orchard, particularly those most susceptible to FCM. This entails careful dissection of fruit and inspection for FCM larvae, tunnelling and frass (amongst all other causes of fruit drop). Although this should be done weekly from around Decem-ber, it is particularly important in the last few weeks leading up to harvest as this is a very good indicator of the post-harvest risk posed by fruit harvested from the orchard. This could play a key role in deciding whether fruit is suitable for certain sensitive markets or not. Consequently, packhouses are strongly urged to insist on receiving such data from deliver-ing growers, in line with Cutting Edge no. 192. Packhouses should also implement inspec-tions for FCM as proposed within the Systems Approach communicated in Cutting Edge 155 of April 2013. However, one small change has been recommended. Instead of destructively sampling (cutting) all fruit within a sample, it is now only deemed necessary to cut those fruit that show any sign of suspicious marks what-soever, no matter how small. This includes any Navel oranges showing even a slight sign of navel-end splitting. In order to compensate for the small percentage of fruit that might be missed without dissecting all fruit, it is recom-mended to increase initial sample size from 200 to 300 fruit and total potential sample size from 600 to 900 fruit. Consult Cutting Edge no. 155 for a full understanding.

Blemish factor analysis

The analysis of fruit blemish factors on the tree just prior to harvest or once fruit have been harvested, provides the grower with an evaluation in commercial terms, of all control programmes implemented during the season and also assists with pest management decisions for the season to follow. With the trend towards selective picking and a variable degree of culling occurring in the orchard, it is more accurate to conduct the final analysis of fruit blemish factors before picking starts. Care must be taken to include fruit from inside the tree and all blemish factors or pest infestations should be recorded, whether they are sufficient to cull the fruit from export

EXTENSION BRIEFS

FOR APRIL & MAY

2016J.J. BESTER &

M.C. PRETORIUSCitrus Research International


quality or not. If fruit blemish is analysed at the packhouse, samples can be taken at a convenient point before the fruit are graded. Samples should be randomly selected and the number of samples should ensure that a true picture is obtained of the situation in a particular orchard. Having taken the sample, it is important to record separately each pest or other blemish factor that is severe enough to downgrade a fruit in its own right. With this procedure a particular fruit in the sample may be shown to have more than one factor that can cause it to be culled from export.

CROP AND FRUIT QUALITY MANAGEMENT P.J.R CRONJÉ & O.P.J. STANDER

GENERAL Stage II of fruit development is coming to an end, with stage III commencing. During stage III, little or no increase in fruit size occurs and fruit start to mature i.e. increase in juice content, total soluble solids (Brix°) and reduction of titratable acidity (TA). With the temperature drop in autumn, change in fruit colour is also expected. GA3 (Progibb®) and Nitrogen applica-tions later than 5 months prior to harvest would have resulted in retarded colour development and this effect would be pronounced if high autumn temperatures occur.

MATURITY INDEXING In order to predict the rate of change in fruit maturity, maturity index-ing on early and mid-season cultivars should commence, to harvest fruit at a maturity that would maintain acceptable commercial shelf life. Random sampling of fruit every week from each of 10 representative trees should start 4 to 6 weeks before the expected harvest date. Titratable acidity is determined by titration with sodium hydroxide, sugar content (Brix°) is determined by a refractometer, the sugar:acid ratio calculated and fruit colour should be read from a colour chart. It is important to maintain a good record-keeping of abovementioned maturity indicators over a number of years, in order to predict harvest dates and identify and manipulate possible problems with internal and external quality parameters.

PICKERS TRAINING AND MONITORING It is important that growers ensure pickers are trained to harvest citrus fruit and are familiar-

ised with important protocols during picking and handling of fruit. Picking bags should always be carried on the side of the waist to avoid crushing of fruit between the body and the ladders, bins or trees. Picking bags should at all times be free of leaves, shoots or sand and kept dry throughout. To avoid lesions on fruit, finger nails of pickers should be short and clip-pers and ladders handled correctly, i.e. no long stems and limited contact between ladders and fruit. Picking of low-hanging fruit as well as collecting of dropped fruit should be avoided. At each bin, two sorters should be stationed wearing gloves and fruit quality of each picker monitored via the sorters, by an appointed team leader.

PRUNING OF EARLY CULTIVARS (Satsuma, Clementine) should be done during this period as soon as possible after harvest. Prune more heavily after a light crop and if a heavy crop is expected and when the orchard has a history of alternate bearing. Old twigs and dead shoots should also be removed to limit wind damage of the next season’s crop.

POSTHARVEST FOLIAR UREA APPLICATION A foliar application (low biuret urea at 1%) can be applied on early cultivars (Satsuma, Clemen-tine) as soon after harvest as possible.

GRONDGEDRAAGDE SIEKTES

M C PRETORIUS & JAN VAN NIEKERK

Phytophthora en aalwurmbeheer

Dit is nou ’n goeie tyd van die jaar vir die winterreënval gebiede soos die Wes-Kaap om Phytophthora en aalwurmontledings te doen. Beheerprogramme moet ’n aanvang neem na die eerste goeie winterreëns. Beheermaatreëls moet ’n program van minstens twee maar verkieslik drie toedienings (twee maande uitmekaar) insluit. Let op residu-weerhouding-stydperke van veral aalwurmdoders en lees die ETIKETTE van die verskillende produkte!!!

Phytophthora beheer

WORTEL EN KRAAGVROT Phytophthora wortel en kraagvrot beheerprogramme in die Wes-Kaap kan in die herfs begin. Ridomil wortelsone behandeling (2.1 mℓ/m²) en fosfonaat blaarbe-spuitings kan gebruik word om wortel en kraa-


gvrot effetief te beheer. Drie fosfonaat toedien-ings twee maande uitmekaar behoort gedoen te word. Let op weerhoudingstydperke.

Baie belangrik: lees die etikette van die verskil-lende produkte deeglik, veral die waarskuwings! Vermy die gebruik van die fosfonate indien toestande voorkom wat bome onder enige vorm van stremming plaas. Produsente het oor die algemeen ’n probleem om te weet wanneer boorde onder vogstremming is en wanneer nie. Bo en behalwe droogte en hitte kan bergwindtoestande ook bome onder tydelike verwelkte toestande plaas wat ’n gevaar inhou vir blaarbespuitings. Bome moet dus nie tydens of kort na sulke toestande gespuit word nie. Laastens beïnvloed drag ook ’n boom se gevoe-ligheid vir droogtespanning. Hoe hoër die drag, hoe gevoeliger is die boom vir uitdroging en hoe groter is die risiko vir fitotoksisiteit.

BRUINVROT Herfsreëns kan lei tot ernstige na-oesbederfverliese deur Phytophthora bruinvrot. ’n Enkele vrug, wat besmet is met

bruinvrot, kan tydens verskeping die res van die vrugte in ’n uitvoerkarton laat bederf teen die tyd wat die vrugte hul bestemming bereik.

In die somerreënval gebiede word bruinvrot op sitrus hoofsaaklik veroorsaak deur die patogeen Phytophthora nicotianae var. para-sitica en affekteer dit meestal die vrugte op die onderste 1.5 m van die boom naaste aan die grondoppervlak. Dit behoort dus redelik veilig te wees om slegs hierdie onderste band vrugte te spuit in boorde waar die Phytophthora insidensie nie hoog is nie. In die winterreënval gebiede kom Phytophthora citrophthora ook voor. Hierdie patogeen versprei hoër op in die boom en kan vrugte tot bo in ’n sitrusboom besmet. Daar word dus aanbeveel dat die totale blaar oppervlak in hierdie streke gespuit sal word. Bruinvrot ontwikkel slegs wanneer die klimaatstoestande gunstig is vir die patogeen (Phytophthora) om te infekteer en te ontwikkel. Indien dit dus ŉ droë najaar is en geen of slegs ligte reënbuitjies voorkom, is voorkomende


bespuitings nie nodig nie. Indien dit egter ’n nat winter of na-jaar is, moet bome gespuit word. Kontak swamdoders soos Koper (200 g/100 ℓ) of mancozeb (200 g/100 ℓ) kan gespuit word om bruinvrot te beheer. Daar is egter beperkinge tov mancozeb binne sekere markte. Beide hierdie produkte is slegs kontakmiddels en die moontlikheid dat dit afgewas kan word deur reën en besproeiing is moontlik. Daar is ook ’n gevaar dat indien die kopertoedienings en proteïen vrugtevlieglokase te na aan mekaar toegedien word fitotosisiteit (stippeling) op die skille kan voorkom. Hierdie gevaar is hoër tydens kleurbreek. Sistemiese fosfonaat swammiddels is uiters effektief vir die beheer van bruinvrot, Fighter en Brilliant is geregistreer vir die gebruik teen bruinvrot. Die fosfonate is ook effektief teen bruinvrot indien dit in ’n wortelvrot program gebruik word as ‘n blaarbespuiting. Geeneen van die fosfonaat stamaanwendings is effektief teen bruinvrot nie.

WATERBESTUUR / WATER MANAGEMENT

J T VAHRMEIJER

Besproeiingskedulering / Irrigation scheduling

Mature citrus trees require between 7000 and 10000 m3 water per hectare per year. Water is lost through evaporation, run-off, leaching and transpiration. Transpiration and in some instances leaching are beneficial to the trees and therefore not viewed as a loss. However, non-beneficial losses should be kept to a minimum. Evaporation is largely determined by climatic factors such as radiation, temperature, humidity and wind. Run-off is determined by infiltration rate, slope and application rate. Non-beneficial leaching occurs when water penetrates to below the root zone.

Evaporasie kan verminder word deur te verseker dat druplyne bo-op riwwe vasgemaak is om te verhoed dat water teen die kante van riwwe afloop. Sodoende word die oppervlakte vermin-der waarvan water kan verdamp. Die grondop-pervlak kan ook met organiese materiaal bedek word om verdamping te verminder. Afloop kan verder beperk word deur seker te maak dat die toedieningstempo van die besproeiingswater nie hoër is as die infiltrasietempo van die grond nie. Die periode van besproeiing moet genoeg-

saam wees om die wortelsone tot veldkapasiteit te benat sonder om die wortelsone te versadig en sodoende oormaat dreinering of afloop te veroorsaak. Die instandhouding van besproei-ingstoerusting is belangrik om te verseker dat die toerusting in ŉ goeie toestand is en dat daar geen lekkasies, is nie.

The difference between field capacity and the actual soil water content is called the “soil water depletion”. Irrigation timing and the amount of water to be applied are determined by monitoring or estimating soil water deple-tion and applying water when the depletion reaches a pre-selected level, called the management allowable depletion.

Grondvogsensors wat die grondwaterinhoud meet, is waarskynlik ŉ beter aanduiding vir “wanneer” en “hoeveel” besproei moet word as die gebruik van gewasfaktore of die sogen-aamde kalendermetode, waar besproeiing op ŉ voorafbepaalde tyd plaasvind, bv. elke Dinsdag en Vrydag.

Tensiometers

Tensiometers are installed in pairs. The ceramic cup of the first tensiometer must be in the root zone and the second cup should be below the root zone. For most soils the reading should be between -5 to -20 kPa at field water capacity. No tensiometer should remain on zero or even at -5 kPa for too long as this is an indication of water saturated conditions. As the soil dries out, the tension slowly increases (readings become more negative) until a certain inflec-tion point is reached. This point is characteristic of the soil and lies between -30 and -70 kPa. The tension increases rapidly after the inflec-tion point has been reached.

For sandy soils irrigation should probably commence already at a tension of -30 kPa and in a clay soil at -40 to -50 kPa. However, it is important to note that these values are charac-teristic of the soil and should be determined for each irrigation block.

Irrigation is scheduled according to the readings of the shallow tensiometer. The deeper placed tensiometer monitors over and under-irrigation. If the deeper placed tensio-meter continuously gives a low reading then over-irrigation is indicated. CONTINUED ON PAGE 42


FELIX FLISCH - ‘n passer en draaier van beroep - het in 1945 in ’n ou horlosiefabriek in Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane Switserland, snoeiskêre begin vervaardig. Snoeiskêre het daardie tyd nie voldoen aan sy eie vereistes nie en hy het dit verbeter om sy behoeftes aan te spreek:

HOE HET FELCO IN SUID-AFRIKA GELAND?

Felix Flisch het met ‘n Duitser met die naam van H. Albrecht, wat in Suid-Afrika woonagtig was, ‘n besigheid begin en in 1946 is die FELCO 1 uitgevoer na Suid-Afrika. Mnr Albrecht was getroud met 'n Duitse vrou met kinders uit 'n vorige huwelik. Een van hierdie kinders was ‘n ene meneer Baier wie ook die laaste invoer-agent vir FELCO produkte uit Switserland was. In Nov 2008 het FELCO Switserland direk inSuid-Afrika geinvesteer, ‘n filiaalmaatskappy gestig en sodoende die middelman, wat in Duitsland gesetel was, uitgesny.

Sover daar vasgestel kon word was die FELCO 1 in die laat vyftigs vervang met die FELCO POPU-LAR toe die Britse pond eweskielik skerp gedaal

het en die prys as gevolg van die wisselkoers oornag die hoogte ingeskiet het. Die POPULAR was goedkoper omdat daar besluit was om die parte te vereenvoudig deur dit deur minder vervaardigingsprosesse te laat gaan. Dit is bereik deur die sapgleuf van die aambeeld weg te vat, geen skokbrekers, doodgewone bout en moer in plaas van mikroverstellingsmeganisme en eenvoudiger sluitmeganisme aan te bring. In 1965 het die POPUPLAR die FELCO 4 geword. Die res is geskiedenis. Daar is nou oor die 54 verskillende produkte in die FELCO stal.

FELCO Suid-Afrika se hoofdoel is om snoeiers in staat te stel om op hul mees produktiefste te wees en om hul werkslas so gemaklik as moontlik te maak. Daar word tot 15 000 knippe per dag deur n wingerdsnoeier gedoen. Daarom is opleiding en instandhouding ons eerste prioriteit. ‘n Gelukkige opgeleide snoeier is ‘n groot bate vir enige produsent. Daar kan met trots gesê word dat FELCO die eerste snoeimaatskappy was wat snoeiopleiding en skêr-onderhoud begin doen het en nog steeds doen (met die hulp van ‘n ikoon in die bedryf, Prof Eben Archer).

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Dit is nog steeds die strategie wat FELCO sedert 1945 volg.

However, if it gives increas-ingly higher readings, in spite of irrigation, it indicates under-irrigation.

Kapasitans “probes”

Kapasitans “probes” meet op verskillende dieptes die relatiewe waterinhoud van die grond. Hierdie metings geskied op ŉ kontinue basis (elke 30 of 60 min). Die sagteware maak voorsiening dat ŉ versadigingspunt, ŉ hervul-punt en droë punt gekies kan word. Indien die grafiek daal tot by die hervulpunt kan met besproeiing begin word. In gronde met ŉ hoë klei-inhoud is dit moeiliker om die verandering in die waterinhoud van die grond waar te neem.

Profielput

ŉ Profielput in die wortelsone van die bome kan

weekliks of selfs twee-weekliks gegrawe word. Die waterinhoud van die grond word dan visu-eel waargeneem en die besproeiingskedulering word daarvolgens beplan. Die voordeel van hierdie metode is dat probleemareas geïdentifi-seer en geïnspekteer kan word.

POSTHARVEST PATHOLOGY- WASTE PREVENTION CHECKLIST

K H LESAR, A ERASMUS & P H FOURIE

The origin of decay

All the postharvest citrus diseases are present in the orchard. Around 1% of the fruit harvested will have established green mould infections; this needs to be dealt with swiftly by the packhouse.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 41


The packhouse needs to convey the impor-tance of the following practices to the orchard management.• Sanitation to minimise the inoculum (spore) load in the orchard.• Establish protocols to minimise wounding of fruit during harvesting. Prevention of wounds will dramatically reduce the incidence of infections.• Treat the fruit within 24 hours of harvesting. This will enable the postharvest fungicide/s to curatively control established infections.

The packhouse can make or break it

The time taken from the tipping of fruit to applying of wax is a short process. Every single process needs to be managed diligently to reduce the risk of waste.

CHLORINE TREATMENT• Measure ORP – it should be ±800 mV• If ORP is too low, measure pH and concentration• pH should be 6.5 – 7.5• Concentration should be 75 – 100 ppm (active chlorine) or 100 – 200 ppm (total chlorine).

- The concentration needs to be monitored continuously and an automatic dosing system is highly recommended.

FUNGICIDE DIP TANK• The imazalil concentration should be managed continuously by means of titration and maintained at 500 ppm• The pH level of imazalil sulphate solution should be kept stable to ensure consistency in terms of residue loading. An automatic dosing system for pH is recommended.- pH 3 will result in lower residue levels (around 0.5 ppm), but can still give excellent curative control if exposure time is 60 – 90 seconds and fruit is treated within 24 hours of infection.- pH 6 will result in higher residue levels (around 1-2 ppm), but the exposure time needs to be limited to 45 seconds to prevent MRL exceedance• The solution should be pasteurised every even-ing by increasing the temperature to 60°C and then letting the solution cool down overnight.

WAX APPLICATION• Fruit should be dry before entering the wax applicator – wet fruit will hamper the efficacy of this treatment• It is highly recommended to apply imazalil in

the dip tank and thereafter in the wax. The wax application will ensure good protective control and sporulation inhibition of green mould, while the dip application provides excellent curative control.• Wax containers / tanks should be agitated continuously (i.e. 24 hours a day) to ensure that thiabendazole and imazalil stay in solution and do not precipitate; if not, it will precipitate and lead to MRL exceedance. Containers should also be tightly sealed to prevent the wax formulation from destruction.- Do not use air bubbles as an agitation measure for this reason as it breaks the wax formulation down.• Ensure that fruit is totally and uniformly covered in wax; if not, contact your wax suppli-ers for support.• Ensure that wind from the drying tunnel is not blowing back onto the wax applicator. This will cause wax to dry on the last brushes and could cause injury to the fruit rind.

COLD CHAIN

• Fruit should be placed under cold storage as soon as possible.• Maintaining the cold chain will reduce the incidence of green mould infections.

SANITATION• Packhouse sanitation is all about keeping inoculum (spore) levels as close to zero as possible.• No sporulating green or blue mould fruit should be visibly present anywhere near the packhouse.- Remove and discard any waste fruit in closed containers from the packhouse as soon as possible.- Do not allow fruit destined for the juice factory to be anywhere near your packhouse.• Sanitation is an effective way of preventing fungicide resistance from developing.

REMEMBER

Fresh citrus fruit is a high risk perishable commod-ity. The fruit is alive and the shelf life and quality needs to be maintained. The packed export crop needs to be moved from the packhouse into the cold chain as soon as possible, thereby reducing the risk of loss of quality.


Kontak Johan Wiese of Andrew Teubes:Tel: 021 864 1018 Faks: 021 864 3689 e-pos: [email protected] www.vgnurseries.co.za

SUKSES WORD GEKWEEK

Voor-Groenberg Kwekerye het die kennis, integriteit en ondersteuning wat verseker dat jou belegging in die beste plantmateriaal vir wyn-, droog en

tafeldruiwe, ruim dividende sal betaal.

dit kom nie vanself nie

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Die werkswinkels is uitstekend deur verskeie rolspelers in die sitrusbedryf, waaronder hoofsaaklik pakhuisperson-

eel en produsente, tegniese adviseurs, verpa-kkingsmateriaal vervaardigers, kundiges in die chemiese bedryf, PPECB, DAFF en ander na-oes rolspelers bygewoon.

Vir die tweede agtereenvolgende jaar het DST-PHI fondse beskikbaar gestel wat aangewend is om die kostes rakende die werkswinkels gedeeltelik te help dek. Wenkem was die vierde agtereenvolgende jaar die hoofborg, en ICA die platinum borg. Goue borge was Yeager Corporation en ArcAqua. Verskeie silwer (Label Pro, Technidex) en brons (Citrashine, Corruseal, Houers Koöperatief, M’Pact, Neopak, Omega Bins, Sunnypacks, Winmar) borge was ook betrokke. Groot dank en waardering word uitgespreek teenoor al die borge, asook DST-PHI wat dit help moontlik maak het om die werkswinkels aan te bied.

ŉ Wye verskeidenheid onderwerpe is aan-gebied om almal op hoogte te bring met die nuutste inligting rakende onder andere marktoegang, sanitêre en fitosanitêre aan-geleenthede, uitvoerregulasies, kwaliteit- en bederfbeheer, voedselveiligheid, verpakkings-aangeleenthede en logistieke projekte:

MARKTOEGANG: Meer as 60% van die Suid-Afrikaanse sitrusproduksie word na ŉ verskei-denheid marksegmente regoor die wêreld uitgevoer. Hierdie uitvoerkomponent verteen-woordig ongeveer 90% van die inkomste van die sitrusbedryf. Die voorspellingsmodel toon dat die totale sitrusproduksie binne die volgen-de paar jaar die 120 miljoen karton kerf gaan oorskry. Elkeen van die markte binne hierdie marksegmente het unieke sanitêre en fitosan-itêre vereistes, wat meebring dat daar toe-nemend meer hulpbronne aan marktoegang bestee word. Marktoegang behels nie net dat

toegang na nuwe markte verkry word nie, maar ook dat bestaande markte behou en geoptima-liseer word. Die sukses hiervan hang af van die samewerking tussen al die verskillende rolspel-ers in die bedryf om toe te sien dat die sanitêre en fitosanitêre vereistes van die verskillende invoerlande nagekom word. Die WTO-SPS ooreenkoms (World Trade Organization Sanitary and Phytosanitary agreement), wat deur feitlik alle lande onderteken is, bepaal dat elke land die reg het om homself teen skadelike insekte en patogene te beskerm en die reg het om noodmaatreëls in te stel indien verbode insekte of patogene, of verbode chemiese resi-due, op invoer-besendings opgespoor word. Een van die Suid-Afrikaanse sitrusbedryf se heel grootste uitdagings op die oomblik, wat mark-toegang betref, is om die toenemende volume vrugte volgens die koue behandelingsvereistes van die verskillende markte te hanteer. Die land se beskikbare kapasiteit vir voorverkoeling is onvoldoende om ŉ groot toename in volumes te hanteer. Alle rolspelers in die sitrusbedryf moet oorweging skenk oor watter vooruit-beplanning hul kan doen om hierdie uitdaging die hoof te bied. Dit is van kardinale belang dat pakhuispersoneel moet besef dat marktoegang

Uitstekende Deelname aan 2016se CRI Na-oes Werkswinkels HANNES BESTER

Citrus Research International

Die jaarlikse CRI na-oes werkswinkels is weersoos die vorige jare gedurende Januarie en Februarie in die grootste produksiestreke aangebied.

Twee werkswinkels is in Limpopo aangebied, een in Tzaneen en een by Loskopdam.

Verder is daar een werkswinkel in elk van Mpumalanga (Nelspruit), KZN & Swaziland (Durban), Oos-Kaap (Jeffreysbaai) en Wes-Kaap (Stellenbosch) aangebied.

Teetyd by Loskopdam.

Kontak Johan Wiese of Andrew Teubes:Tel: 021 864 1018 Faks: 021 864 3689 e-pos: [email protected] www.vgnurseries.co.za

SUKSES WORD GEKWEEK

Voor-Groenberg Kwekerye het die kennis, integriteit en ondersteuning wat verseker dat jou belegging in die beste plantmateriaal vir wyn-, droog en

tafeldruiwe, ruim dividende sal betaal.

dit kom nie vanself nie

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nie net deur die onderskepping van verbode insekte of patogene in besendings bedreig word nie, maar ook deur foutiewe merk en etikettering op kartonne en palette, asook verbode residue op vrugte. Pakhuise moet dus verseker dat personeel goed ingelig en opgelei is rakende die vereistes van elke mark tov verbode insekte en patogene, merkvereistes en chemiese produkte wat gebruik mag word. Dis noodsaaklik dat pakhuise effektiewe gehalte-beheerstelsels implementeer.

TERUGVOER OOR DIE 2015 SEISOEN (PPECB): Die 2015 seisoen het die laagste persentasie afkeurings deur PPECB getoon van die afgelope drie seisoene. Bederf, letsels en valskodlingmot was by verre die drie grootste oorsake vir afkeurings. Daar is 54.6% van die vrugte deur Durban-hawe verskeep, gevolg deur Kaapstad met 20%, Coega met 15%, Port Elizabeth met 10%, en Maputo met 0.4%. Die hoeveelheid vrugte wat konvensioneel verskeep is, het sedert 2013 met 25% afgeneem, terwyl die hoeveelheid wat deur middel van houers

verskeep is, sedert 2011 met 39% toegeneem het. Probleme wat steeds voorgekom het, is bespreek, en sluit onder andere die korrekte gebruik van die ISPN 15 merk op palette, foutiewe merk van kartonne, misleidende ‘slogans’, asook swak bestuur van kouebehan-delings in houers in.

UITVOERREGULASIES (DAFF): Te veel onnodige afkeur-ings agv foutiewe merk van kartonne kom steeds voor. Verifikasie en registrasie van boorde vir versending na spesiale markte, soos China, Thailand, Korea, VSA en die EU, behoort einde Februarie afge-handel te wees. Die kwarantyn siektes en plae, asook die invoervereistes wat daarmee saamgaan, is verskillend vir die verskillende markte en pak-huise moet verseker dat hulle aan sodanige vereistes

voldoen. Bactrocera dorsalis het reeds in verskeie produksiegebiede gevestig en uitvoer van sitrus vanuit geaffekteerde gebiede is onderhewig aan amptelike maatreëls. Vereistes vir die behandeling en merk (ISPM 15) van palette is beskikbaar en pakhuise moet verseker dat hulle daaraan voldoen. Produsente, pakhuise, CRI, PPECB en DAFF is verantwoordelik vir die toepassing en bestuur van die sitrusswartvlek “risk management system” (CBS RMS) op vrugte wat na die EU uitgevoer word. Die dokument waarin die CBS RMS vir 2016 vervat is, sal teen Februarie gefinaliseer word. Valskodlingmot is deur EPPO as ŉ kwarantyn-plaag in die EU geïdentifiseer en het voorgestel dat dit amptelik gereguleer word.

NA-OES BESTUUR VAN VKM: Daar is verslag gelewer oor vordering met die ontwikkeling van vooroes en na-oes beheerpraktyke vir Valskod-lingmot (VKM). Aanbevelings is gemaak oor hoe produsente en pakhuise praktyke kan imple-menteer om meer effektiewe vooroes en na-oes beheer te bewerkstellig. ŉ Baie effektiewe moniteringstelsel vir VKM is van kritiese belang, nie net vir besluitnemings-doeleindes nie, maar sal ook baie waardevolle rekordhouding en bewys van beheer wees. Navorsing vir na-oes beheer en opsporing van VKM is aan die gang.

VOEDSELVEILIGHEID EN VERBRUIKERSEKER-HEID VIR 2016: Guazatine mag vir alle praktiese doeleindes nie meer op lemoene en pomelo’s na Europa gebruik word nie, aangesien die MRL van 5.0 dpm na 0.05 dpm in die mark verlaag is met effek 13 Mei 2016. Guazatine kan wel nog tot pakdatum 12 Mei 2016 op vroeë sagtesitrus en suurlemoene na die EU gebruik word. Die gebruik van 2,4-D na lande van die Gulf State Organisation hou bepaalde risiko’s in. Propi-conazole is ŉ nuwe produk wat geregistreer is as plaasvervanger vir guazatine vir die beheer van suurvrot, maar mag na verskeie lande in die Ooste nie gebruik word nie, asook op alle sitrus, behalwe lemoene, na CODEX lande. Fludioxonil is ŉ nuwe registrasie vir beheer van groen- en blouskimmel, maar word nie toege-laat op lemoene en suurlemoene na Suid-Korea nie. Die toegelate toleransie vir chlorate na Europa is 0.1 dpm en pakhuise is versoek om

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residu-uitslae aan CGA beskikbaar te stel om dit aan die European Commission beskikbaar te stel. Verder is besluit dat dit beter sal wees om na-oes verklarings of bewoording op die besigheidskant etiket aan te bring, eerder as op die karton self, sodat daar meer buigsaamheid gedurende die pakseisoen is wat die gebruik van kartonne betref, asook om te verhoed dat kartonne met die verkeerde bewoording nie in verkeerde markte beland nie. Die ideaal is ook dat standaard bewoording op etikette en kartonne gebruik word. Daar is ŉ stelsel in werking gestel waardeur die residu-toetse vir kommersiële gebruik, deur pakhuise, ook vir amptelike gebruik deur DAFF aanvaar sal word.

‘DRENCH’ SPESIFIKASIES VIR OPTIMUM BEDERFBEHEER: Die ‘drench’ is een van die mees belangrike kritiese beheerpunte in ŉ sitruspakhuis om bederf te beheer. Daarom is dit baie belangrik dat die ontwerp van die ‘drench’ voldoende is om te verseker dat alle vrugte in die kratte ten volle benat word met die swam-dodermengsel, sodat die vrugte effektief teen na-oes patogene beskerm kan word. Dis krities dat vrugte binne 24 uur na oes ge-‘drench’ word, maar hoe gouer hoe beter. Die stelsel moet genoeg water teen die regte vloeitempo lewer om te verseker dat alle vrugte in die kratte benat word. Daar moet nie meer as twee kratte opmekaar deur die ‘drench’ gaan nie. Vloei-tempo, genoegsame volume (500 L/krat/min), effektiewe storting, optimale pompsterkte en pyp-wydte is alles faktore waarop gefokus moet word om ŉ ‘drench’ aanwending te optima-liseer. Verder is dit belangrik dat die vrugte lank genoeg aan die swamdodermengsel blootgestel word om genoegsame residu-lading te verseker. Aangesien sekere swamdoders maklik presipi-teer, moet die mengsel in die ‘drench’ deurentyd geroer word. Die mengsel moet op ŉ gereelde basis vervang en die stelsel gesaniteer word.

SANITERING VAN DIE ‘DRENCH’ MENGSEL MET CHLOOR OF WATERSTOF-PEROKSIED (CITROCIDE): Met guazatine wat meer en meer beperk word en propiconazole wat nie in al die markte toegelaat word nie, sal pakhuise ernstig moet fokus op saniteringspraktyke vir die beheer van suurvrot. Een van hierdie praktyke is om die ‘drench’ mengsels te saniteer met

chloor of waterstof peroksied/asynsuur (Citro-cide). ŉ Konsentrasie van 80 ppm chloor (by ŉ pH van 8) of 0.3% Citrocide het goeie inhibisie getoon teen suurvrot spore in ŉ ‘drench’ mengsel sonder enige newe effekte van die swamdoder konsentrasie of hul effektiwiteit om groenskimmel te beheer.

GEBRUIK VAN DIE ‘FLOODER’ AS 'N INLYN ‘DRENCH’: Die ‘flooder’ is ŉ reeks watervalle in die paklyn wat deur eweredige laminêre vloei van die swamdodermengsel die vrugte effektief benat, en word as alternatief vir ŉ swamdoderbad gebruik. Dit benodig minder water, energie en spasie as die swamdoderbad en behandel vrugte oor ŉ korter periode. Al die vrugte kry presies dieselfde behandeling, met uitstekende bedekking en bederfbeheer, en dis onwaarskynlik dat dit enige oorskryding van die MRL’s tot gevolg sal hê. As gevolg van die metode van swamdodertoediening is die term inlyn ‘drench’ meer beskrywend van die manier van aanwending en minder verwarrend as die term ‘flooder’ aangesien inlyn ‘drench’ globaal meer algemeen gebruik word. Die resultate van ŉ kommersiële sitruspakhuis toon dat die dubbel aanwending van imazalil in die inlyn ‘drench’ en in die waks (1000 ppm of 2000 ppm) nie die MRL oorskry nie. Verder is ook getoon dat dit baie effektiewe aanwending van die voor-pakhuis ‘drench’ mengsel gee.

PROPICONAZOLE AS ALTERNATIEF VIR GUAZATINE: Suurvrot op sitrus word deur ŉ grondgedraagde wondpatogeen veroorsaak, kan maklik van vrug na vrug versprei en die hele paklyn kontamineer. Suurvrot-beheer moet in beide die boord en pakhuis bestuur

Loskopdam werkswinkel.


word. Die huidige aanbeveling vir na-oes beheer is dat die vrugte binne 24 uur na oes ge-‘drench’ word met ‘n swamdodermengsel wat guazatine bevat. Vrot vrugte moet aan die begin van die paklyn verwyder word en die paklyn moet onmiddelik gesaniteer word om verdere kontaminasie te voorkom. Vrugte moet na verpakking so spoedig moontlik onder verkoeling kom. Vanaf 13 Mei 2016 is guazatine egter nie meer toelaatbaar in die EU nie. Navors-ing het getoon dat propiconazole die beste alternatief vir guazatine is om suurvrot te beheer. Dit gee ook gedeeltelike beheer van groen- en blouskimmel. Propiconazole is egter nie so effektief soos guazatine vir suurvrot-beheer nie, en dis noodsaaklik dat dit binne ses uur na oes op vrugte toegedien word om die beste beheer teen suurvrot te kry. Aangesien propiconazole die risiko van imazalil bestandheid teen groen-skimmel kan verhoog, moet dit met pyrimethanil gekombineer word om bestandheid te help voorkom. Pakhuise moet hulself vergewis van die toegelate gebruik en MRL’s vir propiconazole na die verskillende uitvoerlande.

MENGELMOES SESSIE: ŉ Nuwe oes-krat met opvoubare metaalraam en vervangbare binne-stuk is ontwikkel as alternatief vir die bestaande plastiese en hout kratte. Benatting van die vrugte tydens ‘drench’, in die onderste krat, is beter as wat die geval is met bestaande kratte. Hierdie kratte kan maklik gesaniteer word en leë kratte neem baie minder spasie in beslag tydens vervoer agv die feit dat dit opvoubaar is. ŉ Stelsel wat ge-ozoneerde water effektief, as plaasvervanger vir inlyn chloor-spuite, op vrugte toedien as saniteermiddel, is ontwikkel. Die gebruik van ŉ dompel ‘drench’, waar vrugte in kratte in ŉ swamdoderbad onderdompel word, is bespreek. Verskeie laboratoriums is beoordeel op grond van konsekwente en akkurate residu-ontledings en die name van die laboratoriums wat genoegsaam presteer het, is bekend gemaak.

BESKERMING VAN SWAMDODERS TEEN WEERSTANDSONTWIKKELING: Groen- en blouskimmel is die na-oes patogene wat die grootste bederfverliese op sitrus veroorsaak. TBZ was die Nr. 1 swamdoder vir die beheer van groen- en blouskimmel in die laat sewentiger

tot die vroeë tagtiger jare, maar weens bestand-heid deur die voor-oes gebruik van benomyl, en daarna die na-oes gebruik van TBZ, het TBZ sy effektiwiteit teen die beheer van groen- en blouskimmel verloor. Die mees algemene swamdoder vir die beheer van groen- en blouskimmel nou is imazalil, in kombinasie met guazatine. Weerstand teen hierdie swam-doders het begin ontwikkel agv jarelange deurlopende gebruik daarvan, asook agv swak pakhuispraktyke. Die risiko dat weerstand teen swamdoders kan ontwikkel, moet reg bestuur word. Na-oes swamdoders word met ŉ ‘FRAC’ kode gelys volgens hul wyse van werking, hul weerstand en die risiko dat weerstand daarteen kan ontwikkel. Voor- en na-oes strategieë moet geïmplementeer word om weerstand teen swamdoders te bestuur. Na-oes behels dit onder andere disinfestasie van alle vrugwas-stelsels in die pakhuis, behandeling van vrugte so gou moontlik na oes, sanitasie van pakhuise, koelkamers en ontgroeningskamers, asook die gebruik van swamdodermengsels waarvan elke swamdoder verskillende wyse van werking het.

BESTUUR VAN AFVAL-WATER: Die herwinning van afval-water in die pakhuis vir hergebruik kan groot waterbesparings tot gevolg hê. Deur gebruik van bepaalde metodes kan die residue uit die water verwyder word. Onsuiwerhede en organiese materiaal kan uitgefiltreer word. Soute kan verwyder word deur die proses van omgekeerde osmose. Daar bestaan ook reeds geoutomatiseerde stelsels vir waterherwinning, maar dis nog nie in Suid-Afrika in gebruik nie.

NUUTSTE VERWIKKELINGE IN VERPAKKING: Gedurende die afgelope paar jaar het die druksterkte van die kartonne beduidend verbeter. Die nuwe Kraftpride (High Kappa) en Ultraflute papier wat deur Sappi ontwikkel is, toon nie net uitstekende resultate in die proewe wat gedoen is nie, maar bring ook ŉ kostebesparing vir die produsente mee. Proewe is ook gedoen en aanbevelings gemaak om die lugvloei en verkoeling deur die oop-vertoon kartonne te verbeter. Swamgroei op palette was verlede jaar ŉ groot probleem en gaan dringend aandag geniet om die probleem op te los. Nuwe verbeterde kartonne en palette word deurlopend ondersoek om meer koste-

THE ANNUAL CRI POSTHARVEST

WORKSHOPSwere held in the

six large production regions and were

very well attended by various postharvest

role players.

DST-PHI once again made funds available

to partially cover the costs of the workshops.

Wenkem wasthe main sponsor

for the fourth consecutive year.

The platinum sponsor was ICA.

Various other sponsors were also involved as gold, silver and

bronze sponsors.


effektiewe verpakking te ontwikkel, sonder om op die gehalte in te boet. Veranderinge aan die akkreditasiestelsel van die kartonvervaardigers is bespreek. Sappi het onderneem om weer-eens die kostes vir die toets van die kartonne binne die akkreditasiestelsel te dra.

PRAKTIESE RIGLYNE VIR DIE BESTUUR VAN FISIOLOGIESE SKILDEFEKTE: Skielike veranderinge in klimaat kort voor oes, veral temperatuur en humiditeit, speel ŉ groot rol in die ontwikkeling van skildefekte. Vogverlies moet tot die minimum beperk word in die periode tussen oes en pak en daarom is dit belangrik dat die veldhitte so gou moontlik van die vrugte verwyder word na oes. Waks is nie die oorsaak van skildefekte nie, maar kan die proses verhaas. Daar is verskillende oorsake wat skildefekte veroorsaak en dit verskil ook tussen verskillende kultivars. Dehidrasie van die vrugte na oes en in die koueketting is baie nadelig vir die ontwikkeling van skildefekte. In die geval van peteka op suurlemoene speel klimaats-veranderinge kort voor oes ook ŉ groot rol. Die effek van etileenbehandeling om peteka te beperk, is bespreek. Goed gekleurde vrugte met ŉ meer intense kleur (hoë karotenoïede) is meer verdraagsaam teenoor koueskade in die koueketting. TBZ in die waks en wakse met hoë vastestof help ook om koueskade te beperk. Vrugte moet teen optimale rypheid geoes word, aangesien vrugte dan die minste sensitief vir die ontwikkeling van skildefekte is.

WARM LAAI VAN SAGTESITRUS EN NAWELS: REGULASIES EN AANBEVELINGS: Omvattende riglyne vir die koueketting is in die proses om vir die bedryf opgestel te word, aangesien daar toenemend druk op die infrastruktuur is agv meer vrugte en meer steri-markte. Voorverkoe-ling is ŉ baie gespesialiseerde proses en krities vir die sukses van kouesterilisasie. Die temper-atuur moet geleidelik (‘step-down’) afgebring word sodat vrugte nie koueskade kry nie. Warmlaai (‘ambient loading’) van sagtesitrus en nawels word ondersoek om kostes te bespaar en vrugte vinniger in die mark te kry. Warmlaai van sitrus in houers (containers) vir steri-markte is egter nie baie effektief nie. Vrugte wat na steri-markte verskeep is, moet na aflaai in die

mark geleidelik aan hoër temperature bloot-gestel word. Die regulasies tov die warm-laai van sagtesitrus en nawels is bespreek.

DIE EFFEK VAN NA-OES BEHANDELINGS OP DIE ONTWIKKELING VAN SWARTVLEK: Swartvlek is ŉ fitosanitêre probleem na die

Europese markte, ten spyte van die feit dat hierdie siekte nie op vrugte versprei kan word nie. Gevolglik is die effek van die huidige voorgeskrewe na-oes pakhuisbehandelings op die reproduktiwiteit van swartvlek bespreek. Verskeie kombinasies van produkte en kouebe-handelings toon groot belofte tov die verlaging van die reproduktiwiteit van swartvlek, maar vervang geensins die voor-oes beheerprogram van swartvlek nie.

PRESTASIE VAN WAKSE REGDEUR DIE KOUEKETTING: Temperatuur-onderbreking in die koueketting is baie nadelig vir die raklewe van sitrus. Die negatiewe gevolge van verhoogde respirasie, agv verhoogde temperatuur, is bespreek. By hoër temperature word geweldig baie energie en water gebruik, en hierdie proses benodig koolhidrate. Water akkumuleer onder die wakslaag, wat gedeelte-lik deur die waks geabsorbeer word en die waks

Jacques Nel aan die woord.

A wide range of topics were presented to cover issues like market access, sanitary and phyto-sanitary issues, export regulations, quality and decay control, food safety, packaging issues and logistical projects.


afbreek (verpoeiering) en verkleur. Hierdeur word die integriteit van die waks tot so 'n mate negatief beïnvloed dat die waks nie meer effek-tief funksioneer nie. Effektiewe bestuur van die koueketting is dus krities om verskeie redes.

AANBEVELINGS TOV PAKHUISBEHANDELINGS VIR 2016: Die verskille tussen saniteerders en swamdoders is uitgelig. Saniteerders het nie ŉ terugwerkende aksie nie en laat nie ŉ residuele effek in die beheer van na-oes siektes nie, terwyl swamdoders dit wel doen. Die aanbe-vole behandelings vir die verskillende kritiese beheerpunte in bederfbeheer regdeur die pakhuis is bespreek. Dis belangrik dat die regte mengvolgorde van die verskillende produkte gevolg word. Aanbevelings vir die verskillende pakhuisbehandelings vir 2016 is op gelami-neerde ‘fact sheets’ gedruk en beskikbaar gestel by die werkswinkels.

PADKAART VIR PAKHUIS-ONTWERP: perspek-tief op die waardepyplyn: Verskeie faktore speel ŉ rol in die beplanning van ŉ sitruspakhuis. Die verandering in die wisselkoers moet in ag geneem word by die finansiering van die projek. Die besigheidsmodel vir ŉ pakhuis is kompleks en benodig fyn beplanning. Deur-set deur die pakhuis, met inagneming van bestaande volumes en toekomstige aanplant-ings, moet vooraf beplan en uitgewerk word. Dis bepalend vir die oppervlak wat benodig word, asook die pakhuis-ontwerp. Die verskil-lende komponente, vanaf die voorsorteer-eenheid tot die laaiplek, is bespreek aan die hand van ŉ padkaart vir die ontwerp van ŉ pakhuis. Vir die keuse van watter pakhuis-

toerusting om te installeer, moet die nodige kundigheid ingebring word. Die kostes om pakhuise op te rig, word toenemend hoër en vereis deeglike finansiële beplanning.

NUUTSTE OOR LOGISTIEKE PROJEKTE IN DIE VRUGTEBEDRYF: Die fluktuasies in die kostes van diesel het ŉ beduidende invloed op die logistieke kostes. Logistieke kostes toon ŉ toe-nemend opwaartse kurwe die afgelope klom-pie jare en die voorspelling is ŉŉ beduidende verhoging vir 2016 agv verskeie faktore. Die toename in sitrusuitvoere plaas groot uitdag-ings op die logistieke ketting. Die operasionele bestuur van die Durban hawe, waaruit meeste van die sitrusproduksie verskeep word, het baie verbeter, maar daar sal gedurende 2016 sterk gefokus word op beter vloei van houers deur die hawe, asook op die bestuur van die koueketting, veral op koue-steri na China. Die nuwe regulasies tov die gewig van houers, soos vervat in IMO SOLAS, is ook bespreek.

Die jaarlikse CRI na-oes werkswinkels het so 'n belangrike gebeurtenis op die jaarkalender geword, dat die beplanning om dit suksesvol aan te bied, reeds maande voor die tyd begin. Hiervoor is ŉ beplannings-komitee op die been gebring, bestaande uit verskeie kundiges en verteenwoordigers uit die bedryf. Die strewe is om die voorligtingsbehoeftes van die na-oes rolspelers voldoende aan te spreek, aangesien dit die platform is waardeur inligting voor die aanvang van die pakseisoen beskikbaar gestel en bespreek word. Enige voorstelle of versoeke rakende die aanbieding van hierdie werks-winkels word verwelkom.

These workshops have become extremely

important as aplatform to address the industry’s post-

harvest extension needs amongst all

postharvest role players, prior to

the packing season.

Any suggestionsor requests

regarding the workshops

are welcome.


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A. INTRODUCTIONThe primary aims of the CRI Horticultural research group are to (1) produce a large volume of quality fruit (ton/hectare) and (2) sell it for a higher price than production cost (R/carton) – two fundamental principles of successful commercial citrus fruit produc-tion. By ensuring the above two key aims are achieved the global competitiveness of the South African citrus growers will be sustained. The competitive advantage of any fruit industry can be achieved at various levels. However, since we supply counter-seasonal produc-tion into the northern hemisphere, utilizing climatic conditions to sustainably produce optimal quality fruit, and maintaining access to premium markets, play important roles. The degree of global competitiveness of a fruit industry is dependent on the extent to which these aspects can be integrated.

During a strategic planning workshop held on 8 December 2014 in Stellenbosch, the current CRI Horticultural research portfolio, its structure, capacity and ongoing projects, were evalu-ated in order to develop a long-term research strategy that will ensure grower competitiveness with the limited number of researchers available. To realise the two key principles of successful commercial citrus fruit production above, the CRI Horticultural group will address research priori-ties in the following three categories.

1. ON-FARM PROFITABILITYThis aspect includes basic horticultural research in areas such as irrigation, nutrition and crop manipulation as well as cultivar and rootstock selection. In an established industry, such as the SA citrus industry, limited opportunity exists for quantum leaps in this area of research. However, an incrementally-growing body of knowledge is vital for growers to make long-term strategic decisions in an industry depend-ent on long-term investments. The CRI research portfolio should be focussed to ensure that

growers stay in the citrus game, viz. realising high yield of export quality fruit at a competi-tive production cost.

2. MAJOR TECHNICAL CHALLENGESThe solving of major production problems, such as various rind disorders and alternate bearing, is challenging due to major gaps in the fundamental knowledge of citrus physiology. Advancement in these types of projects is not easily measured in practical outputs. However, it is pertinent that adequate resources (fund-ing and research time) be allocated to these projects, because it is the only avenue to find orchard-level solutions. These issues should therefore be addressed in detailed medium- to long-term (5-20 years) research programmes.

3. MAJOR FUTURE CHALLENGESThe lack of attention to issues that fall into this category could be potentially catastrophic for the SA citrus industry. One such challenge is the possible implementation of cold-sterilisation of all citrus fruit bound for markets in the EU. In addition, failure of, or problems associated with the cold sterilisation protocol (-0.6°C for 24 days) as well as the deterioration of fruit quality associated with container shipments of citrus to Asia, could result in a loss of market share in this very important and growing part of the world economy.

The question must be asked whether the CRI Horticultural group have adequate resources to attend to all of these types of industry-threatening challenges, while also adequately addressing important research priorities to ensure on-farm profitability.

B. CURRENT RESEARCH CAPACITY IN CRI-HORTICULTUREThe current Horticultural research group (excluding the Cultivar Evaluation programme) consists of Dr. Paul Cronje, Jakkie Stander and Jade North (seconded to the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Stel-

Report back on a workshop to discuss CRI’s horticultural research strategy for citrus

Teunis Vahrmeijer.

Jade North.


lenbosch), and Teunis Vahrmeijer (hosted by the Department of Plant and Soil at University of Pretoria). In general, Teunis addresses citrus tree water usage and nutrient requirements in various projects of which collaboration with the Water Research Commission, to deter-mine water usage of a citrus tree, is of vital importance for long-term strategic industry investments. The research portfolio of Jakkie Stander, currently registered for a PhD at the Dept. of Horticultural Science University of Stellenbosch, addresses the vegetative-reproductive balance in a citrus tree and aims to ensure a high and stable annual yield of optimal quality. Paul Cronje focuses on pre- and postharvest aspects that influence fruit susceptibility to physiological rind disorders such as chilling injury, rind pitting and colour development. Jade North supplies technical support to Jakkie and Paul at Stellenbosch.

C. CHALLENGES IN THE CURRENT RESEARCH EFFORT OF THE CRI-HORTICULTURE GROUPVarious problems limit the scope of horticultur-al research in CRI, such as the costs of projects and logistical challenges to do country-wide research. But currently the main problem is the lack of an adequate amount of quality research-ers in South Africa that are capable of conduct-ing in-depth research projects on citrus. The situation has developed for various reasons, but the lack of long-term strategic planning by government research organisations, as well as the majority of SA universities, has led to not only the loss of high-quality horticultural researchers, but also the loss of their ability to address industry needs.

A lack of horticultural research capacity is also experienced in the deciduous fruit industry and the only currently available solution is to develop and retain in-house horticultural research capacity. With the secondment of CRI researchers to universities, the opportunity

exists to develop the required capacity, by training and assisting up-and-coming research-ers. However, the additional burden, of training postgraduate students should be acknowledged and managed so that this action results in a posi-tive contribution to the citrus industry’s techni-cal and research pool, and not compromise the research ability of CRI staff.

In order to address vital industry needs with the current limited amount of available researchers, the direction given by this workshop is of critical importance in re-aligning research priorities and the allocation of funds to address the most pertinent problems facing the SA citrus industry.

D. IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF IMPORTANT RESEARCH TOPICSAttending the meeting were three grower representatives, Deon Joubert, CP Mouton and Eddie Vorster, as well as representatives from fruit exporters (Steve Turner), the Agro-chemical industry (Dr. Stephan Verreynne) and consultants (Dr. Graham Barry). CRI personnel in attendance were: Dr. Vaughan Hattingh, Dr. Tim Grout, Dr. Hennie le Roux, MC Pretorius, Teunis Vahrmeijer, Jakkie Stander, Jade North and Dr. Paul Cronje. Hugh Campbell from HortGro Science also attended to provide the decidu-ous fruit industry’s perspective on horticultural research in a South African environment.

THESE REPRESENTATIVES IDENTIFIED RESEARCH GOALS WHICH ARE SUMMARIZED IN THE TABLES OVERLEAF ON PAGE 54.

Firstly the research priorities per cultivar were listed (Table 1) in order to indicate the most pressing needs for the commercially important cultivars.

Secondly, (Table 2) a general matrix was constructed to incorporate the three research programmes and allocation of those research priorities/challenges along the lines of the three categories discussed above.

Jakkie Stander.

Paul Cronje.

CITRUS RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL’S HORTICULTURAL RESEARCH GROUP


PROGRAMME STAYING IN THE GAME MAJOR TECH CHALLENGES MAJOR FUTURE CHALLENGES

FRUIT PRODUCTION Nutrition (leaf norms and nutritional AND QUALITY requirements) of new citrus cultivars

Reproductive biology

Bench-marking of cultivars (yield in areas)

Pruning strategies

Water usage (practical info i.e. 0.5X, X, 2X)

Size/set strategies (seedless cultivars)

Cultivar/rootstock development & testing

Test new products (“snake oils”)

RIND CONDITION Colour improvement

Identify aspects impacting on rind disorders

Develop ideal handling protocols (pick, packline and cold room)

Orchard and farm level information on rind disorders

COLD CHAIN Packaging improvement (temperature control)

Type of carton: paper vs. synthetic

Cooling tempo

Hi Cube loading

Table 2: Developing the CRI Horticultural research-structure and specifying the outputs for the next 5, 10 and 20 years.

Alternate bearing (consistent yield)

Quality mandarin production in warm produc-tion areas

Seed detection

Effective use of plant growth regulators

Water measurement – new techniques in orchards and remote sensing

Pros and cons of shade-netting (ton/ha and R/carton)

Water availability, effective use and quality

Technical support needed on fertiliser programmes.

Mechanism responsible and manipulation of:

Pitting/creasing

Peteca

Chilling injury

Colour development

TBZ efficacy in physiological disorders

Non-destructive rind QC sorting

Irradiation impact on rind quality as part of a disinfestation protocol.

Failure of containers to ensure cold sterilisation as well as high incidence of chilling injury and freezing

CI in containers (reduce variation in cooling)

Ambient loading (steri vs non steri markets)

Lack of research capacity

Cold sterilisation to EU

On-vessel Quality Control measurement

Table 1: Research priorities per cultivar (No particular order of importance).

CULTIVAR TYPE PROBLEMS

GRAPEFRUITMarsh Fruit size, Rind blemishes (packout)Star Ruby Fruit size, Sunburn, Alternate bearing, Sheepnose, Blossom-end clearing

LEMON Alternate bearing, Fruit size, Peteca spot, Colour at 2°C, Regrowth management, Chilling injury (CI)

NAVEL ORANGE Creasing, Fruit colour intensity, Fruit firmness, Brix, Wind blemish, CI

VALENCIA ORANGEMidknight Fruit set, Alternate bearing, Fruit size, Fruit splitting, Fruit colour, Brix:TA ratio, CI Delta Size, Alternate bearing, Rind pitting, CI Turkey Rind creasing, Rind pitting, Fruit firmness, Mineral nutrient norms, Rind blemishes, Poor early colour development, CI, Regrowth managementBennie Rind Pitting, CIValencia Fruit size, Fruit splitting of ‘Olinda’, Rind creasing of ‘Du Roi’, Fruit colour, Rind texture, Re-greening of late Valencias, CI

SATSUMA MANDARIN Poor early colour development, Zebra skin, Chemical burn (postharvest), Sunburn, CI

CLEMENTINE/MANDARIN TYPESNova Granulation, Colour intensity, Alternate bearing, CI, Rind pitting, Fruit splittingNules Alternate bearing, Fruit size, CI for cold-steri, Seed development, General rind conditionNadorcott Alternate bearing, Puffiness, Rind pitting and chemical burn, Fruit size, TA, Regrowth controlOr Erratic bearing, Rind colour, Regrowth control, TAMor Alternate bearing, Fruit splittingB17 Fruit splitting


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• No residues - no withholding period • No machinery damage in orchards

• No risk of phyotoxicity • Hang the M3’s at least 8 weeks before harvest

• Remember - orchard sanitation is the cornerstone of all fruit fly control!

PHO

TO: C

OU

RTES

Y CI

TRO

GO

LD

56 TEGNOLOGIE HORTGRO | APRIL/MEI 2016

As part of some private initiatives and also as part of the HORTGRO SCIENCE-funded MSc of Gerrit van der Merwe (SAFJ, June

2015, p 56-57), harvesting systems (Figure 1) and labourer platforms (Figure 2) have recently been tested in various deciduous fruit production areas in the Western Cape. One of the objectives was to test the machines in as many scenarios and on as many cultivars as possible. More than thirty trials were done in orchards ranging from 4.5 m x 2.0 m to 3.5 m x 1.5 m row spacing which included multiple leader trees, central leader trees and palmette trained trees. Various machines were used but the aim was never to compare these machines against each other but rather to analyse the concept of mechanically assisting orchard tasks compared to conventional practice and to identify the potential benefits and downfalls of using labourer platforms (Table 1 below). This article is the last instalment of a 3 part series on our findings. In our first article we looked at the potential of labourer platforms to increase labourer productivity for orchard tasks other than harvesting. Our second article focused

on the use of harvesting systems and labourer platforms for harvesting of deciduous fruit and the impact they have on labourer productivity and harvesting injuries. In this article, we focus on the practical implications of using labourer platforms on farms as well as the potential there is for their use in the South African deciduous fruit industry.

LABOUR RELATED FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CONSIDERING LABOURER PLATFORMSRegardless of the practices and systems producers will employ, deciduous fruit farming and more specifically fruit harvesting will likely remain a labour intensive operation (Robinson and Sazo, 2013; Sarig, 2005). Thus producers need to focus on improving and investing in labour related factors such as training, manage-ment, motivation and satisfaction (Warner, 2014a). In our previous article we showed that if South African pickers could pick the same amount of fruit per minute as conventional pickers in the USA, it would translate into an actual harvest rate of 245 kg•hour-1 (Table 2 opposite) compared to the current estimated South African industry average of 110 to 130 kg•hour-1. This gives an indication as to the potential gains that can be achieved with more efficient management of conventional harvest-ing methods, improved motivation of labourers and by creating a labourer friendly tree archi-tecture and orchard.

The correct and innovative implementation of incentive-based pay mechanisms is one of the means producers can use to motivate labour-ers to achieve higher levels of productivity. In California (USA), producers are required to take piece rate payment as we know it one step

Due to the increasing cost of fruit production, we need more cost-effective orchard practices on South African deciduous fruit farms.

Since the salary bill is the single biggest cost incurred on deciduous fruit farms, increasing the productivity of labour is a major objective.

WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWED US?HARVESTING SYSTEMS

AND LABOURER

PLATFORMSAS A TOOL

FOR THE FRUIT

FARMER

Benefits Drawbacks

Increased labourer productivity in some cases Decreased labourer productivity in some cases

Improved quality of work done in some cases Negated the quality of work done in some cases

Increased labourer safety Current limited use in SA fruit orchards

Decreases labourer fatigue Needs strictly uniform tree shape and fruit distribution to achieve best results

Allows labourers to perform tasks they were Necessitates the maintaining of orchard floorpreviously unable to to a very high standard

Can be used for working at night In case of breakdown and in the absence of alternatives, the whole team of labourers is idle

Table 1: List of benefits and drawbacks when using labourer platformsand harvesting systems.

GERRIT VAN DER MERWE

57APRIL/MAY 2016 | TECHNOLOGY HORTGRO

further by paying labourers to take a predetermined number of breaks for a specified amount of time throughout the day when performing piece rate paid tasks (Warner, 2014b). I.e. the whole team receives the same amount of break time but producers pay each labourer a rate for the break time similar to the rate he/she would have earned while working. The idea is that by paying productive workers more than their less productive teammates for breaks, it will encourage everyone to work harder when they are working in order to earn more when they are resting and that by forcing the labourers to rest by means of paid breaks will result in higher labourer productivity because labour-ers are less fatigued.

As mentioned in our previous article, in one of the trials on a sensitive cultivar, one conventional team obtained significantly lower levels of harvesting injuries at similar harvesting productivity levels than all other teams. On further inquiry it was found that the particular team has consistently maintained low levels of harvesting injuries over the past seasons and take great pride in their performance

Figure 1: Harvesting of ‘Golden Delicious Reinder’s’ apples with a harvesting system where picked fruit are placed on conveyors which deposit fruit in the bin.

Figure 2: Front view of the Hermes Tecno L used as a labourer platform for dormant pruning.

Country Fruit Actual Constant No. of mass (g) harvesting picking 360 kg rate rate bins filled (kg h-1) (fruit min.-1) per 9.5 h day

Fruit min.-1 achieved with conventional harvesting (“Industry figures”)

USA 240 385 27 10.2

EU 190 140 12 3.7

SA 150 120 13 3.2

Fixed fruit min.-1rate for EU and SA set at USA rate (Showing the effect of fruit size).

USA 240 385 27 10.2

EU 190 310 27 8.1

SA 150 245 27 6.4

Fruit min.-1required if SA and EU wants to achieve 385 kg h-1 with current fruit size.

USA 240 385 27 10.2

EU 190 385 34 10.2

SA 150 385 43 10.2

Table 2: Effect of fruit size on harvesting productivity for apples in Washing-ton State in the United States of America (USA), South Tyrol in Italy (ITA) and in the Western Cape in South Africa (SA).


(J. Visser, Personal communication). This indicates that overall harvesting performance is not related solely to the method of harvesting and supports the above mentioned statement that training, skill, motivation, incentive and monitoring of labourers play a role in harvesting efficiency and is something that needs to be invested in and improved. We observed that certain orchard factors and labourer unfriendly tree architecture cause pickers to adopt picking techniques that result in unnecessary harvesting injuries. Producers should create an environment for labourers that incentivizes a working method that will deliver the desired results. Such an approach will decrease and simplify the extent and manner of monitoring needed.

Another labour related aspect that was prevalent in the study was the language barrier that often exists between labourers and management staff on farms. Proper communication is needed to allow for an exchange of ideas with labourers rather than a top down flow of instructions. The language barrier was especially a challenge on the harvesting systems and platforms because of the new concepts and instructions that had to be explained and understood in order to make the team work together. With the teams where at least one of the labourers could interpret what was being said, information and advice could be given more directly and accurately. It also gave labourers the opportunity to give voice to their uncertainties and concerns.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS ON THE FARM WHEN USING LABOURER PLATFORMS AND HARVESTING SYSTEMSOur research showed that at harvest time the logistics behind the efficient operation of platforms and harvesting systems can be disruptive to conventional practices employed on the farm. Most harvesting systems and platforms leave full bins on the ground, which necessitates a forklift of some sort to remove the bins from the orchard. Farms that employ bin on the ground harvesting (Figure 3) already have the equipment to extract bins out of the orchard but the harvesting rate of the harvesting systems and plat-forms in this study will not productively employ a dedicated forklift and driver for one machine. Thus producers will either need multi-ple harvesting systems and platforms or will have to incorporate the harvesting system into a conventional bin on the ground team. Farms that do bin trailer harvesting (Figure 4) are faced with larger challenges when using machine harvesting because there is no pre-existing means of transporting full bins out of the orchard. This will require the purchase of additional equipment to the harvesting

Figure 3: Conventional bin on the ground harvesting of ‘Cripp’s Red’ apples where bins are placed on the orchard floor in advance of the pickers.

Figure 4: Conventional tractor and trailer harvesting of ‘Red Chief’ apples where bins are transported in and out of the orchard on bin trailers.


system and platform. Here producers should consider all available options: Off-road forklifts, tractor-mounted forklifts or specialized bin trailers can be used to transport bins to and from the orchard.

The economic analysis conducted as a part of our study showed that the cost effective-ness of a simple to operate, cheap labourer platform with a low running cost increased when used in combination with conventional practices for orchard actions other than harvesting. According to the analysis, the only scenario where it would have been economically feasible to substitute all ladders on the farm with labourer platforms is with a 100% gain in productivity for platform labourers over conventional labour-ers, which seems a highly unlikely outcome from the results of the productivity trials performed in this study. In both Europe and the United States of America, labourer platforms are used for pruning, thinning, tree training and trellis construction. The plat-forms used range from simple self-built, tractor pulled platforms to advanced multilevel, self-propelled, over-the-row platforms (Sazo et al., 2010). In our study, we found that with the appropriate equipment, platforms can be used for certain tasks in many South African deciduous fruit orchards, even in older plantings with larger trees with bearing branches extending into the work row.

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE THE FEASIBILITY AND SCOPE OF THE USE OF LABOURER PLATFORMS IN ORCHARDSWhen performed with pneumatic or electric powered pruners and saws on extension poles, platforms can be used for summer pruning in less than ideal orchards (e.g. 4.5m x 1.5m planting width with large 3-dimensional trees) and still show an increase in produc-tivity. Extension poles make it possible for the labourers to reach past the protruding branches without having to move out the platforms slides. However, for tasks such as dormant pruning with hand pruning shears, hand thinning of fruit and flowers and harvesting, tree architecture and planting width have to allow the labourer to shift out the platform slides in order to reach the centre of the tree whilst the platform is moving. This limits the currently available orchards in which platforms can be successfully used in the South African deciduous fruit industry.

In order to maximize productivity gains with labourer platforms when performing these tasks, it is evident that producers should work toward a more labourer friendly tree architecture and simple tree management strategies with few instructions (Lehnert, 2013; Figs 5 and 6). For conventional labourers, simpler instructions will result in the time spent working on the ladder decreasing relative to the time spent moving the ladder. Thus the labourer on the machine gains much more time to spend working when the ladder is replaced and because of this, the interdependency of the labourers on the platform has less of an impact on productivity. An example of such a simplified tree training system is the Tall Spindle training system developed in the USA for high density orchards. This training system decreases the complexity of trees and simplifies pruning. Mature tree pruning rules for this training system entail maintaining tree height at 80 to 90% of row width, removing the two or three largest branches from the upper canopy with a bevelled cut each year and columnarizing the remaining branches on the tree

Figure 5: Orchard with a suitable archi-tecture to enable the use of platforms for orchard tasks. Picture taken at Allan Bros, Washington State. PHOTO BY W STEYN

Figure 6: Granny Smith orchard under nets in the Yarra Valley, Australia with labour on a platform performing tree training (pruning, bending and tying). PHOTO BY W STEYN


(Lehnert, 2013; Robinson et al., 2013). A shift towards more dwarfing rootstocks will also result in less growth that needs to be pruned away. A similar shift in strategy for fruit thinning will be more difficult. Whether such strategies will have the same effect under South African growing conditions needs to be tested. However, more labourer friendly trees with narrower canopies will also increase the accessibility of fruit at thinning and harvest time. This will, however, pertain to labourers on platforms as well as ladders and in the end the difference between the two methods might still be insignificant and inconsistent.

CONCLUSIONDirectly opposite to the mechanization trend, a certain Washington State producer have stopped using labourer platforms in order to do more detailed work more accurately (Warner, 2014a). This producer is of the opinion that by maximizing fruit yield and quality through precision farming practices, produc-ers can earn more in returns than technology can save in cost. In concurrence with this, an economic analysis conducted by Robinson et al. (2007) showed that New York State producers can improve profitability more by planting high priced cultivars than by reducing production costs. Similarly, when it comes to mechanization of certain orchard tasks in the South African industry, one should be weary of focussing only on what the machine can save in terms of the salary bill. In the short term at least, labourer platforms may prove themselves to be more valuable in terms of what they can add to the production process. The correct use of a relatively cheap, easy to maintain labourer platform will allow producers to perform tasks such as summer pruning and young orchard tree manipulation more regularly and with more precise timing which may result in increased and earlier yields as well as better

fruit quality. Therefore, producers should both focus on potential profitability gains and potential cost savings rather than just the one or the other.

In summary we can say that there is a defini-tive incentive for South African deciduous fruit producers to invest in the use of labourer platforms for certain orchard tasks but it will require a commitment from the producer to create an environment where labourers and labourer platforms can achieve their full potential. This may include a drastic change in the way trees are planted, trained and shaped; a change in the way labourers are motivated and incentivised to a specific task; maintaining orchard floors to a very high standard in order to ensure labourer safety and platform stability; creating a means of proper communication between labourers and management staff; and most important, doing their homework properly as to what machine from the myriad available, will best suit his farm’s needs.

LITERATURE CITEDLehnert, r. 2013. Simple Rules. Good Fruit Grower 64:7:30.

robinson, t. hoying, s.A. DeMAree, A. iungerMAn, K. AnD FArgione, M. 2007. The evolution towards more competitive apple orchard systems in New York. New York Fruit Qrtly. 15:1:3-9.

robinson, t. hoying, s. sAzo, M.M. DeMArree, A. AnD DoMinguez, L. 2013. A vision for apple orchard systems of the future. New York Fruit Qrtly. 21:3:11-16.

robinson, t. AnD sAzo, M.M. 2013. Advances in mechanization of the tall spindle apple orchard system: Part 2 - Harvest mechanization prospects. New York Fruit Qrtly. 21:3:3-7.

sArig, y. 2005. Mechanized fruit harvesting - site specific solutions. Proc.Fruit Nut Veg.Production Eng.Symp. 7:237-247.

sAzo, M.M. De MArree, A. AnD robinson, t. 2010. The platform factor–labor positioning machines producing good results for N.Y. apple industry. New York Fruit Qrtly. 18:2:5-10.

WArner, g. 2014A. Evaluating technology. Good Fruit Grower 65:9:30-31.

WArner, g. 2014b. Paying for rest time. Good Fruit Grower 65:9:22.

Producers need to be aware of safety proce-

dures with the use of platforms and should

obtain appropriate insurance cover.


Deesdae word daar al hoe meer gebruik gemaak van organiese dekmateriaal in boorde. Die hoë kostes van kompos en

ander dekmateriaal noodsaak dit om materiaal akkuraat op die bankies te plaas. Die proses van toediening op bankies in boorde kan baie arbeidsintensief wees en daarom bied Rovic Leers aan die produsent ‘n oplossing om hierdie proses te meganiseer.

In Rovic Leers se reeks strooiers is daar die KUHN KNIGHT 8110 PROTWIN SLINGER wat ’n hele reeks materiaal kan strooi. Dit sluit kompos, hoendermis, sleikmis (slurry), strooi en selfs fyn houtskerwe in.

Hierdie strooier is ontwerp om materiaal breed-werpig te kan strooi, maar ook in ‘n strook te kan plaas soos in die geval op die bankie van die boord. Die uitslaanmeganisme vir die materiaal verseker ’n baie konstante en eweredige strooi-patroon op die bankies.

Die strooier bestaan uit 2 awegare wat in teen-oorgestelde rigtings beweeg. Dit is ook op verskillende hoogtes gemonteer en die onderste awegaar vervoer materiaal na die uitlaat wat voor aan die linkerkant van die strooier gemon-teer is. Die bakontwerp en die aksie van die awegare verhoed dat daar ’n brug vorm wat materiaalvloei kan beperk. By die uitlaat is daar ’n stel vry roterende hamers wat die materiaal fyn slaan en uitskiet na buite.

Die hoeveelheid materiaal wat gestrooi word, kan gereguleer word deur ’n sluis wat hidroulies verstel word vanaf die trekker. Voor die uitlaat is ’n hidrouliesbeheerde deflekteer-plaat en rubberflap wat bepaal hoe die strook materiaal geplaas word.

Die model wat geskik is vir meeste boorde het ‘n bakinhoud van 3,3m³ en pas aan by moderne boordaanplantings. Modelle met hoër bakin-houd is ook beskikbaar, maar die gebruik word beperk deur die wydte van aanplantings.

Rovic Leers het ook sleep-, kalk- en kunsmis-strooiers waarvan die RF2000 BELT DUBBELSKYF

BOORDSTROOIER die bekendste is. Die strooier is wielaangedrewe en kan met ’n GPS-sisteem toegerus word.

‘n Volledige reeks 3-punt gemonteerde strooi-ers waarmee korrelkunsmis gestrooi word, is beskikbaar. Hiervan is die KUHN MDS10.1

DUBBELSKYF STROOIER die geskikste en kan korrelkunsmis, saad en slakpille baie akkuraat strooi. Beide RF2000 en MDS10.1 strooiers kan met ‘n opsionele bankiegeut toegerus word wat gebruik kan word om materiaal op die bankies te plaas.

Kontak vandag nog vir Rovic Leers vir meer inligting oor die keuse van die regte strooier.

Kosie Human [email protected] 978 5539

ADVERTORIAL

KUHN MDS 10.1: Presisie kunsmis strooier metbankiegeut.

KUHN KNIGHT PROTWIN SLINGER 8110: Organiese produk strooier op bankies in boorde.


Together this constellation of satellites - some orbit 800 km high up in the sky - allows producers to look at their farms

and its management in a different light.

This is thanks to remote sensing and satellite-based spatial data products used in innovative ways, channeling data through an open web portal called FruitLook. This tool - hailed as cutting edge internationally - provides a new generation of agricultural intelligence for the fruit sector.

Says André Roux, from the Western Cape Department of Agriculture, “FruitLook is basi-cally an online tool that uses the latest satellite technology to help farmers precisely manage crop productivity, growth and water use. It has proved to be a useful tool to enhance sustain-able farming practices.”

What started out as research mainly to look at how grape farmers could increase their water use efficiency in 2007, has since expanded in scope. Roux, departmental director of sustain-able resource management, says the technol-ogy can be applied on other crops and across climatic regions. “The satellites can for instance tell you how well your crop is growing, how much water it is using and also how effectively it is doing that,” says Roux. “The system then enables you to identify areas with weak growth or even pinpoint the particular area in your orchard or vineyard with water shortages.”

This can potentially save producers lots of money, especially on irrigation costs.

Currently FruitLook is only available to fruit and wine grape producers in the Western Cape. The area under satellite scrutiny stretches roughly from Lutzville (in the north) to the Hemel en Aarde Valley (in the south) and Robertson (in the east).

“FruitLook offers producers an innovative and up-to-date service that helps them understand what is happening on their farms on a weekly basis, throughout the growing season,” says Dr

FruitLook technologyassists farmersA couple of satellite eyes in the sky are casting a new look on the local fruit industry.

EYE ON FRUIT

FARMS

is helping farmers optimise water use and improve productivityby providing timely information about crops, using satellite technology

Where is FruitLook available to farmers?Fruitlook Coverage

BREEDE AREA 68 000ha 15% FruitLook

usage

BERG AREA 71 000ha 5% FruitLook

usage

OLIFANTS AREA 31 000ha 23% FruitLook

usage

17%

8%

6%

9%

4%

56%

4300ha

2011-12

1756ha

2012-13

5283ha

2013-14

16944ha

2014-15

21554ha

2015-16

Current Growing Season

Almost half of FruitLook users save MORE than 10% water and 1 in 10 saves 30%

Farm area usedon FruitLook

Crops underFruitlook coverage

FruitLook provides more than 170 000ha of crop data, of which 21 500ha iscurrently used by farmers

JORISNABONTHUYS


Caren Jarmain, an independent researcher. “It provides a complete picture of the plant within its growing environment.”

This is possible thanks to FruitLook's unique architecture that integrates satellite data with geographical data and weather information in complex models (see graphic right).

The satellites zip past the fruit producing region daily, gathering growth, water and nitrogen related data for orchards or vineyards. The raw data then gets digested using vari-ous techniques, including algorithms. Local researchers also verify the data through field measurements to ensure it credibility. All this information is then integrated into user-friend-ly maps and graphics that can be accessed for free and online.

Roux believes FruitLook, supported by a Dutch company called eLeaf, offers win-win options for producers. His department currently subsidises its use, spending R3,8 million on it annually. Says Roux, “The optimum use of our scarce water resources will save water, reduce irrigation water return flows, reduce pollution of our rivers and streams as well as save on electricity and fertiliser costs.

“Ultimately it will make farmingoperations more viable.”

Jarmain, a specialist agricultural meteorologist, agrees. “FruitLook offers a tailor-made technol-ogy in support of precision horticulture and viticulture in the Western Cape,” she says. “It provides producers with spatial data based on the latest satellite information to analyse crop growth and water status over time and space.

EYE ON AGRICULTUREOver the past decades, technologies to assist farmers in managing their water use have advanced substantially.

There is much interest in this field, as agricul-ture is by far the biggest consumer of fresh water in the country. In the Western Cape 43% of the available water resources is used for irrigation. Fruit crops are in general rather thirsty. Fruit crops, for example, have a nett irrigation requirement of between 7 000 m3 and

11 000 m3 water per hectare, depending on the type of crop and locality.

The indications are that farmers will in future also have to do more with less. Says Roux, “This is especially true given the increasing conflict between water users. We (agriculture) need to find ways to farm more efficiently and precisely. Within the context of climate change and the predicted changes in rainfall distribution, water wise management is key.”

Jarmain agrees, “It requires precision agricul-ture, especially given rising input costs. In order to use water efficiently, growers need solid information on crop production and water consumption.”

Roux says FruitLook provides intelligent and timely adaptation responses given growing water pressures. FruitLook for instance moni-tors just how much water is released from the plants during evaporation and how efficiently water is being used overall. But, unlike areal pictures taken by drones, FruitLook also over-lays layers of quantitative data for every pixel at frequent intervals throughout the season.

Jarmain explains, “The satellites are for instance able to do moisture readings of a high spatial resolution of 20m x 20 m blocks of vineyards or orchards. The different images captured by satellites are then merged and turned into site-specific images, graphics and rich content.”

This enables producers to keep an eye on biomass production, detect diseases and use actual indicators of evapotranspiration to detect under-irrigation in their orchards or vineyards.

Currently FruitLook's data covers an area of about 170 000 ha (see graphic). More than 80% of the available area covered is however not utilised yet. Says Jarmain, “We are only scratch-ing the surface about the useful and far-reach-ing impacts it can have for local producers.”

INTELLIGENT MAPPINGThe satellites capture details that are not always visible to the naked eye.

Remote sensing outside the spectrum visible to humans therefore actually extend our visible field. This enables FruitLook to provide addi-

“You can say it is farming

for the future in action already.”


tional information about the physical world surrounding us. This is because remote-sensing measures the solar radiation reaching the crop, reflecting off the plants and soil surface, and being emitted from the surface.

Jarmain explains, “The satellites are taking pictures that contain much more data than what you can observe with the naked eye, for instance of surface temperatures. This can be extrapolated to see how actively plants are using and losing water and if a particular block or orchard is experiencing water stress.”

Just like the pictures on your television screen the satellite imagery is made up of tiny squares called pixels. These picture elements – each have a different grey share or colour - represent the relative reflective light energy recorded for that part of the image. Every picture therefore has meaning.

Each of these 20 m x 20 m pixels for instance contain data on evaporation and plant growth. This means FruitLook can detect how much water

is lost in a pixel through transpiration. It can also document how much plant material is produced above and below the ground (in stems, leaves, fruit and roots). It can even give producers an idea of weeds and cover crops growth.

All this is done without any effort on the producer's side. Says Jarmain, “Normally farmers have to do a lot of visual assessment or have measurements done. Now they can use technology that captures information in a different way to better understand for instance water use. Rather than sticking probes in the ground to measure the irrigation applied, they now have access to satellites that capture information in the electromag-netic spectrum.”

But it is not all about just taking images from the sky. The fact that FruitLook provides spatial vari-ation in picture format is only one of its benefits.

Says Jarmain, “FruitLook offers pixel intelligent mapping as well as intelligent information that farmers can interpret and apply. This data enables

“We are startingto see just how useful

this technology can be.”

FruitLook uses modelling to turn

raw data into data products

Wea

th

er data

Geo

graphical data

Farm

Boundaries from farm

ersSate

llite data

DATA CAPTURE & PROCESSIN

G

FruitLookhelps farmers

save water andimprove farmproductivity

FARM

ER BENEFITSThe FruitLook

website provides�eld-speci�c data

to farmers

FARMERINTERPRETATION

Save

money

Improve yield

Save water

Water Growth

DATAMineral

DATA DISSEMINATION

is a tool that helps farmers improve crop productivityand water use by turning raw data into useful information


farmers to analyse their crop growth and water status over time and space. At the moment we have weekly data for the last five growth seasons from October until April, hence its offering a nice database to evaluate past seasons.

FARMING WITH TECHNOLOGYA growing number of users say they benefit from this online tool.

Farmers are using the data in different ways. Many use it to determine how the water status on their farms relates with their irrigation plans or to strategically place soil moisture probes.

Almost half of the producers using it indicated they have cut their water use with a tenth. One in every ten producers say they are using almost a third (30%) less water than before.

This translates directly into rand and cents.A 10% saving in input costs together with a 10% increase in production will translates into earnings of about R33 860 more per hectare for table grapes and R25 630 per hectare for deciduous fruit. This is according to estimates done by agricultural economists from the Department of Agriculture.

Anton Müller, Kromco's technical advisor, says many producers are embracing this technol-ogy as it provides new spatial dimensions and insights into production. He finds it particularly useful to identify plants under disease threat and to determine how successful irrigation manage-ment is (compared to previous seasons).

The farms in the Grabouw region using it have reduced their early-season water use with up to 30% since using the data. Says Müller, “It allows growers to see where an orchard or area of an orchard has been over or under irrigated.”

Luca Bein, from Bein Private Cellar in Stel-lenbosch, says FruitLook also supports efforts towards precision viticulture and managing variability within his vineyard. He uses it in combination with soil moisture probes to estimate his vineyard's irrigation needs. Bein says the tool is sensitive enough to help prevent and monitor water stress, in particular to identify areas of water stress.

At Môreson Trust, situated in the Vyeboom region near Villiersdorp, FruitLook has proven

really useful to inform irrigation manage-ment in their orchards. Says manager Kobus Swanepoel, “We find the data especially useful to determine if we need to irrigate more or less and where to place the soil moisture probes. We also use it to detect drainage problems and to evaluate our irrigation practices.”

PICKING THE FRUIT OF SPATIAL ANALYSISThe growth of the industry will be limited by the amount of water it can access. says Hugh Camp-bell, general manager of HORTGRO Science. “We are all pertinently aware that water is our most finite and limiting resource that we will have to optimise now and into the future.”

Campbell considers FruitLook as “a unique tool that allows growers to evaluate and benchmark their water use efficiency and correlate it to the performance of their block in terms of growth (biomass increase).

Says Campbell, “FruitLook is a tool that has the potential to demonstrate that water has and is being used responsibly by a particular industry or region throughout a growing season. It has the opportunity to save water but more impor-tantly to ensure that an orchard stays within the required norms to optimise production.”The challenge he believes will be the ability to address the deviations from the norm at a tree level rather than at an orchard level.”

Campbell says the objective must be to maximise the productivity of every single drop of water. Research has shown that there is a correlation between water use and yield up to a point where the marginal utility per unit of water flattens off.

Says Campbell, “In the realm of water allocation per hectare we need to make sure that a high producing block is not allocated 6 000 cubic metres per hectares when it should get 10 000 cubic metres of water to optimise the productiv-ity of the water and the other resources utilised.”

Jarmain adds, “This helps farmers to get a more complete picture not widely available before. It (FruitLook) adds a new dimension to farming.”

Go towww.fruitlook.co.za

for more information.

This is the firstarticle in a six part

series about

FruitLookand how it

can be used.

Some farmers now only use about 80 litres of water to irrigate to produce a kilogram of apples, compared to 120 litres before.


T he potential of fruit production at these communities is presently hampered by restrictions such as insufficient knowl-

edge of fruit production and commercialisation processes, inadequate infrastructure like irriga-tion water supply and packing facilities and inaccessibility to climatically adapted cultivars.

Financial support from government and the private sector may support these individuals and communities to develop into independ-ent farmers or even small-scale commercial producers. These communities are often situat-ed in remote areas, far away from markets, and in most cases the only access they have to fresh fruit and vegetables is via local village markets or markets in nearby towns. Fruit cultivation in these communities should be supported and developed as it is seen as an important contributing factor for their livelihood in terms of nutrition, health and general food security. It

may also play a role in general poverty allevia-tion and job creation. If stone-fruit cultivars with low input cost and low maintenance cost can be identified and supplied and if the neces-sary training can be provided, fruit production can become more viable for the South African emerging fruit producers. With this overview, we would like to show that this can be possible and that further developments in fruit produc-tion in these communities can take place.

ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij Cultivar Development Division in Stellenbosch manages programmes that breeds and evaluates stone-fruit cultivars for both commercial as well as emerging fruit producers. Culdevco, an industry company in association with ARC, manages the evaluation and commercialisation of ARC-bred selections. As an example, a small-scale farm, situated 25 km from Stutterheim, Eastern Cape, known as Renan Farm and managed as Phakamani-

First stone fruit harvest at an Emerging Farm, Stutterheim, Eastern Cape

SONWABO BOOI1, CHRIS SMITH1,

IWAN LABUSCHAGNE2 & TREVOR KOOPMAN1

1ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij, Stellenbosch

2Culdevco, Paarl

Rural communities in South Africa include

newly established and emerging farmers and

individuals who own farmland or gardens

where fruit production for own consumption

may be viable.

Above: Sonwabo Booi.

Right: Mr Chris Smith of Cultivar Development Division

of ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij explaining the principle

of pruning to the Trust members at Mgwali village.


Mawethu Development Trust, was identified as a suitable site for a pilot trial to evaluate peaches bred by the ARC. The pilot trial was successfully established in 2008 by ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij and Culdevco, consisting of seven peach cultivars and one nectarine cultivar (SA Fruit Journal, Oct/Nov 2011, page 66-67). These trees contained a mixture of older commercial cultivars and newer selections.

The cultivars planted at the site served two objectives, firstly to test the adaptability in that specific area and secondly to serve as a training facility for the Trust members and, indeed for community members and local school pupils who might become interested in fruit produc-tion as a career. From 2008 to 2011, training sessions on orchard management practices such as pruning, weed control, irrigation, fertilization, pest control and thinning were presented to the Trust members.

During the 2011/2012 fruit growing season the first formal evaluation of fruit was conducted, a good produce was harvested from these trees. Three older peach cultivars, ‘Bonnigold’, ‘De Wet’ and ‘Novadonna’, appeared to be well adapted to the area on the basis of their growth and cropping potential. The first produce was sold to local shops in Stutterheim and some of the smaller fruits were sold to the nearby

villages. Unfortunately, during 2012/13 and 2013/14 season, most of the fruit was eaten by birds and as a result no fruit evaluation could be conducted. In 2012, a larger scale orchard of the three best peach cultivars was planted at Renan Farm to test the viability of semi-commercial development and to expand on local selling opportunities.

We envisage that further developments in peach production expansion in this area will create job opportunities for local people who will be employed at Renan Farm by helping with peach tree planting, tree maintenance, fruit picking and packing. It is our belief that this programme may also contribute to the alleviation of poverty in that community if fruit are sold to nearby towns such as Stutterheim, Queenstown, East London and King William’s Town. Further planning and development of this project will be carried out in association with Culdevco.

This project was funded by a Parliamentary Grant via the Agricultural Research Council (ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij, Stellenbosch), Hortgro Science (South African Fruit Industry), Dried Fruit Technical Services (DFTS), South African Apple and Pear Producers' Association (SAAPPA) and the Canning Fruit Producers' Association (CFPA). For further information contact Mr Sonwabo Booi: [email protected]

Right: Fruits of peach trees of Transvalia and Bonnigold cultivars indicating high productivity and good colour development after three growing seasons at Renan Farmin 2011/12.

Left: Mr Sonwabo Booi and Mr Trevor Koopman of the ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij (centre standing) with Trust members with the first harvest, getting ready to sell the fruit to a local market in Stutterheim.


The peel of some plum cultivars, especially the popular ‘African Delight’, is like a kitchen sieve. It lets through so much water through tiny lens-like openings in its skin that this

dehydrates the fruit on its way to the market. This causes some fruit to look old, long before its sell-by date.

These are some of the research findings in a study done by Adriaan Theron, an MSc student in the Department of Horticultural Science at Stellen-bosch University. Theron looked at moisture loss in and shriveling of Japanese plums produced in orchards in the Franschhoek and Stellen-bosch region. His two year long study, funded by HORTGRO Science, shed new light on this problem which causes major headaches for local producers. Theron explains: “Exporting plums to overseas markets can be very challenging as fruit should tolerate cold storage at -0.5°C for up to eight weeks. Irrespective of the long storage period, the consumers expect fruit to look fresh when it arrives on supermarket shelves.”

It is known that prolonged storage can cause some cultivars to develop a shrivelled appear-ance due to moisture loss. This is problematic given that three quarters of locally produced plums are exported. This is exacerbated by the fact that plums have a higher respiration rate than most fruit and therefore ages quickly.

Theron studied four cultivars, namely ‘African Delight’ (which is highly susceptible to shrivel-ling), ‘Laetitia’ (susceptible to shrivelling), ‘Sapphire’ (also susceptible to it) and ‘Songold’ (not susceptible to it). He used a variety of techniques - including fluorescent micros-copy - to find tiny cracks and openings in the fruit peels. Theron also considered different handling techniques used by and available to local farmers to determine which actions pose the least risk of moisture loss.

Theron says he was surprised by the results. He found that ‘African Delight’ has open hairline cracks in its peel. These cracks, visible to the naked eye as concentric circles at the stem (pedicel) end on the fruit, creates direct

Hairline fractures and tiny openings in the skin of some plum cultivars are causing producers to export more than sweetness in a box. Research shows some plum peels are also letting through huge amounts of the fruits’ precious water content into the surrounding air, causing it to shrivel up due to moisture loss.

PLUM SHRIVELLING

Above: An ‘African Delight’ plum with concentric hairline

cracks extending over its shoulders. The exact reason

why this cultivar develops these cracks is not clear,

but it might be linked to environmental conditionslike temperature or humidity.

JORISNABONTHUYS

Right; A fluorescent micro-scope image of an open lenticel (a tiny pore that

makes gas exchange possible between the fruit and its

surrounding atmosphere). This one was spotted on a ‘Sapphire’ plum (200 x

magnification).


pathway for water vapour to escape into the fruit’s surrounding environment.

Says Dr. Marian Jooste, Theron’s study leader, “We now know that these rings are not only cosmetic. It is like the Grand Canyon where water molecules are escaping through it. No wonder this cultivar is shrivelling.”

This is because water vapour always moves along a gradient; from a high to a lower concentration, she explains. Says Jooste: “Fresh fruit are alive, meaning they will keep respiring even if they have been removed from the tree. For some cultivars this poses a real problem as they develop a shrivelled appearance during cold storage due to moisture loss in the handling chain.”

Furthermore, open lenticels were also found in the peels of ‘African Delight’, ‘Laetitia’ and ‘Sapphire’. Lenticels are tiny openings in the fruit peel which act as ‘open windows’ between the plum and its environment through which water molecules escapes. For ‘Songold’ no peel cracking or open lenticels were observed. This

is probably why this cultivar is not susceptible to post harvest shrivelling, says Theron.

It was also found that a mass loss of only 2% in plums due to moisture loss caused shrivelling in ‘African Delight’ plums. “This finding under-lines that farmers can reduce moisture loss by managing the way fruit are handled from the tree to the consumer,” says Theron.

Theron’s study shows that fruit should be packed and be under forced air cooling within six hours after harvest, or be pre-cooled to 0 °C to have the least moisture loss. “We found that fruit left at ambient temperature had huge amounts of moisture loss, especially if the fruit were exposed to ambient temperatures for 48 to 72 hours. Most of the moisture loss happens even before the fruit gets shipped, between when the fruit arrive at the packing facility and the end of forced air cooling.”

Overall this research found that great care should be taken in following correct post-harvest handling protocols for plums. Locally the industry handling protocol is to remove

DID YOU KNOW?

• In South Africa plums are a valuable commod-ity. The total value of plums exported during the 2013/2014 season was R849.4 million.

• During the same season 74% (or 55 192 tons) of the plums were shipped overseas, 23% were sold locally and 3% used for processing.

• Exporting requires plums to last as long as eight weeks in cold storage. Prolonged storage can cause some cultivars to develop a shriveled appearance due to moisture loss.

• Plums ‘exhale’ water vapour through open-ings, wounds and cracks in its skin. These tiny openings help to cool down the fruit while still on the tree and can add to the problem of (post-harvest) moisture loss as it creates tiny ‘windows’ through which water molecules from inside the plant escapes into the surrounding environment.

A fluorescent microscopic image of a hairline crack in the stem area of an ‘African Delight’ plum. This crack, magnified 200 times under a microscope, causes huge moisture loss from the fruit.


field heat from the plums and reduce the fruit pulp temperature to 15 °C within three hours of harvesting. Although it is recommended that plums should be packed on harvest day and be force air cooled to a pulp temperature of -0.5 °C within 24 to 36 hours, this does not always happen. Due to labour and infrastructure constraints, it is not always possible for local producers to pack and cool fruit immediately.

Says Theron: “Our research shows that the best way possible for producers to try and control moisture loss is to minimise the driving force behind it. They need to manage post-harvest factors influencing water vapour permeability to the best of their capability. For breeders it should be important to develop cultivars that have low peel permeability.

“It is strongly suggested that fruit should be harvested in the cooler time of day, kept in the shade after harvesting and covered with wet blankets. Field heat removal and forced air cooling start as soon as possible after harvest. Plums can be stored at 0 °C or 15 °C for up to 72 hours before it is packed and force air cooled.”

Theron says plums should never be left at ambient temperature for extended periods after the harvest. “Fruit should be packed in perforated bags or shrivel sheets, depend-ing on the cultivar at hand. This is needed to decrease the water vapour deficit between the fruit and the surrounding atmosphere.

“Fruit with excessive hairline cracks at the stem (pedicel) end should not be packed.”

Furthermore, it is suggested that the local plum breeding programme should test cultivars with concentric rings at the stem end to make sure the rings are not open hairline cracks, contrib-uting towards moisture loss. Says Theron, “If these rings are open hairline cracks, these cultivars should be excluded from the breeding programme as it was shown that is contributes to the problem of moisture loss from the fruit.”

Theron says variation between fruit (even from the same tree) was the largest contributor to the increase in the water vapour permeance of the cultivars studied. “Currently fruit maturity is not determined on the packing line,” he explains. “Fruit is sorted by colour and size, leading to large variation between fruit that gets shipped in packed cartons. This could be a contributing factor why some fruit in the same carton develop shrivel and others not.”

The effect of open lenticels on moisture loss in ‘African Delight’ and ‘Laetitia’ could not be determined in his study. The composition and thickness of the plums’ natural waxes (and its effects on moisture loss) are not known and Theron suggests that it should be inves-tigated further. More research is also needed to determine changes in plums’ water vapour permeability during cold storage, he says.

SOME OF THE FINDINGS:

• The popular ‘African Delight’ cultivar has open hairline cracks in its peel. These cracks, often only just visible to the naked eye, allow water vapour to escape through the fruit’s peel. The

wider these cracks, the more moisture loss will occur. It was, therefore, not surprising to find that the fruit peel of ‘African Delight’ also has higher water

permeability than the other cultivars studied.

• Open lenticels (tiny pores in the fruit’s skin that allows gas exchange between the fruit and the surrounding air) were found in the peels of ‘African Delight’, ‘Laetitia’ and ‘Sapphire’.

This could be contributing to moisture loss and shrivelling in plums. For ‘Songold’ no peel cracking or open lenticels were observed. This is probably why these plums do not shrivel.

• Variation between fruit, orchards and harvest dates contributed the most towards the variation in how much water vapour a plum releases into the surrounding

environment (its water vapour permeance).

• As little as 2% mass loss can cause plums to develop a shriveled appearance.A tenth of the total post-harvest mass loss observed happens between

harvesting and when the plums reach the packing facility.

• Plums should be packed and be under forced air cooling within six hours after harvest. Alternatively they should be pre-cooled to 0°C to minimise moisture loss.

• Regardless of how plums are handled, and although the fruit might be packed in per-forated bags to prevent dehydration, it will lose about 1% of its mass during cold storage.

Adriaan Theron.


PLUMTREE DIEBACK SEMINAR

More than 40 farmers recently showed up at a HORTGRO Science informa-tion day aimed at discuss-ing the rising incidence of plum trees that die only a

few years after being planted.

Dr Piet Stassen pointed out that this wasn’t a new phenomenon, but something the indus-try has been battling with for years.

There is nothing new about the plum tree losses that farmers in the Western Cape have been experiencing over the past couple

of years. Dr Piet Stassen, an independent consultant that has been working in the indus-try for over 45 years said at the HORTGRO Science Information day held in Simondium, that the industry has been struggling with this problem for as long as he could remember.

It was mentioned in articles by the nursery-man, Harry Pickston, as early as 1905, while Matthee, Thomas and Du Preez published an information bulletin on the causes of dieback in plum trees back in 1981.

They identified bacterial canker and waterlog-ging as the main causes.

Above: Dieback of plum trees in sandy soils due to disease assosiated with stress conditions.

GLENNEIS KRIEL

Farmers from the Berg River valley in particular have been suffering plum tree losses over the past couple of years. The problem is so severe that HORTGRO Science recently hosted an information day on the farm Allée Bleue near Simondium. Prof Wiehann Steyn, HORTGRO Science Crop Production Manager, said that the industry was at a bit of a loss as to what was happening to the trees, but they had a few ideas based on similar experiences in the past.



OVERSEAS EXPERIENCE

The condition is not unique to South Africa, but also prevalent in other countries, accord-ing to Stassen. Farmers in South Carolina in the United States are struggling with a phenomenon called the “peach short life” syndrome, whereby peach trees start to wilt and suddenly die three to six years after being planted. American researchers have associated cold damage, Pseudomonas, Cytospora canker, ring nematodes, replant disease and sandy soils with this syndrome. According to the Americans it appears as if the rootstock Guardian, which is still under evaluation here, might be tolerant to the syndrome.

Farmers in California, France and New Zealand are also experiencing dieback of trees two to six years after being planted due to what has been termed a “bacterial canker complex.” Symp-toms include discoloured wood, a collapse and wilting of newly emerged growth and suckers growing out of the roots of the trees. The diseased tissue also secretes a sour sap odour.

The trees are poisoned by syrin-gomycin and persimocyin toxins caused by bacterial canker.

Certain peach or almond hybrid rootstocks are highly susceptible to the complex, while according to overseas researchers, Guard-ian, Atlas and Viking are more tolerant. In South Africa, Viking become more susceptible to this condition in sandy conditions during hot summer months, according to Stassen.

LOCAL EXPERIENCE

Stassen divided tree dieback in South Africa into three categories:

1. WATER LOGGING IN SPRINGThis usually occurs where orchards are in low lying regions, bordered by mountains so that run-off from the mountains causes the water table to rise. The high water table results in anaerobic conditions that cause the roots of the trees to rot. Trees are also poisoned by cyanide gas that is released in

the process and dieback occurs from the grow-ing tip of the trees.

Stassen explained that high water tables could occur in winter, but they are especially fatal when they develop in spring when the trees are metabolically active. The same situa-tion can also result from over-irrigating in compacted soils.

Stassen said that trees suffering from this condition will typically have rotten roots. To overcome this problem, farmers should invest in good drainage before planting new trees.

“They would have to make use of cut-off furrows, drainage pipes and ridges to prevent water tables to rise in the orchard,” he said.

Trees don’t always die from the condition, but their roots might become less efficient resulting in growth problems and rendering the trees more vulnerable to diseases. This is especially the case in well-drained soils where water might only be stagnant for short periods.

2. NURSERY MATERIALTrees that die only a few weeks after being planted could be due to problems with nursery material. “The problem might be that the trees have poorly developed or damaged roots. Trees might also not have enough reserves to foster growth. Nurseries should also ensure that wounds made in the nursery are well sealed and do not cause infestation of diseases,” Stassen said.

Roots might also dry out because of improper handling during transportation or during planting, they could get burned by compost or nitrogen inside a planting hole, or plants might be negatively affected by herbicides.

Stassen emphasized that farmers have to supply trees with enough water and nutrition to foster the development of fine roots and a healthy root system:

“Watch out for over-irrigation, as it could cause water logging. Also look at the nutri-tional status of the soil. South Africa’s soils are very poor, so sufficient nitrogen applications are needed for optimal plant growth. This is even more important in sandy soils, where a lot of nitrogen tend to leach out. In such

Above: Trees planted with poor roots start to wilt several weeks

after plant.

Ineffective irrigation and poor available nutrition on

sandy soils are contributing factors to weakens the

plants so that it becames susceptible to diseases.



instances, farmers should consider using slow releasing or organic sources and more frequent applications to have nitrogen avail-able in the root area,” he said.

3. BACTERIAL CANKER AND FUNGAL INFECTIONS

Stassen suggested that bacterial canker and fungal infections can lead to tree dieback when a certain combination of factors causes the predisposal towards the diseases. These factors include ring nematodes, cold and wet condi-tions followed by high temperatures in springs, high water tables, sandy soils, poor cultivation practices, sunburn on bark, replant situations, susceptible cultivars and rootstocks, low organic content in the soil, pruning wounds, etc.

In his experience, trees usually die between their second and sixth season if affected by bacterial or fungal stem canker, depending on their subjection to stress conditions. “The trees typically die suddenly in spring just after bud break or they completely fail to sprout,” he said. Symptoms vary depending on the pathogen causing the problem. Flowers may die and there is a continuous orange or brown discolouration of the wood just underneath the bark of affected trees. Lenticels might become infected and swellings might occur on the stem with necrotic tissue underneath these swellings, especially with peach trees. Brown necrosis in the wood may occur if a cross-section is made through a branch or the trunk. The stem might dry out and crack. He pointed out that dieback occurs from the place where the infection was introduced and moves from there to the frame of the tree. Stassen said that bacterial canker was primarily a problem in sandy soils and soils with high numbers of ring nematodes. Isolating bacterial cankers however becomes increasingly difficult as the season progresses, making it difficult to make a positive identification. So far it seems as if the period around flowering is the best time to take samples and isolate bacterial cankers. Diagnostic analysis of dying trees during the past five years also implicate Botryosphaeria, Diaporthe, Leucostoma and other fungal patho-gens as role players in tree dieback.

For more information contact Piet Stassen at [email protected]

STASSEN’S PREVENTATIVE TIPS:

• Ensure orchards have good drainage before planting new plant material.

• Sound soil preparation is needed before the establishment of new trees. Soils need to be analysed, nutrient deficiencies have to be rectified and compact layers have to be broken. The soil pH shouldn’t be lower than 5.5 and farmers should use organic material, especially on sandy soils.

• Don’t plant in orchards that are notorious for problems. Fix the problems. Plant cover crops to help restore soil health and remove all old plant material.

• Soils should be treated for ring nematodes (and others) before new orchards are established.

• Only buy healthy nursery trees with well-developed fine root systems.

• Follow sound production practices that encourage growth and stimulate the develop-ment of fine feeder roots.

• Implement a pruning regime that prevents trees from becoming infected through pruning wounds. Minimise pruning wounds in the susceptible period during winter. Prune from after bud break until post-harvest, but before leaf drop. Also don’t overdo summer pruning as that will cause stress to the trees. Disinfect pruning equipment and remove all infested plant material immediately and burn.

• Use short cycles (more frequently but not more water) of irrigation during the warm months in sandy soils where the fine roots in the top layer of soil can dry out. This is even more important on ridges. Cover ridges with organic material to lower high temperatures and protect roots. Optimal conditions must be available for root develop-ment. Be careful of over irrigation.

• Don’t apply nitrogen in summer, but rather supply it in spring and after the harvest. It pays to use slow releasing sources in sandy soils.

• Prevent sunburn on tree bark and especially the stems of the trees. Cover such areas with white acrylic latex paint containing copper.

• Choose rootstocks carefully. Marianna is very sensitive to bacterial canker and ring nematodes. Peach rootstocks are less sensitive to bacterial canker, but they and apricot rootstocks are sensitive to replant disease and wet conditions. Some peach and almond hybrids are very sensitive to bacterial canker and ring nematodes.

• Poor growing cultivars might be more sensitive to this phenomenon than other cultivars, but remember that all cultivars are susceptible.

• Use biological agents. More research is however necessary to shed more light on the benefits and best production practices of the use of beneficial organisms and cover crops.

Wood discolouration associated with stem cankers.



We did a survey to identify the extent of the problem and determine possible causal factors. Farmers with altogether 14 orchards in the Berg River valley (mostly

Franschoek and Simondium) responded. Although the survey didn’t identify the cause of the dieback, it did shed some light on the matter, in particular in terms of ruling out certain contributing factors,” Steyn said.

It revealed that it was mostly Fortune trees that were being affected. Other cultivars were however also affected, indicating that it wasn’t a mere cultivar-related problem. Trees in all the orchards, except two, were planted on Mariana rootstocks. Of these, one was planted on Viking and one on a peach seedling. This is also not particularly illuminating since Mariana is the rootstock of choice for plums in this region, Steyn said.

SYMPTOMS

From the survey results it seemed as if the problem primarily affected young trees, as twelve of the affected orchards were planted since 2009. The other two were planted in either 2000 or 2001. Most of the trees died in the Spring of 2015, with trees in ten of the orchards starting to die after bud break and three failing to sprout.

“Most of the trees died from the bottom of the scaffold upwards, but there were also cases of trees dying from the top downwards. Some of the trees have been reported to have sap running out of them and smelling foul, as as if they were fermenting,” Steyn said.

No unique stressors were indicated. One of the farmers reported that he ran out of water during the season, while two others struggled with waterlogging. Only one of the farmers applied a chemical rest breaking agent, ruling

this out as a general cause of the die-back. Three of the orchards were reported to have high levels of nematodes. Only one farmer had his orchard tested for stem canker, in which case stem canker was confirmed. Scientists however also identified typical stem canker symptoms in an affected orchard at Allée Bleue during the Information Day.

STEM CANKER

Dr Lizel Mostert of the Department of Plant Pathology at Stellenbosch University said that plum trees were more susceptible to stem canker than most other stone fruit. This is proved by the fact that almost a third of the fungal stem canker samples isolated by the Plant Disease Clinic between 2007 and 2012, came from plum trees. But, she pointed out that most farmers struggling with plum tree losses that took part in the survey, didn’t have their trees analysed for stem canker and her gut feel was that stem canker was most probably a contributing or secondary factor, not the main or direct cause of the fruit tree losses.

She said that young plum trees exhibiting poor yields and dieback have been analysed at the Plant Disease Clinic at Stellenbosch University in the past. Often no stem canker pathogens (including fungal and bacterial) were isolated from circular centralised wood discolouration, atypical to stem canker symptoms, making it hard to pinpoint the exact cause of the condition.

Another contributing factor than cannot be ruled out is bacterial canker caused by Pseud-omonas syringae pv. syringae. The occurrence of bacterial canker on stone fruit trees is uncertain and is currently being investigated by Prof. Teresa Coutinho (University of Pretoria) and Dr. Yolanda Petersen (Infruitec-Nietvoorbij Agricul-tural Research Council).

She pointed out that there was a general perception that stressed trees were more

Farmers and scientists have been baffled

by a rising incidence of plum tree orchards

being wiped outon farms in the Western Cape.

While a few of the affected trees were discovered to have

typical stem canker symptoms during a

HORTGRO Science Information day,

Dr Lizel Mostert of the Department of Plant Pathology at

Stellenbosch University believes that stem

canker is only a secondary effect

of pathology.

Link between stem canker and plum tree losses still uncertain

GLENNEIS KRIEL

“



susceptible to stem canker than healthy trees. Research has for example found that stone fruit trees under stress are more susceptible to Leucostoma canker than healthy trees. Late summer water stress, for example, has been found to accelerate pycinidial formation in trees with Leucostoma canker.

“The general idea is that water stress, or any other stress for that matter, will inhibit plant growth and plant physiological processes and in effect inhibit a plant’s ability to defend itself against pathogen attacks. More research is however needed to support this notion, especially with regard to plum trees,” she said.

She surmised that what was happening to the plum trees, might be similar to what was happening with apoplexy in grapevines, when esca diseased vines suddenly died due to very warm and dry climatic conditions. Dieback and dying of apple and pear trees were also reported in the Langkloof, after the region was flooded in 2006 and 2007 followed by the dry climatic conditions of 2008 and 2010.

Waterlogging might however also be a predis-posing factor. She explained that apricot, plum and peach trees are generally intolerant of flooding, with the trees producing tree-toxic cyanide from cyanogenic glycosides in roots during anaerobic conditions. This phenomenon is usually associated with a foul smell as has been reported by some of the farmers who took part in the survey. The impact of this on the development of stem canker, is however still unknown and needs to be investigated further.

Mostert concluded that farmers should use clean nursery material to prevent problems with stem canker. Infected trees and plant material should also be removed from orchards as soon as possible and pruning equipment should be cleaned properly when moving from one tree to another to prevent infections from spreading.

Once planted, trees should be subjected to as

little stress as possible by supplying trees with enough irrigation and proper nutrition as well as managing fruit production to prevent the development of too much fruit at a too early age.

“The bottom line is that healthy trees in general are more resistant to disease, such as stem canker, than stressed trees. Trees with latent stem canker might perform optimally for years, if the trees are not subjected to stress,” Mostert said.

Contact Dr Lizel Mostert at [email protected] more information.

Fig. 3. Circular, centered, brownish discolouration on plum trees (6-year-old September Yummy on Marianna) which yielded no stem canker pathogens. ALL PHOTOS FROM DISEASE CLINIC, DEPARTMENT OF PLANT PATHOLOGY, SU.

3

2

1

Fig. 1. Stem cankers on nectarine trees showing typical dark brown discolouration of vascular tissue

after removing the bark. a. Contrast between living and dead tissue clearly visible.

b. Canker developed from the pruning wound.

Fig. 2. a. Nectarine trees that have died due to Leucostoma canker together with stress caused by suboptimal soils. b. Spores produced by the pathogen visible as orange strings on the surface of the dead wood.



There still is uncertainty over the primary causes of plum tree mortali-ties that are currently plaguing farmers in the Berg River Valley of the Western Cape. It nevertheless

looks as if nematodes might be playing a contributing role. At the HORTGRO Science information day that was held in Simondium, Sheila Storey, owner of Nemlab, explained that parasitic nematodes can “supress tree immu-nity” rendering the trees more vulnerable to other problems, such as bacterial canker that in some other countries have been identified as a contributor to these types of mortalities.

Storey suspects that it is primarily ring nema-todes that are playing a role in the disease complex, as reported tree losses in the Berg River Valley usually occur two to six years after trees were planted. It also seems as if only trees on rootstocks that are resistant to root-knot nematode, such as Mariana, are affected by the condition. With root-knot nematodes, losses generally occur twelve to fifteen months after trees were planted.

The problem with ring nematodes is not simply that they feed off the roots of trees, but the impact these parasites have on plant chemistry.

“Ring nematodes feed just behind the root tip, by secreting a chemical compound. The result-ing chemical reaction affects a plant’s ability to absorb phosphates, potassium and sulphur and also negatively affects the symbiotic relation-ship of a plant with mycorrhizas. It increases iron absorption, interferes with tree dormancy and results in lowered glucose uptake, resulting in lower plant energy levels that predisposes the plant to infections,” Storey explained.

CLIMATE

There seems to be a link between the climate and nematode levels, as ring nematode counts usually escalate when temperatures rise above 28°C. “When we have a few winter days above 25°C, especially in August, or quick temperature changes in the late winter or early spring after a wet period, I usually tell my staff that we are heading for a year with high plum tree mortalities. The industry had the same problems around 1997 when international experts were flown in to help us shed light on the problem. It is not a new problem, nor one that is unique to the Western Cape. I receive reports of this type of mortality from all over the country,” Storey said.

Nematodes might play a role in plum tree deaths

So far it seems as if there are a combi-

nation of factors leading to the plum tree deaths that are

currently experienced in various parts of the Western Cape.

Sheila Storey, owner of Nemlab, talked about the way in

which nematodes could contribute to

these losses.

Left: Discoloured streaks in cambium layer and sour odour associated with bacterial canker on plum trees. Most common on sandy soils and with Marianna rootstock.

GLENNEIS KRIEL



She thinks the shift to higher density plantings and more intensive production systems might create a more favourable micro-environment ring nematodes. “The new orchards have more roots which are also shallower than with the lower density plantings. The roots close to the soil surface are also significantly warmer than deeper roots, creating an ideal environment for the reproduction of nematodes,” she explained.

It seems as if soils with higher stone or granite fractions were in general more susceptible to problems with ring nematodes than other soil types, but this notion still needs to be proved scientifically. Storey added that soil health doesn’t seem to have as great an impact on ring nematode populations as previously believed, as she has seen a couple of very healthy soils with high counts of these nematodes. “We used to think that beneficial soil-organisms would keep the nematode population in check, but this doesn’t seem to be the case with ring nematode,” she said.

CONTROL

Storey said that most of South Africa’s soil is infested with nematodes. Farmers therefore have to do something to reduce population

For more information phone Sheila Storey at 083 654 9762 or email her at [email protected]

Absence of fine roots because of ring nematodes.

Dooie lote.

levels for optimal production. Using rootstocks for control of the ring nematode is a viable solution, but the choice of rootstocks that are resistant to ring nematodes are not only limited, but rootstocks that are resistant to ring nematodes are usually susceptible to root-knot nematodes and the other way around.

Production margins have become so tight that many farmers cannot afford to let an orchard lie fallow for three years before planting a new one. Fumigation seems to be a better alterna-tive, although it is costly and there is a rising resistance against the use of fumigants in some of our major export markets. Storey pointed out that ring nematodes reside quite deep down in the soil, up to 60 cm deep. A once off fumiga-tion might therefore not be enough to get rid of a serious problem.

She advised farmers to also look at alternative management strategies, such as biofumigation. With this practice, crops from the mustard fami-ly are planted in between commercial crops or before a new orchard is established. The mustard plants are then crushed and worked into the soil. The plants release a chemical compound that has the same fumigating effect, though not as strong, as commercial fumigants when they are crushed. Although some success has been experienced, more research is needed to identify best-practices and the best crops to use for this practice.

Storey pointed out that it is highly unlikely that ring nematodes spread from nurseries to farms, since these nematodes usually reside in the soil. If farmers therefore do experience problems with ring nematodes, it is certain that the problem originated on the farm itself.


A river runs through . . . The dual challenge of people centered governance and sound natural resource management

requires a difficult balancing act. Decisions about water quality and availabilityare often particularly complex given the scarcity of this resource. This is often compounded by

growing and even opposing needs from water users. In the Berg River region, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.

After years of bad press about the state of this river, key stakeholders have got the message: We need to look after our available water.

The Berg River traverses both urban and agriultural areas. The river has its source up in the Drakenstein and Franschhoek mountains from where it meanders and even eventually

discharges in the ocean near Velddrif (some 290 km away).

At its birthplace and in its upper reaches the Berg River is pristine and downright beautiful. Lower down its reaches the river has some problems, with some sections being degraded and even in peril.

A forward thinking partnership has however been hard at work since 2012 to improve the state of this river and with it the prospect of its sustainable use. “This is a collective responsibil-ity and critical given the importance of this waterway,” says Rashid Khan from the Depart-ment of Water and Sanitation (DWS). This department is responsible for the management of water resources in South Africa.

Says Khan, “The river didn't get polluted or become compromised overnight. The complex issues affecting river health and water quality will also not be sorted out overnight. I do believe we are making solid progress in this regard.”

The so-called Berg River Partnership is a collaboration between industry, government, NGOs and academic institutions, that was

JORISNABONTHUYS


MORE ABOUT THE BERG RIVER• It is considered an important waterway in the Western Cape, especially given its economic contribution to the region.

• More than 4 million people, including a significant portion of local fruit producers, are dependent on it. The Berg River and its tributaries supports a tenth of the countries' irrigated fruit production.

• There are about 22 500 hectare of irrigated crops on 600 farms along the banks of the Berg River, which contributed to earnings of more than R2 billion a year. Of this, about R1.5bn were from exports.

• Wine grapes substantially cover the greatest area of agricultural crops in the region. However, table grapes have a high value for export.

• Its estuary is considered an important bird area and forms one of only four perennial estuaries on the arid west coast of southern Africa. It is home to many threatened and endemic species, including reptiles and fish.

• The irrigated fruit industry of the Berg River area supports 18 500 full time equivalent workers. The actual number of employees is far higher than this as many work part time for the seasonal picking.

Source: westerncape.gov.za, iol.co.za; news24.com

established to ensure that water quality is placed high on the agenda by all stakeholders involved. Says Khan, “It took us three years to get to this point but, I believe there is a collec-tive push to eradicate threats to this river.”

The partnership has basically devised a plan to ensure that the river is protected from pollution. Every partner has been given a specific task to improve the state of the river in general and its water quality in particular. “The forum is a novel approach to ensure that the water quality of the river is improved and the river is sustainably managed, by holding our partners accountable to their respective mandates,” says Khan.

“The river is the artery that keeps its surrounding region alive. We have to work together on this.”

TURNING THE TIDEIt is no secret that there are problems with pollution and water quality in many of our rivers. The situation in the Berg River, situated about 40 minutes north of Cape Town, is no exception.

Water quality in its surrounding region and catchment is for instance affected by salinity due to the geology of the area as well as human activities, agricultural chemicals and sewage contamination. Over the last few years sections of the river also did not comply with interna-tional standards (for various water uses).

The good news is that there has been “signifi-cant improvement” in water quality on most stretches of the river over the last three years. However, “there are a few stretches that require immediate and ongoing attention”, says Khan.

Water samples tested over the last few years have shown that sections of the river experi-ence pollution incidents from time to time. This includes incidents when water gets contami-nated with high levels of coliform bacteria (organisms found in the feces of humans and animals). Escherichia coli (or E. coli), found in the

digestive system of humans and animals, is considered the main indicator organism for faecal contamination of water.

Last year three of the four reported “pollution incidents” on the river related to problems with sewage works not complying to their license conditions. In two of these cases the E. coli measurement in water samples tested where 30 times the allowable limit.

Says Khan, “Pollution of irrigation water in the river because of bacterial contamination is a real concern, given the variety of irrigation crops in the area as well as its importance to urban water users, including in Cape Town. We are, however, of the opinion that the water is safe for farming in the area.”

Increased E.coli levels have also been confirmed between the towns of Franschhoek, Paarl and Wellington where storm water discharges into the river due to the urban environment. Downstream discharge of municipal waste water treatment works also occur. “Sampling shows that bacteriological counts decrease relatively rapidly downstream even during summer flows,” he says.

A river runs through . . .


Issues that are having the biggest impact include local waste water treatment plants and how they operate, the loss of indigenous vege-tation as well as difficulties dealing with 'grey' and 'black' wastewater that bypass the formal treatment system. If municipalities extract water from rivers for purification purposes (like from the Berg River) there are strict guidelines of what they can discharge back in the river after following treatment processes.

Khan says contaminated water because of pollution incidents does not come into contact with fruit as the crops in the area are irrigated under trees and wines, using sprinkler, micro- and drip-irrigation. It has also been found that if irrigation water does land on fruit the water droplets tend to roll off. Very few farmers also irrigate directly out of This comes at a cost to the consumer.”

WATER FIT FOR USEThe water is however still safe for use for agricultural purposes, according to DWS. This department is involved in allocating water to different water users as well as the so-called ecological reserve of the river. This reserve is not intended to protect the aquatic ecosystem

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per se, but to maintain aquatic ecosystems in such a way that they can continue to provide its (free) goods and services to society.

Says Khan, “Water quality standards are deter-mined based on the purpose of the water user. The water quality standards for agricultural use are different to that of recreational use. Is it safe to swim in the river? In some places I would say no. Is it safe for agricultural purposes? Abso-lutely. For agricultural purposes the Berg River's water quality is sufficient.

“However, if you are looking for drinking water, don't use the river directly without treatment of the water. And if you want to swim we are able to tell you which areas of the river you should avoid. Don't expect that you will be able to drink water from rivers. That doesn't even happen in first world countries. Chemically the water might be safe, but it might contain bacterial pathogens.

“Many people, who they talk about water qual-ity, think good water quality means you will be able to drink water directly from the river without treating it first. That is not a reasonable expectation,” states Khan.

BETTER SCIENCE, BETTER DECISIONSSome of the interventions introduced by the partnership so far include upgrading of water treatment works and informal settlements, rehabilitating the riparian zone (river banks) as well as improving water quality monitoring. The forum is also involved in a public facing campaign to promote responsible water use. Says Khan, “The key is to improve the manage-ment and securing mutual ground for working towards improving water quality.”

The DWS, Department of Environmental Affairs, the Berg River Main Irrigation Board, research institutions and universities have all been sampling various water monitoring sites in the catchment. These sites are along the river as well as within its estuary. This enables ongo-

ing sampling for selected chemical parameters, bacte-rial contamination with E.coli, selected heavy metals and pesticides, as well as river health. Khan explains, “Basically we are monitoring the river's vital signs. The more we know the better we can manage pollution incidents.”

DWS' sampling sites are mainly sited where possible pollution could be expected, coupled with elevated water use in the river. Water samples are collected monthly for chemical and bacteriological analyses, while sediment samples for the analyses of heavy metals and pesticide residues are being collected every second month as required.

SYSTEM FOR CHANGEDWS has also been working on an online reporting system for pollution incidents. It has been specifically developed for the manage-ment of such incidents.

The web-based mapping system, that will eventually be open source, is populated with current information. The system, that will include a reporting template and SMS service to important water users in the catchment, will be tested this year.

Once fully operational the public will be able to report pollution incidents directly to authorities.

As soon as someone reports an incident, this tool will notify relevant decision makers and forum members. Khan explains, “The status of water quality will be made visual on interactive maps that integrate and interpret different water quality monitoring results, offering stakeholders more opportunities to interact immediately as and when pollution threats emerge.”

This tool will include sampling data as well as detailed and colour coded status reports (following a basic traffic light system), indicating waterquality in different areas.Visit www.brwqtt.org.za for more information.

Erosion on the rivers banks.


AT THE KITCHEN TABLE 28 - SUMMER

Natural perfume anyone?

There is a fragrance in every fruit, in every

herb . . . in every flower and a memory, a story.

Collectively this has potential to create a

perfume. In keeping with our organic litmus,

we believe fragrances should be made from the

gifts nature gave us.

We will start with the history . . . more about

natural perfumes next time.

Perfume has a long and varied history, starting with a natural focus and we believe returning to a natural focus in the

22nd century. I so appreciated a very compre-hensive article on the history of perfume by Annick Le Guérer - smell, scent and perfume officinado - I summarise and share some facts.

In ancient civilizations, perfumes were obtained without alcohol or distillation and appeared in the form of oils, ointments, and incense, which emitted pleasant smells while burning. Their ingredients, sometimes difficult to identify today, were crushed, mashed, mixed, and simmered.

Egypt, the cradle of perfume, was still exporting fragrance throughout the ancient world in the first century B.C. Rome took over its Middle East trade routes and gained access to a plethora of aromatic products. Unbridled consumption followed.

In medieval times, perfumery became less fashionable in the West. After the fall of Rome to the Barbarians in the fifth century, the art of perfume took refuge in the Byzantine Empire. The Crusaders gradually returned from their distant expeditions in the East, they brought back cosmetics and perfumes, in particular, rose water.

As the heirs of ancient knowledge in the field, Arabs played a decisive role in the evolution of perfume with the development of the still and the coil. These instruments allowed alcohol distillation, a technique that opened the path

to modern fragrances. The first alcohol-based perfume appeared in Europe in the fourteenth century: the famous Queen of Hungary's Water, based on wine and

rosemary. It was considered a veritable pana-cea, protecting one from everything, including plague. The arrival of this scourge, which hit France with full force in 1348 and decimated

one quarter of the European population within a few years, encouraged the intensive use of perfume. Suspecting water to open the pores of the skin to the pestilent air, doctors advised the purifying and protective qualities of aromatic substances for cleaning.

During the Renaissance, Genoa and Venice controlled trade in the Mediterranean. Rare silks, fabrics and, above all, herbs and spices accumulated in the warehouses of the Grand Canal, making Venice the richest city in Europe. Its domination of the fragrance trade was accompanied by remarkable growth in the luxury industry that went beyond the limits of the Republic. It was not surprising, therefore, that Italy became the home of perfumery. Violet powder, iris, musk rose, and hyacinth cleaned hair.

Cinnamon, camphor, lemon, and chamomile toilet waters beautified the skin. Musk, lily, amber, and orange blossom scented waters left seductive trails. Ginger, mastic resin, clove, and rosemary mouthwashes guaranteed good breath. Rose, orange, and lemon oils and ointments completed the aromatic panoply of the time. The Venetian Republic lost some of its dominance in the luxury trade to competition from Dutch, English, and French ships. And in perfumery, it was France who would take first place.

This growth was fuelled by large orange planta-tions in the Grasse region where the cultivation of other perfume crops also increased: rose, carnation, tuberose, violet, and jasmine. At the same time, French companies in the East and West Indies gave perfumers direct access to many exotic products. The prophylactic, therapeutic, and cleansing powers of fragranc-es endured. More than ever, it was thought toprovide protection from impure air.

With the perfection of distillation tools and


evolving tastes, perfumery went through a new boom in the eighteenth century. The heavy animal scents, in vogue in the previous century, were abandoned for more subtle crea-tions. The great dynasties of perfumers, appeared during the Enlightenment.

With the growth of organic chemistry in the second half of the nineteenth century, perfume was liberated from its natural origins by associating artificial scents with traditional aromas to create innovative fragrances.

Synthetic products, initially poorly accepted by luxury perfumers who considered them vulgar debasements of natural fragrances, came to the fore in 1889. The 'denaturalization' of synthetic products was welcomed as artistic expression. These new molecules, sometimes in surprising odours, enabled the development of creations that stood apart from nature.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the success of perfumes gave French perfumery an international reputation and encouraged major designers to enter this lucrative market.

From 1905 to 1960, the peak of French perfumery, perfumes were the result of a small number of composers with the time and means to create products that could be recog-nized throughout the world. However, in the beginning of the seventies, under the growing influence of marketing, new sales techniques appeared, affording much more importance to advertising and communications than to the perfume itself. The trend was to produce high volume quickly.

From the end of the eighties, in the context of world-wide economic crisis, the concentration of perfume companies into a few large, internation-al groups. What was once an artisanal and luxury trade became a large, international industry.

NATURAL PERFUMES

In general we percieve natural perfume to be the

blend of fragrance ingredients of only natural origin.

The perfume still adheres to the basic principles of top, middle and base

notes; as well as the vague classification on the fragrance wheel of floral, woody and so on (see below). The difference only lies in

the origin of the ingredients.

The concept of natural perfume challenges the perfumer, but has many rewards. We will look at advantages . . . and disadvantages of natural perfume next time.

ELMARIE DE BRUYNCell: 082 562 [email protected]

Fresh Water/AquaticThese refreshing cooling scents wash over the skin and give a sense of relief on hot summer days. The notes are watery, airy, icy and dewy.

Fresh CitrusCombines juicy notes of lemon, mandarin, grapefruit, yuzu and other citrus oils. Some are softly spiked with hints of wood or musk.

The most popular fragrance family,

FLORAL is a blend of mixed bouquets of

jasmine, rose,white peony, gardenia, and

tuberose. The fresh cut flower scent may be

subtly warmed with a touch of spice or

fruit for a soft finish.

FruityThese are fresh and may include berries

peaches, pears, apples, strawberries

passion fruit and also citrusy verbena.

Often sweet and tart, and very pleasant to

wear during hot seasons.

FRESH SCENTS are zesty, clean, and

effervescent. They’re bursting with ripe

fruits, such as lemon, lime, and grapefruit and exploding with

crisp greens, such as fresh cut grass and

violet leaves.

Fresh GreenGreen tea leaves, green grass, fresh

herbs, vines and leafy scents give these

fragrances a clean, sporty attitude.

White FloralWhite blossoms such as jasmine, lily, gardenia, freesia, and tuberose. Heady, sweet, floral scents of flowers thatare picked at night.

Soft FloralClassic floral notes such as white flowers and rose are mixed with more powdery notes such as iris, vanilla and perhapsa touch of citrus.

Floral OrientalOrange flowers, vanilla, white pepper, sweet spices mixed with florals create a beauti-fully sensual scent with depth and complexity.

Soft OrientalMysterious notes of incense, amber and musk are infused with soft florals and spices to create an ethereal yet elegant aroma.

Woody OrientalSoft sandalwood, warm rosewood, layered with deep, rich, potent patch-ouli, some soft blossoms and a hint of spice like cinna-mon and cardamom.

Mossy WoodsScents smell like a forest. Notes might include oak moss, deep green scents,amber and warm earthy scents.

Dry WoodsLeather, tobacco, cedarwood, peppery spices, incense, smoky, warm and inviting. Often these notes give a fragrance depth.

AROMATIC The main notes usually include lavender andaromatic herbs. This fragrance family may include other elements like freshness from the citrus family, floral notes of lavender, spicy- sweetness of a Floral Oriental, an ambery depth of an Oriental or the warmth of sandalwood.

FRAGRANCEWHEEL


I It was recommended that the interest in reviving the CA Group be tested. And interest there indeed was, with 48 members

attending. There were only a handful of survi-vors from the previous era. n the late 1970’s CA tents were constructed in RA stores and a group of CA experts was formed to exchange information. In 1979 a study tour compris-ing of researchers, consulting engineers and producers was undertaken to Israel, Europe and USA. A CA Storage and Postharvest group was subsequently formed and taken under the wing of SAAPPA in 1983. This information can be found in the CA Operators’ Manual, one of the impressive outputs of the group, and updated under the auspices of the PAG.

The CA Manual is intended as a reference manual for CA store operators who want to learn more about CA storage and those who want to improve the standard of their CA operation. It was the end-product of many hours of discussion and dedication by a lot of people over a number of years.

In addition to the history of CA storage worldwide and in South Africa, it covers the following topics:• The need for CA storage• Construction of CA buildings• Refrigeration in CA stores• Air management

• Recommended temperature and gas storage regimes• Creating and maintaining CA gas regimes• Control of postharvest disorders• Health and safety procedures• Maturity indexing and monitoring of fruit quality• Operation of CA store• Handling protocols for CA stored fruitThe CA Manual can be accessed at: file:///C:/Users/richard.HORTGRO/Downloads/CA%20Manual%20Revised%20(22.09.2015).pdf

In those days CA stores were inspected by the ARC to see that they complied with CA requirements. These included the room loading times and achievement of gas regimes within a specified period, as well as a minimum length of storage. These inspections were conducted by Bertie Truter, and after his retirement by Kobus van der Merwe. Once the conditions were met the storage operator was entitled to place a CA sticker on his cartons for sale on the local market. Fruit with a CA sticker enjoyed a premium in the market, and this provided the incentive for the operator to comply with the CA requirements. Points were given for the various CA require-ments, and a trophy was awarded annually for the best CA storage operator.

CA & Postharvest Group Rises AgainRichard Hurndall

recently welcomed members to a historic

revival of the CA Storage & Postharvest

Group, since the last meeting was held

in 1997.

The background to this event was a

discussion in the Packhouse Action

Group (PAG). The PAG focusses

on a number of disciplines, including

postharvest.


Two meetings were held annually, a meeting of the elected CA executive in May to discuss strategic issues, and an open meeting in November at the ARC, where fruit samples of CA storage trials was viewed. The latter meeting was open to all CA operators, postharvest techni-cal personnel, researchers and service providers, and was usually followed by a braai-lunch.

In the words of the first chairman, John Findlay, the purpose of the group was to share both successes and failures. This was, of course, easy to do in a single chan-nel marketing system. When deregulation came in 1997, everybody stopped talking to each other and the group dissipated.

Discussion regarding an overseas CA Operators tour took place. Some members are already planning to attend the International Postharvest Symposium: Enhancing Supply Chain and Consumer Benefits - Ethical and Technological Issues, at Cartagena, Spain on 21 – 24 June 2016. It was resolved to rather plan a tour around the International Controlled and Modified Atmosphere Research Confer-ence in Warsaw, Poland on 18 – 22 June 2017.

Dr Pringle’s work on the control of mites proved invaluable for the apple industry years ago when mites became resistantto chemical sprays. His applied research led to the development of integrated management procedures for mites, with a strong biological control component. It is still in use today.

In 2004 Dr Pringle also received an award from the DFPT (Now Hortgro) in recognition of his invaluable contribution to research within the deciduous fruit industry.

LOUISE BRODIE REPORTS

The Last Word . . .

Dr Ken Pringle was a senior lecturer in the Entomology at the University of Stellenbosch and for the past nine years

he has been a Senior Research Associate for HORTGRO Science seconded to the University of Stellenbosch. Dr Pringle is officially retired from the university as a lecturer but still works from an office in the Department of Ecology and Ento-mology at the University of Stellenbosch.

“I grew up on a stock farm near Tarkastad which is in a remote part of the Eastern Cape,” explained Dr Pringle. “When I was in primary school I started collecting dung beetles so look-ing back today I realise that I was quite passion-ate about entomology from an early age.

“Being a farm boy from a remote region,

At the recent meeting, it was decided that one meeting would be held per

annum in November, and that strategic aspects be retained within the PAG.

Members requested a local tour of CA facilities in May 2016.


I attended boarding school at St Andrews College in Grahamstown. After matric I completed a B.Sc. at Rhodes University, majoring in Ento-mology and Zoology. My first job was with the FFTRI (Fruit and Fruit Research Institute – today this organisation is part of the Agricultural Research Council) This post was in Stel-lenbosch and I started with FFTRI in 1971. I worked there for 15 years and while I was there I continued my studies

and completed my M.Sc. and PhD. Agric.

“In 1986 I joined the University of Stellenbosch as a lecturer in the Department of Entomology and Nematology. The department has had a number of name changes since then and it is now called the Department of Conserva-tion Ecology and Entomology. In 1993 I was promoted to the post of senior lecturer and held that post until I retired in 2007. Following my formal retirement, I was appointed as a Senior Research Associate by Hortgro Science

and have continued to work, now part-time, for Hortgro Science since then.

“During the course of my career I have worked, among others, on a programme for the biologi-cal control of red spider mite. I have also worked on a better understanding of

woolly apple aphids (the aphid is woolly, not the apple!) and unravelled the biology of the organism on both the roots and the aerial part of the tree. I have also developed sampling systems for monitoring the pest complexes on apple trees and grape vines.

“From the vast number of insect species that

exist, very few of them are pests. However, many of them are beneficial, for example as biological control agents against both weeds and insect pests. The most important insect in the fruit industry is or course the honey bee and in South Africa we are fortunate to have indigenous bees that are highly effective pollinators.

“Entomology is considered to be an unusual profession to follow and very few of the B.Sc. students that study entomology set out to study this from the outset. In the matric biology syllabus very little focus is given to insects while vertebrates receive considerably more exposure. Career guidance and career fairs also give very little exposure to career opportunities in this direction and yet a higher proportion of entomology majors find jobs in this field.

“My position as a lecturer at the University involved in research with the fruit industry and then as a Senior Research Associate for Hortgro within the University has been a very successful combination. It has provided me with easily accessible research funding from the fruit industry and many stimulating research oppor-tunities relevant to our industry. Access to the University’s laboratory facilities and library for research has been invaluable in tackling the challenges from the fruit industry. The people within the fruit industry have been incred-ibly helpful and the feedback from extension advisors has been crucial for progress with the industry’s specific entomological challenges. I am very grateful for the opportunities I have had as a result throughout my career.

“The international exposure that I have had through involvement with the Deciduous fruit industry has been very helpful as in a number of cases I had been corresponding with interna-tional specialists in a particular fields of research and meeting them at conferences then further assists the exchange of information. Research and international collaboration has also become considerably easier than it was before.”

Dr Ken Pringle in the lab.

“As a group, insects are the main competitors of humans on the planet.

From a human and veterinarian health perspective, they transmit a huge

amount of disease, and from an agri-cultural perspective they destroy a large

amount of our food.”