Biodiversity conservation

Should farmers concern themselves with biodiversity conservation?

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The majority of land in South Africa is owned by farmers. This makes farmers the true stewards of South Africa’s land.

Cattle grazing

Do you know how much food your cows require?

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Our philosophy about sustainable agriculture is about limiting inputs from outside a farm system to what is strictly necessary. One of the inputs that is often over-imported, wastefully so, is feed.

The impact of Gypsum on sodic soils

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Do you have large cracks in your soil? This could be the result of excess sodium. Read this blog to see the positive impact of gypsum application on excess sodium and an improvement in soil structure.

Farm mineral balance

Using minerals efficiently: Tsitsikamma dairy farm case study

Reading Time: 3 minutes

A supply of nutrients and minerals to soils which is greater than the amount needed to maintain soil health and fertility actually endangers the soil and can negatively impact on surface and ground water sources.

Cattle grazing

Improving feed energy utlisation: Six years of data in the Tsitsikamma

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Energy is imperative to growth and sustenance of all animals, and plays a major role in the production of milk by a dairy cow.

The hype around soil health

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The challenge for farmers is sieving through all these techniques at their disposal and finding that one technique which they understand and identify with – one which is simple and informative enough for them that they would be able to use the results and implement directed management practices on their farm.

Case study: Cation exchange capacity vs Total exchangeable cations, is this another potayto potahto case?

Reading Time: 4 minutes

The soil’s ability to hold nutrients is very closely associated with yield potential. Soil management practices that aim to improve cation exchange capacity guarantee higher and cost effective production.

Bare soil

The relationship between soil carbon and bulk density

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Soil fertility is the soils ability to provide essential nutrients in sufficient quantities as required by the plant. A soil that has a high bulk density will not be able to provide nutrients in sufficient quantities, because bulk density influences the soils ability to infiltrate and store water.

Water use and irrigation

Water use, irrigation and pasture growth on dairy farms: A case study from Oyster Bay

Reading Time: 5 minutes

It is important that all users of fresh water, the agricultural industry being a significant one, are responsible in ensuring the effective and efficient use of the available water.

Soil carbon: A case study in the Tsitsikamma

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Carbon in the soil is stored in an organic (or passive) form and an active form. The difference between the two is that the active carbon form is readily available as a food source for microbes, whereas the organic form replenishes the active form and is not readily available to all groups of microorganisms.