Challenging our current view of orchard performance.

Written by Erald Smith, Head of Services at Agri Technovation “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” – Vincent Van Gough. Paraphrased to bring these wise words closer to home: “Great harvests are achieved by doing a series of small things right throughout the season”. Some key practical questions flow […]

Carbohydrate levels and how it affects yield in avocado orchards.

Written by Jaques Landman Director & Technical Manager at Agri Technovation New Zealand The avocado (Persea americana) fruit is characterized by its nutritious flesh, which contains an exceptionally high content of unsaturated oil (up to 20% to 30%, fresh weight), and its single large seed. Both the high oil content and the large seed require […]

Why leaf and soil sampling are important for your tree crop.

Written by Jaques Landman Director & Technical Manager at Agri Technovation New Zealand Nutrient deficiency or excess will cause trees to grow poorly and produce sub-optimal yields and/or poor fruit quality. For this reason, diagnosis of potential nutritional problems should be a yearly routine for fruit-growing farmers. Quantifying nutrients in soils and trees (leaf testing) […]

Why your soil type should determine your cultivar and rootstock choice

By Marnus Ferreira, MSc Geology UP, Senior Soil Scientist and Johan de Vries, BScAgric Plant Production and Soil Sciences UP, Head Hortologist (Citrus & Table grapes) Agri Technovation As a producer, soil is your most precious resource. Throughout history, our relationship with soil has determined our ability to cultivate crops and influenced the success of civilizations. This relationship […]