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cosmetic dentistry services in 95240 Agriprobe - Volume 8, Issue 1, March 2011
Volume 8, Issue 1, March 2011
As a newcomer in Agriculture, I was astounded to see how one of the oldest industries in the world embraces modern technology to empower producers with knowledge that is critical for their advancement and economic growth. Just how effectively the offerings of the information age have been taken up, were showcased by a number of project managers at a recent Media WOW! Day, presented by the Department. The use of the Smart Pen (virtually bringing the farm to the office in real time), satellite images, artificial insemination and GIS have definitely put the Department of Agriculture, Western Cape squarely amongst the forerunners of world best practices in Agriculture.
"How the times have changed", I thought as we recently bid yet another group of Western Cape farm workers farewell on their Western Cape-Burgundy Exchange Programme visit to France. Opportunities such as these did not exist when I was a young man from a privileged background, and yet, today we are able to provide farm workers this once in a life time opportunity to go and learn and work in arguably the finest wine district in the world; Burgundy in France.
Vertical farming : science fiction in practice?
The popular press (and e-mails doing the rounds) often present images of skyscrapers (farmscrapers / skyfarms?) full of plants with dairy cows enjoying the view from the 27th floor. The underlying argument is that conventional (rural) farming's day has passed and it is time for those silly agriculturalists to start thinking out of the box.
Volhoubare landbou - waarom die fokus hierop?
Author Cor Van Der Walt
Wêreldwyd het 'n bewuswording ontstaan dat die wêreld se natuurlike hulpbronne (soos bv. olie as die wêreld se gewildste energiebron) beperk is. Die gebruik van natuurlike hulpbronne, wat ten alle koste beskerm moet word, word meer dikwels beskadig as wat besef word. Voorbeelde soos kernbomme, die Chernobyl ontploffing, osoonlaagbeskadiging, oorbeweiding, erosie, ens. is maar enkele maniere waarop natuurlike hulpbronne beskadig word. Die bevolkingsaanwassing plaas al hoe meer druk op die kwessie van verstedeliking (goeie landbougrond, noodsaaklike ekosisteme ens. wat verlore gaan), verarming, bevolkingsaanwassing wat voedsel verlang, natuurverskynsels wat nie beheer kan word nie (hael, droogtes, vloede ens.), wat 'n wye reeks gevolge het soos hongersnood, agteruitgang van grond en water, verlies aan unieke habitatte, wat weer impakteer op swak bestuur van die hulpbronne omdat dan uit nood opgetree moet word. Moet dan ook nie vergeet van klimaatsverandering/aardverwarming wat op almal se lippe is nie.
Agricultural Learnerships kick-off to a great start on 25 January 2011
Source: Agriprobe 8, pp 7 –8 (2011)
The Further Education & Training Learnership Orientation Day for the academic year 2011, took place on the 25th of January 2011 at Elsenburg. A total of 100 learners registered for different study disciplines on NQF level 1 - 4.
Global concerns about climate change and the increasing price of conventional electricity has evoked interest in the contribution that renewable energies can make towards South Africa's energy portfolio. While the current level of technological development of renewable energies still renders them costly relative to conventional electricity, the non-monetary benefits they hold justify exploring their overall value.
Incorporating biogas into South African farming practices
Author Helanya Vlok
Farm scale biogas plants typically consist of two or three digesters, each retaining the feedstock for a specified period. Retention time varies between 3 and 50 days depending on the type of feedstock used. Some digesters are stirred with mechanised stirrers to ensure that the feedstock is optimally exposed to the bacteria. Digesters are often heated to maintain the appropriate temperatures (approximately °C) at which the process takes place. In 2008, the average capacity of farm-scale German biogas plants was 350 kW, but larger plants of around 5 MW are also found (Siemens Limited, 2010).
"Baba"-groentes - gaan hulle groot word?!!
Die meeste baba-groentes is heeltemal volwasse miniatuur groentes en ander is onvolwasse groentes wat geoes word voordat volwassenheid bereik word. Hierdie groente is net so voedsaam soos groente van normale grootte en is gewoonlik sagter en het 'n meer delikate smaak. Die produksie van baba-groente is relatief nuut. Navorsing is in die 1960's tot vroeg in die 1970's gedoen waarna dit basies tot 'n einde gekom het aangesien die supermark-verspreidingsisteme van daardie tydperk nie so gesofistikeerd was soos vandag nie en die bevriesing, waarvoor die baba-groentes oorspronklik ontwikkel is, te duur was as gevolg van ontoereikende masjinerie. Die verbruiker van die sestigs en vroeë sewentigs was ook nie ingestel op baba-groentes nie.
Die effek van verskillende vlakke van byvoeding op die produksie van afrondingsvolstruise wat besproeide lusern bewei
Authors: Marline Strydom, Tertius Brand, Bennie Aucamp and Johann Van Heerden
Source: Agriprobe 8, pp 12 –17 (2011)
'n Studie is gedoen om uit te vind wat die effek van verskillende vlakke van byvoeding is op die produksie van afrondingsvolstruise wanneer hulle besproeide lusernweiding bewei. Volstruise wat in 'n voerkraal op die volledig gebalanseerde afrondingsdieët afgerond word se eindgewigte het nie betekenisvol verskil van die volstruise wat lusern bewei het en respektiewelik 1500g en 1000g byvoeding/ volstruis/dag ontvang het nie. Alhoewel die GDT van volstruise wat 1000g byvoeding/volstruis/dag ontvang betekenisvol laer was as dié wat 1500g byvoeding/volstruis/dag ontvang het of in die voerkraal afgerond is, het hul nog steeds daarin geslaag om slaggewig te bereik teen ongeveer dieselfde tyd as die ander twee groepe. Afrondingsvolstruise wat dus toegelaat word om 'n goeie kwaliteit weiding soos lusern te bewei en die regte tipe byvoeding ontvang, kan slaggewig bereik teen ongeveer dieselfde tyd as volstruise wat in 'n voerkraal afgerond word. Indien weiding dus met die regte tipe byvoeding aangevul word, kan dit 'n volledig gebalanseerde afrondingsdieët in die voerkraal vervang. Daar was ook geen betekenisvolle verskil in VOV tussen groepe op lusernweiding en byvoeding en die voerkraal groep nie. Gematigde vlakke van byvoeding (500g/volstruis/dag) het gelei tot 'n hoër weidingsinname deur die volstruise en ook hoër produksie van die lusernweiding en beklemtoon die feit dat byvoeding 'n belangrike rol speel by die beweiding van lusern.
Ontwikkeling van stikstofbestuurs strategeë op weimengsels in die Wynland sub-streek van die Wes-Kaap
Authors: C. Bester, J. Labuschagne, P. Karsen and P.J. Pieterse
Source: Agriprobe 8, pp 18 –19 (2011)
Stikstof is ongetwyfeld een van die belangrikste plantvoedingselemente wat die droëmateriaalproduksie en kwaliteit van grasgebaseerde weidings bepaal, maar dit is ook geweldig duur en verteenwoordig gewoonlik meer as 50% van die totale produksiekoste van weidings onder besproeiing. Die aanwending van tussen 300 en 400 kg N ha-1jaar-1 behels die toediening van tussen 1050 en 1500kg KAN wat 'n koste implikasie van tussen R4000 en R5700 ha-1 tot gevolg het. Ondoeltreffende stikstofbestuur is dus nie net onekonomies nie, maar oormatige toediening kan ook tot die besoedeling van natuurlike hulpbronne lei. Huidiglik word daar baie klem gelê op die volhoubaarheid van boerderystelsels en dit raak al hoe belangriker om boerderypraktyke aan te pas sodat die omgewing nie nadelig beïnvloed word nie. Loging van grondstikstof is 'n groot probleem en 'n groot bedreiging vir riviere en ondergrondse waterbronne. Besproeide weidings is gewoonlik naby aan riviere geleë en besoedeling van hierdie belangrike hulpbron kan 'n geweldige nadelige impak op die omgewing uitoefen. Dit is dus noodsaaklik dat stikstofbemesting so doeltreffend moonlik aangewend word om verliese te beperk en winsgewendheid te verhoog.
Die invloed van populasiedigtheid en vloerspasie van dagoud volstruiskuikens (Struthio Camelus) op hul gedrag, inname en groei
Source: Agriprobe 8, pp 20 –22 (2011)
Die invloed wat kuikendigtheid op die gedrag, inname, groei en oorlewing van volstruiskuikens het, is ondersoek. Twee honderd volstruiskuikens is in groepe met kuikendigthede van 5, 10, 15 en 20 kuikens per 4m2 elk, met vier herhalings vir elke groepgrootte verdeel. Die kuikens is binne 'n omgewingsbeheerde kuikenhuis op die Kromme Rhee proefplaas naby Stellenbosch grootgemaak.
Die onderbou van 'n suksesvolle melkery
Source: Agriprobe 8, pp 23 –25 (2011)
'n Fyn balans is nodig vir finansiële oorlewing van 'n melkery. Melkboere is aan die uitsetkant prysnemers terwyl insetverskaffers na hul eie brutomarges kyk. Veranderinge in melkpryse en insetkostes is groot besprekingspunte en dit vorm die emosionele toestand van die bedryf. 'n Daling in die melkprys het dikwels tot gevolg dat 'n aantal produsente die bedryf verlaat. Ander produsente vergroot weer hul melkkuddes om 'n groter jaarlikse omset te verkry. Wêreldwyd kom dieselfde tendens voor en produsente vra dieselfde vrae oor hoe om te oorleef. Produsente moet konsentreer op daardie faktore wat direk onder hul beheer is. 'n Melkery is 'n intensiewe onderneming met hoë insetkoste en 'n hoë vlak van wetenskaplike en praktiese kennis is nodig om dit suksesvol te bedryf.
Western Cape Burgundy Wine Exchange Programme celebrates 10 years!!!
Brainchild of Ms Thuthukile Skweyiya, South Africa's former ambassador to France, and named after her, the Thuthukile Skweyiya Western Cape - Burgundy Wine Exchange Programme was launched in 2001. The Exchange Programme falls within the ambit of the Co-operation Agreement which was entered into by the Regional Council of Burgundy and the Province of the Western Cape in 2002.
Empowerment in the thoroughbred industry got off to a good start at the recent Cape Premier Yearling Sale, held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on the 27th and 28th of January. Sweep Forward, from an empowerment co-operative made up of grooms from Klawervlei stud and Highlands stud, became the first yearling to be sold as a result of the thoroughbred industry's empowerment initiative. Sweep Forward fetched R350 000, resulting in a profit of R150 000 for the empowerment co-operative.
An analysis of the inclusion of SA to BRIC countries - the fit for South Africa's agricultural sector
Authors: Mildred Pheeha and Dirk Troskie
On the 25th of December 2010, the South African International Relations Minister announced that South Africa has been invited to join the BRIC group of countries (BRIC is an acronym for four of the most important developing countries: Brazil, Russia, India and China). A lot of economists expressed surprise and were caught off-guard since no one expected SA to be invited to join BRIC (biggest emerging markets). This acronym was introduced to the world by Jim O'Neill (the current chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management); with his 2001 paper "The World Needs Better Economic Brics".
New game : translocation policy for the Western Cape
Less than a hundred years ago the extermination of game to make way for cattle farming was considered the only way for modern agriculture to prosper and wildlife was effectively without value. Since then, the wildlife ranching industry in South Africa has grown to a point where up to 80% of wild animals are kept on privately owned land, and new record prices for wildlife are continually being set.
Goedgedacht Path out of Poverty Project
Gerrit van Rensburg, Western Cape Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, recently paid a visit to Goedgedacht Farm, outside Riebeek Kasteel. The Provincial Department of Agriculture supports a social improvement initiative on this farm, and contributed R250 000 towards this in the 2010/2011 financial year.