Hanno van Schalkwyk

Producers in the Paarl/Swartland are familiar with sunburn, but the timing of a sweltering hot day on 25 December 2024 and preceding weather conditions led to significant losses in tonnage.

Mechanical harvesting has become well-established in the Orange River region over the past decade and this has also presented the opportunity to apply mechanical pruning. The correct application of this practice is important to achieve satisfactory long-term results.

During the past season, symptoms of manganese deficiency were relatively commonly observed in wine grapes in the Coastal Region areas.

Fourie (2021) found in the Coastal Region that a mulch that was formed by mulching in the work row, decreased the irrigation requirement of a vineyard by up to 50 mm.