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Research Articles (Agronomy)
Recent Submissions
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Aligning conservation agriculture among various disciplines in South Africa
(Taylor & Francis, 2021-10-01)n South Africa, the term Conservation Agriculture (CA) is often used to describe any soil conservation action rather than a combination of the three management principles that CA encompasses, namely minimum soil disturbance, ... -
Grazing under irrigation affects N2O-emissions substantially in South Africa
(MDPI, 2020-08-29)Fertilized agricultural soils serve as a primary source of anthropogenic N2O emissions. In South Africa, there is a paucity of data on N2O emissions from fertilized, irrigated dairy-pasture systems and emission factors ... -
Excessive nitrogen fertilization is a limitation to herbage yield and nitrogen use efficiency of dairy pastures in South Africa
(MDPI, 2022-04-06)The response of crop yields to fertilizers is a long-standing topic of agricultural production. Currently, in dairy-pasture systems, nitrogen (N) fertilizer is used as a management tool that is said to be directly ... -
Genetic evidence for plural introduction pathways of the invasive weed Paterson’s curse (Echium plantagineum L.) to southern Australia
(Public Library of Science, 2019-09-19)Paterson’s curse (Echium plantagineum L. (Boraginaceae)), is an herbaceous annual native to Western Europe and northwest Africa. It has been recorded in Australia since the 1800’s and is now a major weed in pastures and ... -
Opportunities and challenges for seasonal climate forecasts to more effectively assist smallholder farming decisions
(ASSAf, 2020-01-29)The ability of smallholder farmers to utilise seasonal climate forecast (SCF) information in farm planning to reflect anticipated climate is a precursor to improved farm management. However, the integration of SCF by ... -
We object to bad science : poor research practices should be discouraged
(ASSAf, 2020-07-10)On 8 June 2020, we, a diverse group of African emerging researchers, published a response to the commentary titled ‘Why are black South African students less likely to consider studying biological sciences?’ (1)published ... -
Moringa oleifera in South Africa : a review on its production, growing conditions and consumption as a food source
(ASSAf, 2021-03-29)Moringa oleifera (moringa) trees excel mainly in tropical and sub-tropical regions and are known to thrive in a wide range of soil types. The recent rise in moringa production in various agro-ecological zones of South ... -
Seed-drill opener type and crop residue load affect canola establishment, but only residue load affects yield
(American Society of Agronomy, 2019)Core Ideas Canola establishment can be affected by the residues of the previous crop. Different planting tools may handle crop residue differently. Tine and disc furrow openers at different residue loads were tested. Canola ... -
Canola is injured by in‐row nitrogen placement associated with disc openers, but not by tine openers
(Crop Science Society of America, 2020)Seed drills are used in no‐tillage systems to place seed directly in soil. Various furrow openers exist, each with unique seed and fertilizer placement characteristics, particularly positioning of fertilizer in relation ... -
A prospectus for sustainability of rainfed maize production systems in South Africa
(Crop Science Society of America, 2020)The rainfed maize (Zea mays L.) production systems of South Africa require an integrated approach to use the limited soil available water more efficiently, and to increase system productivity and sustainability. The soils ... -
A comparison of experimental designs for cultivar evaluations
(Taylor and Francis, 2020)Spatial heterogeneity and the lack of clear or significant treatment responses in agricultural field experiments complicates recommending the most suitable cultivar(s) to producers for a specific area. Increased attention ... -
Extent of soil acidity in no-tillage systems in the Western Cape Province of South Africa
(MDPI, 2020)Roughly 90% of farmers in the Western Cape Province of South Africa have converted to no-tillage systems to improve the efficiency of crop production. Implementation of no-tillage restricts the mixing of soil amendments, ... -
Benefits are limited with high nitrogen fertiliser rates in kikuyu-ryegrass pasture systems
(MDPI, 2020)Nitrogen (N) fertiliser is applied to pastures in dairy farming systems to ensure productivity, but it is an expensive input that could be damaging to the environment if used excessively. In the southern Cape region of ... -
Vulnerability, institutional arrangements and the adaptation choices made by farmers in the Western Cape of South Africa
(Taylor & Francis, 2019)From 2015 to 2018, South Africa suffered from the worst drought since 1904. Climate change is predicted to increase both the frequency and intensity of droughts in parts of South Africa. In this light it is evident that ... -
Narrow rows and high maize plant population improve water use and grain yield under conservation agriculture
(American Society of Agronomy, 2020-03-11)The relationship between maize (Zea mays L.) population density and grain yield is influenced by soil and crop management strategies, including Conservation Agriculture (CA). Yet little is known about the response of maize ... -
High nitrogen rates do not increase canola yield and may affect soil bacterial functioning
(American Society of Agronomy, 2019)Nitrogen fertilization has a fundamental role in agricultural productivity. However, injudicious N applications to crops are common. It is important to ensure the minimum N required for satisfactory crop growth is applied ... -
Cover crop management in a Sauvignon blanc/Ramsey vineyard in the semiarid Olifants River Valley, South Africa. 1. effect of management practices on selected grass and broadleaf species
(South African Society for Enology and Viticulture, 2005)This trial was conducted over a period of ten years on a sandy soil in a Sauvignon blanc/Ramsey vineyard in Lutzville (31°35’S, 18°52’E), situated in the semi-arid Olifants River Valley of the Western Cape. Twenty-three ... -
Cover crop management in a chardonnay/99 Richter Vineyard in the Coastal Region, South Africa. 2. effect of different cover crops and cover crop management practices on grapevine performance
(South African Society for Enology and Viticulture, 2006)The trial was conducted over a period of 10 years (1993/94 to 2002/03) on a medium textured soil in a Chardonnay/99 Richter vineyard near Stellenbosch (33°55’S, 18°52’E), situated in the Coastal Wine Grape Region of the ... -
Cover crop management in a chardonnay/99 Richter Vineyard in the Coastal Wine Grape Region, South Africa. 1. effect of two management practices on selected grass and broadleaf species
(South African Society for Enology and Viticulture, 2006)The trial was conducted over a period of 10 years (1993/94 to 2002/03) on a medium textured soil in a Chardonnay/99 Richter vineyard near Stellenbosch (33°55’S, 18°52’E), situated in the Coastal Wine Grape Region of the ... -
Cover crop management in a chardonnay/99 Richter Vineyard in the Coastal Region, South Africa. 3. effect of different cover crops and cover crop management practices on organic matter and macro-nutrient content of a medium-textured soil
(South African Society for Enology and Viticulture, 2007)The trial was conducted over a period of 10 years (1993/94 to 2002/03) on a medium-textured soil in a Chardonnay/99 Richter vineyard near Stellenbosch (33°55’S, 18°52’E), which is situated in the Coastal wine grape region ...