• News
  • Sport
  • TV
  • Radio
  • Education
  • TV Licences
  • Contact Us
No Result
View All Result
  • SOUTH AFRICA
  • POLITICS
  • BUSINESS
  • SPORT
  • AFRICA
  • WORLD
  • SCI-TECH
  • LIFESTYLE
  • FEATURES
  • OPINION
Home Business

UFS establishes crop farming research platform to assist small scale farmers

20 March 2022, 7:44 PM  |
Krivani Pillay Krivani Pillay |  @SABCNews
Maize field in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Maize field in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Image: Pixabay

Maize field in Mpumalanga, South Africa.

The University of the Free State (UFS) has established a crop farming research platform in an effort to help role players in the industry. The faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science at the university says its research will assist small-scale farmers with business management and self-sustainability. The platform will communicate research results to the wider sector, which includes industry partners as well as national and international collaborators.

“We trying to improve crops to the point where they will be able to handle the drought situation and then with biotic stress we working on improving crops to be able to be resistant against certain diseases because for every crop that’s out there, there’s a specific disease and for that, you have to understand the fungus of the bacteria that involved in this disease. And that’s what we are trying to do as the research is to improve the crops till you can have high enough yield and also a high-quality product,” says Dr Adre Minnaar-Ontong, UFS coordinator of the Crop Research Platform.

Crop farmers say they are faced with many challenges as a result of climate change. They say they have to cope with drought, floods, soil erosion and biodiversity loss. Molefi Moleme has been a farmer for almost 10 years and he says it is not easy.

“The challenges the farmers are facing now is too much, rain that we received, because sometimes after planting on that day the rain can be too much to 70%, and then we have to replant again. Now that thing wastes a lot of your money because maybe you’ve planted on that day 60 hectares, to plant is too much money. And another thing is, maybe you’ve planted last week and this week it rains when the plants are trying to germinate and the plants now don’t need too much water because the soil becomes stagnant and they will wield and die,” says Moleme.

Share article
Tags: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural ScienceUniversity of the Free StateSmall-scale farmers
Previous Post

SA’s new COVID-19 cases under 1 000, two related deaths

Next Post

Chinese, Tanzanian Finance Ministers hold virtual meeting on bilateral ties

Related Posts

A house without power.

Eskom implements Stage 5 and 6 rolling blackouts

31 January 2023, 12:01 PM
The dollar index has weakened to 101.88 from a 20-year high of 114.78 on September 28 as investors price in the likelihood that the Fed is nearing the end of its tightening cycle.

Dollar steady as central banks take central stage

30 January 2023, 8:00 PM
Eskom has put the country on stage 4 rolling blackouts until further notice.

NUM tells Gordhan there are solutions available to end intensified rolling blackouts

30 January 2023, 3:26 PM
A woman works at her desk typing on a computer in this illustration picture taken January 9, 2005

‘SA may see a permanent return to office in 2023’

30 January 2023, 10:30 AM
A candle is used during load shedding in South Africa.

Eskom ramps up rolling blackouts to Stage 4 until further notice

29 January 2023, 8:37 PM
A ward in a hospital.

Budget not sufficient to hire more doctors: Department of Health

29 January 2023, 4:25 PM
Next Post
[File Image] A general picture shows the skyline of Tanzania's port city of Dar es Salaam,

Chinese, Tanzanian Finance Ministers hold virtual meeting on bilateral ties

Most Viewed

  • 24hrs
  • Week
  • Month
  • Gas leak shut, isolated in Pretoria North
  • King of Bacardi music ‘Vusi Ma R5’ killed in Soshanguve
  • Bapedi kingdom commemorates Kgosi Mampuru II, still hoping to find his remains
  • Limpopo man arrested after discovery of his wife’s body in water-filled pit toilet
  • EFF cuts ties with IFP in KwaZulu-Natal
  • Parts of the Northern Cape to be exempted from rolling blackouts
  • VIDEO | St Benedict College’s Matric learner gets 11 distinctions
  • Limpopo matriculant from child-headed household attains diploma pass
  • Female circumcision practice thriving in Eastern Cape
  • Premier denies claims that KZN government spent millions on Mampintsha’s funeral
  • King of Bacardi music ‘Vusi Ma R5’ killed in Soshanguve
  • VIDEO: Limpopo comedian’s murder case postponed
  • [WARNING:GRAPHIC CONTENT] Alleged child sex ring kingpin wanted to commit suicide: statement
  • Energy crisis could be declared a national disaster
  • Legitimacy of shooting video in Malema trial under spotlight

LATEST

People and rescue workers gather amid the damages, after a suicide blast in a mosque in Peshawar, Pakistan January 30, 2023.
  • World

Families search for loved ones after Pakistan mosque blast kills 100


Western powers say the Russian forces in Mali include Wagner Group contractors.
  • Africa

UN experts seek probe into possible war crimes by Mali, Russia’s Wagner Group


[FILE IMAGE] EFF leader Julius  Malema at Siyabonga Rally in Tembisa, Gauteng.
  • Politics

Malema’s firearms trial: East London court to allow state to use video footage as evidence


[File Image] South Africa's Shabnim Ismail celebrates with team mates after taking the wicket of England's Sarah Taylor.
  • Sport
  • Cricket

Luus to captain SA Women’s cricket team at ICC T20 World Cup


People collecting water from one of the Water tanker
  • South Africa

Rand Water reservoir levels plummet amid rolling blackouts


  • South Africa

LIVE: EFF leader Julius Malema back in court


Weather

  • About the SABC
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
  • Advertise
  • Disclaimer
  • Site Map

SABC © 2022

No Result
View All Result
  • SOUTH AFRICA
  • POLITICS
  • BUSINESS
  • SPORT
  • AFRICA
  • WORLD
  • SCI-TECH
  • LIFESTYLE
  • FEATURES
  • OPINION

© 2022

Previous SA’s new COVID-19 cases under 1 000, two related deaths
Next Chinese, Tanzanian Finance Ministers hold virtual meeting on bilateral ties