This study was conducted to assess the effects of various agro-waste substrates on the production of oyster mushrooms (P. ostreatus and P. pulmonarius). The substrates utilised in this research were banana pseudo-stems ...
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is an annual dicotyledonous tuber herbaceous crop. The crop
is relatively susceptible to water stress when compared to other major field crops. Soil texture
plays a pivotal role in the ...
Groundnut or peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is mostly grown by small-holder farmers in semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa, particularly South Africa. As with other crops, not all groundnut cultivars respond equally well ...
Conservation agriculture (CA) is a production system that involves three principles which are
minimal or zero tillage, crop rotation and mulching with plant residues. CA improves soil physical
properties resulting in ...
Smallholder maize production systems are characterized by continuous maize monoculture production, which often leads to soil degradation, nutrient depletion and increased risk of pests and diseases. The cropping system is ...
Bush tea (Athrixia phylicoides DC.) is an indigenous herbal tea plant in South Africa with medicinal potential. Various parts of this plant are used to make herbal infusions and have been used traditionally for different ...
Tropical legumes are important food crops for human and animal nutrition as well as the improvement of soil fertility. In Southern Africa, tropical legumes are cultivated mostly by smallholder farmers partly because of ...
Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan) is an important grain legume, which is grown in many African countries largely for human and animal consumption. Leguminous crops such as pigeonpea fix atmospheric nitrogen (N) symbiotically in ...
Tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius A. Gray) is an important food legume which originated from South America. In South Africa, it is cultivated by smallholder growers mainly in the drought prone Sekhukhune District of Limpopo ...
Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.) is an important grain legume that originated in the Indian sub-continent. In South Africa, it is grown either as single plants or as a hedge, mainly in Kwazulu-Natal, Limpopo, and ...
A few strategies have been utilized in plant phenology to observe the starting date of the life cycle events and the basic temperature for development and improvement of perennial plants. The study of phenophases on plant ...
South African soils contain lesser percent organic carbon content compared to soils from many parts of the world. The loss in organic carbon content reduces soil fertility and drives an ever increasing demand for the use ...
Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius) are essential
legumes which provide food for many people in South Africa. However, the productivity
of these major tropical legumes in Limpopo Province ...
Soil degradation is a major challenge affecting agricultural production around the world in the
twenty-first century. Alternative approaches including the use of biochar and the introduction
of legumes that will fix ...
Most of the available knowledge about soil structure degradation through crust formation is limited to two-dimensional geometry. However, soil is a natural three-dimension body. The objective of the study is to assess soil ...
Excessive and unnecessary tillage without residue retention can degrade the soil’s physical quality, decrease soil organic carbon contents and crop yields. Although the benefits of improved tillage methods and mulching ...
Understanding the spatial variability of selected soil fertility indicators could make it possible to optimize the use of agricultural inputs with the reduction of economic and environmental risks. The aim of this study ...
Soil erosion and runoff are a major threat to soil productivity since it is associated with the removal of the top layer, depletion of essential plant nutrients, and reduces infiltration of water into the soil. Soil aggregate ...
Agricultural production under rain-fed conditions is largely dependent on the availability of water stored in the soil during rainfall events. The production of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) under rain-fed conditions ...
Soil resilience is the ability of a soil to recover its function or capacity after applied stress such as crusting. Some soils have high potential for recovery while others have poor resilience. Soils with poor resilience ...