Tickets are available at www.quicket.co.za

Parking will be available for 1 000 cars this year, with shuttle services provided by Safari Jeeps. Tickets are R50 per person, and all visitors must register online (limited to 3 000).

There will be food and drink provided by a variety of vendors, and drinks with Gin & Co and the Thirsty Bartender, among others.

Entry will only be granted upon presentation of a ticket at the gate on the days of the event, and the first 1 000 visitors will receive a goodie bag of gifts provided by our sponsors and exhibitors.

Radio Laeveld will be broadcasting from the venue for the two days and Voodoo Kudu will be playing live on Friday afternoon from 13:00 to 18:00.

When it comes to trusted and experienced training in the Lowveld, only one name jumps to mind and that is the Kishugu Training Group.

With over 20 years’ of experience and value-added services, we’ve grown from our humble beginnings in Mbombela to offering one-stop-shop training solutions.

Kishugu Training Academy is an accredited training and organisational development advisory service provider. Our training solutions are tailored to develop and enhance the skills of people in all work environments.

A key differentiator is our ability to cut through literacy, culture, language and industry barriers, ensuring a high course completion rate.

Our advisory services focuses on organisational capabilities, competencies and legislative requirements to deliver on the mission and vision of organisations. This includes skills audits, SD facilitation, WSP development, ATP reporting and employment equity plans, administration and reporting.

We offer specialised training to individuals as well as private and public sectors ranging from agriculture, forestry, education, health and safety to hospitality, conservation and security.

We offer accredited and non-accredited courses, aligned with the requirements of the South African Qualifications Authority. Credits obtained for our courses and skills programmes count towards relevant qualifications from various SETAs.Kishugu Business School offers accredited graduate, diploma and certificate programmes in accounting, business studies, paralegal services, management training and information technology.

Start growing your future success today. Contact Kishugu Training Academy on 013 744 9328 or training@kishugu.com, or the Kishugu Business School on 013 590 0494 or info@thekbs.co.za.

Dr Schalk Schoeman

The macadamia felted coccid was first recovered from infested trees in the Barberton Valley during 2017.

It soon became apparent that this seemingly innocuous insect was a game changer, and it affected the trees in the following ways:

• Because it was introduced without its natural enemies, population increases were rapid, leading to scale encrustations of main branches, stems twigs, nuts and leaves.
• This placed considerable stress on the trees leading to leaf necrosis of the inner portions of the trees, quickly followed by dieback of large sectors of the trees.
• The ensuing physiological stress also led to manifestation of secondary problems, such as Botryosphaeria dieback and/or bark and ambrosia beetle infestations, leading to a vicious downward spiral.
• Trees may recover from this, but yields of initially infested trees take very long to return to preinfestation levels leading to compounded financial losses.

Unfortunately, no pesticide is registered for this pest, but the process of emergency registration is well on its way and a range of products should be registered under Act 36 before the end of the year.

Although no products are currently legally registered, the following strategic options are available:

• Soil-applied systemic products. These products are taken up by the roots and are transported in the vascular tissue (xylem) of the trees. As such, they will not be effective on non-feeding stages, but will have an effect on actively feeding females.
• Lipid biosynthesis inhibitors (Irac class 23). Sprayed on the foliage and may be basipetally transported in the phloem tissue.
• Juvenile hormone mimics (Irac class 7) and chitin synthesis inhibitors (Irac class 16). These products will only work against crawlers, and frequent usage may lead to secondary pest infestations.
• Smothering agents (mineral oil). Mineral oil is a very IPM-friendly way of controlling scale insects, but should not be sprayed on trees experiencing stress, and never on flowers.
• Contact insecticides. Some broad-spectrum contact insecticides will still give good control of scale insects, but should be used in combination with mineral oil.

Pruning to ensure optimal spray mixture penetration up to the main stem is important if effective control is to be expected.

Post-spray scouting with inverted duct tape is also very important, as it will determine if a follow-up spray is needed, and if so, how soon after the initial spray will it be required.

Dr Schalk Schoeman

Spray drift is the unintentional airborne movement of pesticide dust (or droplets) during or soon after application, to any site other than the intended area.

It is estimated that as much as 3% of pesticides in the USA are lost every year due to drift.

Why is drift a concern?

• Less product deposited on the target.
• Financial losses associated with drift.
• Risks of environmental contamination, injury or loss of reputation.

The following can be done to minimise the impact of spray drift:

• Continuously monitor meteorological conditions and adapt sprayer configurations if significant changes occur.
• Do not spray if the relative humidity is lower than 40% or when the temperature is higher than 25°C.
• Increase droplet sizes by reducing spraying pressures. Increases of carrier volumes and nozzle selection should be considered. Higher flow rates with optimal nozzle selection should lead to bigger droplets.
• Use commercially available drift retardants.
• Travel speed of the spraying rig will have a big effect on spray deposition and concomitant spray drift.
• Establish buffer zones between orchards and sensitive areas.
• Maintain good relations with neighbours.
• In-air assisted sprayers. The aim is to replace the inside volume of the tree canopy with pesticide-laden droplets. The ideal is not to spray through the tree canopy, as excessive air volumes can force the leaves together, leading to poor coverage and excessive drift. Reducing excessive air volumes will also lead to a considerable saving in fuel and wear and tear on equipment.
• When spraying the last row in a block, turn off the nozzles facing away from the trees. The costs and environmental implications of this practice are obvious.
• Where trees are still young and especially where there are still considerable gaps between the trees, substantial savings can be made by equipping the spray rigs with sensors that switch the nozzles off when
  the rig is passing the gap between two adjacent trees.

 

TopNut is a global nut variety management company that focuses on sourcing new varieties with improved characteristics, evaluating these varieties globally, commercialising approved varieties through a secured managed environment and achieving improved returns for all stakeholders.

They have extensive knowledge in the tree nut value chain, from breeder to consumer, and have a proven track record in variety protection, development and management.

They offer the service of protecting plant breeders’ rights and intellectual property, and commercialising this through a secured and scalable network. Other services include plant material management, breeder relations, quality control, royalty management, marketing, merchandising and technical support.

TopNut is the master licensee in Africa for the new macadamia nut variety MCT-1, which shows a lot of potential for growers to increase profitability back on the farm.

Their well-established relationships with macadamia breeders across the globe allows us to gain access to such improved varieties.

In February last year, Jaco van Eeden of Eden Farm in White River started the construction of a macadamia roasting plant, adhering strictly to food grade stipulations.

Four months later, and contrary to the naysayers, they roasted their first batch. Van Eeden attests that the feedback has been exceptional.

“Our new enterprise, Lowveld Macs, is experiencing rapid growth, with international distribution also in our sights.

“On the farm, we harvest, dehusk, dry, sort and supply AmberMacs with our harvest before receiving the kernels back. These are then roasted, caramelised, cooled, flavoured, packaged and distributed. Hence, on the farm, we add value to the product before sending it directly to market.”

For more information, contact Lowveld Macs on 071 111 0106, email admin@lowveldmacs.co.za or visit www.lowveldmacs.co.za.

Ezigro is a leading producer of macadamia trees in White River and proud to be a part of this burgeoning industry in SA.

Ezigro’s nurserymen have excellent knowledge of cultivar selection to match specific growing requirements.

Budwood is sourced from farms known to the company, where high-yielding trees are selected and proven to be free from macadamia felted coccid.

Ezigro has implemented the Ellepot paper pot system in the propagation process of its trees to improve root establishment and root mass.

The nursery currently supplies to the Lowveld, Cape, eSwatini, Zimbabwe and Zambia, and is willing and able to assist with pre-plant planning and land prep advice on larger projects.Get in touch!

Dr Schalk Schoeman

During 2015, researchers involved in subtropical crops attended the World Avocado Congress in Lima, Peru.

A series of talks by American researchers on a new but devastating stem-boring pest of avocados drew everyone’s attention.

First records of bark beetles on macadamias in South Africa were actually recorded a year earlier, during 2014, in Barberton and White River. These beetles were not identified, but infested trees were removed and destroyed, and surrounding trees were treated with insecticides as a precautionary measure.

This appeared to be effective, as no subsequent infestations were reported.

During 2017, the dreaded polyphagous shot-hole borer (pshb) was recorded in London plane trees in the Durban Botanical Garden.

Since then, this tiny beetle spread rapidly to Gauteng, KZN, Eastern Cape and now Mpumalanga as well.

Macadamia SA is busy with surveys in Mpumalanga and KZN, and so far, an extensive complex of bark- and stem-boring insects (including pshb) were recovered, consisting of many species.

Similar surveys conducted on other subtropical crops as well as on stone and pome fruit trees in the Western Cape yielded similar findings.

This is not only limited to South Africa, but appears to be a global issue at the moment, as many fruit-producing countries reported similar findings.

As one can imagine, this situation is changing rapidly, and the ecological consequences for individual fruit industries is currently poorly understood.

The effect on some ornamental trees, however, can be disastrous, and have been highlighted by many recent press reports.

Not all beetles are a death sentence to infected trees

• Worldwide it is estimated that approximately 6 000 species of these tiny beetles occur. Only a very small percentage of them are pests and the majority fulfil a very important niche. They are regarded as nature’s undertakers and recyclers, and will affect mostly moribund or dead trees.
• Not all trees are susceptible to the ravages of these insects. Some, like macadamias, appear to be less severely affected, but remember that nature is dynamic and there is a constant war for supremacy between insects and host plants. The balance of power (either side) can shift remarkably quickly – so no guarantees here.

Why are these insects such severe pests?

• Very few insects can digest lignin and cellulose. To get around this conundrum, some of these beetles can infect a host tree with a fungus that firstly blocks the vascular tissue and secondarily breaks down these otherwise indigestible tissues. In the process, they often transmit severe plant diseases that can kill trees very quickly. Examples here are Dutch elm disease, as well as a disease submitted by the southern as well as mountain pine beetles in Canada.
• These beetles make tiny holes in the wood and spend most of their lifetimes in their tunnels. No pesticide has been registered for this pest, because it is nearly impossible getting chemicals into these holes.

Symptoms of bark beetle infestation

Infested trees appear symptomless for quite some time, but eventually, feeding and tunnelling of the beetles result in characteristic expelled sawdust through the small entrance holes (±1mm). Some sawdust particles tend to adhere to each other and form matchstick-like projections sticking out from the various entrance
holes. Sawdust also accumulates
around the bases and in main crotches of affected trees.

What can and should be done to limit the effect of these beetles in my garden and/or orchard?

• It is confirmed, the pshb is in the Lowveld, and being aware of a problem is the first step in managing it.
• The second step is to inspect the trees in your garden and to be aware of the symptoms (sawdust around the bases of the trees as well as general tree decline).
• Call an expert to verify. These beetles are tiny, and superficially, many species look alike. It may therefore be necessary to send it away for molecular identification.
• Destroy infected trees as well as dead wood. Be aware that holes in dead wood are most often caused by either indigenous or naturalised species.
• Do not move dead wood between different geographical areas. Under no circumstances should dead wood be taken into the Kruger National Park for a nice evening bonfire.
• These insects prefer to live in moribund trees, therefore, maintaining optimal tree health is most often a very effective first line of defence.
• If the pest is noticed in your garden, it is good practice to notify your neighbours as well as the parks section of your local
  city council.

Fox is South Africa’s premier supplier of personal protective equipment, cleaning chemicals, paper products and industrial consumable supplies.

Through its network of 10 branches around the country, it distributes its products throughout southern Africa.

Fox was founded in the early 1960s as a family business, and was run by Cecil Fox and his son, Gerald.

With Gerald at the helm and fuelled by his energy and passion, a small family business blossomed into one of South Africa’s largest suppliers and manufacturers of rags.

The country lost a dynamic force with Gerald’s murder in 2003, after which the company was bought by the Bidvest Group.

With the support of SA’s leading industrial conglomerate, G. Fox was empowered to attain new heights through acquisition and product development.

As a proud member of the Bidvest Group, the company has expanded to become a trusted supplier to over 12 000 South African companies, employing over 2 200 staff members.

A vast and extensive product range

Since it was founded 60 years ago, G. Fox has built a reputation as the first point of call for all businesses and individuals who require a reliable and quality supplier for their industrial consumable requirements.

Footwear, workwear, gloves, respiratory equipment, harnesses, hearing protection, cleaning chemicals, janitorial products, paper products, cleaning equipment and other quality products form a substantial range of stock held by all G. Fox branches.

The company’s fleet of over 40 delivery vehicles ensures it is able to fulfil any requirement, no matter how large.

The factory

All G. Fox workwear is manufactured in the company’s first-rate facility in eSwatini.

The factory is company-owned and dedicated to manufacturing to G. Fox’s stringent specifications and standards. All garments are made from the finest quality fabrics, sourced directly by the factory, are finished to the highest standards in the industry, and are SABS-approved.

Raw material and trims are sourced across the globe and shipped through the port of Durban in South Africa, directly into eSwatini.

Similarly, outbound freight moves through the port of Durban to different destinations around the world.

Customer-focused

In all its customer and supplier interactions, honesty and integrity are G. Fox’s guiding principles to build lasting relationships.

This business centres on service, service and service. G. Fox strives to provide its customers with the exceptional standard of service excellence they deserve and have come to expect from the company.

The passion

Fox’s passion for its people, customers and products has led to establishing its focus phrase: “We keep people safe and areas clean!”

Tel: 087 148 8210

Email: niadrip@gfox.co.za

Address: Shop 3, Riverside Industrial Park, 24 Rapid Street, Mbombela, 1200.

For advertising, please contact Lowvelder sales department: roche@lowvelder.co.za  or phone us during office hours on 013 591 4682