Table of contents for 10 March 2017 in Farmer's Weekly

In the national budget, tabled recently in Parliament by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan, it was indicated that the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) planned to spend R241 million on an agricultural census, in collaboration with Statistics SA. The census, according to the Estimates of National Expenditure, “will create a registry of subsistence, smallholder and commercial farmers, and gather baseline information”. According to DAFF, this information would be used to “properly target support to farmers, avoid duplicating support to emerging farmers, and allow for a proper ratio of extension officers, to ensure the productivity of emerging farmers”. According to some leaders in the agricultural sector, however, such a census could be applied for more sinister purposes. Speaking at Absa’s media roundtable on the 2017 budget speech in Johannesburg, Dr…

COURSES & TRAINING 20 TO 22 MARCH Artificial Insemination – Cattle, George. For more information, visit rltsafrica.com. 21 TO 23 MARCH Cattle Embryo Transfer – Artificial Insemination, George. For more information, visit rltsafrica.com. 23 MARCH Cattle Pregnancy Awareness, George. For more information, visit rltsafrica.com. 24 MARCH Calf Rearing, George. For more information, visit rltsafrica.com. 27 TO 29 MARCH Artifical Insemination – Cattle, Elsenburg. For more information, visit rltsafrica.com. 27 TO 31 MARCH Crop Production, George. For more information, visit rltsafrica.com. 29 MARCH Africa Land-use, Veld Management. For more information, email info@alut.co.za. 22 APRIL Winter Garden Preparation, Fordoun Garden, KwaZulu-Natal. For more information, phone 083 429 2867. 24 MAY Profitable Boer Goat Farming, Potchefstroom. Phone Johan Steyn on 072 594 4626, or visit boergoats.co.za. 22 TO 23 JUNE Commercial Gourmet Mushroom…

OVER THE NEXT TWO DECADES, 330 MILLION YOUNG AFRICANS WILL ENTER THE JOB MARKET Many see the agricultural sector as the epicentre of growth and development across the African continent, and therefore it has to attract young talent to maximise this potential. However, some agricultural leaders and policymakers have placed the onus on young people, arguing that they show little interest in the sector, preferring office jobs that are perceived as sophisticated. On face value, this is believable. Over the past few months, however, I have met a number of young South Africans who are interested in and motivated to join the agricultural sector. All ask the same questions: “Where do we start? Is it possible to access productive land and mentorship? How do I access potential funding and financing?”…

International packaging and paper group, Mondi, has grown its profitability over the past five years, according to its latest annual financial results. The €981 million (R13,4 billion) underlying operating profit that Mondi achieved for its financial year ended 31 December 2016 was 3% up on the €957 million (R13,1 billion) it posted for its immediately preceding financial year. Mondi’s return on capital employed (ROCE) for the year ended 31 December 2016 was 20,3%. “We saw good contributions from all our businesses despite pricing headwinds in a number of key paper grades,” group CEO, David Hathorn, said. Good volume growth in Mondi’s packaging paper and consumer packaging markets, coupled with higher domestic selling prices in South Africa and Russia, were, however, offset by lower average selling prices in packaging paper and…

Spanish packagers and exporters have reduced the quantity of goods sent to China, in particular oranges and lemons that have been affected by bad weather, according to a Freshplaza article. Weather conditions in January and February, including excessive rain, cold weather and even snow, had damaged new orange trees. Fruit, too, was damaged and quality was poorer when compared with the previous season. “The cold weather conditions also […] caused the oranges to be less sweet than last year,” the article stated. In addition, according to the article, Chinese consumers preferred oranges of 48mm, 54mm, 60mm to 64mm, and 70mm to 72mm in diameter, but the majority of Spanish oranges were 60mm to 64mm, 70mm to 72mm, and 80mm. Strikes at Spanish ports worsened the export problem, with strikers disrupting…

Minister of Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa, has given notice of her intention to manage the sustainable hunting of leopard. According to an 8 February Government Gazette notice, “Anyone who intends to hunt leopard must first undertake and pass a once-off leopard hunting examination in the presence of an official of an issuing authority.” The test was to ascertain whether the hunter knew the relevant legislation and could identify male leopards older than seven years. Studies showed that harvesting male leopards of this age had little impact on the population. “By this age, males have held tenure for long enough to allow at least one litter to reach independence, which is sufficient to maintain population stability,” the notice stated. After a hunt, an environmental management inspector would collect a small skin…

Following reports that fall armyworm (FAW) has been discovered in more areas across KwaZulu-Natal, the province’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (KZN DARD) said it was in control of efforts to tackle the crop pest that had recently reached South Africa from some of its northern neighbours. The department’s MEC, Themba Mthembu, recently hosted a media briefing in Durban where he announced that, as of 21 February, fall armyworm had been identified on maize crops in the Amajuba, Uthukela and Umkhanyakude districts. “I want to assure the farmers and people of KwaZulu-Natal that the department is in control of the fall armyworm in the province,” he said. The department had established an emergency Plant Pest Response Plan (PPRP), he said. As part of this, it was evaluating the spread…

The ongoing devastating drought in some parts of the Eastern Cape has affected livestock farmers severely over the past year, despite good rain in other parts of the province, according to Francois du Toit, chairperson of the province’s Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (ECRPO). “We must remember that [in the areas where] it rained, the rain came in the latter part of the growth season,” he said. Presenting his annual report at the organisation’s annual general meeting, Du Toit said, “Get out of your bakkie and walk into the veld and see how much food has in fact been produced for the animals. Notice the dead plants. Our veld has been hurt very badly. Now is the time that you must look after your veld. It’s your responsibility. Don’t start rebuilding…

To feed the world population of an estimated nine billion by 2050 will require 70% more food production. Wheat is a major food crop for vast numbers of people, but its performance has reached a yield plateau. The Rothamsted Agricultural Research Centre in the UK has embarked on cutting-edge innovation to boost the efficiency of the complex process of photosynthesis that is the key to plant development, growth and yield potential. In brief, this innovation is aimed at increasing sunlight energy conversion to plant biomass. Rothamsted, in collaboration with the University of Leeds and Lancaster University, and supported by funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, investigated the enzyme SBPase, which is involved in a key photosynthetic step. This enzyme is present in stiff brome, a species distantly…

UPGRADING OR REBUILDING THE CANAL WILL COST R4 BILLION In January this year, producers in the Lower Olifants River had access to only about half their water quota. What happened? A break occurred in the irrigation canal on 7 January. The canal runs at full capacity at this time of year, with a freeboard (the vertical distance between the water surface and the crest of the embankment) of less than 50mm in some places. The tiniest rise in water level could cause an overflow. During the most recent incident, the canal overflowed and water washed away soil supporting the concrete lining, causing the lining and two of the panels to collapse. An 18m stretch of the canal had to be replaced entirely and about 250 000m³ of water were lost…

Measuring and managing soil moisture have long been integral to farming, and farmers have used various tools for this purpose, including tensiometers, granular matrix sensors and neutron probes. Each has advantages and disadvantages and can be used with varying degrees of success. Prices, too, vary. DFM’s continuous logging soil moisture probe, developed 16 years ago, uses capacitance sensors. A multi-level soil moisture content and temperature logging device, it measures moisture content and temperature readings at six different depths in the soil profile, as well as surface temperature. Readings are not adversely affected by salinity levels. The probe’s default setting allows you to take readings at hourly intervals, but these can be customised. If left on the default setting, the probe can store up to 4 000 readings – half a…

ATTILA CONTAINS A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF TWO DIFFERENT INGREDIENTS: FIPRONIL & ABAMECTIN A tick population explosion has been observed in various areas of South Africa due to good rainfall and warm temperatures, which have provided the ideal environment for the proliferation of these ticks. Subsequently, there has also been an increase in the occurrence of tick-borne diseases such as redwater and gallsickness. This is due partly to high tick numbers and the possibility of animals having lost their immunity or resistance to these diseases, following the long drought and lower exposure to ticks. In addition, there has been a marked increase in roundworm. For animals to fully utilise South Africa’s favourable grazing, it is important to control both these pests tactically. A high internal and external parasite burden can have…

PLANT THE TREE AT EXACTLY THE SAME DEPTH AS IT WAS IN THE NURSERY BAG The pecan nut tree grows and produces best in fertile, well-drained and deep soil with a loose to medium texture. Scab is a fungal disease that can spread rapidly in areas with high summer rainfall and humidity. The cultivars Moore (Bester), Barton, Ukulinga, and Shoshoni are resistant to scab. SOIL PREPARATION Examine the soil in terms of depth, drainage and compaction layers. The soil should be at least 2m deep, with good drainage and minimum compaction. Check its suitability by digging test pits in the land and examining the soil profile at each level. Take a representative sample of the soil for analysis at least 12 months before planting. This allows time to prepare the…

Jerome Increase Case established the Racine Threshing Machine Works on the shores of the Root River near Racine, Wisconsin, in 1842, and went on to produce a revolutionary machine that, after the harvest, separated the grain from straw. According to current Case IH brand president, Andreas Klauser, quality was always a priority for Jerome Case, and even in his later years he would travel far and wide to check product releases. He was in the right place at the time; the US was expanding as pioneers moved westwards and established new farms. A labour shortage after the American Civil War (1861-1865) saw more farmers considering mechanisation. In 1869, Case built his first portable steam engine. Mounted on wheels and drawn by horses, it powered other machines such as threshers. Case’s…

KEEP A HORSE’S SURROUNDINGS NEAT, CLEAN AND FREE OF SHARP OBJECTS Equine lymphangitis is inflammation of the lymphatic system, and results in extremely swollen limbs, sometimes with skin tears and oozing. It has many potential causes, which makes it difficult to prevent. As a horse owner, the best you can do for your horse is keep its surroundings as clean as possible, and free of sharp objects such as metal and wire, which can puncture the skin. At the same time, cuts and scrapes on the lower limbs should be treated promptly. Use a saline solution to wash and clean the wounds. Apply a cream of Hypericum and calendula and close the wound if possible. Try to keep horses out of muddy wet paddocks if they are prone to lymphangitis.…

Dear Jonno, I’ve attached a photo of the log cabin I want to build on a beachfront site on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, as well as a rough layout of what I require. I also need a large en suite attic bedroom with views of the sea. The site slopes 20° from west to east. I look forward to see what you come up with. Regards, Andrew Dear Andrew, Thanks for the informative sketch and the site description. I’ve tried to include most of the aesthetics depicted in the photo of the log cabin. I’ve located the main en suite bedroom in the attic as requested and have included a large wardrobe area over the bedroom below. I’ve left the area over the kitchen and living areas as double volume,…

RATHER BE THE DEVIL by Ian Rankin (Orion, R315) By popular demand, Rankin has resurrected his series character, Inspector Rebus, whom he left ageing, in poor health and apparently at the end of the line. In retirement, Rebus becomes intrigued when he tries to find out the truth about the murder of a glamorous socialite 40 years previously, one of his earliest cases. His search becomes entangled with a contemporary gangland money-laundering scheme and Rebus has to use all his experience and wiles to stay part of the investigation. Ingeniously plotted and wonderfully characterised. SAY AGAIN? by Malcolm Venter & Jean Branford (Pharos, R260) Venter and Branford canter through the highways and byways of English as spoken in South Africa, discussing the derivation of many local…

The Beefmaster breed was developed by Tom Lasater in the US during the Great Depression of the 1930s, which was accompanied by a devastating drought. These conditions inspired him to develop a breed that would be adaptable and still produce meat and calves under difficult conditions. By crossbreeding animals with different traits and genes from a common base and selecting only the best, he produced a breed that continues to go from strength to strength worldwide. Lasater had six selection criteria: weight, conformation, milking ability, fertility, hardiness and disposition. These are all crucial in cattle breeding and should be implemented for any breed. WHY CHOOSE BEEFMASTER? • Crossbreeding Research has shown that crossbreeding beef cattle offers two primary advantages over using a single breed: – Crossbred animals exhibit heterosis (hybrid vigour);…

“When a former comrade and colleague called the president a scoundrel and […] [when] all the ANC had to offer in response was to pull out the race card and […] [when] the Speaker chased out of the Chamber a member of Parliament who asked a perfectly reasonable question, I realised, deeply and painfully, in watching this, that I have come to a point where I refuse to be part of the intellectual funeral of the ANC, that I refuse to be associated with so-called leaders who trample on the people who voted them into office, who disrespect the Constitution, whose only predictable response to all challenges is “racism” and who are willing to sacrifice the future of our children […]” – Mathews Phosa, 2017. I want to address…

The Grahamstown High Court has ruled that Mark Cockin, his mother, Marioth, and the Cockin Trust had not been involved in a fraudulent grazing scheme. This brings to a close a drawn-out court battle dating back to 2015. Farmer’s Weekly previously reported that Shaun Cockin, a former Eastern Cape farmer, had run a grazing scheme in which farmers had lost cattle worth millions of rand (FW, 29 April 2016). In September 2015, after being confronted by Dave Osborne of Queenstown, one of the farmers involved, Shaun Cockin committed suicide. Osborne then applied for a provisional order of sequestration for the late Shaun Cockin’s estate, which was granted by the Grahamstown High Court. According to the order, Shaun Cockin, sole proprietor of Cockin Partners trading in the Komga and Cathcart districts,…

Berlin-based company, Infarm, has become the first indoor farming company to be awarded the GlobalGap (Good Agricultural Practice) quality standard, according to a Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) statement. SGS is an inspection, verification, testing and certification company that audits the GlobalGap standard. SGS presented the GlobalGap certificate to Infarm at this year’s Fruit Logistica Trade Fair, which was held in Berlin recently. Infarm grows and harvests herbs, leafy vegetables and lettuce in-store. The Infarm team, consisting of plant scientists, industrial designers, IT technicians, architects and chefs, among others, designs and installs indoor vertical farms in urban areas to help grocery stores become self-sufficient in their food production, while eliminating waste and reducing their environmental footprint. The company had installed ‘in-store farms’ in two supermarkets in Berlin, and the SGS…

Following a Farmer’s Weekly news story published in the 17 February issue, which highlighted a number of concerns lodged with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) by the African Farmers’ Association of South Africa (AFASA), DAFF responded that it “continues to draw inputs from various farmer formations” to address these issues. AFASA accused DAFF of failing to keep open lines of communication with the association on matters ranging from the development of agriparks to the management of farmer development funding, such as the Comprehensive Agriculture Support Programme (CASP). Unable to respond to AFASA’s statement by the time of publication of the initial news story, DAFF subsequently stated it had taken note of the criticisms. “AFASA participates on various fora that develop policies affecting farmers,” said DAFF spokesperson, Bomikazo…

Another El Niño event may hit South Africa as soon as June 2017 and last for the rest of the year, according to Isaac Hankes, weather research analyst for agriculture at Thomsons Reuters. The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is an irregularly periodical variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean, affecting large parts of the tropics and subtropical areas. The warming phase is known as El Niño and the cooling phase as La Niña. “It’s highly likely that the ENSO state will be neutral or El Niño for the remainder of 2017,” said Hankes, adding that this could mean another drought. “Historically speaking, an El Niño event developing shortly after a previous one, such as we had during 2015 and 2016, will be much weaker…

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Senzeni Zokwana, recently signed a reviewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on entry and exit animal inspections relating to the export of SA beef to China. The MoU would enable small-scale farmers in particular to export beef to China, Zokwana said afterwards. Gerhard Schutte, CEO of the Red Meat Producers’ Organisation, said that the signing was merely the first step. In a process that could take more than a year, export protocols still had to be agreed upon before the first beef was allowed to leave the country for China. Aggrey Mahanjana, group managing director of the National Emerging Red Meat Producers’ Organisation (NERPO), said that emerging farmers would not be able to access the market without the help of commercial role players. “The majority…

MILLENNIALS SEE BOOMERS AS A RAPACIOUS GENERATION THAT LIVES IN THE PAST I was at a small cocktail party a few months ago when I heard someone say, with a touch of pride: “I can do Google!” I turned around and saw that this startling revelation had been made by a grey-haired gentleman who I knew was the owner and manager of a successful retail business in town. While wondering how someone like him was only now discovering Google, I looked across at a few of the younger set standing apart, multi-tasking – which is to say, texting and chatting at the same time. What a chasm exists between these generations! How can a business manager cope with building a common focus in his or her team and keep everyone…

UNDER WATER STRESS, LEAVES APPEAR DULLER AND HAVE A DARKER COLOUR Where many farmers fall short is knowing how deep the water has penetrated after irrigation or rain. Yet this is a very important factor: overdoing irrigation causes nutrient loss and wastes money on pumping. As previously discussed, depth of wetting depends on the soil type, humus content and how dry the soil was initially. There are several ways to ascertain how far the water has penetrated: • If the crop has shallow roots, dig into the soil with a long garden trowel. (I am never without such a trowel in my hand – it’s invaluable for examining the soil.) • Wet soil has a much lower resistance to physical penetration than dry soil. This can be felt by pushing…

Optima E-Control (Lubing Maschinenfabrik) Drinking systems for poultry housing are almost exclusively operated at low water pressures. However, pressure ratios within these systems can vary depending on fluctuations in water supply, climatic conditions, the time of day, or the birds’ drinking water intake from a particular drinking line. Excessively high or low water pressures, in turn, can affect the valves in the drinking system, resulting in insufficient water being available to chickens or leaking drinking lines. Lubing Maschinenfabrik’s Optima E-Control system monitors and regulates the pressure in water lines to ensure that it remains constant. This substantially reduces the risk of wet litter in bird housing. The system also allows flock-and farm-specific pressure curves to be defined to maintain an optimal water supply at all times. An alarm is triggered…

BE PATIENT AND UNDERSTANDING; IT WILL TAKE YOU A LONG WAY There is little doubt that many of South Africa’s farmers are under great pressure: rising input costs and drought (and now floods, in some parts!) are only a few of the things that weigh heavily on them. It’s perhaps not surprising that some become short-tempered, uneasy and on edge. As farmers, though, we need to exercise self-control. “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness,” it says in 2 Peter 1:5-6. We have to exercise this gift if we want to run our farms more efficiently and effectively. It starts with curbing our tempers. There is no excuse; it’s simply unacceptable…

In just 24 months, South Africa’s blueberry industry has more than doubled in production, according to Ryan Davies, chief financial officer of United Exports. Davies attributed this robust expansion to South African producers being able to supply the European market during the window period between the start of the European season and that of South America. Farmers’ return on investment also played a major role, he said. “At the moment the price of blueberries is very good compared with other commodities.” The cultivation of blueberries is still in its infancy in South Africa. At present, South Africa produces about 5 000t of blueberries, which constitutes between 2% and 5% of global production. The local market for blueberries was also still developing, he said. “It is a very expensive product and…

Safety and security experts have separately agreed that ongoing farm attacks in South Africa are significantly undermining investment confidence in the country’s agricultural value-chain. According to unofficial records held by farmers’ union TAU SA, there have already been more than 50 farm attacks and over 15 farm murders since the start of 2017. Agbiz CEO, Dr John Purchase, said that farmworkers and black farmers were targeted in addition to white commercial farmers. “The impact on the wellbeing of families and communities is immense,” he said. Purchase added that investor confidence was also severely compromised by the attacks. “Who wants to invest and make a living in an environment that’s so insecure?” Dr Johan Burger, a consultant with the Institute for Security Studies’ Crime and Justice Programme, said that the institute…

What are the citrus industry’s greatest concerns with current markets supplied by SA citrus? When the citrus industry became deregulated it was a ‘big bang’ approach. Before deregulation, the Citrus Board conducted all activities post-packhouse on behalf of growers. This included all market research, market development, and actual marketing of the product. Although deregulation resulted in a successful growth in exports and South African citrus diversifying into new markets, many functions, most notably research and market access, had to be taken over by the Citrus Growers’ Association (CGA). Although individual exporting companies are doing market research, no single entity is doing it on behalf of the industry. In addition, there have been no discussions about who is responsible for stimulating demand for South African citrus abroad, or whether it is…

A current shortage of 50 million kilograms of wool on the international market has led to very strong demand, according to HB van der Walt, chairperson of the Eastern Cape National Wool Growers’ Association (ECNWGA). Speaking at the annual general meeting of the association in Queenstown, Van der Walt said this meant that the local industry could double its wool production without fear that prices would be negatively affected. IN 19 YEARS, COMMUNAL FARMERS’ WOOL PRODUCTION HAS GROWN FROM 222 000KG/ANNUM TO 3,5 MILLION KILOGRAMS/ANNUM “Wool is currently trading at R161,96/kg for clean wool. There are, however, huge concerns about the state of our economy, with fears that our credit grading could be adjusted to junk status. The result of such an adjustment would mean that the rand would weaken…

Hydroponic systems can be categorised as either ‘open’ or ‘closed’ types. In the former, the nutrient solution is fed to the plant roots, but excess water and nutrients are lost due to drainage or seepage into the ground. The nutrient solution in a closed system, on the other hand, is circulated in a closed loop to be reused repeatedly. Closed systems require less water and fertiliser than open hydroponic systems, but need slightly more inputs from the grower. The nutrient solution has to be replenished from time to time, as well as purified to prevent the build-up of disease. It is also necessary to adjust the chemical content of the nutrient solution periodically, to ensure that the various chemical elements are kept in balance to meet the plant’s requirements for…

Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) are the only ones currently legal in South Africa for the commercial culture of Nile tilapia. This is in stark contrast to the rest of the world, where pond culture dominates. Due to the need to utilise these complicated systems, the spotlight is placed squarely on filtration design. Many high-investment systems, many of which are complicated, hi-tech designs, do not work efficiently. RAS filtration may include components such as swirl or drum mechanical filters, fluidised bed biological filters, static gravity-based sediment traps, serial bio-filters, revolving bio-drums, and even bio-floc filtration. Additional equipment includes ultraviolet sterilisers, oxygen generators, carbon dioxide degassers, ozone generators and aerators. Most of these designs are copied from sophisticated US and European examples, and many are from research institutions or high-investment companies. But…

LARGER DROPLET SIZE Fine water droplets are easily carried away by the wind and evaporate rapidly, wasting many litres of water. Larger, relatively uniform droplets, by contrast, are less susceptible to wind drift and evaporation. It therefore makes sense to upgrade to sprinkler heads that distribute droplets like these. They maintain the sprinkler’s pattern in adverse weather conditions, and are not so large as to disrupt soil structure. In addition, when less water is lost, the sprinklers can run for shorter intervals, saving water and energy. LOWER PRESSURES Low-pressure sprinkler heads (0,7 to 1,7 bars) reduce pumping demand without significantly reducing flow, so crops can continue to receive an adequate volume of water. Energy savings vary depending on the specific irrigation system, but growers can expect to see savings of…

Lister Petter, celebrating its 150th birthday this year, has a reputation for high quality and durable solutions, especially for generating power and pumping water. Such is Lister Petter’s quality that genuine spare parts are still available for engines last produced more than 35 years ago. Designed for the harshest environment, Lister Petter engines are particularly popular when operation requires 24/7 usage. With proven reliability and unbeatable through-life costs, Lister Petter is the first choice for farmers throughout Africa. Today, water challenges on the continent are greater than ever. Deeper boreholes are required and dam levels have dropped, making stronger pumps a must. Added to this is the disease threat caused by aquifer and surface water contamination. Lister Petter Africa is the exclusive distributor of the company’s products in South Africa.…

In the last issue, I complained about how retailers require their suppliers to adhere to certain quality standards, but ignore those same standards in their own stores. Put another way, their emphasis on quality produce and good packaging is not always evident in their ‘displays’. I have been in numerous supermarkets around the country where the handling of fresh produce leaves much to be desired. This is a problem, because the store is where the customer is confronted with the product and will make a buying decision. Moreover, it is where customers are inundated with endless advertising and promotions telling them how good, and how fresh, the retailer’s fruit and vegetables are. There are exceptions, of course, but far too many stores seem to think that fancy posters are enough.…

THE MERCEDES-BENZ A-CLASS FITTED WITH A FUEL CELL UNIT DRIVES MUCH LIKE A PLUG-IN ELECTRIC CAR William Grove, a scientist and lawyer, built the first fuel cell in 1839. It was a crude laboratory mock-up to confirm the theory and it took almost a century before the first practical fuel cell was built by Dr Francis Bacon, a professor of engineering at Cambridge University. In 1958, Harry Ihring cooperated with the Allis-Charmers Tractor Company to build one of the first practical fuel cell vehicles – a tractor fitted with a modified Bacon fuel cell. It developed 15kW, sufficient to pull a double share plough (see youtube.com/watch?v=McFyLVcffFw). Fuel cells combine oxygen and hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst to form water and generate electricity. A major advantage of such a…

To make this delicious chicken meal for six hungry diners, you will need: Store-bought Naan bread for serving 900g skinless chicken thighs 1 tin chopped tomatoes 50ml tomato paste 1 onion, peeled and finely diced 2 tablespoons curry spice 3 cloves crushed garlic 1 cup pouring cream A splash of olive oil 30ml butter Salt and pepper to taste 250ml Greek-style yoghurt First, some revelatory theory: we skin the thighs because chicken skin looks like hell after boiling or simmering. Back in the kitchen: select a heavy-based ovenproof dish with a fitted lid. Grease the dish with butter or oil, and preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the chicken thighs in the dish, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Pop the chicken in the oven and…

Most men start losing their hair after a certain age. But herbs and nutrients are available that may help to reverse this process. Human bodies produce testosterone, but with age, an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase converts testosterone into a more powerful form, dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This shrinks hair follicles until they stop producing hair. Saw palmetto berries are said to block DHT and protect the follicles. Another powerful DHT blocker is beta sitosterol. It is available in supplements and in small quantities in avocados, amaranth, rice bran, peanuts (with skins) and pumpkin seeds. The B-vitamin biotin revitalises hair follicles by assisting nutrients in the diet to produce keratin. PROTECTING Zinc strengthens hair; copper helps slow the aging process in hair follicles; and sulphur acts as a flexible bond in connecting hair…

The SwagBot is an electric, omnidirectional, all-wheel-drive robotic ground vehicle conceptualised by the Australian Centre for Field Robotics (ACFR) in Sydney. Still in its prototype stage, the device is designed to monitor animals and observe crops and plants in rugged terrain. It has a tough composite chassis and is capable of navigating streams and large obstacles. On smooth terrain, the battery-powered ‘robot cowboy’ can reach speeds of between 15km/h and 20km/h. “So far, SwagBot has only been remote-controlled. The next steps will involve fitting various sensors and adding software on-board so that SwagBot can do these tasks autonomously. After this, we’ll look at environment interaction such as weeding,” explains Mark Calleija, a technical officer at the ACFR. The centre is dedicated to the research, development and application of autonomous and…