Farmers face various challenges, but it’s our problem-solving ideas and techniques that allow us to improve and overcome many of these hurdles,” says Zander Ernst, director of marketing and production at the family-owned Allesbeste Boerdery in Tzaneen, Limpopo.
Avocados are highly susceptible to root rot caused by pathogens of the Phytophthora genus, which thrive in poorly drained soil. To address this, many avocado farmers plant their orchards on mounds or ridges.
“Ridges address drainage and aeration challenges in clay-type soil in particular,” says Ernst. “When making ridges, we can determine the soil composition, which gives us greater control over soil uniformity. On Allesbeste, with its poorly drained soil, ridges are the best solution, and when we use them in conjunction with perforated pipes and trenches into which access water can drain, we can manage the problem.
“A drawback of such a system, however, is that if the ridges are too high, it can be difficult to prune, spray and harvest the trees.”
He adds that if ridges are situated on steep slopes, they
