Zikhona Badi is excited to start recording parameters on her Honour trial, evaluating the potential of BSF Frass as a Natural fertilizer against commercial Inorganic and Organic fertilizers.
The Agricultural Management Department at George Campus presented two posters at the Combined Congress in January 2024. The focus was on BSF Frass as a holistic organic fertilizer and Grain farmers' adoption of precision agricultural tools.
Students learning about managing Jersey cows on pasture at the Outeniqua research farm
Golden kiwi’s are managed with great success in the George area, as explained by Jonathan Miller in the photos
Researchers from Outeniqua research farm explain how Pasture species make a significant impact on soil health and milk production. The second photo is a demo of a No-Tillage planter
Our students receive first hand practical experience on the use of remote sensing with the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or drones for monitoring crop health
Students learn about handling lambs and processing rams to wethers.
Students learn firsthand how handling sheep humanely requires technical knowledge.
Sheep recording requires a 5-point monitoring system to ensure flock health.
George produces some of the best red berries that our students get to taste and enjoy.
Students learn about the intricacies and biosecurity requirements for growing red berries.
Weighing sheep is essential for monitoring body condition and managing strategic feeding.
There are multiple automated dairy farms in the George area that our students get to learn from.
Cultivated pastures for dairy cows provides nutritious roughage, but it is also a haven for biodiversity, including birds and insects.
Mr Johan Jordaan, lecturer in Agricultural Management, presented his paper titled: “INTEGRATED AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT: STRUCTURING A WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING PROGRAM AS AN INNOVATIVE EDUCATION APPROACH TO ENHANCE WORK-READINESS AND EMPLOYABILITY OF SOUTH AFRICAN AGRICULTURAL GRADUATES” at the Agrico Conference, hosted in Thailand. Mr Jordaan was awarded best paper presentation at the Conference.
Anton presented on Regenerative agriculture at the 5th Urban Agri World Summit, a holistic approach to farming that emphasizes restoring soil health, enhancing biodiversity, and utilizing natural ecological services to sustainably produce food. Regenerative agriculture fosters a balanced ecosystem where plants and animals thrive together by employing crop rotation, cover cropping, reduced tillage, and integrated animal grazing. This diversity improves resilience, supports pollinators, sequesters carbon, and maintains nutrient-rich soils, ultimately creating a self-sustaining cycle that reduces the need for synthetic inputs and enhances long-term agricultural productivity.
Mr. Johan Jordaan presented our research on Frass at the Agrico World Summit, presenting it as a natural option for regenerative soil management.
Mrs Lize du Preez, invited guest speaker at the National Conference of the South African Society of Agricultural Technologists in Wilderness, South Africa.
Warm welcome to our Advance Diploma group of 2025
The Department of Agricultural Management hosted the Department of Agriculture's Beekeeping Information Day. It was a very informative day with practical sessions illustrating Beekeeping principles. Agricultural students and staff had the opportunity to attend and learn more about the industry.
Dr Gustafson, representative of the Deputy General Director from the Food and Agriculture Organisation was hosted by the Department of Agricultural Management. The Advance Diploma students attended a lecture by Dr Gustafson on Leadership development, where he was able to share his experience about managing FAO projects on 3 different continents. He also met with staff and students investigating the possibility of projects, research and funding opportunities. The last day he was a guest speaker at a function with local stakeholders, hosted by the Department, where he launched the new FAO database on Innovations in Agriculture.
The Advance Diploma students had the opportunity to learn about the importance of Fire Management through problem-based learning, taking on a multidisciplinary approach by working with forestry and Nature Conservation students to develop an Integrated Fire Management for the George Campus. The client presented the problem and industry visits allowed students to gain first-hand experience on how different industries contribute to managing fire risk within their industry. The students will have the opportunity to present their problem to the client on the final day. Special thank you to Oakhurst, SanParks and PG Bison for hosting us.
PG Bison. Braam du Preez discussing the management of fire in a plantation and how they engage with farmers and communities surrounding the plantation.
Students had the opportunity to extinguish a “fire”
SANPARKS, discussing the management of a natural park and protecting the environment, communities and economic growth of an area.
The staff from Agricultural Management had the opportunity to take part in an interactive workshop, providing solutions and interventions for the Department of Agriculture, Western Cape on artificial intelligence and the impact of this on the agricultural value chain. We are proud to represent tertiary education and the role that universities can play in assisting local farmers and the government in the research and testing of AI in Agric.
Problem-Based learning
29 Sept – 8 October
Hacking team building
Plant production students had an excursion to Wilderness Fruit, which allowed them first-hand experience in the production of vegetables in tunnels. The packhouse was also visited and a discussion on the supply chain of strawberries, kiwi’s, macadamias and avocado’s gave the students more insight into these enterprises.