Question❓| Upskill 📚 | Information ℹ️ | Picture 📷 | Special Offer 🎁

Edition 7

👋 Hey TropicalBytes family, welcome to this week’s edition of Q.U.I.P.S.!

As the fastest-growing subtropical farming community out there, we're thrilled to be your BFF (Best Farming Friend), saving you hundreds of hours by unearthing hidden gems like actionable tips, practical knowledge, industry insights, and so much more - all with the end goal of equipping you for excellence and success.

Before we dive into today’s edition, we’d love for you all to share your thoughts, ask any burning questions you may have, or let us know which topics you’d love to see covered. Remember, we’re here for you - the awesome TropicalBytes community!

Let's dive right in! 🚀

Estimated read time: 3 minutes

In Today’s Email:

• Q: Why Do We Measure Rainfall in Millimetres but Irrigation in Litres? 🤔

• U: Debbie's DIY Insect Hotels 🏨

• I: The Unfair Realities of the Avocado Market 🥑

• P: Nature's Solution to Stink Bug Control 🥊 

• S: YOUR ACTION IS NEEDED! 🎁

Question❓

Why Do We Measure Rainfall in MilliMETRES but Irrigation in LITRES?

Basically, when God does the irrigating, it’s on a really large-scale, for the good of all life! Now, if we measured it in millilitres, we’d have too many noughts! To give you an idea, 1mm of rainfall equates to 10m3 across a hectare (that’s 10 000 litres)!

On the flip side, when we humans irrigate, it’s on a much smaller scale, for far more calculated outcomes (for our own, commercial purposes) and it’s easier for us to measure that in litres.

When we are supplementing rainfall with irrigation, we need to integrate the two and that calculation is explained by one of Agriculture’s wisest consultants Roy Porritt.

For the full scoop on this, check out the "Irrigation" section in this article! (link)

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Upskill 📚

Debbie's DIY Insect Hotels

Hello, lovely people! Debbie here from TropicalBytes.

Thought I’d jump in for this part of Q.U.I.P.S. and share a valuable upskill tip from my own creative ventures.

Last year, I had quite the experience when on my road trip up north, interviewing all the incredible JAFFs. These hardworking souls never fail to inspire with their wisdom, so I wanted to return the favour with a unique token of my appreciation – Insect Hotels!

Helmet on, hammer ready, I set off building Insect Hotels before my trip.👷🏻‍♀️

Only to be presently surprised (and somewhat embarrassed 😊) that most JAFFs had no idea what an insect hotel was…

I had encountered them in numerous scenarios and had assumed that farmers would have too. They’re terribly en vogue (fashionable) across the environmentalist community and perhaps that’s why they caught my eye; being a tree hugger an’all.

Anyway – if you think of a bee hive as an exclusive bee hostel, you can imagine an insect hotel is an inclusive (all types welcome) upmarket (single-roomed), custom-built (so many options) hotel.

Here’s a quick 6-Step DIY guide to build your own basic Insect Hotel:

1. Select Your Wood: I used a solid piece of 7cm x 7cm untreated pine. Cut it at a 45° angle to form a cute ‘house’ shape when fitted back-to-back. Don’t have pine? Any untreated, clean wood works fine too.

2. Join the Pieces: I then joined the two with a bracket. I didn’t want to use glue for fear that the fumes would put my prospective guests off.

3. Drill Holes: On the front, I drilled maningi (loooots) holes of various sizes (from 2mm to 8mm). Make sure you don’t drill all the way through as our insect guests like their homes draught-free!

4. Add a Roof and Veranda: For the roof and ‘stoep’ (veranda) I used 3mm plywood, cut slightly bigger than the base of the hotel so that there was a decent overhang. These were secured with screws.

5. Hang It Up: Attach a hook using the bracket on the back; then you can hang it up in a prime location (dry and relatively warm).

6. Optional Decoration: Decoration is completely optional, unless you’re me – then it’s the most important part! Just remember to avoid any toxic paint, varnish or seal. Instead, aim for a recyclable hotel and plan for a renovation or rebuild when it starts deteriorating.

👉 For more on Insect Hotels: Check out The Entomologist Lounge (link)

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Information ℹ️

Explaining the Raised Eyebrows Over Your Avo Meal

In the subtropical landscapes of Peru and Chile, a notable upsurge in the commodities market – including coal, iron ore, and others – occurred a few years ago. But to dig into these riches, the governments set a stipulation: corporations seeking mining licences had to commit to substantial social contributions, to spark economic development and job creation.

Interestingly, these mining giants didn't have to turn a profit from their social investments. It was merely a necessary step in obtaining the prized mining permits. Taking advantage of the perfectly suited climates, many companies went into citrus and avocado farming, which explains where the large volumes of fruit are coming from.

The implications for international markets are far-reaching. Peru and Chile ship their produce all over the world but their commercials are not the same as other suppliers; their ventures are expenses rather than investments. Thus, they are unfairly affecting the global marketplace.

But there's more to this narrative, casting a long shadow over our market shares in Europe.

The Andes Mountains separate a narrow desert coastal belt on the west from a subtropical climate on the east. The snow on the mountains melts and supplies poor desert communities in the west with water for their quinoa and other subsistence crops. Remember that these are mining companies doing the farming; not exactly the most environmentally-concerned bunch… They built dams to use the snow water on their farms on the eastern side of the mountains. It was hugely successful… for them. Leaving a very sad situation for the farmers in the west.

A documentary was made (one episode in a 6-part series called ‘Rotten’), laying the blame at avocado’s door and creating the impression that this is a crop that requires excessive amounts of water, when in fact, it had little to do with the mining companies choice of crop and more to do with the way they had diverted the water away from poor communities.

Regardless, the viral documentary struck a nerve, leading many European consumers to view avos as taboo.

👉 For More from JAFF 27 Read Here (link)

Upcoming Industry Events

• Royal Agricultural Show | 26 May – 4 June

• AVI Africa | 6 – 8 June

• AFRICA’S BIG 7 | 18 June

• WoodEX | 27 - 29 June

• FOOD & DRINK TECHNOLOGY (FDT) AFRICA | 13 – 15 July

• NAMPO CAPE | 13 – 16 Sept

• International Macadamia Symposium (IMS ‘23) | 18 to 21 Sept

• PROPAK CAPE | 24 to 26 October

Picture 📷

Nature's Solution to Stink Bug Control

Last week our Mac Facts Challenge winner, Barry Christie, said that a biological control option for stink bugs is Trissolcus basalis so we thought we’d share what that is…

Trissolcus basalis are minute (2mm long) wasps that lay their young in the eggs of various insects including stink bugs. The baby wasps eat the contents of the eggs and emerge to continue cleaning up. If you see them in your orchard, roll out the red carpet; they’re friends!

🤓 Fun Fact: These tiny wasps are solitary insects. Unlike social wasps, which live in large colonies, each female Trissolcus basalis operates alone in her quest to find stink bug eggs and lay her own. This solitary lifestyle allows for a wide distribution and high efficiency in their biological control role.

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Special Offer 🎁

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Let's hear it 👇

That’s a wrap folks! We hope you enjoyed this week’s QUIPS edition.

Don't forget to join us in the comments section below 👇 – it's kinda like a family Braai but better! There, you'll find no screaming kids, awkward photos, or tipsy uncles telling bizarre stories. Let's get the conversations cookin'! 🔥 

Until then, happy farming, deep learning, and warm smiles.

We'll see you next week! 🌱

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