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

Edition 5

👋 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 jump right in! 🚀

Estimated read time: 3 minutes

In Today’s Email:

• Q: What is the Difference between Soil pH and Soil Acidity? 🤔

• U: The Mac Master Showdown! 🤓

• I: The Avo Dance in All Its Glory 🌸

• P: Meet Mantis - Your Friendly Orchard Bug-Buster 🎯

• S: Mac Master Reward! 🎁

Question❓

What is the Difference between Soil pH and Soil Acidity?

Soil pH

In essence, soil pH is just a fancy way of saying 'soil acidity'.

Picture the pH scale as a playground see-saw, with 7 being the perfect balance, right in the middle. Tilt below 7 and you've entered Acidville, with the intensity cranking up the closer you get to 1. On this scale, every full point drop signifies a tenfold increase in acidity. So, soil with a pH of 4 is a whopping 10 times more acidic than its pH 5 cousin, and 100 times more so than a sample with a pH of 6!

Aluminium Toxicity

Now, why does this matter? Well, as pH takes a nosedive, aluminium in the soil gets sociable and becomes soluble. Bad news for our tree friends - too much soluble aluminium stunts root growth, making it harder for your trees to reach the nutrients and water they need. Just picture roots trying to stretch out in aluminium-saturated soil. It's a bit like trying to do yoga in a broom closet! 🥴

Nutrient Availability

And the saga continues. Super acidic soil can turn into a nutrient hoarder - keeping essential plant nutrients (like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, you name it) locked away from your trees. This can leave your trees showing signs of nutrient deficiencies despite your best fertilising efforts. Plus, let's not forget about the tiny microbes, those unsung heroes that help convert organic matter into plant food - they too suffer in low pH.

Causes of Soil Acidity

So, who's the culprit in our soil acidification story? Well, nature certainly plays a part, but our farming habits can definitely hit the fast-forward button. Top of the list is the misuse of fertilisers, especially those ammonium-based ones. Why? When these fertilisers break down, they leave behind excess hydrogen ions that drive up soil acidity. Plus, our meticulous orchard grooming, clearing away alkaline plant matter from our tree lines, can further aid acidification.

Management of Acidic Soils

But don't fret! We can whip acidic soil into shape! The key? Knowledge - and that comes from accurate soil testing. Remember, acidity varies across the landscape, so it's best to take samples from different spots. Ideally, tests should be carried out when the soil is dry, with minimal biological activity to prevent skewing the results. Also don’t forget - the testing solution matters! It is standard to measure pH using one part soil to five parts 0.01 M CaCl2. Soils with low total salts show large seasonal variation in pH if it is measured in water. pH measured in water can read 0.6 – 1.2 pH units higher than in calcium chloride (Moore et al., 1998).

Also, the type of soil matters too. Clay stands strong against pH change (buffering), followed by loams, with sands bringing up the rear. Sampling at different depths can also unveil the sneaky subsurface acidity. Consistent tests help you track changes and tweak your soil management strategy.

And here's the silver lining - agricultural lime is your best friend when it comes to maintaining or restoring the right pH level. It's cost-effective and gets the job done!

👉 For More Soil Science Insights Read JAFF 9’s Story (link)

⏰ Friendly Reminder: Submit your Questions to be Answered Here.

Upskill 📚

The Mac Master Showdown!

Put your Mac knowledge to the test and take a moment to tackle this little Mac Facts Challenge! Shoot us an Email ([email protected]) with your answers, we’ll mark and return your score. Any A+’s? Brace yourself for a special shoutout in our next week’s newsletter. Not good enough? Check out this weeks special offer… 🎁

Mac Facts Quiz:

1. Diving in with Beaumont - as mainstream as the morning coffee. Which country brewed up this popular variety?

2. Next, which cultivar, developed by its name-sake is commonly known as ‘Bertie le Roux’?

3. If your delivery of 1,5tonnes had an USKR of 3% and a TKR of 48%, what is your SKR, in kgs?

4. Known to wipe out a broad range of insects including thrips, does the fungus Metarhizium also have a deadly effect on lady beetles, green lacewings, parasitic wasps, and honey bees?

5. Name one way to combat stink bugs that won't have Mother Nature giving you the side-eye (eco-friendly)?

6. Let’s see who can predict the future… What is the estimated total crop for macadamias in 2023?

7. Pick out the integrifolia cultivar from this line up – A4, A16, A38, Nelmak, Beaumont.

8. What is the name given to the fibrous root structure of the macadamia?

9. Are macadamias indigenous to South Africa?

10. Last but not least, is a macadamia tree’s respiration rate more affected by temperature or humidity?

⏰ Friendly Reminder: Don’t Forget to Share Your Own Upskill Tips Here.

Information ℹ️

Avo’s Flower Power

The Laurel family, home to the avo tree, boasts a unique botanical attribute that sets it apart - a complex flowering system known as protogyny. This ingenious mechanism, an intricate dance of nature that cleverly avoids inbreeding by allowing flowers to perform a dual role. The flowers make two grand appearances: once as males and once as females. From bloom to wilt, the entire process plays out over just two days - and then it’s over.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. Each cultivar is either A-type or B-type. Picture this… A-type cultivar flowers start their day as females on the first morning, taking a nap in the late morning or early afternoon. The next day, they switch roles, blossoming as males in the afternoon. As for the B-type varieties, they follow a different schedule - they bloom as females on the first day's afternoon and come back as males the following morning - mind-blowing, right? 🤯

This synchronised flower dance has led many to believe that an avo orchard needs a mix of cultivars to ensure a good fruit set. However, research by Prof Robbertse at the University of Pretoria revealed that nature has a few tricks up its sleeve. Thanks to the quirks of micro-climates, some flowers may bloom early in the morning, while others prefer to rise later, creating overlap within a single-cultivar orchard. This ensures there are always males and females on the dance floor, enabling effective pollination.

Furthermore, the overlap mutes the need to engineer cross-pollination by inter-planting. It's a spontaneous event - it either happens or it doesn't. While bees are enthusiastic attendees of the flower party, counting on them to shuttle pollen between cultivars is a bit like betting on a lottery ticket. Genetic Studies reveal that even in strategically mixed orchards, most trees have danced with partners of their own cultivar. And as for yield, interplanted orchards haven't shown a significant bump in production.

So, there you have it, the avo dance in all its glory! 🌸 

Upcoming Industry Events

• LOCAL SA MANUFACTURING EXPO | 23 – 25 May

• 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 📷

Mantis Munchies

Although this chap seems to have a target on his back, the farmer won't be taking aim. All mantis species, including the Spiny Flower Mantis, are generally welcome orchard guests. They're not in the orchard for the greenery; their primary diet consists of insects and other small creatures, making them the ‘orchard bug-busters’, keeping pests away! Sure, they might sneak a plant nibble here and there when hungry, but this doesn't typically harm the plants. So, don't let their fierce looks fool you - these mantises are here to keep your orchards in check!

🤓 Fun Fact: Similar to its mantis cousins, the Spiny Flower Mantis partakes in a bit of cannibalism, with males usually at the short end of the stick. Does this ring a bell, gents? 😉 It's somewhat like those moments when your better half shoots you 'that look', and you instinctively know you're in hot water… thankfully, it doesn't end with you being lunch! 😅 So, next time you forget to take out the rubbish take comfort: it could be a lot worse. You could be a male mantis!

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Special Offer 🎁

How Sharp Are YOU?

We’re back with the irresistible Kaliber Black Ops 3 Knife! And not just any Kaliber Black Ops 3 knife - it's one with the TropicalBytes logo, your badge of honour!

Here's how you can get your hands on it:

Just ace our Mac Facts Quiz! The one with the highest score will snag this enviable prize. Could you be the crowned Mac Master this week?

Send in your answers by Sunday 5pm. The winner will be announced in QUIPS – Edition 6.

Good Luck! 🤓 🤝 

⏰ Friendly Reminder: Don't forget to email us your answers to the Mac Facts Quiz here → ([email protected])

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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