The 2026 Hortgro Stone-fruit Seminar and Orchard Walk

A record number of participants registered for the rootstock-themed programme and orchard visits. By Anna Mouton

The Hortgro technical articles in this edition focus on the presentations and panel discussion at the 2026 Hortgro Stone-fruit Seminar and Orchard Walk, which was held in Simondium. Dr Wiehann Steyn, General Manager of Hortgro Science, opened the event.

“A day like this requires three things: a good programme of interest to the participants, sponsorship to make the day affordable, and an audience,” he said. “I’m glad that we have our biggest audience ever: 140 registrations.”

He thanked Charl Stander, technical adviser at Freshness First, for compiling the programme, and AECI and Culdevco for sponsoring the event, with special acknowledgement to AECI for its support.

In welcoming attendees, Steyn noted that 2026 was a challenging year for stone-fruit growers. “While we can’t change much about extreme weather and harbour disasters, there are at least some things we can do on our farms,” he said. “Our choice of rootstock, planting healthy nursery trees, and managing pests and diseases are within our control.”

To arm growers with information relevant to those topics, the seminar included presentations on plant improvement by Rachel Kriel of PlantSA, rootstock trials by Chad van Wyk of Provar, and stone-fruit nematodes by Dr Rinus Knoetze of the Agricultural Research Council.

A panel, chaired by Marno van der Westhuizen, Crop Production Programme Manager at Hortgro Science, and comprising Stander, Andrew Hacking of Ad Lucem Agricultural Services, Frederik Voight of ZZ2, and Douw Willemse of Allée Bleue, shared practical insights on rootstock selection.

After the seminar, attendees had the opportunity to view different rootstocks during the Orchard Walk, hosted by Allée Bleue and facilitated by Hacking, Stander and Willemse. The Orchard Walk will feature in a future edition of SAFJ.