Farmer's Weekly (South Africa)
Using land for recreation
Recreation in natural areas is an excellent way of reconnecting people with the environment. Besides the educational function, it is also a possible income stream for farmers.
When tourism or recreational uses for an area are investigated, the most important aspect to take into consideration is why you want to encourage public use of your land. A few key questions to ask yourself are:
• Is it really necessary to develop the land?
• What features are available for, or would be of interest to users? • Who are your target markets? • What sort of activities would be suitable?
These recreational use types should not be in conflict with other uses. For example, you could allow mountain biking to take place on roads and tracks, but it should not be allowed along footpaths or near bird-watching sites.
Remember, too, that once your land is used by the public, you will need to implement some degree of management and exercise access control. The degree to which this is needed will depend on the type of activities allowed, as well as the numbers of people to be accommodated.
biodiversity
Management of tourismrelated activities should always take into account biodiversity and the ecosystem. Bear in mind the following:
• All activities will have some degree of effect on your land. • The more people who use the site and the higher the impact of the activity, the greater the effect on the environment. This should be considered in the planning stages. • Cumulative effects become more apparent either over time or due to intensive use. • Where rules, regulations or conditions need to be in place,
I do find the occasional plant infected with TSWV, but not enough to affect the crop. Moreover, the symptoms of the disease, necrotic spots and malformed leaves, are often seen on only one side of the plant.
control
If you have a problem with TSWV, kill off the broadleaf weeds on verges, then chop out any lettuce plants showing symptoms. If many plants are infected, you will need to spray for thrips to help break the cycle of the disease.
LMV symptoms are very different: the leaves turn yellow, making the infected plant stand out clearly from the others.
• Bill Kerr is a vegetable specialist and a breeder of a range of vegetables. Email him at farmersweekly@ caxton.co.za. Subject line: Vegetable production.