On September 16, 2024, the جامعة بريتوريا, in collaboration with Gauteng Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (GDARD), hosted an important Farmers Day feedback session focused on minimizing pre- and post-harvest losses in tomato and bell pepper small-scale farms in Gauteng province. This event was attended by 69 delegates including farmers, extension officers, and GDARD staff. It was a significant step toward addressing challenges faced by small-scale farmers in Gauteng province.

This session formed part of an ongoing research project funded by GDARD in 2021, which aims at assessing and reducing post-harvest losses on tomato and pepper farms in the region. The farmers received valuable insights into the causes of crop losses, which included diseases, mechanical damage, and physiological factors affecting the produce.

The common issues identified across all the farms were linked to disease-causing organisms such as Alternaria, Fusarium, and Colletotrichum species. Additionally, sunscald was identified as a major issue, particularly affecting bell pepper crops. Many of the pre-harvest disease cases were found to persist into post-harvest due to farming practices that need improvement.

Key recommendations to manage these challenges included:

• Maintaining field hygiene: farmers were urged to continuously remove plant debris on the field to prevent it from becoming a pathogen reservoir.
• Proper crop nutrition: farmers were urged to ensure proper nutrition at each crop developmental stage to promote crop growth, enhance disease resistance, reduce physiological damage, and improve yields.
• Crop rotation: farmers were urged to rotate crops when a particular disease is widespread and persistent in their fields. This involves, selecting species from different families to break the cycle of infection.

The feedback session was highly interactive, with farmers engaging in discussions and sharing their experiences. They appreciated the opportunity to learn from one another and received practical, research-backed solutions tailored to their challenges. This session reinforced the importance of providing targeted, research-driven support to small-scale farmers. By adopting the recommended practices, these farmers can significantly reduce losses, improve yield quality, and contribute to a more sustainable agricultural future.