Lintle Mohase is a plant physiologist with a passion for crop prtection. She studies host defence mechanisms in plants during pest infections, currently she is working on the wheat-Russian wheat aphid interaction. In her research projects, she supervises postgraduate students from Honours to doctoral level, and she collaborates with various experts within the UFS and in other reserach Institutions. She is a member of the South African Assicoation of Botanists.

Lintle Mohase is teaches undergraduate plant physiology courses at first, second and third year levels. She also teaches a special seconf-year Biology course designed for teachers.

 Mafa M.S., Rufetu E., Alexander O., Kemp G. & Mohase L. (2022). Cell wall structural carbohydrates reinforcements are part of the defence mechanisms of wheat against Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia) infestation. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 179: 168-172.

Jankielsohn A.,Masupha P. and Mohase, L. (2016) Field Screening of Lesotho and South African Wheat Cultivars for Russian Wheat Aphid Resistance. Advances in Entomology, 4, 268-278.

Mohase L. & Taiwe B. (2015). Saliva fractions from South African Russian wheat aphid biotypes induce differential defence responses in wheat. South African Journal of Plant and Soil 32 (4): 235-240

Achilonu C.C., Mohase L., Musara C & Chitamba J. (2014). Biochemical responses conferred by wheat cultivars against Russian wheat aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) biotypes RWASA2 and RWASA3. Annals of Biological Research, 2014, 5 (8):49-57

Mohase L,  van der Westhuizen A.J. & Pretorius ZA (2011). Involvement of reactive oxygen species generating enzymes and hydrogen peroxide in the rust resistance response of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) South African Journal of Plant and Soil 28(1):64-68

Mohase  L. 2008. Plant activators in disease management. Navors. nas. Mus., Bloemfontein 24(4): 29-36

Mohase L., van der Westhuizen A.J & Pretorius Z.A. (2006). Induced defence responses and rust development in sunflower. South African Journal of Science 102: 144-150

Mohase L. & van der Westhuizen A.J. (2002). Salicylic acid is involved in resistance responses in the Russian wheat aphid-wheat interaction. Journal of Plant Physiology 159 (6): 585-590

Mohase L. & van der Westhuizen  A.J. (2002). Glycoproteins from Russian wheat aphid infested wheat induce defence responses. Z. Naturforsch. 57c: 867-873

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Mafa M.S., Rufetu E., Alexander O., Kemp G. & Mohase L. (2022). Cell wall structural carbohydrates reinforcements are part of the defence mechanisms of wheat against Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia) infestation. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 179: 168-172.

Jankielsohn A.,Masupha P. and Mohase, L. (2016) Field Screening of Lesotho and South African Wheat Cultivars for Russian Wheat Aphid Resistance. Advances in Entomology, 4, 268-278.

Mohase L. & Taiwe B. (2015). Saliva fractions from South African Russian wheat aphid biotypes induce differential defence responses in wheat. South African Journal of Plant and Soil 32 (4): 235-240

To combat reliance on pesticides in agricultural systems, particularly wheat production, we investigates the mechanisms of plant defence responses against the Russian wheat aphid (RWA, Diuraphis noxia). We investigate the involvement of various phytohormones in the expression of the resistance response of wheat. We study the biosynthetic pathways, quantify the various hormones, and investigate the cross-talk therein. We also study the mechanisms of priming using certain commercially available plant activators. Furthermore, we investigate the potential of aphid saliva as a source of elicitors/effectors during aphid infestation. The active compounds are isolated, characterised, and identified, and their eliciting potential in various genetic backgrounds evaluated. We conduct treatments under greenhouse and field conditions, in collaboration with entomologists, the Agricultural Research Council, and industry (manufacturers of plant activators).  Results of this study will eventually feed into integrated pest management strategies, where inherent plant resistance mechanisms are activated to protect plants without compromising plant yield and quality, thus ensuring food availability.

We investigate plant defence mechanisms (biochemical) against insect pests. The current projects focus on the interaction of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and the Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia, Kurdjumov). We strive to dissect and describe various resistance components in host plants, including the biosynthetic pathways of defence-related metabolites, especially phytohormones, reactive oxygen species, and antioxidants. Additionally, we profile components of aphid saliva in search of potential elicitors or effectors in wheat-aphid interactions. Furthermore, in striving for integrated pest management in the changing climatic conditions, we study the effect of drought on host resilience to the Russian wheat aphid and the mode of resistance therein. We further investigate the potential of various biological compounds and fungal pathogens as priming agents in conferring host resistance to aphids.

BLGY1643: The interdependence of plants and life on earth. Practical: Plant physiology (Crop protection – Phenotypic symptoms in Russian wheat aphid susceptible and resistant wheat). BLGY2625: Fundamentals in Plant and Animal Life Processes. The module is designed for high school teacher trainees and describes fundamental processes in the lives of plants and animals.

Responsible for unit 1: Responding to the environment. The unit deals with hormonal regulation of plant responses to the environment (abiotic and biotic) and consists of four lectures:

L1: Hormones are regulatory chemicals in plant life (biosynthesis, classification, functions).

L2:  Hormones regulate plant tropisms (photo and gravitropisms, auxins and growth regulation, practical applications of specific hormones)

L3: Hormones regulate plant interactions with the environment (Drought effect and its regulation by abscisic acid).

L4: Plant Immunity: Interactions with pests and pathogens (Morphological adaptations and inducible host responses to pests and pathogens, role of secondary metabolites in plant protection against pests and pathogens, plant immunity in agriculture).

Practical activities:

1. Designing experiments – variables, hypothesis statements, experimental errors.

2. Executing experiments—How to read a protocol, collecting, interpreting and reporting results (posters)

BTNY 2626: Introductory plant development and biotechnology. The module describes plant growth and development concepts and the influence of environmental factors such as water, soil, nutrients, temperature, light, pests, and pathogens.

Responsible for Unit 1:

Theory:  Plant growth and development (Regulating growth and development by hormones and endogenous clocks)

Practical: How to conduct experiments (reading a protocol, collecting, interpreting and reporting results (posters), Factors that regulate seed germination, Cytokinin regulation of senescence (chlorophyll degradation)

BTNY3744: Plant defence and biotechnology. The module describes the plant defence responses against stress, both biotic (pests, pathogens, weeds) and abiotic (drought, temperature, salinity). The course further discusses the role of plant secondary metabolites in stress tolerance mechanisms. Practical: The role of hormones in regulating aphid resistance in wheat.

BTNY6844: Plant defence and applications. The module deals with inducible defence mechanisms against pests and pathogens. Interactions between plants and pests/pathogens lead to susceptibility or resistance, and all factors contributing to the defence phenomena are deliberated. Practical: The role of hormones in regulating aphid resistance in wheat.

BTNY6806: A guided Literature Review on a selected topic.