Research Projects in the department of Plant Sciences | | Principal investigator |
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Plant Pathology: | | |
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Characterisation of variability in cereal rust pathogens | | Prof Willem Boshoff |
Assessment of rust resistance in South African wheat cultivars | | Prof Willem Boshoff |
Characterisation of diverse germplasm sources for rust resistance | | Prof Willem Boshoff |
Marker-assisted selection for rust resistance in wheat | | Prof Willem Boshoff |
Situational analysis of the pests and plant pathogenic risks associated with the pecan industry, with special reference to the Hartswater area (collaborative study with Dept. of Entomology at UFS, South African Pecan Producers Association and NRF THRIP) | | Dr Gert Marias |
The use of essential oils to control soil borne pathogens in maize | | Dr Gert Marias |
Botryosphaeriaceae associated with pecans, with special reference toNeofusicoccumspp. | | Dr Gert Marias |
A phylogenetic study on Epicoccum sorghinum in Acacia trees, sorghum and millet in Northern Namibia (MSc Violet Simataa, CTHB funded project) | | Dr Gert Marias |
Production of plant growth enhancing metabolites fromTrichoderma | | Dr Gert Marias |
Ophiostomatoid fungi associated with pecans in South Africa | | Dr Gert Marias |
Plant pathogenic risks associated with pecans in South Africa | | Dr Gert Marias |
Diversity and distribution ofAlternariaspecies associated with pecans in South Africa | | Dr Gert Marias |
The impact of the Polyphagous shot hole borer and its symbiotic fungi on pecan nut trees in South Africa | | Dr Gert Marias |
Situational analysis ofPenicilliumspecies associated with the maize milling process in South Africa | | Dr Gert Marias |
Population study on the distribution ofCladosporiumspecies in pecans | | Dr Gert Marias |
Members ofCladosporium cladosporioidescomplex as the causative agents of pecan scab in South Africa | | Dr Gert Marias |
Basidiomycetous fungi associated with pecan orchards in South Africa | | Dr Gert Marias |
Fusariumspecies associated with pecans in South Africa | | Dr Gert Marias |
Production of pyrazines by Penicillium species in indigenous to South Africa (in collaboration with Du Toit Scabort, Dept. ofMicrobial, Biotecnological and Food Sciences at UFS) | | Dr Gert Marias |
Comparative study of Epicoccum sorghinum in southern Africa (MSc Ariska van der Nest, UP, in collaboration with Prof Emma Steenkamp at UP) | | Dr Gert Marias |
Mycotoxigenic fungi associated with grain silos in Zimbabwe (PhD Elliot Tembo, in collaboration with Plant Breeding at UFS) | | Dr Gert Marias |
Screening of soybean and sunflower for escape resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum under field conditions. (In collaboration with Marlese Meiring) | | Dr Lisa Rothmann |
Integrated management of sorghum diseases | | Dr Lisa Rothmann |
Study of inoculation and disease evaluation techniques for sclerotinia stalk rot of soybean | | Dr Lisa Rothmann |
Sorghum foliar diseases and grain mold: A systems analysis approach | | Dr Lisa Rothmann |
Sclerotinia sclerotiorumdisease potential and management responses in soybean and sunflower | | Dr Lisa Rothmann |
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Plant Breeding: | | |
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| Introgression of powdery mildew resistance genes from Cucurbita pepo into Cucurbita moschata (MSc Derrick Botha) | | Prof Liezel Herselman |
| Marker-assisted introgression of different rust resistance genes as well as Fusarium head blight resistance into South African wheat cultivars | | Prof Liezel Herselman |
| Protein quality versus quantity in South African commercial bread wheat cultivars (PhD Robbie Lindeque, in collaboration with ARC-Small Grains Institute funded by Winter Cereal Trust) | | Prof Maryke Labuschagne |
| Environmental influence on the expression of wheat protein fractions under South African dryland conditions (PhD Barend Wentzel in collaboration with ARC-Small Grains Institute, funded by THRIP) | | Prof Maryke Labuschagne |
| Relationship between Mixsmart parameters and bread wheat quality characteristics in South African dry land cultivars (PhD Chrissie Miles, in collaboration with ARC-Small Grains Institute, partly funded by TRHIP). | | Prof Maryke Labuschagne |
| Heritability and expression of mixing time in selected spring wheat cultivars (MSc Stefan Pelser, in collaboration with the Small Grains Institute and PANNAR, funded by THRIP) | | Prof Maryke Labuschagne |
| The influence of abiotic stress conditions on storage protein expression in selected wheat cultivars (funded by Oppenheimer Trust) | | Prof Maryke Labuschagne |
| Fusarium head blight resistance breeding in wheat (funded by NRF) | | Prof Adre Minnaar-Ontong |
| | Dr Chrisna Steyn |
| Resistance to Fusarium head blight in wheat: Influence of the fungal mycotoxin profile (funded by SARCHI_NRF) | | Prof Adre Minnaar-Ontong |
| Breeding for resistance to Sclerotinia Stem Rot in soybean (funded by GrainSA) | | Prof Adre Minnaar-Ontong |
| | Dr Chrisna Steyn |
| Population genetic structure of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in South Africa | | Prof Adre Minnaar-Ontong |
| | Dr Chrisna Steyn |
| Assessment of soybean genotypes for resistance to soybean sudden death syndrome in South Africa | | Prof Adre Minnaar-Ontong |
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| A pre-breeding approach towards soybean sudden death syndrome in South African soybeans | | Prof Adre Minnaar-Ontong |
| Soybean sudden death syndrome: Influence of phytotoxins on disease development | | Prof Adre Minnaar-Ontong |
| Abiotic stress tolerance and nutritional value of CIMMYT provitamin A elite maize germplasm in Zimbabwe (PhD Pepukai Manjeru, in collaboration with Harvest Plus, CIMMYT) | | Dr Angeline van Biljon |
| Improved separation of polymeric and monomeric protein fractions using a high resolution column (MSc. Agric. Keneoue Phakela, in collaboration with the Swedish University of Agriculture or SLU and the ARC-Small Grains Institute, funded by SLU and THRIP) | | Dr Angeline van Biljon |
| Nutritional value and secondary metabolites in selected South African bread wheat cultivars (MSc Timmy Baloyi in collaboration with ARC-Small Grains Institute, funded by NRF) | | Dr Angeline van Biljon |
| The relationship between glutenin subunits and baking quality characteristics in South African commercial bread wheat cultivars (MSc Agric Jared Onsando, in collaboration with ARC-Small Grain Institute, funded by Winter Cereal Trust and THRIP) | | Dr Angeline van Biljon |
| The genetic improvement of nutritional value in staple crops | | Dr Angeline van Biljon |
| Developing a breeding strategy for vegetable-type soybean under abiotic stress conditions (Project funded by the NRF - Competitive Support for Unrated Researchers) | | Prof Rouxlene van der Merwe |
| Breeding for resistance to pod shattering in vegetable type soybean (In collaboration with Prof. Q. Zhang from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Edamame Development Program in South Africa) | | Prof Rouxlene van der Merwe |
| Explore new rust resistance sources in wheat (Funded by NRF Thuthuka and Winter Cereal Trust) | | Dr Ansori Maré |
| Improving wheat lines with combined rust and Fusarium head blight resistance (MSc Karabo Khiba funded by CRF) | | Dr Ansori Maré |
| Effect of climate change on cowpea nutritional value and other quality related traits (Funded by NRF Chair) | | Dr Ntombokulunga Mbuma |
| Heritability and expression of yield and nutritional characteristics in cowpea (PhD Milcah Masemola funded by NRF Chair in collaboration with ARC - Vegetable and Ornamental Plants) | | Dr Ntombokulunga Mbuma |
| Genotype and environmental effects on maize grain yield, nutritional value and milling quality (MSc Agric Tsietso Khajoane funded by NRF Chair in collaboration with Bayer Pharmaceutics company) | | Dr Ntombokulunga Mbuma |
| Evaluating cowpea mutant genotypes for grain yield and nutritional values in South Africa (MSc Agric Moshieng Ntswane funded by AgriSeta in collaboration with ARC-Grain Crops) | | Dr Ntombokulunga Mbuma |
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Botany: | | |
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| Re-evaluation of the fossil pollen from Florisbad, which will assist us in reconstructing the climate and vegetation of the Quaternary in the central Free State | | Dr Andri van Aardt |
| Looking at the use of leaf epidermis as possible palaeo-environmental indicators from the Pretoria Salt pan (Tswaing Crater). | | Dr Andri van Aardt |
| Systematics of the Curio group (Asteraceae) | | Dr Mariette Jackson |
| Systematics of genus Steirodiscus (Asteraceae) | | Dr Mariette Jackson |
| DNA fingerprinting of Devil’s Claw | | Dr Mariette Jackson |
| Taxonomic revision of the genus Cryptolepis | | Dr Lize Joubert |
| Systematics of the Periplocoideae | | Dr Lize Joubert |
| Systematics of two South African endemic genera: Steirodiscus and Garuleum (Asteraceae) | | Dr Lize Joubert |
| Elicitors in plant defence responses | | Dr Lintle Mohase |
| Characterisation of elicitors/effectors in aphid saliva | | Dr Lintle Mohase |
| Effect of commercial plant activators on crop protection (pest/drought resistance, yield) | | Dr Lintle Mohase |
| Late Quaternary Palynology and Environments | | Prof Louis Scott |
| Coprolite pollen taphnomy | | Prof Louis Scott |
| Digitizing pollen reference material | | Prof Louis Scott |
| Early response to pathogen infection in wheat | | Prof Botma Visser |
| Molecular analysis of gene expression in plants | | Prof Botma Visser |
| Genotypic analysis of rust populations of crops in South Africa | | Prof Botma Visser |
| Investigation of fungicide tolerance/resistance in cereal crops | | Prof Botma Visser |
| Identification of South African rust species using molecular phylogeny | | Prof Botma Visser |
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