Qualifications:

2014:            BSc Agric Hons (Agronomy)

2005:            PhD Interdisciplinary with Botany in combination with Agronomy

                                 2000:            M.Sc in Botany

                                  1997:            B.Sc Biology (Botany and Zoology)

2015-current Senior Lecturer (Department of Soil, Crop And Climate Sciences)

Current Project

Effect and development of biostimulants on crops

Crop and stress physiology

Natural product development and manipulation of crops

PEER REVIEWED ARTICLES
(1) Van der Watt, E. and Pretorius, J.C. 2001. Purification and identification of active antibacterial components in Carpobrotus edulis L. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Vol. 76 (1): 87-91.
(2) Pretorius J.C., Craven P. and Van der Watt, E. 2002. In vivo control of Mycosphaerella pinodes on pea leaves by a crude bulb extract of Eucomis autumnalis. Annals of Applied Biology, 141: 125-131.
(3) Pretorius J.C., Du Plessis A. and Van der Watt, E. 2008. Bio-stimulatory properties in seeds of plants from the families Caryophyllaceae and Fabaceae with application potential in agriculture. SA Journal of Plant and Soil 25(4): 194-203
(4) Van der Watt, E. and Pretorius, J.C. 2011. In vitro and in vivo bio-stimulatory properties of a Lupinus albus L seed suspension. Crop and Pasture Science 62: 189-197
(5) Van der Watt, E. and Pretorius, J.C. 2013. A triglyceride from Lupinus albus L. seeds with bio-stimulatory properties. African Journal of Biotechnology 12(35): 5431-5443
(6) Van der Watt, E. and Pretorius, J.C. 2013. A triglyceride from Lupinus albus L. seeds with bio-stimulatory properties. Acta Horticulturae 1009. In: Proceedings of the 1st World Congress on the use of Bio stimulants in Agriculture, Strasbourg, France, November 26-29, 2012.
(7) Antimicrobial activity of Buxus macowanii and its morphological effects on Bacillus cereus. Plant Medica (published 2018)
(8) Fabrizio Giuseppe Casales; Elmarie Van der Watt and Gesine Maria Coetzer (2018) In vitro propagation of pecan – A review. African Journal of Biotechnology. Vol. 17(18), pp. 586 – 605
(9) B.J. Kay; V.R. Swart and E. van der Watt (2019) Evaluation and comparison of various plant extracts as repellents against Lucilia spp. African Entomology 27(1): 000–000 (2019) DOI: httpS://doi.org/10.4001/003.027.0000
(10) B Ngobeni; S Masele; NJ Mabelo; E Van der Watt ad IT Manduna (2020) Disruption of microbial cell morphology by Buxus macowanii. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies Planta Medica (published)
(11) Zaid Bello, Johan Barnard, Elmarie Van der Watt and Neo Mathinya (2020) Response of malt barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grain quality characteristics to increasing irrigation water salinity. South African Journal of Plant and Soil, 38:2, 159-170, DOI: 10.1080/02571862.2021.1888391
(12) M Sakumona, J Allemann, E van der Watt (2020) Physiological responses of spring wheat cultivars in two ecotopes. Tropical Agricultural Research & Extension 25 (1): 2022
(13) Effects of amalgamated phytohormones on leaf trichome density and essential oil yield and quality of simulated hail-damaged rose geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L’Her.) (AABC-2019-1529) Zenzile Khetsha Moosa Mahmood Sedibe, PhD; Rudoph Johan Pretorius, PhD; Elmarie Van Der Watt, PhD Annals of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences. (2021)
(14) The effect of plant growth regulators on the leaf mineral status and phenolic composition of simulated hail-damaged rose geranium (Pelargonium graveolens L`Hér. cv. `Bourbon`) Zenzile Khetsha
Co-Authors: Moosa Mahmood Sedibe, PhD; Rudoph Johan Pretorius, PhD; Elmarie Van Der Watt, PhD (2021)
(15) Biostimulants improve the leaf micro-morphology and essential oil biosynthesis of simulated hail-damaged Pelargonium graveolens (L’Hér.). Z.P. Khetsha1, M.M. Sedibe1, R.J. Pretorius1 and E. Van Der Watt2 (2023). Acta Hortic. 1372. ISHS 2023. DOI 10.17660/ActaHortic.2023.1372.37 XXXI IHC – Proc. Int. Symp. Adaptation of Horticultural Plants to Abiotic Stresses Eds.: F. Liu and B. Wenden (accepted)

(16) MOTA, M. M.1 – VAN DER WATT, W.1*– KHETSHA, Z. P. (2023) Brassinosteroids improves the yield and morpho-physiological characteristics of Arachis hypogaea (L.), Glycine max (L.) and Phaseolus vulgaris (L.). APPLIED ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH X(Y): PP-PP (Accepted)

 CHAPTER IN BOOKS
1) Pretorius, J.C. and Van Der Watt, E. 2011. Natural Products from Plants: Commercial prospects in terms of antimicrobial, herbicidal and bio-stimulatory activities in an integrated pest management system. In: Dubey N.K. (eds) Natural Products in Plant Pest Management.
2) Pretorius JC and Van Der Watt E. 2015. Antifungal compounds from wild plants and its commercial potential. IN: K Vadivel, S Ganesan, Annamalai. Sustainable Crop Disease Management using Natural Products
3) Zenzile Khetsha*, Maxson Masowa, Elmarie Van Der Watt (2023) Production Systems Used by Vegetable Growers in South Africa: Eco-organic Production System and Silicon-Based Biostimulant as a Strategy for Vegetable Production Under Multistress Conditions (submitted)


POPULAR ARTICLES
(1) Pretorius, J.C. and Van der Watt, E. 2005. Gewasproduksie se risiko verlaag. Landbouweekblad.
(2) Pretorius, J.C. And Van der Watt, E. 2006. Plant bonanza. SA Gardening and Tuinpaleis
(3) Van der Watt 2023. Better eienskappe kan koringplante pantser teen hitte. Landbouweekblad

1. Screening of crude extracts from South African plants for possible application potential in agriculture. Aspects covered include antibacterial, antifungal, herbicidal, bio-stimulatory and insecticidal properties as well as the potential of an extract to improve systemic induced resistance (SIR) in crops towards abiotic and biotic stress factors. Once a potential has been identified, the active compounds are isolated and purified and the structural formula elucidated by means of NMR spectroscopy.
2. Natural plant extracts with the most potential are further investigated in terms of mechanism of action both metabolically and on gene level. The development of natural products is considered when the active compound and its mechanism of action have been elucidated. At this stage the compound is patented.
3. An aspirant new natural product is tested under field conditions in terms of its potential to be applied in a chemical manipulation program with the aim of increased tolerance against stress conditions in crops as well as yield improvement.The development of new crops and all its Agronomic requirements is considered and investigated when donor plants show above average potential.
4. A new addition to our research is an organic system approach with the aim of returning to nature via a) soil sanitation and remediation with active silicon as well as other bio-stimulants and their effect on soil micro-organisms, b) Remediation of soil after contamination (for example by herbicides) and possible repair of soil biology c) seed treatment with mychorrhiza and d) crop treatment with natural chemicals from plants to induce resistance against stress conditions, improve its physiology and metabolism in turn increasing yields.

AREAS OF SPECIALIZATION

• Screening and development of natural products like bio-stimulants, herbicides and fungicides for the agricultural industry
• Determining its effect on the enzymology, physiology and biochemistry of crops under both normal and stress conditions both under laboratory and field conditions

• Manipulation of crops in terms of cultivation, propagation and characterization using various techniques like tissue culture
• Operations planning and product development including various skills like chromatography, isolation, purification and identification of any secondary and primary products

2015-present -              AGRI 1514 (Biological principles in agriculture) lecturer

                                   AGRI 1514 (Biological principles in agriculture), coordinator

                                   SCCS 2624 (Crop development)

                                   CROP 4814 (Crop and Stress Physiology)

                                   SCCS 4808 (Research project and Seminar)