10 June 2020
|
Story Leonie Bolleurs
|
Photo Supplied
Prof Zakkie Pretorius, left, plays a significant role in providing pathology support to the plant breeding industry.Prof Liezel Herselman contributes to plant breeding in Southern Africa by training and mentoring the plant breeders of the future.
During the 13th Southern African Plant Breeders’ Association symposium, Prof Herselman was presented with a Fellow Award and Prof Pretorius with Honorary Membership. They received the awards for their services to and promotion of the SAPBA objectives,
together with their exceptional contributions to plant breeding.
Provide food for the nation
Over the years, Prof Pretorius, who has extensive expertise in diseases of field crops – more specifically the rust diseases of small grain cereal crops – has played a significant role in providing pathology support to the plant breeding industry. He has also conducted ground-breaking pathology research on rust diseases in field crops. In 2019, he co-authored an article that appeared in Nature, the world’s leading multidisciplinary science journal. He is also shortlisted as a 2020 finalist in the Lifetime Award and Special Theme Award (Plant Health) of the National Science and Technology Forum. Furthermore, he regularly attended and participated in biennial conferences and supervised plant breeding students working on plant disease projects.
Prof Herselman contributes to plant breeding in Southern Africa by training and mentoring the plant breeders of the future. “As a lecturer of fourth-year and honours Plant Breeding students, as well as supervisor and promoter of master’s and
doctoral students, I am in the fortunate position to teach and mentor my students in one of the newest fields of plant breeding, namely marker-assisted plant breeding. All future plant breeders need this knowledge to make a success of their breeding
programmes. Our students are the future plant breeders who will provide food to the nation,” she says.
"As a plant pathologist, I am privileged to have been able to contribute to the quest for disease resistance in crop improvement and to have been recognised for it.” – Prof Zakkie Pretorius
The highest honour
Prof Pretorius view recognition by the industry – in this case, the plant breeding fraternity – as the highest honour for someone working in agricultural science. “As a plant pathologist, I am privileged to have been able to contribute to the quest for disease resistance in crop improvement and to have been recognised for it. I am also extremely grateful to colleagues and co-workers who have contributed over many years to the establishment of a productive and influential research group at the UFS,” he says.
Prof Herselman shares this sentiment. She says: “It means so much to me to know that I have made a difference and an impact on my students’ lives. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to work with under- and postgraduate students and
to see them grow.”
She continues: “We strive to send out well-rounded students who can make a difference in the workplace and the community. This award means that I have succeeded in this goal, even though I do my work because I am passionate about it and not to receive
recognition.”
Fight against fungal disease continues
Prof Pretorius continues to be involved in studies on host plant resistance and pathogenic variability.
As a molecular plant breeder, Prof Herselman is pushing on with research focusing on the development of wheat lines with improved disease resistance. The work that she is doing makes a difference on both national and international level. “As
part of my current research programme, we have made rust- and Fusarium head blight-resistant wheat lines available to South African breeding companies for use in their breeding programmes. The lines developed at the UFS will in a small way contribute
towards the fight against fungal diseases in South Africa, thus securing the yield and livelihoods of farmers and consumers,” she says.
Her master’s and doctoral students who have completed their studies, also take the knowledge they gained at the UFS back to their countries and workplaces where they ultimately add value, especially contributing towards the fight against hunger.
"“We strive to send out well-rounded students who can make a difference in the workplace and the community. This award means that I have succeeded in this goal, even though I do my work because I am passionate about it and not to receive recognition.”
– Prof Liezel Herselman