16 May 2025
|
Story André Damons
|
Photo Supplied
Prof Maryke Labuschagne, Professor of Plant Breeding in the Department of Plant Sciences, is leading the Maize Biofortification and Climate Resilience Breeding Team at the University of the Free State.
The Maize Biofortification and Climate Resilience Breeding Team at the University of the Free State (UFS) under the leadership of Prof Maryke Labuschagne, Professor of Plant Breeding in the Department of Plant Sciences, has been nominated for the NSTF-South32 Awards for 2024/2025.
The Team is a collaboration between UFS, the Agricultural Research Council ‑ Grain Crops (ARC-GC), the International Centre for the Improvement of Wheat and Maize (CIMMYT) in Zimbabwe, and ZamSeed in Zambia. It was nominated for its contribution to maize biofortification and identification of climate resilient biofortified maize through collaborative research. Prof Labuschagne is leading the National Research Foundation’s South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) Chair in Diseases and Quality of Field Crops.
“We have been working on biofortification (the genetic improvement of nutritional value in crops) of maize grain for many years. This includes the increase of provitamin A levels, essential amino acids tryptophan and lysine, and the improvement of iron and zinc levels in maize. All the research is being done in the context of climate change, so that the advantages of biofortification are not lost under adverse production conditions,” explains Prof Labuschagne.
Biofortification important in South Africa and Africa
Apart from her, the Maize Biofortification and Climate Resilience Breeding Team also consists of Dr Angie Jacoby from the UFS, Drs Kingstone Mashingaidze and Nemera Shargie from the ARC-GS, and Dr Amsal Tarekegne from Zamseeds. Dr Tarekegne was previously from CIMMYT, but the team is still collaborating with colleagues at CIMMYT.
Prof Labuschagne says they have partnered with the ARC for many years in terms of research and student training. This has now been formalised with the ARC/DOA/UFS Research Chair in Breeding Climate Resilient Vegetables and Grains, which kicked off at the end of 2024. The new chair will allow the team to expand the collaboration in terms of biofortification of various crops, not only maize, and to make sure that biofortified crops are climate resilient.
“Biofortification is very important in South Africa and Africa, and the release of climate resilient biofortified crops can make a significant contribution to food and nutritional security in the region, especially in rural areas. We have focused mainly on maize in the past. We are now expanding the research to include sorghum and the legumes (cowpea, pigeon pea, vegetable soybean, and bambara groundnut). These are all food security crops in Southern Africa. Our research will focus on heat and drought tolerance in these crops, and the simultaneous improvement of their nutritional value.”
With this research, Prof Labuschagne and the team are contributing to the realisation of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG) especially Target 2.1 which aims “to end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor, and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round by 2030” and Target 2.2 aims to end all forms of malnutrition by 2030. The research is also aligned with the African Union Agenda 2063 of which one of the eight aspirations is to have a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth and sustainable development. In this regard, the Africa of 2063 will be a continent without any form of food or nutrition insecurity and hunger. Measures will be adopted that lead to food sovereignty.