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13 April 2018
Photo Moeketsi Mogotsi
A brisk morning at work in studio with the Breakfast show team, Richard Chemaly, Sam Ludidi and Orefiloe Kelane.
Kovsie FM’s breakfast show is in the race to win the “Best Breakfast Show for Campus Radio” in this year’s Liberty Radio Awards. This comes after the station’s first national radio awards-nomination in the history of Kovsie FM.
The Kovsie FM Breakfast show has evolved over the years, and was dubbed the #MonateFelaBreakfast in January 2018 by co-presenters Richard Chemaly (Chem) and Orefile Kelane (Fifi).
“The one thing you want to avoid when you wake up is being miserable, and the only way you can achieve that is by focusing on being happy,” said Chemaly. This realisation was a crucial turning-point for the show. The hot -duo carried on to say they wanted to make a distinction between themselves and other radio breakfast shows locally and nationally.
Inspired by a need for revolution and a closer relationship with its audience, #MonateFelaBreakfast re-examined and focused the crux of its content on the heartbeat of society, allowing the topical interests of the listeners to determine the subject of discussion or theme choice.
The appeal of the show does not rely on bringing super famous personalities as guests, but to allow up-and-coming artists to use the show as a catalyst to break through to success in their respective industries.
Chemaly and Kelane attribute their chemistry to understanding the old and new school elements of radio. They said transformation also plays an important part in the show’s lucky charm.
Plant eco-physiologist finds effective solutions for crop optimisation
2016-07-24
The bio-stimulant was tested on
this citrus. This is the first time
that the product has been tested
on a crop.
In a time characterised by society facing increasing population growth, food crises, and extreme climatic conditions such as drought, it is essential for farmers to integrate science with their work practices in order to optimise crops.
Role of photosynthesis and plant sap data
By knowing how to use photosynthesis and plant sap data for determining plant health, fast and effective solutions could be established for the optimisation of crops. This technique, which could help farmers utilise every bit of usable land effectively, is the focus of Marguerite Westcott’s PhD study. She is a junior lecturer and plant eco-physiologist in die Department of Plant Sciences at the University of the Free State.
Westcott uses this technique in her studies to prove that a newly-developed bio-stimulant stimulates plants in order to metabolise water and other nutrients better, yielding increased crops as a result.
Agricultural and mining sectors benefit from research
The greatest part of these projects focuses on the agricultural sector. Westcott and a colleague, Dr Gert Marais, are researching the physiology of pecan and citrus trees in order to optimise the growth of these crops, thus minimising disease through biological methods. Field trials are being conducted in actively-producing orchards in the Hartswater and Patensie areas in conjunction with the South African Pecan Nut Producers Association (SAPPA) amongst others.
The principles that Westcott applies in her research are also used in combination with the bio-stimulant in other studies on disturbed soil, such as mine-dump material, for establishing plants in areas where they would not grow normally. This is an economical way for both the agricultural and mining sectors to improve nutrient absorption, stimulate growth, and contribute to the sustainable utilisation of the soil.
The bio-stimulant contributes to the immunity of the plants.
It was tested in these pecan nut orchards (Hartswater).
Soil rehabilitation key aspect in research projects
“One of two things is happening in my research projects. Either the soil is rehabilitated to bring about the optimal growth of a plant, or the plants are used to rehabilitate the soil,” says Westcott.
Data surveys for her PhD studies began in 2015. “This will be a long-term project in which seasonal data will be collected continuously. The first set of complete field data, together with pot trial data, will be completed after the current crop harvest,” says Westcott.