Latest News Archive
Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
29 March 2019
|
Story Lacea Loader
Edward Kieswetter, newly appointed SARS Commissioner.
The Chairperson of the Council of the University of the Free State (UFS), Mr Willem Louw, extended a message of congratulations to Mr Edward Kieswetter on his appointment by President Cyril Ramaphosa this week as Commissioner of the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
Mr Kieswetter served as Deputy Chairperson of the UFS Council from 2008 to 2014 and was Visiting Professor at the university’s Business School until 2018.
“On behalf of the Council and the university community, I wish Mr Kieswetter well in his work as newly appointed SARS Commissioner. It is evident that the high-level selection panel made an exceptionally good choice for this crucial position. Mr Kieswetter’s vast experience as former SARS deputy commissioner, his subsequent track record of transformative leadership, and his experience in turning around a large institution will serve him well in this new role,” says Mr Louw.
Released by:
Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Marketing)
Telephone: +27 51 401 2584 | +27 83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27 51 444 6393
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.