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23 September 2019 | Story Ruan Bruwer | Photo Varsity Sports
Noxolo Magudu, captian of the Kovsies Women Soccer team
Noxolo Magudu (right), captain of the Kovsie football team, were one of her team's standout performers in Varsity Football.
The Kovsie women’s football team made history when they reached the semi-final stage of Varsity Football for the very first time.

They won two out of their three group matches (2-0 against the Central University of Technology and 1-0 against Tuks) on Thursday (19 September) and Friday (20 September) in Potchefstroom to finish second in their group behind the Tshwane University of Technology.

In the semi-finals on Saturday (21/09), the University of the Western Cape was too strong, prevailing by 7-0. 

Finishing in the fourth place is, however, a great improvement on the sixth place in the previous two years. This was the fourth year of participation for the UFS ladies. They didn’t play in the first three renditions. In 2016, they finished fifth.

According to coach, Godfrey Tenoff, he placed his hope on the trust and unity of the team to carry them far. “When you have that as a coach and as a team, you can do really well. A willing player and team are always easier to coach than a talented team or player.
“Our goal was to make it to the second phase of the tournament,” he said.

One of the standout players for the Kovsies was their captain and striker, Noxolo Magudu, who walked away with two Player of the Match awards. Even in the quarter-final defeat, she provided a moment of brilliance which earned her the Pulse Moment of Brilliance cheque.

The UFS team has recently been doing well in the Free State’s SASOL Women's League, winning eight of their ten matches thus far. 

News Archive

Sunflowers are satellite dishes for sunshine, or are they?
2016-07-20

Eighty-six percent of South Africa’s
sunflowers are produced in the
Free State and North West provinces.

Helen Mirren, the English actress, said “the sunflower is like a satellite dish for sunshine”. However, researchers at the University of the Free State (UFS) have found that too much of this sunshine could have a negative effect on the growth of sunflowers, which are a major source of oil in South Africa.

According to Dr Gert Ceronio from the Department of Soil, Crop, and Climate Sciences at the UFS, extremely high soil temperatures play a definite role in the sprouting of sunflower seedlings. Together with Lize Henning, professional officer in the department, and Dr André Nel from the Agricultural Research Council, he is doing research on biotic and abiotic factors that could have an impact on sunflowers.

Description: Sonneblom 2 Tags: Sonneblom 2

Various degrees of deformity (bad-left
to none-right) in seedlings of the same
cultivar at very high soil temperatures.
Photo: Dr Gert Ceronio

Impact of high temperatures on sunflower production

The Free State and North West provinces, which produce 86% of South Africa’s sunflowers, are afflicted especially by high summer temperatures that lead to extremely high soil temperatures.

Dr Ceronio says: “Although sunflower seeds are able to germinate at temperatures from as low as 4°C to as high as 41°C, soil temperatures of 35°C and higher could have a negative effect on the vegetative faculty of sunflower seedlings, and could have an adverse effect on the percentage of sunflowers that germinate. From the end of November until mid-January, this is a common phenomenon in the sandy soil of the Free State and North West provinces. Soil temperatures can easily exceed the critical temperature of 43°C, which can lead to poor germination and even the replanting of sunflowers.”

Since temperature have a huge impact not only on the germination of sunflower seeds, but also on the vegetative faculty and sprouting of sunflower seedlings, Dr Ceronio suggests that sunflowers should be planted in soil with soil temperatures of 22 to 30°C. Planting is usually done in October and early November. Unfortunately, this is not always possible, as soil moisture is not optimal for growth. Farmers are then compelled to plant sunflowers later.

Impact of herbicides on sunflower growth

“High soil temperatures, combined with the herbicide sensitivity of some cultivars, could lead to the poor development of seedlings," says Dr Ceronio.

The use of herbicides, such as ALACHLOR, for the control of weeds in sunflowers is common practice in sunflower production. It has already been determined that ALACHLOR could still have a damaging effect on the seedlings of some cultivars during germination and sprouting, even at recommended application dosages.

“The purpose of the continued research is to establish the sensitivity of sunflower cultivars to ALACHLOR when exposed to high soil temperatures,” says Dr Ceronio.

 

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