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Prince Matova receives international Young Scientist Award

20 September 2021 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

Prince_web read more — Prince Matova, a PhD student in the Department of Plant Sciences, has been working on breeding a maize that can resist the fall armyworm (FAW) – a maize-eating pest. Later in September, he will receive the Young Scientist Award from the Plant Mutation Breeding Division of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).

Prince Matova, a PhD student in Plant Breeding at the University of the Free State (UFS), received the Young Scientist Award from the Joint Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO)/International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture for excellence in plant mutation breeding.

The IAEA Director-General, Mr Rafael Mariano Grossi, will officially announce the award at the 65th regular session of the IAEA General Conference that will take place later in September this year.

The award is given to scientists younger than 40, who have made a significant contribution and impact in the field of mutation breeding.

Matova, a researcher, research and agronomy manager, and maize and legumes breeder at Mukushi Seeds (Pvt) Ltd in Harare, Zimbabwe, says: “People have seen the little work that I have done, and they were happy with it. That makes me happy too.”

Other contributions

In the ten years collaborating with the IAEA, practising mutation breeding, Matova – who believes innovative thinking and self-motivation to be contributing factors to a successful scientist – has also been recognised for other outstanding contributions. These include the release of a cowpea mutant variety in 2017 and its wide dissemination across Zimbabwe, as well as the modernisation of the maize and cowpea national breeding programmes. He has also contributed two publications and appeared twice at IAEA Plant Mutation Breeding symposia. Furthermore, Matova has trained other scientists and fellows across Africa and collaborated with centres of excellence in plant breeding, research, and development.

Growing up, he never guessed that he would one day become an agricultural scientist. Matova was, however, very good at biology and believes that this is one of the reasons why he ended up in crop science. “I am enjoying every moment of it. I love innovativeness and inventions and I view hybrid maize variety development as the greatest innovation in plant breeding. Working for Mukushi Seeds is inspiring; I have a young and dedicated team and the environment allows me to explore my full potential.”

“I feel science solves problems and every day as I do my breeding work, I have this desire to achieve greatness by developing a super maize hybrid,” he says.

Displaying excellence

For the past three to four years, Matova has been working to breed maize varieties that can resist fall armyworm (FAW) – a maize-eating pest. He says the pest has caused significant maize crop yield and economic losses across Africa.

More than 300 million smallholder farmers across sub-Saharan Africa rely on maize for food and livelihoods. “These farmers have limited capacities to control the pest. They are using insecticides, which we have seen to effectively provide immediate control of the pest.” However, these pesticides have environmental and health issues. “It is against this background that we, as plant breeders, felt it was important to develop varieties that are resistant to the pest. It is a more environmentally friendly, less expensive, and more sustainable solution,” explains Matova.

In his research, he evaluated the breeding potential of exotic FAW-resistant donor lines with local lines. He also investigated the resistance response and stability of local cultivars and inbred lines against FAW.

While working at the Zimbabwean Department of Research and Specialist Services (DR&SS), Matova collaborated with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the University of Zimbabwe, the UFS, and the IAEA to look into the possibility of using mutation breeding in maize crop improvement, with the intention to enhance FAW-resistance in maize genotypes.

He introgressed FAW resistance into the elite breeding materials at both DR&SS and Mukushi Seeds, where he is currently working. Matova believes that although FAW resistance is currently a nice-to-have trait, going forward, all maize varieties released should have a baseline resistance to FAW.

Ultimately, his work generated important information that can guide research and maize breeding for FAW resistance in Southern Africa. All this information is free for researchers to use for the betterment of Africa and the world.

Inspired by greatness

There are a number of people in the industry and academia who have inspired Matova. The list includes Dr Cosmos Magorokosho (CIMMYT), Prof Hussein Shimelis (University of KwaZulu-Natal), Dr Fatma Sarsu (IAEA), Dr Marilyn Warburton (Agricultural Research Service in the United States Department of Agriculture), Dr Amsal Terekegne (ZAMSEED), and Dr John MacRobert (Mukushi Seeds). They all contributed in one way or another to influence Matova in a positive way towards becoming the passionate scientist he is today.

Besides this list of prominent names, Matova says that he was more recently also motivated and encouraged by his PhD supervisor and mentor, Prof Maryke Labuschagne, Professor in Plant Sciences at the UFS. “She is a very special person doing a wonderful job. Prof Labuschagne is kind, thorough, hardworking, and a good mentor,” he states.

Prof Labuschagne is very proud of Matova for receiving this award. “He has been working really hard, and this is a wonderful recognition of the time and effort that he has invested in his research,” she says.

News Archive

UFS Winter Graduation Ceremony

2012-06-18

UFS awards record number of master’s degrees and doctorates

The University of the Free State (UFS) celebrated an increase in postgraduate successes with a record number of master’s degrees and doctorates that were awarded during the winter graduation ceremony at the Bloemfontein campus on Thursday 14 June 2012.

A total of 481 master’s degrees and 82 doctorates were awarded in two ceremonies in the Callie Human Centre on the Bloemfontein Campus. This is the most postgraduate qualifications to be awarded at a single graduation ceremony.

DiMTEC has reason to celebrate

Dr Andries Jordaan (second from right) with some of the people who received their master's degrees. From the left are Kehinde Balogun, the couple Olive Chisola-Darris en Clement West Darris, and the couple Everson Ndlovu en Patience Sibongile Ndlovu.
Photo: Leatitia Pienaar
18 June 2012

DiMTEC had reason to celebrate at the winter graduation ceremony. The Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa delivered a healthy crop of 32 master’s degrees and one doctorate.

This was the most master’s degrees that the centre has been awarded at one opportunity. The doctorate, however, was not at DiMTEC – Andries Jordaan, the director of the centre, obtained his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economy.

It was also the first time that two couples received their master’s degrees at the centre at the same time.

Speaking at the event, Dr Jordaan said former students of the centre were using their expertise worldwide. Some of them are in senior positions at the United Nations, in African countries, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. DiMTEC’s students hail from 17 African countries, including French-speaking countries.

“I am proud that we have a footprint right across Africa,” he said.

Three travel all the way from Europe for their MBAs

Smiles on an important day. From the left are: Kasina Baker, Friederike Hackelberg, and Johanna Kössler and her parents and sister.
Photo: Stephen Collett
18 June 2012

No distance, time or money could prevent three MBA graduates from Europe from attending the winter graduation ceremony in Bloemfontein. Two of them were exchange students who were so captivated by the university and the country that they undertook their MBA studies at the Business School.

Friederike Hackelberg of Bremen, Germany, was an exchange student in 2008 and extended her stay to do an MBA. Johanna Kössler of Bolzano, Italy, was also an exchange student who succumbed to the charms of the UFS and South Africa. She brought her parents, George and Nannie, and her sister, Magdalena, with her to attend the graduation ceremony.

Kasina Baker of Warsaw, Poland, began her studies while her husband was working in Kenya. She wanted to study at a quality institution and thus chose the UFS's Business School.

Jessica gets three prestigious medals

Jessica Potgieter (right) was the first student in almost three decades to receive three prestigious medals at the Winter Graduation Ceremony. She received the Dean's medal as best Master's student in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, the Senate Medal as best Master's student at the university and the Award for Scientific Achievement by the South African Association for the Advancement of Science. She is seen here with her mother, Mrs Ilse van Rhyn, and Dr Khotso Mokhele, Chancellor.
Photo: Johan Roux
18 June 2012

Three daughters, three degrees for proud Kovsie mom

Liezel Alsemgeest and Adri Kotzé.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs
18 June 2012

Adri Kotzé, Faculty Manager in the Faculty of Law, is a very proud parent. In the course of one year, all three her daughters will receive degrees from the University of the Free State (UFS). First in line is the eldest, who received her Ph.D. in Business Management at the Winter Graduation Ceremony.

Liezel is a lecturer in the Department of Business Management at the UFS, where she lectures, publishes and hopes to further her research in finance. “I enjoy working at the university because you have the freedom to do your own thing and focus on whatever you like,” she says.

The title of Liezel’s thesis is Customers’ perception of business units within an agricultural business in South Africa. Her focus is on the subjects of customer satisfaction and financial management, with a specific focus on the management of agricultural businesses.

Middle sister Corné will be graduating with a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy in December, while the youngest, Adéle, will receive her B.A. in Media Studies and Journalism at the Autumn Graduation Ceremony in 2013.

“I am very proud of all three my daughters,” says Adri.

Sasolburg minister receives Dean's Medal for best master's degree in Theology

Rev. Frans Redelinghuys.
18 June 2012

Rev. Frans Redelinghuys of the Reformed Church in Sasolburg received his master’s degree in Theology at the University of the Free State’s Winter Graduation Ceremony. Rev. Redelinghuys was also awarded the Dean’s Medal as the best master’s degree student in the Faculty of Theology.

The focus of his dissertation is Spirituality. “My lecturers are all people who practice what they preach and they have shared their knowledge with me.,” he says.

“My studies also contributed to my personal development,” says Rev. Redelinghuys.

Student from the Netherlands receives degree at UFS Winter Graduation Ceremony

Deborah Van den Bosch-Heij.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs
18 June 2012

Deborah Van den Bosch-Heij from the Netherlands was awarded a Ph.D. at the Winter Graduation Ceremony by the Faculty of Theology of the University of the Free State (UFS). Her thesis, Spirit and healing in Africa: A reformed pneumatological perspective, is an interdisciplinary investigation of the relationship between the Holy Spirit and healing in Southern Africa. The research addresses the need for a reviewed and contextually reformed approached to healing.

Deborah started her career as a minister at the Valkenburg Congregation of the Protestant Church in the Netherlands in 2001. She was appointed by the missionary department of her church to lecture at the Justo Mwale Theological University College in Lusaka, Zambia in 2005. It was here that she decided on the topic of her thesis. Prof. Rian Venter from the Department of Systematic Theology at the UFS, who is also involved at the Justo Mwale College, is Deborah’s promoter and assisted her in her studies whilst she was in the Netherlands. It was also Prof. Venter who made Deborah aware of the importance of interdisciplinary research.

Well-known judge's granddaughter receives degree

Judge Joos Hefer and Annelie de Man.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

Annelie de Man, a law researcher at the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein received her master’s degree at the Winter Graduation Ceremony of the University of the Free State (UFS). She is Judge Joos Hefer’s granddaughter. Annelie was also awarded the Dean’s Medal as the best master’s degree student in the Faculty of Law.

“Today is one of the biggest highlights in my career,” says Annelie, who received exposure to the field of law from a young age.

In September, she will be leaving for Italy to study for a master’s degree in European Human Rights at the European Inter University.

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