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From orchard to dissection in research labs: Cydonia Oblonga

19 December 2022 | Story Nonsindiso Qwabe | Photo Supplied

In English, it is called quince, but you probably grew up calling it kwepere. Does this ring a bell? Kwepere – scientific name Cydonia oblonga – is a bright yellow shrub fruit that looks like a cross between an apple and a pear. When you look past its rather unappealing characteristics, such as being nearly inedible when raw, quince is delightfully surprising. Its flavour is delicately sweet when stewed, and its aroma is reminiscent of vanilla and oranges. When cooked, the fruit’s pale-yellow colour changes to a lovely rose. It preserves a distinctive aromatic smell and has a slightly sour taste when ripe; it is often used in jams, marmalades, and alcoholic beverages, to mention a few. Although found in many backyards in Qwaqwa and around the country, it is an ancient fruit native to various parts of Asia and the Mediterranean.

An aroma that can be sensed from a mile away

Growing up, Tshepiso Letaoana, an MSc student and facilitator in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences never imagined that one day she would be conducting research on a fruit she grew up playing with. Inspired by Prof Anofi Ashafa, Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences, who observed that during each fruiting season quince would either end up rotting while hanging on the trees or dropping to the ground, rendering it unusable and inedible, Letaoana embarked on research to learn more about the fruit for her honours research.

“As a young girl, our neighbour had a garden full of quince trees, and I always looked forward to harvest season because the smell and taste were so exhilarating. I had no idea that it had so many benefits, I was just eating it for the delicacy experience. When I embarked on my research journey, I got to learn that it contains good antioxidant and antidiabetic properties. Conducting this research has opened me up to the history of the folklore and the use of the plant in the olden days.”

Giving quince a chance to reach fruit market shelves

Currently, on her master’s journey, she has uncovered that the main culprit causing the fruit to rot are pathogens that attack and lead to deterioration as well as spoilage of the fruit. Using the plants’ own parts, she aims to formulate antifungals that will mitigate or eradicate these pathogens attacking the fruit, so that it will have a chance to reach the shelves in fruit markets.

“I hope I will also get the opportunity to store my research findings in the university’s archives so that the information can be available to other communities and can be utilised by future generations. We also hope for a possible development of Cydonia oblonga extracts into antimicrobial spraying agents that can be used by supermarkets. This research will help educate the community of Maluti-a-Phofung about cost-effective methods they can use to overcome the challenges they face in dealing with the pathogens and taking care of their kwepere as well as other fruit-bearing trees. With further research, this could also lead to the creation of job opportunities should one pursue the cultivation of these trees in order to supply the fruits to local supermarkets.”

News Archive

Ford foundation funds higher education redesign

2005-06-23

The Ford Foundation has pledged a grant of almost R280 000 for redesigning higher education delivery at three campuses in the Free State.

According to Prof Magda Fourie, Vice-Rector: Academic Planning at the University of the Free State (UFS), the three campuses that will be affected by the strategic reconfiguration of higher education delivery are the Qwaqwa campus at Phuthaditjhaba and the Vista campus of the UFS in Bloemfontein and the Welkom campus of the Central University of Technology (CUT).

Prof Fourie says the three campuses were all affected by the restructuring of higher education, in line with the National Plan for Higher Education.

The Qwaqwa campus of the UFS that was part of the former University of the North was incorporated into the UFS in January 2003. Likewise the Bloemfontein campus of the former Vista University was incorporated into the UFS in January 2004.

The Welkom campus of the CUT was also part of the former Vista University and was incorporated into the CUT in January 2004.

“These incorporations pose a challenge in that we have to think creatively about the best ways of using these three campuses to service the higher education, training, skills development and human resource needs of the Free State,” Prof Fourie said.

“The grant from the Ford Foundation will primarily be used to draw up strategic funding proposals for the three campuses. The Qwaqwa campus of the UFS is a priority to us given the poverty and unemployment in a largely rural area of the Free State,” said Prof Fourie.

“A detailed consultation process will be undertaken in the Qwaqwa campus sub-region which will hopefully result in a comprehensive and a coherent suite of higher education activities being established on this campus,” said Prof Fourie.

“It is envisaged that the Qwaqwa campus will become a centre of excellence in the area of rural development. This vision is based on a focused integration of the core functions of a university – teaching, research, and community service – around the issue of rural development,” said Prof Fourie.

Prof Fourie said that various educational offerings including among others short courses, bridging and foundation programmes, and degrees could be offered, with a particular focus on providing courses of relevance to students from the local rural community and students from elsewhere with an interest in focusing on rural development studies.

She said the redesign of the three affected campuses is being managed as a project of the Free State Higher Education Consortium (FSHEC) consisting of all the higher education institutions operating in the Free State.

“The aim of the project is to establish how the Qwaqwa and Vista campuses of the UFS and the Welkom campus of the CUT can be used effectively to meet regional education and training needs, to serve the strategic priorities of the two higher education institutions and contribute to the sustainable development and poverty alleviation of the region,” she said.

The planning for the Vista campus of the UFS is still in an early stage. “We are looking at the possibility of developing this campus into a hub of education and training opportunities for Bloemfontein and Free State region. Further plans will be communicated later in the year,” said Prof Fourie.

Media release

Issued by:  Lacea Loader
   Media Representative
   Tel: (051) 401-2584
   Cell: 083 645 2454
   E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za

23 June 2005

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