Latest News Archive
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| 2022-05-31 |
Melissa de Aveiro inspires UFS with journey about rising from the ashes |
| 2022-05-31 |
Melissa de Aveiro inspires UFS with journey about rising from the ashes |
| 2022-05-30 |
Taking the lead to positively impact the future of South African youth |
| 2022-05-30 |
Taking the lead to positively impact the future of South African youth |
| 2022-05-27 |
Prof Tomas Vetrik, addicted to maths research |
| 2022-05-27 |
Prof Tomas Vetrik, addicted to maths research |
| 2022-05-26 |
Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences obtains affiliation with CFA Institute |
| 2022-05-26 |
Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences obtains affiliation with CFA Institute |
| 2022-05-26 |
South Campus Creative Clubs: empowering learners to excel |
| 2022-05-26 |
South Campus Creative Clubs: empowering learners to excel |
| 2022-05-26 |
#AfricaMonth: Celebrating books and multilingualism |
| 2022-05-26 |
#AfricaMonth: Celebrating books and multilingualism |
| 2022-05-25 |
Understanding the greatness of eminent personalities |
| 2022-05-25 |
Understanding the greatness of eminent personalities |
| 2022-05-25 |
Education on the African continent focus of UFS #AfricaMonth celebrations |
| 2022-05-25 |
Education on the African continent focus of UFS #AfricaMonth celebrations |
| 2022-05-24 |
‘Creating a safe space for people to be who they are’ |
| 2022-05-24 |
‘Creating a safe space for people to be who they are’ |
| 2022-05-24 |
Shining a light on student protest – join the discussion |
| 2022-05-24 |
Shining a light on student protest – join the discussion |
| 2022-05-24 |
African Union Panel honours UFS South Campus Principal |
| 2022-05-24 |
African Union Panel honours UFS South Campus Principal |
| 2022-05-23 |
#Africa Month: UFS research impacts food security across borders |
| 2022-05-23 |
#Africa Month: UFS research impacts food security across borders |
| 2022-05-20 |
Your studies are important – a message to Qwaqwa Campus students |
| 2022-05-20 |
Your studies are important – a message to Qwaqwa Campus students |
| 2022-05-20 |
KovsieSport Awards: Louzanne Coetzee inspires stars to keep on rising |
| 2022-05-20 |
KovsieSport Awards: Louzanne Coetzee inspires stars to keep on rising |
| 2022-05-20 |
Catch the premiere of 2022 #AfricaDay Memorial Lecture at 19:00 |
| 2022-05-20 |
Catch the premiere of 2022 #AfricaDay Memorial Lecture at 19:00 |
| 2022-02-19 |
Prof Adelabu’s visit to University of California creates collaboration opportunities |
| 2022-02-19 |
Prof Adelabu’s visit to University of California creates collaboration opportunities |
| 2022-05-19 |
Guest lecture presented by Prof Anil Sooklal, Ambassador-at-Large for Asia and BRICS, DIRCO |
| 2022-05-19 |
Guest lecture presented by Prof Anil Sooklal, Ambassador-at-Large for Asia and BRICS, DIRCO |
| 2022-05-19 |
Publishing Behind Paywalls – An Academic Crisis |
| 2022-05-19 |
Publishing Behind Paywalls – An Academic Crisis |
| 2022-05-20 |
Tinovimba Semu, top undergraduate student in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences |
| 2022-05-20 |
Tinovimba Semu, top undergraduate student in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences |
| 2022-05-18 |
Xenophobic South Africa goes against the Pan-Africanist agenda that liberated us from Apartheid |
| 2022-05-18 |
Xenophobic South Africa goes against the Pan-Africanist agenda that liberated us from Apartheid |
| 2022-05-18 |
Skills development a big winner at UFS Eco-vehicle race 2022 |
| 2022-05-18 |
Skills development a big winner at UFS Eco-vehicle race 2022 |
| 2022-05-18 |
American Jon Kehrer astonished by Dean’s Medal honour, praises UFS Hebrew’s quality |
| 2022-05-18 |
American Jon Kehrer astonished by Dean’s Medal honour, praises UFS Hebrew’s quality |
| 2022-05-18 |
Simmons on her way to Hockey World Cup |
| 2022-05-18 |
Simmons on her way to Hockey World Cup |
| 2022-05-17 |
University of Limpopo visits the UFS to benchmark protection services |
| 2022-05-17 |
University of Limpopo visits the UFS to benchmark protection services |
| 2022-05-17 |
‘Avid researcher’ Dr Jonas Thinane obtains PhD from Unisa |
| 2022-05-17 |
‘Avid researcher’ Dr Jonas Thinane obtains PhD from Unisa |
| 2022-05-16 |
Book launch: I am a man by Dr Jerry Mofokeng wa Makhetha |
| 2022-05-16 |
Book launch: I am a man by Dr Jerry Mofokeng wa Makhetha |
| 2022-05-16 |
Classes on the Qwaqwa Campus to continue mostly online for the rest of the week |
| 2022-05-16 |
Classes on the Qwaqwa Campus to continue mostly online for the rest of the week |
| 2022-05-16 |
Thought-leader webinar: Crime in South Africa-Who is to blame? |
| 2022-05-16 |
Thought-leader webinar: Crime in South Africa-Who is to blame? |
| 2022-05-16 |
A Stand Against Injustices towards Transgender and Gender-diverse Persons |
| 2022-05-16 |
A Stand Against Injustices towards Transgender and Gender-diverse Persons |
| 2022-05-16 |
Dr Mutshidzi Mulondo off to the US for the prestigious Mandela Washington Fellowship |
| 2022-05-16 |
Dr Mutshidzi Mulondo off to the US for the prestigious Mandela Washington Fellowship |
| 2022-05-13 |
Join on 19 May 2022 |
| 2022-05-13 |
Join on 19 May 2022 |
| 2022-05-12 |
International Nurses Day: An opportunity to reflect |
| 2022-05-12 |
International Nurses Day: An opportunity to reflect |
| 2022-05-13 |
New robotic telescope gives UFS edge over international astronomy groups |
| 2022-05-13 |
New robotic telescope gives UFS edge over international astronomy groups |
| 2022-05-12 |
Kovsie Health celebrates international nurses day |
| 2022-05-12 |
Kovsie Health celebrates international nurses day |
| 2022-05-12 |
Black men take a page out of their own oppression to marginalise black women in higher education |
| 2022-05-12 |
Black men take a page out of their own oppression to marginalise black women in higher education |
| 2022-05-12 |
UFS Professor Co-edits Journal of Literary Studies Special Issue on Pandemic Literature |
| 2022-05-12 |
UFS Professor Co-edits Journal of Literary Studies Special Issue on Pandemic Literature |
| 2022-05-11 |
Belinda Janeke receives Dean’s Medal in EMS |
| 2022-05-11 |
Belinda Janeke receives Dean’s Medal in EMS |
| 2022-05-11 |
House Ardour: Health Sciences residence embracing a new identity |
| 2022-05-11 |
House Ardour: Health Sciences residence embracing a new identity |
| 2022-05-11 |
Share Your Stories on this Hub of Creative Expression |
| 2022-05-11 |
Share Your Stories on this Hub of Creative Expression |
| 2022-05-10 |
PhD student Alina Ntsiapane dominates in international research pitching contest |
| 2022-05-10 |
PhD student Alina Ntsiapane dominates in international research pitching contest |
| 2022-05-09 |
UFS eco-vehicle race project for sustainable renewable energy |
| 2022-05-09 |
UFS eco-vehicle race project for sustainable renewable energy |
| 2022-05-09 |
Contesting ideologies in sustainable agriculture; looking at nature versus technology |
| 2022-05-09 |
Contesting ideologies in sustainable agriculture; looking at nature versus technology |
| 2022-05-06 |
Thuso Lempetje – from service worker to Business School graduate |
| 2022-05-06 |
Thuso Lempetje – from service worker to Business School graduate |
| 2022-05-05 |
The Centre for Gender and Africa Studies launches its new home on Qwaqwa Campus |
| 2022-05-05 |
The Centre for Gender and Africa Studies launches its new home on Qwaqwa Campus |
| 2022-05-05 |
UFS Accountancy graduates excel in SAICA’s ITC exams |
| 2022-05-05 |
UFS Accountancy graduates excel in SAICA’s ITC exams |
| 2022-05-05 |
UFS academics honoured by the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns |
| 2022-05-05 |
UFS academics honoured by the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns |
| 2022-05-05 |
SACQSP gives UFS Quantity Surveying programmes its stamp of approval |
| 2022-05-05 |
SACQSP gives UFS Quantity Surveying programmes its stamp of approval |
| 2022-05-04 |
Dean’s Medal winner in Health Sciences closer to dream of becoming a forensic anthropologist |
| 2022-05-04 |
Dean’s Medal winner in Health Sciences closer to dream of becoming a forensic anthropologist |
| 2022-05-04 |
Qwaqwa Campus celebrates graduates and honorary doctorate recipients |
| 2022-05-04 |
Qwaqwa Campus celebrates graduates and honorary doctorate recipients |
| 2022-05-04 |
Honorary doctorates bestowed on exemplary individuals during Qwaqwa graduations |
| 2022-05-04 |
Honorary doctorates bestowed on exemplary individuals during Qwaqwa graduations |
| 2022-05-04 |
Qwaqwa Campus in-person graduations a traditional affair worth remembering |
| 2022-05-04 |
Qwaqwa Campus in-person graduations a traditional affair worth remembering |
| 2022-05-04 |
Frater Celebration Day Hybrid Conference to be held on 5 May 2022 |
| 2022-05-04 |
Frater Celebration Day Hybrid Conference to be held on 5 May 2022 |
| 2022-05-03 |
Why Our Youth is Our Most Powerful Weapon Against Corruption |
| 2022-05-03 |
Why Our Youth is Our Most Powerful Weapon Against Corruption |
| 2022-05-03 |
UFS South Campus impacting lives for the better on international stage |
| 2022-05-03 |
UFS South Campus impacting lives for the better on international stage |
| 2022-05-03 |
ISRC President Simphiwe Dube obtains degree with distinction |
| 2022-05-03 |
ISRC President Simphiwe Dube obtains degree with distinction |
UFS teams up with Department of Agriculture and donates latest farming technology to Oppermans
2009-03-09
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Attending the recent launch of the latest technology that measures the salinity of soil – the EM38 system – during an information day held in Jacobsdal were, from the left, back: Mr Robert Dlomo, a farmer from Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal, Prof. Leon van Rensburg, Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the UFS, Mr Sugar Ramakarane, head of the Department of Agriculture in the Free State, Dr Motseki Hlatshwayo, national Department of Agriculture, and Prof. Herman van Schalkwyk, Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the UFS; front: Mr Robert Smith and Mr Fagan Scheepers from Oppermansgronde, who will be working with the EM38 system in the area.
Photo: Landbouweekblad |
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UFS teams up with Department of Agriculture and donates latest farming technology to Oppermans
Emerging and commercial farmers of the Oppermans Community in the Northern Cape will now be able to monitor the salinity levels on their farms effectively for the first time.
This is as a result of a donation of the latest technology that measures the salinity of soil – the EM38 system – which the University of the Free State (UFS) is donating to the community.
The unique project was launched by the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the UFS and the Department of Agriculture in the Free State during an information day held at Jacobsdal recently.
The day was attended by members of the Oppermans Community and representatives of the UFS as well as the Department of Agriculture. Mr Sugar Ramakarane, Head of the Department of Agriculture in the Free State, did the welcoming and several academics from the UFS held discussions about various topics related to the salinity levels in soil.
Since the establishment of the Oppermans Community emerging farmers are now for the first time able to accurately monitor the salinity levels on their farms as well as that of irrigation schemes of commercial farms in the area.
“In a region such as the Northern Cape it is very important that the salinity level of soil is monitored properly. As water is administered to crops, salts accumulate in the soil because the roots leave most of the salts in the soil when it transpires. When the salinity of soil increases, the osmotic potential thereof can also increase, which can seriously damage the water intake of crops and can create loss in yield and income,” said Prof. Leon van Rensburg from the Department of Soil, Crop and Climate Sciences at the UFS and leader of the Oppermans Project.
To assist the farming community of Oppermans to apply precision farming and to measure the salinity level of soil more accurately the latest technology that measures salinity in soil – the EM38 – will be donated to the community. Although the system is used throughout the world, the UFS is the only tertiary institution in the country that owns the latest version of this system.
“We are also training two persons from the Oppermans Community as technicians that will monitor the use of the system. The advantage of the donation of the system for the university is that we can gather data that can be used for research purposes by our Master’s and Doctoral students. We also want to see if water-table heights can be measured with this system,” said Prof. Van Rensburg.
According to him the system has several advantages for the community’s emerging farmers. “For the first time the salinity level of soil can now be measured accurately, salt maps can be drawn up, we can advise farmers about the corrections that need to be made and salinity management plans can be compiled,” he said.
The system is very accurate as it takes measurements every 200 mm while it is pulled by a four-wheel motorbike. The readings provide the distribution of salts up to a soil depth of 1 500 mm. “In the past the measuring of salinity levels was time-consuming and the cost thereof was R90 for one sample. The new system is more cost-effective,” stated Prof. Van Rensburg.
The instruments will be handed over to the African Spirit Group of the Oppermans Community, who will then become the owners. The service to farmers will then be managed by an operational group consisting of people from the Oppermans Community, a postgraduate student who can compile salinity maps and Prof. Van Rensburg, who will act as project leader and advisor.
The system will also be made available to farmers at the Riet River and Vaalharts Schemes.
Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
9 March 2009
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