Latest News Archive
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News Items
| 2022-10-13 |
Vision 130 sets the tone for the UFS for the next 12 years |
| 2022-10-13 |
Vision 130 sets the tone for the UFS for the next 12 years |
| 2022-10-31 |
Netball star Sne Mdletshe hopes to inspire excellence |
| 2022-10-31 |
Netball star Sne Mdletshe hopes to inspire excellence |
| 2022-10-31 |
Prof Sithole to lend expertise on UNESCO science advisory board |
| 2022-10-31 |
Prof Sithole to lend expertise on UNESCO science advisory board |
| 2022-10-28 |
UFS Drama Department scores big wins at Vrystaat Arts Festival |
| 2022-10-28 |
UFS Drama Department scores big wins at Vrystaat Arts Festival |
| 2022-10-28 |
Global Citizen Series: A conversation with The Rt Hon the Lord Peter Hain |
| 2022-10-28 |
Global Citizen Series: A conversation with The Rt Hon the Lord Peter Hain |
| 2022-10-27 |
UFS student to produce cheaper sanitary towels for disadvantaged girls, women |
| 2022-10-27 |
UFS student to produce cheaper sanitary towels for disadvantaged girls, women |
| 2022-10-26 |
Expanded Collaboration for Cultural Heritage Preservation in Limpopo |
| 2022-10-26 |
Expanded Collaboration for Cultural Heritage Preservation in Limpopo |
| 2022-10-26 |
Socially developing communities or making them dependent |
| 2022-10-26 |
Socially developing communities or making them dependent |
| 2022-10-26 |
UFS research fellow appointed UNDP Human Rights Research Chair |
| 2022-10-26 |
UFS research fellow appointed UNDP Human Rights Research Chair |
| 2022-10-25 |
Celebrating excellence at the UFS Learning & Teaching awards |
| 2022-10-25 |
Celebrating excellence at the UFS Learning & Teaching awards |
| 2022-10-25 |
A journey of Pride – UFS commemorates Pride Month |
| 2022-10-25 |
A journey of Pride – UFS commemorates Pride Month |
| 2022-10-24 |
Celebrating more than 20 years of University-Community Engagement |
| 2022-10-24 |
Celebrating more than 20 years of University-Community Engagement |
| 2022-10-24 |
Prof Paul Oberholster latest UFS scientist inaugurated by Academy of Science |
| 2022-10-24 |
Prof Paul Oberholster latest UFS scientist inaugurated by Academy of Science |
| 2022-10-21 |
UFS doctoral student authors bat-centred children’s book |
| 2022-10-21 |
UFS doctoral student authors bat-centred children’s book |
| 2022-10-20 |
Putting mental health in the spotlight through filmmaking |
| 2022-10-20 |
Putting mental health in the spotlight through filmmaking |
| 2022-10-20 |
Making mental health conversations trend |
| 2022-10-20 |
Making mental health conversations trend |
| 2022-10-19 |
UFS names its top sport achievers |
| 2022-10-19 |
UFS names its top sport achievers |
| 2022-10-19 |
UFS Convocation reflects on past five years at AGM |
| 2022-10-19 |
UFS Convocation reflects on past five years at AGM |
| 2022-10-18 |
UFS staff member Nambitha Manqola scoops national Librarian award |
| 2022-10-18 |
UFS staff member Nambitha Manqola scoops national Librarian award |
| 2022-10-18 |
UFS Womxn’s Forum and KovsieAct join hands to Support the Jagersfontein Community |
| 2022-10-18 |
UFS Womxn’s Forum and KovsieAct join hands to Support the Jagersfontein Community |
| 2022-10-18 |
Register as a potential stem cell donor |
| 2022-10-18 |
Register as a potential stem cell donor |
| 2022-10-18 |
Participatory research illuminating complexities of poverty, the potential of youth fighting it |
| 2022-10-18 |
Participatory research illuminating complexities of poverty, the potential of youth fighting it |
| 2022-10-18 |
The ANC's elective conference – continued cycle of women's exclusion |
| 2022-10-18 |
The ANC's elective conference – continued cycle of women's exclusion |
| 2022-10-14 |
Students need a Sustainable Food System on Campus |
| 2022-10-14 |
Students need a Sustainable Food System on Campus |
| 2022-10-14 |
UFS Business School: The future of business is now |
| 2022-10-14 |
UFS Business School: The future of business is now |
| 2022-10-14 |
Invite: Tutu-Jonker Lecture, 'Faltering resilience – a nation in need of conciliation' |
| 2022-10-14 |
Invite: Tutu-Jonker Lecture, 'Faltering resilience – a nation in need of conciliation' |
| 2022-10-13 |
Invitation to apply for the Emerging Scholars Accelerator Programme |
| 2022-10-13 |
Invitation to apply for the Emerging Scholars Accelerator Programme |
| 2022-10-13 |
UFS biologists discover new tiny, white-thumbed bat species from Eswatini |
| 2022-10-13 |
UFS biologists discover new tiny, white-thumbed bat species from Eswatini |
| 2022-10-13 |
UFS among world’s best universities in Times Higher Education ranking |
| 2022-10-13 |
UFS among world’s best universities in Times Higher Education ranking |
| 2022-10-12 |
Global Citizen Webinar: A conversation with Judge Albie Sachs |
| 2022-10-12 |
Global Citizen Webinar: A conversation with Judge Albie Sachs |
| 2022-10-12 |
Advancing innovative, effective mathematics and science teaching |
| 2022-10-12 |
Advancing innovative, effective mathematics and science teaching |
| 2022-10-12 |
Great futures don’t fall from heaven – it has to be fought for |
| 2022-10-12 |
Great futures don’t fall from heaven – it has to be fought for |
| 2022-10-11 |
Qwaqwa research conference highlights value of research that is centred on humanity |
| 2022-10-11 |
Qwaqwa research conference highlights value of research that is centred on humanity |
| 2022-10-10 |
Plant-based medicine a possible cure for post-COVID-19 tuberculosis |
| 2022-10-10 |
Plant-based medicine a possible cure for post-COVID-19 tuberculosis |
| 2022-10-10 |
Making a difference with the No Student Hungry Programme |
| 2022-10-10 |
Making a difference with the No Student Hungry Programme |
| 2022-10-10 |
Raising hope and awareness for the homeless: the invisible who deserve to be seen |
| 2022-10-10 |
Raising hope and awareness for the homeless: the invisible who deserve to be seen |
| 2022-10-10 |
Annual conference enhances teaching and learning |
| 2022-10-10 |
Annual conference enhances teaching and learning |
| 2022-10-06 |
UFS students get to experience study abroad opportunities in Spain and Germany |
| 2022-10-06 |
UFS students get to experience study abroad opportunities in Spain and Germany |
| 2022-10-06 |
It’s a home semi-final for UFS netball team |
| 2022-10-06 |
It’s a home semi-final for UFS netball team |
| 2022-10-06 |
UFS counselling psychologist to lead mental health initiatives |
| 2022-10-06 |
UFS counselling psychologist to lead mental health initiatives |
| 2022-10-05 |
UFS preparing young people for the world of work |
| 2022-10-05 |
UFS preparing young people for the world of work |
| 2022-10-05 |
New advance medical imaging technology for the Department of Medical Physics |
| 2022-10-05 |
New advance medical imaging technology for the Department of Medical Physics |
| 2022-10-04 |
From kombucha to leather-like textile |
| 2022-10-04 |
From kombucha to leather-like textile |
| 2022-10-04 |
The arts coming together at the UFS |
| 2022-10-04 |
The arts coming together at the UFS |
| 2022-10-04 |
UFS scholar first to participate in the University of Michigan fellowship programme |
| 2022-10-04 |
UFS scholar first to participate in the University of Michigan fellowship programme |
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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