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Revolutionising wheat: Developing cultivars that maintain their quality in heat and drought

28 April 2023 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

UFS PhD student and food scientist Schae-Lee Olckers’ research could contribute to a stable supply of good quality wheat and bread, even in the face of climate change.

Follow your passion in order to find your purpose. This is the mantra of food scientist and University of the Free State (UFS) PhD student Schae-Lee Olckers, whose research is set to improve wheat quality by identifying which types of wheat are better able to tolerate stress, and which proteins are most important for producing high-quality bread.

“By grasping this, it is possible to ensure that we continue to have a stable supply of good quality wheat and bread, even in the face of climate change,” says Olckers, who believes wheat is one of the most important food grains in the human diet, and one of the most important staple cereal crops in the world.

Her PhD study, ‘The influence of abiotic stress on gluten protein and baking quality in bread wheat’, under the supervision of Dr Angie van Biljon and Prof Maryke Labuschagne in the Department of Plant Sciences, and Prof Garry Osthoff in the Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry, is investigating how different levels of heat and drought stress – mostly due to climate change – affect the gluten protein composition of high-yield bread wheat.

Olckers is a food scientist at StartWell Foods (Pty) Ltd, a non-profit organisation that produces high-quality extrusion products for feeding schemes around the country. The products help to eliminate stunted growth among children.

Improving wheat breeding programmes

This research could help us find ways to adapt to climate change and continue to produce high-quality wheat and bread for people around the world. – Schae-Lee Olckers

Her research focuses on examining different types of wheat and investigating how proteins are affected by stressors like heat and drought, to understand how these stressors impact the quality of bread. She uses new proteomic methods to look at the different proteins in the wheat flour, to gain a better appreciation of how gluten proteins react to stress.

In this study Olckers is able to see how the proteins change in the various wheat cultivars, helping us to understand how the different types of wheat perform in baking, and how the proteins affect the final product.

She collaborates with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico, that releases new wheat cultivars for developing countries. Their aim is to develop wheat cultivars that maintain their quality in different environments. To investigate the performance and characteristics of the seeds, both in the field and in the laboratory, CIMMYT did the field trials, quality assessment, and supplied the seeds for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and proteomics analysis.

Finding ways to adapt to climate change

She believes that understanding how these stressors impact the production of bread-baking quality in wheat will help scientists gain important insights into how climate change affects our food supply.

“Taking into consideration the current and projected intensifying heat and water deficit stresses, it is crucial to improve the understanding of these phenomena in order to implement new breeding strategies for sustainable wheat quality. This research could help us find ways to adapt to climate change and continue to produce high-quality wheat and bread for people around the world,” Olckers says.

News Archive

UFS Centenary 2004/05 : October snippets

2004-10-06

CENTENARY CONFERENCE
The proposed Centenary Conference on Democracy, Diversity and Development : Towards a mature and robust society – A critical discourse, refers. Unfortunately many invited contributors are unable to attend on the proposed dates (12 to 15 October 2004) prompting the UFS management to reconsider the timing of the conference. The UFS management has therefore decided to postpone this conference until an appropriate time in 2005.

As a result of this postponement the SAUVCA activities will also no longer be part of the October programme in Bloemfontein.

CENTENARY COMPLEX
The rehabilitation of the existing Reitz Hall and adjoining residence into the Centenary Complex is almost complete.

The inauguration of the complex – Reitz Hall and DF Malherbe House – will take place on Tuesday, the 12th of October 2004. A special open day from 11:00 until 16:00 is planned to enable all staff and students to visit this prestige complex. More detail will be available early October 2004.

FILM PREMIERE
The premiere of an UFS commissioned documentary, as part of its Centenary celebrations, on the remarkable leadership, reconciliatory and nation-building role of King Moshoeshoe, the Basotho leader of the nineteenth century, will take place on Wednesday, the 13th of October 2004. The director of this commissioned documentary is the well-known Max du Preez. Although this event is open to invited guests only, the documentary will also be screened by the SABC later this year. It will also be screened at several other occasions to enable staff and students to experience and discuss this film.

With this film and other projects the University of the Free State wishes to celebrate the legacy of this extraordinary African leader for the Free State and for South Africa.

CENTENARY HONORARY DOCTORATE GRADUATION CEREMONY
A special Honorary Doctorate Graduation Ceremony will take place on the 14th of October 2004 at 19:00 in front of the Main Building on the UFS campus. Twelve honorary doctorate degrees will be awarded to a diverse group of outstanding South Africans and international scholars. The Rector requests the attendance of all staff and students in large numbers during this prestige event.

The following candidates will receive an honorary doctorate degree: Me Antjie Krog, Prof Jakes Gerwel, Mr Karel Schoeman, Dr Frederick van Zyl Slabbert, Prof Saleem Badat, Dr Khotso Mokhele, Prof Robert Bringle, Prof Leo Quayle, Prof Jack de Wet, Prof Kerneels Nel (posthumous), Prof Boelie Wessels en Prof Jaap Steyn .

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