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10 November 2023 | Story André Damons | Photo SUPPLIED
Muthianzhele Ravuluma receives an award from Prof Sebastian Leuzinger from the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand.
Muthianzhele Ravuluma receives an award from Prof Sebastian Leuzinger from the Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand.

A PhD student from the University of the Free State (UFS) has won the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) Young Minds award for the Best Paper and Best Poster Presentation during the 12th International Workshop on Sap Flow, which was held in Rotorua, New Zealand.

Muthianzhele Ravuluma from the Department of Soil, Crop, and Climate Science who is working on his PhD in Agrometeorology, presented a paper on “Sapflow Dynamics of Young and Mature Pomegranate Trees Under Irrigation” during the four-day symposium that took place between 30 October and 3 November 2023. Agrometeorology is the study of the soil, plant and atmosphere continuum. In simple terms, it is called agricultural meteorology, which is the study of the influence of weather and climate on agriculture.

Encourage do and learn more 

“I feel thankful to being given an opportunity like this, and winning the award was a surprise. Still, I am happy and grateful for the support from my promoters and the Pomegranate Water Use Project members. This encourages me to do more and to learn more about new technologies in the field of agriculture,” he says. 

Ravuluma travelled to New Zealand with his promotor Dr Phumudzo Tharaga to present his research and to learn from other researchers is the field. His research looks at the water use of pomegranate trees under irrigation in a Mediterranean climate. 

A proud Dr Tharaga says he is happy to know that the guidance he has been giving to Ravuluma is fruitful and improving his academic and research capabilities. “I feel proud as a supervisor, which makes my dream come true of ensuring that all postgraduate students can showcase their work on international stages,” says Dr Tharaga. 

Hosting next symposium 

Together with Prof Rob Skelton from Wits University, they also successfully bid to host in the 13th International Sap Flow Workshop in South Africa – beating China and the US in the process. All three colleagues will collaborate as conveners of the workshop in South Africa during October/November 2026. 

“It is an honour to be recognised and entrusted by the international community of scientists who would like to showcase their work in South Africa. As the convener of the conference, I am happy that it will be hosted in our country for the first time since the inception of the Sap Flow Working Group. Scientists and researchers in South Africa will be able to interact with their peers from different parts of the world,” concludes Dr Tharaga.

Dr Phumudzo Tharaga congratulates Muthianzhele Ravuluma on winning the prestigious award.

Dr Phumudzo Tharaga congratulates Muthianzhele Ravuluma on winning the  prestigious award. 

News Archive

Researchers receive study grant for research into Congo Fever
2015-03-10

UFS researchers will be contributing significantly to the search for a vaccine against the deadly tick-borne disease known as Congo Fever.

Prof Felicity Burt from the Department of Medical Microbiology and Virology was recently awarded a research grant by the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) to study candidate vaccines for Crimean-Congo heamorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus and other arboviruses.

Arboviruses are viruses transmitted by mosquitoes, ticks, or other arthropods.

Prof Burt is an internationally-recognised expert on the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF). The Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus is a tick-borne virus that is associated with severe haemorrhagic disease in South Africa and other parts of Africa, Asia, and eastern Europe. Her interests focus on medically significant viruses that are transmitted by ticks and mosquitoes. Her research group is involved in determining the immune responses that are induced by different viral proteins.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus, a tick- borne virus found in Africa, Asia, the Balkans, and eastern Europe, causes severe viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks.

Although a number of tick species are capable of becoming infected with CCHF virus, ticks of the genus Hyalomma, commonly referred to in SA as the “bont-legged ticks”, are the principal vector. The ticks have distinctive brown and white bands on their legs.

In February 1981, the first case of CCHF was recognised in South Africa (SA). To date, there have been nearly 200 cases of CCHF infection in SA with a 20% fatality rate. The majority of cases occurring in SA were in patients from the Northern Cape and Free State provinces.

“The funding that has been awarded will be used to profile immune responses against CCHF viral proteins, and investigate mechanisms and strategies to enhance these immune responses. We hope that the study will contribute knowledge towards the development of a vaccine against this medically significant virus.”

For more information or enquiries contact news@ufs.ac.za.

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