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Prof Botma Visser takes on rust diseases threatening South Africa’s wheat

09 September 2025 | Story Martinette Brits | Photo Stephen Collett

Safeguarding one of the world’s most vital staple foods was at the heart of the inaugural lecture delivered by Prof Botma Visser, Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS), on Wednesday 3 September 2025. Prof Visser shared insights from nearly two decades of research into wheat rust – a devastating crop disease that threatens both South Africa’s harvests and global food security.

“Wheat production in South Africa is threatened by three fungal pathogens that cause rust disease on the crop. Understanding the factors that contribute to virulence on locally grown cultivars is crucial to ensure continued wheat production,” said Prof Visser.

The fight against evolving wheat rusts

For the past 17 years, Prof Visser’s research has focused on the genetic structure of rust populations and the risks they pose to food security. His work has shown that these populations are dynamic and constantly changing due to genetic mutations within existing races, as well as the introduction of new races into South Africa.

“Computer modelling showed that rust can spread over vast distances by prevailing winds. During the 20th Century, at least four Southern African stem rust races managed to move across the Indian Ocean from Southern Africa to Australia. South Africa, in turn, received multiple new races from mid-Africa across Zambia and Zimbabwe, without any means of stopping these introductions,” he explained.

To respond to this challenge, his team recently implemented MARPLE (Mobile And Real-time Plant disEase) diagnostics using fourth-generation nanopore sequencing technology. This approach allows the rapid characterisation of fungal isolates, specifically targeting genes linked to fungicide resistance and virulence.

“This work,” Prof Visser noted, “is part of an effort to safeguard global wheat production.”

His research is a collaborative effort with Prof Willem Boshoff (Department of Plant Sciences, UFS) and Dr Tarekegn Terefe (Agricultural Research Council – Small Grain, Bethlehem). Together, their work has positioned the UFS as an internationally recognised centre of excellence in wheat rust research.

About Prof Botma Visser

Prof Botma Visser obtained his BSc in Botany and Microbiology (1988), BSc Honours in Microbiology (1989), and MSc in Botany (1993) at the University of the Free State, where he also completed his PhD in Botany in 2004.

His career spans more than 18 years of research into wheat rust pathogens, combining annual surveys, race pathotyping, molecular genetics, and cutting-edge sequencing technologies. His expertise has not only advanced understanding of rust population dynamics in South Africa but also contributed to global collaborative studies on crop disease.

News Archive

UFS SIFE is the best in SA!

2004-07-09

The SIFE team celebrates their victory with Jack Shewmaker, founder of SIFE in 1975 and past-president of Walmart in the USA, and Moses Kgosana, Chairman of KPMG SA.

The Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team of the University of the Free State competed in the National SIFE championships on Thursday, June 17, 2004 at Ceasar’s Convention Centre in Johannesburg.

Strong competition was experienced from the other ten participant SA universities, e.g. the Universities of the Western Cape, Kwazulu-Natal, Cape Town and RAU, but die UFS SIFE team retained the national championship for the third year running.

The team will now represent South Africa and the University of the Free State in Barcelona, Spain at die SIFE World Cup. The competition will be held from 22 to 24 September 2004.

The presentation team members for the competition were Tsholofelo Tlhomelang, Imameleng Matete, Kenneth Lefa, Kabelo Lephaka, Nadia van Staden, Tshepo Mahloko (Multi-Media), Werner Schmidt (Faculty Advisor). Supporting the presentation team were Lineo Peete, Keketso Ntene, Ruth Morienyane, Motaung Mathaba, Tshireletso Seekoe, Peter Letsoalo, Obakeng Msuthwana, Tshepiso Lebentle, JC Langeveldt and Michelle Stanley.

SIFE is a world-wide non-profit organisation with the express aim of encouraging students to spread their business knowledge - gained in the classroom - to the community, to promote and expand the principles of free enterprise.( www.sife.org )

The criteria by which SIFE-projects are measured are the following:

• How free markets work in the global economy.
• How entrepreneurs succeed by identifying a market need and then profitably producing and marketing a product or service to fill that need.
• The personal entrepreneurial, communications, technology and financial management skills needed to successfully compete.
• Practicing business in an ethical and socially responsible manner that supports the principles of a market economy.
• Measuring the results of projects, utilizing mass media and the Internet, involving non-business majors and utilizing a Business Advisory Board, communicating the program through a written report and verbal presentation.

The UFS’ SIFE-team’s presentation complied with all the above mentioned criteria. SIFE UFS’ education drive stretched from primary school learners, to adults who had been working for thirty years – this diverse group was taught about the free market system and its value in the global village. Business ethics and basic business principles were communicated in a fun and interactive way to learners. High-level business advice was given to entrepreneurs who started new projects, e.g. a brick-maker, and marketing advice were given to existing businesses in need of expansion.

If you are interested in helping SIFE UFS achieve its goals, e-mail Werner Schmidt at
schmidtw.ekw@mail.uovs.ac.za or phone him at 051 – 401 3376.

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