AGRISCIENCES WETENSKAPPE

NEWSLETTER • NUUSBRIEF 103 AUG 2020 INHOUD | CONTENT Click on links | Klik op skakels

NEWS | NUUS Rooibos op die agenda vir Vrouedag Matie Food Science graduate eyes the title Afrika-vioolklanke uit Bos- en Houtkunde Welcome to the Faculty, Dr Sebinasi Dzikiti AI Perold-medaljewenner palm haar eerste wynmedalje in Voedselsekerheid: talle revolusies is weens honger begin, sê Madonsela It’s a (big) cat’s life… Agri-leadership short course a huge success

PROGRAMME | PROGRAMMES Applications for the M and PhD 2021-intake year

RESEARCH | NAVORSING Impact of solar towers on birds investigated US-navorsers ontdek nuwe spesies luise, chiggermyte Navorser op soek na olifantluise – nie ’n maklike taak nie! International recognition of research on parasites of African penguins

ECONOMICS | EKONOMIE Government and private sector should help develop rural areas through agriculture

COVID-19 First-generation Learning and Teaching in Covid-19 Lockdown – no excuse for passivity in a country like South Africa Agricolleges: Reimagining online education beyond 2020

h p://www.sun.ac.za/agric

ISSUE/UITGAWE XX MONTH/MAAND 20XX AGRISCIENCES WETENSKAPPE Rooibos op die agenda vir Vrouedag Alumni van die Fakulteit AgriWetenskappe het hopelik almal met ‘n lekker koppie rooibostee in die hand gesit en luister na die instelling se eerste virtuele Vrouedag- geleentheid. Dit is op Donderdag 13 Augustus in samewerking met die Universiteit se Alumni-kantoor gehou. Die spreker was Lize du Preez, ’n met rooibos, wat inheems tot Suid- aanleiding van die groen tee wat die direkteur van Carmién Tea en in be- Afrika is, geboer word, en die stappe Japanese graag drink en in kos ge- heer van nasionale en internasio- waardeur gegaan word voordat ie- bruik. Groen rooibos bevat selfs meer nale bemarking en verkope by die mand behaaglik aan ’n koppie kan an oksidante as gefermenteerde rooibosmaatskappy waarby sy reeds drink. rooibos,” het Du Preez vertel, wat ook sedert 2011 werksaam is. Haar ma, Suid-Afrikaners is steeds die groot- ’n oorsig oor die gesondheidswaarde Mientjie Mouton, het dit in 1998 op ste rooibosteedrinkers ter wêreld, van rooibos gegee het. die plaas Brakfontein in die Citrusdal- maar daar is sterk markte in veral Een van die ander projekte waar- omgewing ges g. Asië en Europa. Volgens Du Preez by US-navorsers soos dr Joubert en Du Preez is ’n Oudma e wat in die voer Carmién Tea sowat 95% van hul Nina Muller betrokke was, was die 2000’s BA Sosioinforma ka aan die produkte na die buiteland uit. samestelling van ’n sensoriese geur- US studeer het, en ook ’n nagraadse Sy het uitgelig hoe die bedryf wiel vir rooibostee, wat sedertdien ’n diploma in bemarking vanaf die in- danksy die belangstelling van ’n plaas- waardevolle hulpmiddel vir die bedryf Lize du Preez stelling verwerf het. like dokter van Clanwilliam, dr Le Fras is. Sy verkies die piramiede-gevorm- Gepas vir Vrouemaand (en vir Nor er, tot stand gekom het, en hoe Na afl oop van haar praatjie moes de teesakkies waarin Carmién Tea se Covid-19 tye, daarom die virtuele aan- talle wetenskaplikes sedertdien daar- Du Preez heelwat vrae oor die pro- produkte ook verpak word, en laat dit bieding) het Du Preez haar praatjie toe bydra. Onder hulle is alumnus duksie van rooibos beantwoord, as- vir minstens vyf minute trek. begin met ’n aanhaling deur Eleanor prof Lize e Joubert van die Land- ook oor hoe om die perfekte koppie “Moenie kookwater ingooi nie, Roosevelt: “A woman is like a tea bag bounavorsingsraad en ’n buitenge- daarvan te maak. maar wag eers bietjie met die water. – you can’t tell how strong she is un l wone professor in die Departement “Dit hang af of dit in ’n teesakkie Baie van die gesonde an oksidante you put her in hot water.” Voedselwetenskap. “Sy was die kom, met los teeblare of stokkies ge- gaan verlore as jy kokende water ge- Sy het ’n oorsig gegee oor hoe eerste persoon wat die idee gehad brou word, of ’n gegeurde tee is,” het bruik. Water teen 60 grade Celsius is daar op net sowat 70 000 hektaar het om groen rooibostee te maak, na Du Preez verduidelik. die beste.” Ma e Food Science graduate eyes the Miss South Africa tle s a teenager, AgriSciences’ alumnus Lebogang Stellenbosch is one thing that she’s taken with her since AMahlangu dreamt of playing soccer for Banyana gradua ng in 2019. And she adds: “I admire how people Banyana. As of right now the Food Sciences graduate has from Stellenbosch love where they are from. But, you her sights set on becoming Miss South Africa 2020. have to love where you’re from, and be proud of it.” She was recently named as one of the 10 fi nalists in Another habit she’s taken with her to Durban, where this year’s compe on, set to be held in in she works as a product developer for Unilever, is to October. walk everywhere she can. Says the former resident of Says Lebogang: “I believe in the poten al and value Nooitgedacht and Metanoia: “I chose to live within of the youth and women of our country. I know that if walking distance of my job. It’s a healthy habit I picked they are encouraged and empowered to take charge, we up on campus.” as a collec ve can create self-sustaining solu ons to the She played soccer for Ma es and was a member of problems facing our communi es. Miss South Africa will the AgriSciences Students’ Representa ve Council in give me a pla orm to champion this country’s poten al 2017/2018. and help see it become a reality.” Describing herself as resourceful, adventurous and When she was a teenager, she went to Rosina Sebane purposeful, she says: “I love the feeling of adrenalin and Sport School, a boarding school in North, where adventure. I enjoy exploring new hiking routes, running she excelled in soccer and was chosen to represent and exercising and am currently learning new soccer . Being quite sporty, many people thought that tricks!” physiotherapy would be a natural fi t for her as a career Through her studies in Food Science, she learnt choice. The idea of working in a hospital, however, got the about issues surrounding food security. In the process, be er of her. Her mother then channelled her interest in she started dreaming of working for NASA, to help them food and nutri on – Lebogang is very par cular about develop foods with an extended shelf life that astronauts what she eats – towards studies in Food Science. can enjoy. She’s never been one to shy away from new She muses: “It would be great to be able to apply it to opportuni es, or of experiencing new cultures. That’s real-life situa ons too, to develop food that can be stored one of the reasons why she opted for Stellenbosch for for a long me, yet is s ll tasty. It could provide people her studies, even though it’s a long distance from her who are struggling with adequate storage facili es with home in Soshanguve. healthy food alterna ves.” And she adds: “You can link It’s a choice she has never regre ed. She says food science to whatever is your purpose.” the sense of pride that people have in being from (turn to page 2)

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Afrika-vioolklanke uit Bos- en Houtkunde out wat vir musiekinstrumente gebruik Hword, moet aan sekere fi siese en akoes ese eienskappe voldoen, met nie alle houtsoorte wat vir gebruik as toonhout geskik is nie. Terwyl kitare dikwels van verskillende inheemse houtsoorte vervaardig word, word viole wêreldwyd van inge- voerde sparhout (Spruce) vir die voorplaat en esdoring (Maple) vir die agterste plaat gemaak. Hierdie hout is geneig om stadig te groei, baie oud te wees en word gewoonlik tot 50 jaar lank natuurlik gedroog. Die Departement het in ’n tweejaarlange n av o r singsprojek verskillende inheemse hout- soorte gekarak seer en ook bepaal hoe hierdie houtsoorte deur bestaande klassifi kasiestelsels as geskik vir die gebruik as toonhout geklas kan ’n Tweede viool word op die oomblik in die Departement Bos- en Houtkunde gemaak. word. geelhout en sapele deur Hannes Jacobs van deel van verskillende studenteprojekte gemaak, Vier spesies het belowende resultate gelewer: Pretoria gemaak en die klank vergelyk baie goed met ’n plaaslike luitmaker wat met die afronding geelhout en swarthout aan die voorkant en sapele met tradisionele instrumente. Jacobs word as een en montering sal help. en hardepeer vir die agterkant. Geeneen van die van die beste luitmakers in Suid-Afrika beskou. Tree met prof Mar na Meincken by mmein@ houtsoorte was meer as ’n paar dekades oud of Die prosedure om die Afrika-viool en die klank gedroog nie. Die hout is versig g met die hand daarvan te maak, kan gesien/gehoor word by: sun.ac.za (Departement Bos- en Houtkunde) in ge-oes en oondgedroog om die bes moontlike h ps://youtu.be/tKvrhbI04wk. verbinding of besoek www.sun.ac.za/forestry vir rou materiaal te verkry. Die eerste viool is van Die tweede viool word in die Departement as nadere besonderhede. Welcome to the Faculty, Dr Sebinasi Dziki ! r Sebinasi Dziki (picture) joined the Hor cultural Science Department as a senior lecturer in June from the CSIR’s DHydrosciences Research Group where he was a senior researcher for close on ten years. He was born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and fi rst came to South Africa in June 2008 as a postdoctoral research fellow in SU’s Department of Hor cul- tural Science where he spent three years. His qualifi ca ons include BScHons(Physics) and MSc(Agricultural Meteorology), both from the University of Zimbabwe. He also holds a PhD in Applied Biological Sciences from Gent University in Belgium which he completed in September 2007. Before coming to SA, he was a lecturer at the University of Zimbabwe in Physics and Agricultural Meteorology. He is married to Dr Moleen Dziki , who is with SU’s Faculty of Medicine. They have three children aged 3, 15 and 20. His research passion is Agricultural Water Management, focusing mainly on hor cultural crops, and this, he says, is what a racted him to Stellenbosch. His hobbies include walking, hiking, travelling and reading.

Perold-medaljewenner palm haar eerste wynmedalje in lumnus Maryke Botha (foto) is as die nuwe wynmaker van Eikendal, digby ASomerset-Wes, aangestel. Sy was ’n topstudent en het haar graad cum laude verwerf. In 2016 is die AI Perold-medalje aan haar toegeken as beste voorgraadse student in die Fakulteit Agri Wetenskappe. Dié Oos-Rander het as o almoloog gekwalifi seer voordat die gogga om Wynkunde te studeer, haar gebyt het. Botha het haar loopbaan by Eikendal as deel van ’n internskap onder leiding van keldermeester Nico Grobler begin, en weldra asssistent-wynmaker geword. Sy het onlangs ’n goue medalje in die Gilbert & Gaillard Interna onal Challenge gewen vir Eikendal Rosé 2020, die eerste wyn waarvoor sy in haar nuwe posisie as wynmaker geheel en al verantwoordelik was. Foto: Winemag Ma e Food Science graduate eyes the Miss South Africa tle (from page 1) entrepreneurial ideas and learn how they tackle women to speak to other women about the role During her four years at SU, she developed social causes in their communi es. and poten al we have in crea ng a be er world.” a deep interest in social development and en- “We have more than enough poten al. But And she adds: “I thought I could only be great in trepreneurship. Also, while at Ma es, she was our past has le systema c socio and economic one thing. We should teach young girls that they crowned as a runner-up in the Miss Mamelodi challenges that limit the poten al of our people. are allowed to be everything that sparks joy in Sundowns 2018/2019 compe on. She used I wish to champion this poten al, especially in their hearts!” the prize money to set up a small bakery, Home the youth and women of our country. I wish to Lebogang also dreams of mee ng the Indian Oven, in Soshanguve. Run by her father, at least contribute to a country where our people are self- social entrepreneur, Muhammad Yunus, and 200 loaves per day are baked, along with other sustaining.” counts her mother, Fridah Mahlangu, and Dr confec onaries such as scones. About the relevance of beauty pageants in Precious Motsepe among her role models. Lebogang says she hopes that through the 2020, she says: “Women of our country and • Social media tags: Miss South Africa network, she will be able to the world need every opportunity to empower Facebook: Lebogang Mahlangu connect with other young people with social- themselves and other women. Pageants allow Instagram: @_LebogangM terug na inhoudsopgawe / back to contents 2 ISSUE/UITGAWE XX MONTH/MAAND 20XX nuus|news

Voedselsekerheid: talle revolusies is weens honger begin, sê Madonsela “Talle revolusies is nie deur fi losofi eë begin nie, maar weens honger. In Zoeloe sê ons dat honger mense kwaad maak. Opsweping is maklik as mense honger is. ”

Hierdie waarskuwing oor die moontlike impak van die Covid-19-pandemie op Suid-Afrika is gerig deur prof Thuli Madonsela, bekleër van die Leerstoel vir Maatskaplike Gereg gheid en die Reg aan die US, tydens ’n webinaar wat Prof Thuli Madonsela, bekleër van die deur die Southern Africa Food Lab aangebied is. Dié inisia ef, wat in die Fakul- Leerstoel vir Maatskaplike Gereg gheid teit Agriwetenskappe gehuisves word, het oor die afgelope dekade uiteen- en die Reg aan die US. lopende groeperings en belanghebbendes byeengebring gebring om krea ef te besin oor hoe kwessies rondom hongersnood aangespreek kan word en ’n Die regering het ongelukkig nie ’n samewerkende benadering, wat talle vooruitstrewende, regverdige en volhoubare voedselstelsel geskep kan word. belanghebbendes insluit, hierin gevolg nie, en daarom moes hulle deur die Mnr Kevin O’Brien, Groep Volhoubaarheids- en Risikobestuurder van die howe gelas word om die skoolvoedingskemas weer in te stel. Spar Groep Beperk, het saam met Madonsela besin oor menseregte, on- Madonsela sê SCOPRA het verwag dat korrupsie pogings tot voedsel- gelykheid en maniere hoe om voedselstelsels te verstewig. Die webinaar sekerheid tydens die pandemie sou belemmer en dat daar verskille in is aangebied in samewerking met die Afdeling Ontwikkeling en Alumni-be- vaardighede sou wees. trekkinge. “Weer eens sal ’n mul -belanghebbende benadering leemtes in besluit- Albei sprekers het gefokus op hoe belangrik dit is om vertroue te bou neming kan aanvul en gebruik maak van gemeenskaplike verantwoordelikheid en besluitneming te demokra seer, en die noodsaaklikheid van deursig ge, om seker te maak dat die regte dinge gedoen word.” aanpasbare en samewerkende bestuur om koördinasie op verskillende vlakke Sy benadruk dat vele oë help om deursig gheid te verseker, en voeg tussen verskeie rolspelers in die gemeenskap te midde van die Covid-19- by: “Dit bied hoop om te weet dat daar wel sulke ‘oë’ is en dat mense (die pandemie te verseker. regering) hof toe vat.” Madonsela sê toegang tot voedsel word in die Universele Verklaring van Sy het vervolgens benadruk dat voedselsekerheid oor meer as die ver- Menseregte beskerm, sowel as in die Internasionale Verbond oor Ekonomiese, skaffi ng van kos gaan om honger te beveg, maar ook oor die versekering van Sosiale en Kulturele Regte, die Afrika-handves vir Menseregte en die Regte genoegsame voedsame kos. Dit kan in die wiele gery word indien voedsel van Volkere, en in die Suid-Afrikaanse Handves van Menseregte. onbekos gbaar raak, en as daar uitdagings is om dit te vervoer na waar die Sy het gewaarsku dat dit nie impliseer dat genoeg kos aan mense verskaf behoe e is. moet word sodat hulle nie honger ly nie, maar dat dit ook voldoende voed- Madonsela meen die grootste probleem is in Fase 3 van die inperkings- same kos beteken. Sy voeg by: “Baie siektes, soos kwashiorkor, gaan deur maatreëls, nie die produksie van voedsel per se nie. Dit kan egter in ’n stadium meer en meer kinders ervaar word. Hulle ouers sorg vir kos net om die maag ’n probleem word as mense boerdery staak omdat dit nie meer vir hulle te vul, maar dit is nie noodwendig voedsame kos nie.” winsgewend is nie. Suid-Afrika is een van min lande ter wêreld wat ’n spesifi eke verbintenis “Ons staan óf saam, óf ons val uitmekaar. As ’n nasie val ons tans uitmekaar. tot maatskaplike gereg gheid uitgespel het. Madonsela sê maatskaplike Ons moet praat,” het Madonsela gesê en gepleit vir ’n Covid-19-beraad wat gereg gheid bestaan wanneer almal regte en vryhede tot dieselfde mate deur die regering gereël word en waaraan elke besigheid of organisasie kan ervaar, geleenthede, voorregte en laste regverdig en billik tesame geniet, en deelneem. almal se menswaardigheid tot dieselfde mate omarm word. “Ons moet almal om die tafel kry sodat ons kan saamstem oor die pad Sy sê: “Ons moet deeglik besin oor voedselsekerheid, en ons moet die vorentoe.” regering smeek om besluitneming te demokra seer sodat elke moontlike hand wat kan help, ingespan word.” Sy het die behoe e vir “veelvuldige Kevin O’Brien oë” onderstreep om deursig gheid te verseker as dit kom by die uitreiking Kevin O’Brien van SPAR meen dit is in ’n wêreld waarin krisisgesprekke gevoer van tenders en die verspreiding van kospakkies en moontlike onregma ge word belangriker as ooit om te streef na die bou van proak ewe vertroue, en praktyke in terme van fakturering. om besluitneming in die voedselstelsel te demokra seer. Madonsela sê ’n alliansie genaamd SCOPRA (Social Jus ce and COVID-19 Hy sê Covid-19 het fundamenteel verkeerde maatskaplike kwessies na Policy and Relief Monitoring Alliance) is sedert April toe die Covid-19 pan- vore gebring waarvan mense lank reeds bewus was, maar wat hulle jare lank demie Suid-Afrika die eerste keer getref het, op die been gebring. Dié alliansie verkies het om te ignoreer. plaas die soeklig op beleid en regulasies wat uitgevaardig word, om sodoende O’Brien verduidelik: “Nou het dit ons getref soos ’n trein sonder lig in ’n maatskaplike gereg gheid te midde van die pandemie te verseker. tonnel. Dit het die diepe broosheid van ons voedselstelsel, ons korpora ewe SCOPRA het vroeg reeds die regering daarop gewys dat voedselsekerheid ’n kultuur, ons samelewingsfoute en regeringswakhede blootgelê. Dit het veral basiese mensereg is en dat alle beleid en regulasies wat uitgevaardig word dit uitgewys hoe swak ons leierskap in die sakewêreld, die gemeenskap en die in ag moet neem sodat die regering se grondwetlike pligte nagekom kan word. regering is. ” SCOPRA het ook met die regering gesprek gevoer oor die noodsaaklikheid dat Hy het gevra waarom lande en samelewings nooit voorheen op dieselfde besluitneming demokra es moet geskied, veral omdat dit ook spesifi ek in die dras ese wyse as wat hulle te midde van Covid-19 reageer, opgetree het Wet op Rampbestuur uiteengesit word. teen kwessies soos ondervoeding onder kinders nie. Hy neem aan dis omdat Hulle wil toesien dat die regering tot ’n groter mate data-analise aanwend Covid-19 vir ons almal naby aan die huis tref. om te voorspel hoe alle beleid en regulasies ’n invloed op voedselsekerheid O’Brien meen leierskap, doelma gheid, vertroue en samewerking moet kan hê, selfs al gaan dit nie direk oor kos nie. in elke samelewing se volhoubare toekoms ingeweef wees. Hy glo dat Suid- Besluite om skole te sluit en om skoolvoedingskemas te staak, het aan- Afrika se ingewikkelde en gebroke voedselstelsel die samewerking van alle sienlike gevolge vir die voedselsekerheid van baie kinders gehad wat staat- belanghebbendes nodig het om te verbeter. maak op die een maaltyd per dag wat hulle by die skool ontvang. (vervolg op bl 4) terug na inhoudsopgawe / back to contents 3 ISSUE/UITGAWE XX MONTH/MAAND 20XX

nuus|news It’s a (big) cat’s life… r Alison Leslie of the Department of Conserva on Ecology and Entomology, Drecently formed a collabora on to help conserve the cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus jubatus. This exci ng collabora on between her Department, Ashia Cheetah Conserva on – with a central hub in Paarl (www.ashia.co.za) – and the Carnivore Conserva on Programme (CCB) of the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), will ensure that rescued, rehabilitated and cap ve bred cheetah, will be released back into protected areas. As part of the CCB, a Cheetah Metapopula on project was ini ated by the EWT to ensure the gene c and demographic viability of wild cheetahs on small fenced reserves in South Africa. The Cheetah Metapopula on project coordinates transloca ons within the metapopula on which currently consists of 390 cheetahs in 60 reserves. The project also ac vely iden fi es safe space for cheetah reintroduc ons. However, the metapopula on started encountering relatedness issues in 2017, as 83% of its cheetah can trace their heritage to three females – this pointed to the importance of introducing unrelated individuals into the metapopula on. A study in 2012 established that the use of ex situ breeding programmes, followed by reintroduc on, was able to improve popula ons of 64 species according to the IUCN Red List, thus indica ng the role of how such breeding programmes could contribute to the conserva on of wild metapopula ons through “rewilding.” The term “rewilding” is used to signify the release of cap ve- born animals into free ranging condi ons. Ashia, in associa on with Kuzuko Lodge in the , has established a Wilding and Release programme that is primarily funded by the founders of Ashia. The programme addresses the demographic and gene c requirements of the metapopula on managed by the EWT with unrelated, rewilded cap ve-born cheetah. Ashia maintain a gene c studbook as all individuals undergo a gene c evalua on to ensure each animal is gene cally sound. In the phased release programme, the cheetahs undergo a rewilding process within a fenced wilding sec on that is con nuously restocked with prey species. Once a cheetah shows it can hunt successfully, it will be translocated to a previously selected protected area – thoroughly ve ed by the Ashia team – and once acclimated will be released. This is where Conserva on Ecology MSc student, Allison Muller, enters the picture. Allison’s study will evaluate the performance of rewilded cap ve bred cheetah. Various data collected during the rewilding and post-release monitoring phases will be used to determine to what extent this programme is successful in managing and establishing unrelated, gene c lineages within the cheetah metapopula on.  Sincere thanks to Ashia for providing the funding for this ground-breaking project.

Voedselsekerheid: talle revolusies is weens honger begin

(van bl 3) soortgelyke doelwi e nastreef nie. En En voeg O’Brien by: “’n Kollek- “Die mededingende, winsgedrewe sê hy: “Die proses sal ’n erkenning van ewe toewyding daartoe om saam etos van tradisionele besighede be- alle belanghebbendes moet insluit te werk om hulle impak op die om- teken dat hulle dikwels worstel met dat hul optrede in die verlede die gewing te verminder, werk te skep die konsep van ‘the greater good’ en huidige probleme in ons stukkende en om inklusiewe ekonomieë na te eerder eiebelang as drywer verkies,” voedselstelsel veroorsaak het.” streef, moet bestuursbesluite dryf.” sê O’Brien, wat erken dat regerings- O’Brien sê dat ’n verslag wat in Hy vervolg: “Dit was ’n uitdaging en gemeenskapsgebaseerde organi- 2018 deur die Southern Africa Food om my organisasie (SPAR) te laat sasies ook met hierdie kwessies Lab en WWF-SA opgestel is, aandui glo dat dit ’n rol te speel het om die worstel. dat Suid-Afrikaanse ondernemings ’n verloop van ons toekoms te ver- Hy voeg by: “Om ’n doel te hê, lus het om saam te werk. Een van die ander deur die impak wat dit op moet die basis van enige verandering grootste uitdagings waarmee hulle die omgewing, die samelewing en wat ons wil aanbring vorm, sodat alle egter te kampe het, is ’n “ontwykende die ekonomiese welstand van ons mense in die toekoms goed kan leef. regering” wat huiwer om met private mense het, te verbeter. Egtheid in ons Dit gaan oor die waarom, nie die hoe ondernemings saam te werk. bemarkingsbenadering moet nou- of die wat nie. Armoede en die reg Hy skryf dit toe aan ’n “regver- keurig geëvalueer word namate ons van elke persoon tot voedsame kos, digbare gebrek aan vertroue” tussen in ’n meer doelgerigte organisasie sal nooit deur korpora ewe sosiale die regering en die sakesektor, weens ontwikkel. Ons leierskap moet meer Mnr Kevin O’Brien, Groep impakprojekte en liefdadigheid op- die nalatenskap van apartheid en die vaardig wees in die kuns van same- Volhoubaarheids- en Risikobestuurder gelos word nie.” afgelope en jaar se geskiedenis in werking en om doeltreff ende stelsel- van die Spar Groep Beperk, O’Brien meen die kwessie van Suid-Afrika. denke te verstaan. Deursig gheid, bekos gbare, voedsame kos kan Hy sê dat die verantwoordelik- b em a g ging en innovasie moet ge- het ons tot hier gebring? Die onder- slegs aangespreek word as orga- heid van plaaslike ondernemings heimhouding, hiërargiese bestuur, bou van ’n gebrekkige voedselstelsel n is a sies saamwerk met ander be- in die voedselsektor om ideale ter beheer en obsessiewe beplanning is hiërargieë, beheer, beplanning langhebbendes, en soms selfs ook bevordering van die groter gemeen- vervang.” en uitbui ng deur die staat en die hulle mededingers. Hy sien ook geen skap na te streef, nog nooit groter Dr Sco Drimie, direkteur van die privaatsektor. Ons het ’n nuwe, doel- waarde in die smee van verhoudings was nie. Dit verg egter dapper, nuus- Southern African Food Lab, het die gerigte, deursig ge en inklusiewe be- met organisasies en mense wat nie kierige en ak vis ese leierskap. bespreking afgesluit deur te vra: “Wat nadering in die toekoms nodig.” terug na inhoudsopgawe / back to contents 4 ISSUE/UITGAWE XX MONTH/MAAND 20XX programmes

Applica ons for the M and PhD 2021-intake yearyear Applica ons for the 2021-intake year commences on 1 March 2020. How to interpret this document: As a postgraduate candidate, only one programme is permi ed upon The faculty’s programme off ering is listed according to progression (level), applica on. Therefore, please ensure that you meet the minimum accompanied by the structure op ons. Clicking on one of the following admission requirements for your programme of interest. hyperlinks within the table below enables you to view the following: Your applica on for admission to a postgraduate degree programme • Programme name = curriculum informa on will ONLY be processed a er the applica on has been fi nalised and all • Associated department = departmental website the correct suppor ng documenta on has been uploaded before the programme’s closing date. • Addi onal documenta on required upon applica on: o Important programme informa on (YES) = review important content

ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS ASSOCIATED STRUCTURE PROGRAMME OFFERING CLOSING DATES REQUIRED UPON DEPARTMENT OPTIONS APPLICATION: YES (Y) OR NO (N)

* = Programmes offered through INTERNATIONAL SOUTH AFRICAN

Interactive Telematic Education (R) CANDIDATES CANDIDATES Proposal Research (ITE) Research only (CW) Important Important Dept. form Dept. Programme Programme Coursework Information Research only only Research Coursework &

POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMAS

PGD in Agronomy Agronomy x 14 September 14 September N N N

PGD in Aquaculture Animal Science x 14 September 14 September N N N PGD in Forestry and Wood Forest and Wood Science x 14 September 14 September N N Y Sciences HONOURS

* = Programmes offered through INTERNATIONAL SOUTH AFRICAN

Interactive Telematic Education (R) CANDIDATES CANDIDATES Proposal Research (ITE) Research only (CW)only Important Important Dept. form Dept. Programme Programme Coursework Information Research only Coursework &

Bachelor of Agriculture Honours BAgricHons in Agri-business Agricultural Economics x 14 September 31 January N N N Management Bachelor of Science Honours (BScHons) BScHons in Applied Plant Horticultural Science x 14 September 14 September N N Y Physiology BScHons in Plant Pathology Plant Pathology x 14 September 14 September N N Y Viticulture & Oenology: BScHons in Wine Biotechnology Institute for Wine x 15 September 15 September N N Y Biotechnology

terug na inhoudsopgawe / back to contents 5 ISSUE/UITGAWE XX MONTH/MAAND 20XX programmes

MASTER’S ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS ASSOCIATED STRUCTURE PROGRAMME OFFERING CLOSING DATES REQUIRED UPON DEPARTMENT OPTIONS APPLICATION: YES (Y) OR NO (N)

* = Programmes offered through INTERNATIONAL SOUTH AFRICAN

Interactive Telematic Education (R) CANDIDATES CANDIDATES Proposal Research (ITE) Research only (CW)only Important Important Dept. form Dept. Programme Programme Coursework Information Research only Coursework &

Master of Agriculture (MAgric) MAgric in Agri-business Agricultural Economics x 14 September 31 January N N N Management Master of Science in Agriculture (MScAgric) MScAgric in Agricultural Agricultural Economics x 14 September 31 January N N N Economics and Management MScAgric in Agronomy Agronomy x 30 September 30 November N N N

MScAgric in Animal Science Animal Science x 30 September 30 September N N N Conservation Ecology MScAgric in Entomology x 30 September 30 September N N Y and Entomology MScAgric in Genetics Genetics x 30 September 30 September N N Y

MScAgric in Horticultural Science Horticultural Science x 30 September 30 September N N Y MScAgric in Plant Pathology Plant Pathology x 30 September 30 November N N Y MScAgric in Soil Science Soil Science x 30 September 30 November N N Y

MScAgric in Oenology Viticulture & Oenology x 30 September 30 September N N Y

MScAgric in Viticulture Viticulture & Oenology x 20 August 30 September N N Y Viticulture & Oenology: MScAgric in Wine Biotechnology Institute for Wine x 30 September 30 September N N Y Biotechnology Master of Science (MSc) Conservation Ecology MSc in Conservation Ecology x 30 September 30 September N N Y and Entomology Conservation Ecology MSc in Entomology x 30 September 30 September N N Y and Entomology MSc in Food and Nutrition Food Science x 30 September 30 September N N Y Security* MSc in Food Science Food Science x 30 September 30 September N N N MSc in Forestry & Natural Forest and Wood Science x 30 September 30 September N N Y Resource Sciences Conservation Ecology MSc in Nematology x 30 September 30 September N N Y and Entomology MSc in Oenology Viticulture & Oenology x 30 September 30 September N N Y

MSc in Plant Pathology Plant Pathology x 30 September 30 November N N Y Conservation Ecology MSc in Sustainable Agriculture x 30 September 30 September N N N and Entomology MSc in Wood & Wood Product Forest and Wood Science x 30 September 30 September N N Y Sciences MSc in Wine Biotechnology Viticulture & Oenology: x 30 September 30 September N N Y Institute for Wine Biotechnology

terug na inhoudsopgawe / back to contents 6 ISSUE/UITGAWE XX MONTH/MAAND 20XX programmes

DOCTORAL ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS ASSOCIATED STRUCTURE PROGRAMME OFFERING CLOSING DATES REQUIRED UPON DEPARTMENT OPTIONS APPLICATION: YES (Y) OR NO (N)

INTERNATIONAL SOUTH AFRICAN

(R) CANDIDATES CANDIDATES Proposal Research Research only (CW)only Important Important Dept. form Dept. Programme Programme Coursework Information Research only Coursework &

PhD in Agricultural Economics Applications considered throughout the Agricultural Economics x N N N and Management year Applications considered throughout the PhD in Agronomy Agronomy x N N N year PhD in Animal Production Applications considered throughout the Animal Science x N N N Systems year PhD with specialisation in Conservation Ecology Applications considered throughout the x N N Y Conservation Ecology and Entomology year Conservation Ecology Applications considered throughout the PhD in Entomology x N N Y and Entomology year Applications considered throughout the PhD in Food Science Food Science x N N N year PhD in Forestry and Wood Applications considered throughout the Forest and Wood Science x N N Y Sciences year Applications considered throughout the PhD in Genetics Genetics x N N Y year PhD in Horticultural Science Horticultural Science x 30 September 30 September N N Y Conservation Ecology Applications considered throughout the PhD in Nematology x N N Y and Entomology year Applications considered throughout the PhD in Oenology Viticulture & Oenology x N N Y year Applications considered throughout the PhD in Plant Pathology Plant Pathology x N N Y year Applications considered throughout the PhD in Soil Science Soil Science x N N Y year Applications considered throughout the PhD in Viticulture Viticulture & Oenology x N N Y year Viticulture & Oenology: Applications considered throughout the PhD in Wine Biotechnology Institute for Wine x N N Y year Biotechnology Agri-leadership short course a huge success he Faculty recently hosted a fi rst-of-its-kind Tonline leadership course for fi nal year and postgraduate students. The fi rst part of the course started in July and covered project management and fi nance for non-fi nancial managers. The second part will run next month (September) and cover strategic management and leadership, mentoring and coaching, nego a on skills, communica on, emo onal intelligence and change, as well as me and confl ict management. The new style classroom The reason for the course? ‘I enjoyed it and it makes me realise I want to Over and above the lectures, the par cipants did a Numerous industry leaders have observed that, shi my knowledge from the scien fi c side and group project, which was presented to a panel of although university graduates have excellent apply it to business within agriculture.’ judges on the last day of the course. The quality of theore cal knowledge, they are not necessarily ‘The Project Management sec on was truly the projects presented was outstanding. work-ready. This leadership course is the Faculty’s life changing for me as it really steered me The group had discussions with top industry response to the call from industry to supply work- more towards my future in Agri-Logis cs. So ready graduates. partners every evening for an hour over a glass of apprecia ve.’ wine – so overall, an intense week that challenged Did it work? ‘Thank you to the team!!! I don’t like to wake the future leaders of the agriculture industry. Every Twenty-four students from all the departments up, but wow the team made it worth the while. single one of them rose to the challenge and all are par cipated in the course and the feedback was looking forward to the second week of the course phenomenal! Truly an experience.’ next month. ‘The course is really well thought out; the ‘Well planned and the project is great interac on structure and content are on point. I really and innova on. Wish university classes were For more informa on on the course, contact enjoyed it and learnt a lot. Will defi nitely more like this. Great teachers and excellent Anne Alessandri (programme manager): recommend it next me.’ course coordinator.’ [email protected] terug na inhoudsopgawe / back to contents 7 ISSUE/UITGAWE XX MONTH/MAAND 20XX research

Impact of solar towers on birds inves gatedd y managing the infrastructure behind con- around the solar tower site itself. Most of the birds Said Van Heerden: “Most birds collided against Bcentra ng solar power (CSP) towers well, he saw fl ew no higher than 10 m, the excep on structures in the area where the freestanding especially during down me when they are not being species such as pied crows, Egyp an geese heliostats are and mostly along the lower quarter genera ng power, it is possible to reduce the and korhaan. of these structures, roughly 3,2m above the poten al impact that such technology may have The erec on of the solar tower had an infl uence ground, involving the last two panels of each on bird popula ons. This, according to HP van on the composi on of bird species typically found heliostat. That’s at about the normal fl ight height Heerden a er studies at South Africa’s only con- in the area. Evapora on ponds a racted water of birds such as red-headed fi nches and lark-like centra ng solar power tower, Khi Solar One, some birds such as fl amingos which had not previously bun ngs.” 18 kilometres from Upington in the . been found on the farm where it had been built. Most incidents occurred in the early morning or His study in the Department of Conserva on Wood and shrubland species, as well as species around sundown when birds are most ac ve. Ecology and Entomology was the fi rst to focus on usually found in urban areas, are found in greater Van Heerden said the birds possibly smashed birdlife around the facility, and formed the basis of numbers around the tower area than in the into the heliostats because these stand in a his master’s degree which he obtained earlier in adjacent veld. 90-degree ver cal posi on from sunrise to sunset. the year. His study leaders were Prof Karen Esler, Birds were less inclined to breed on the site “It creates the illusion of an unbroken landscape chair of the aforemen oned department, and Mr and around the buildings. On the site itself Van and can completely confuse them,” he reasoned Adrian Hudson, ecologist of the Anthesis Group in Heerden, among others, recorded four sociable Generally it was mainly migra ng birds and the United Arab Emirates. weaver nests, as well as those of a korhaan, two species that hunt their prey in the air that were Van Heerden’s fi eldwork showed that the dove species, a Namaqua sandgrouse and a fatally singed during summer months by the so- solar tower had an impact on the typical bird southern common fi scal. called solar fl ux – a concentrated beam of sunlight popula ons found in the area throughout the year, that radiates from the heliostats past the central or seasonally, but less so than was an cipated. A Impact receiver and can reach temperatures as high as number of species make their home in and around Van Heerden also recorded 324 injured or fatally 180 degrees Celsius. the facility. injured birds (represen ng 34 species) around Van Heerden added: “The bright light radiated Van Heerden explained the ra onale behind the greater solar tower. Of these 285 were found from the mirrors of the towers can a ract insects his study: “When considering renewable energy inside the heliostat area (the so-called solar fi eld) and in the process also insect-ea ng birds. When op ons, one must always consider the pros and and the rest around the power genera on unit something like a moving bird perhaps fl ies through cons for the environment and the impact they may and the evapora on ponds. In 61% of cases the the solar fl ux, it can get singed because the sunlight from the heliostats collides with an object and is have on plants and animals.” incidences were caused by birds colliding into converted to thermal energy.” structures, while 14% of birds were singed. Most of the singeing incidents were recorded Fieldwork Most of the dead birds were seed-ea ng in January and February 2017, during a me that Van Heerden took his lead from similar studies resident birds such as the red-billed quelea and the heliostats were not in use, owing to technical previously done in the USA and Spain. lark-like bun ng which are fairly common in the issues. The heliostats stood in a standby posi on, His fi eldwork was completed on the solar tower area. Apart from one lanner falcon and one white which resulted in a kind of halo eff ect and singeing site of 615 hectares, as well as on adjacent open pelican, there were no birds of conserva on (solar fl ux) in the air above the tower. veld. It stands 215m high amid typical Nama Karoo importance among the casual es. Camera traps veld, in an area that receives around 150 mm of showed that some of the dead birds were eaten rain per year. During the course of two seasons Managing casual es by pied crows, Cape foxes and yellow mongooses. About certain media reports from the USA claiming he recorded all bird species in sight – 57 diff erent that up to one bird per minute (which would species and 2380 individual birds – and scoured amount to 28,000 birds per year) could die due the area for any signs of injured or dead birds. to solar towers, Van Heerden said: “My fi ndings In winter there were 49 species present, do not support such claims. These are more likely none of which were of conserva on importance. made based on anecdotal evidence rather than In the summer, the only birds of conserva on good data.” importance noted were lanner falcons, regarded Prof Karen Esler, one of Van Heerden’s as a vulnerable species. More species (53 against study leaders and chair of the Department of 45) were observed in the adjacent veld than Conserva on Ecology and Entomology, agrees: “Based on data from the current study, these claims seem to be exaggerated. For perspec ve on the real impact of solar towers, one should compare bird fatali es around the site with those caused by other human ac vi es in the area, such as farming, mining or the road network.” A study conducted in 2014 es mated that between 98 million and 980 million birds die annually in the United States a er colliding into buildings or windows. Up to 3,7 billion are caught by cats, and between 89 million and 340 million die because of traffi c-related incidences. “Some impact by solar towers on the en- vironment is almost unavoidable, but can be minimized if managed right,” reasons Van Heerden. He therefore recommended the following to operators of CPS facili es:  Heliostats should not be posi oned at exactly 90 degrees during the day;  The intensity of the concentrated energy, or solar fl ux, radia ng out above solar towers could be reduced when the heliostats are in standby posi on and not opera onal;  Heliostats should preferably be set in a hori- zontal posi on when solar power is not being generated by the facility. terug na inhoudsopgawe / back to contents 8 ISSUE/UITGAWE XX MONTH/MAAND 20XX navorsing

’n Oog vir die klein dingetjies in die lewe... US-navorsers ontdek nuwe spesies luise, chiggermyte Twee nuwe luisspesies en ses nuwe chiggermyt-spesies wat die eerste keer deur onderskeidelik ’n nagraadse student en ’n navorser van die US op verskeie plekke in Suid-Afrika ingesamel is, is onlangs vernoem en aan die weten- skapswêreld bekend gestel. Prof Sonja Ma hee van die Departement Be- waringsekologie en Entomologie het die chigger- myte ingesamel en naam gegee. Sy sê: “Dit bewys JC Bothma net hoe ryk die verskeidenheid van parasiete is wat mens in Suid-Afrika kry, en wat nog wag om ontdek te word.” Die twee nuwe luisspesies is deur JC Bothma, gedurende sy MSc-studies in Dierkunde, ontdek. Prof Sonja Ma hee Hy was ten tye daarvan besig om die evolusionêre verwantskap tussen parasiete en hulle gashere te bestudeer in terme van die luise wat op vier Suid- Afrikaanse muisspesies aangetref word. Bothma, wat verlede jaar sy graad cum laude verwerf het, het sy veldwerk op 20 plekke in Suid-Afrika gedoen, en die nuwe luisspesies in die Fraserburg- omgewing gevind. Nuus oor die nuwe luisspesies het onlangs in die vaktydskrif Journal of Parasitology verskyn. Luiskenner, prof Lance Durden van die Georgia Southern Universiteit in die VSA, het die tegniese ondersoeke en beskrywing van die nuwe spesies gedoen. Hy werk reeds sedert 2003 gereeld saam met Ma hee op verskeie projekte. Hy was juis in 2018 hier op besoek om ’n luisuitkenningskursus vir haar studente aan te bied toe Bothma aan Bo: Ascoschoengas a ueckermanni. hom van die luise gewys het wat hy gedurende ’n Middel: Choutedenichia horaki. versameltog in die Karoo gevind het. Regs: Een van die nuwe luisspesies, Polyplax megacephalus, Onder hulle was twee onbekende spesies, skaars wat skaars een millimeter groot is. groter as 1 mm elk, wat Bothma van ’n paar Grant- klipmuise (Micaelamys gran ) afgehaal het. In Chiggermyte is teen minder as ’n millimeter daardie stadium het die Stellenbosse navorsingspan besonder klein en daarom geensins maklik om reeds geweet dat die luise gene es heel uniek is in met die blote oog raak te sien, of uit te ken nie. vergelyking met enige ander spesie wat tot dusver Hulle is deel van die groter Arachnida-klas waartoe bloed voed. ’n Mens vind ook inwendige parasiete, op Suid-Afrikaanse knaagdiere gevind is. Durden het spinnekoppe, bosluise en skerpioene ook behoort. soos lint-, plat en rondewurms. Elke dierspesie het van die luise na die VSA teruggeneem, en daarna die Chiggermyte maak hulleself gedurende die gewoonlik ’n reeks parasiete wat heel uniek tot stap-vir-stap proses van ontleding en beskrywing larwestadium op gashere tuis en val daarna af hulle is. van ’n nuwe spesie deurgegaan. om deur hul ander lewenstadiums in die veld te Ma hee meen aansienlik meer moeite moet Die name Hoplopleura gran en Polyplax ontwikkel. Wanneer die larwes op hulle gashere gedoen word met opnames oor die verspreiding megacephalus is aan die spesies gegee. Albei is (soos mense, vee en troeteldiere) voed, veroorsaak van spesies en hulle beskrywing, aangesien elkeen bloedsuiende parasiete wat vir hulle ganse lewens- dit dikwels irriterende, jeukerige bytplekke. ’n unieke rol in die behoud van ekostelsels speel. duur – van eierstadium tot volwassenheid – hulself, Die meeste van die 80 Suid-Afrikaanse chigger- Parasiete verteenwoordig ʼn noemenswaardige sover bekend, net op die lyf van ’n Grant-klipmuis myt-spesies (daar is 440 beskryfde spesies deel van die biodiversiteit op aarde, want meer as tuismaak. wêreldwyd) waarvan kenners bewus is, kom in 50% van alle dierlewe is parasiete, of vertoon een Hoplopleura gran is so genoem omdat Grant- KwaZulu-Natal voor, maar min opnames oor hulle of ander vorm van parasi sme gedurende hulle klipmuise sy gasheer is. Polyplax megacephalus is is elders in die land gedoen. lewensiklus. Sommige kan ook siektes na mense so genoem omdat manlike lede van dié spesie ’n Twee van die nuwe spesies, Ascoschoengas a en diere oordra en daarom is dit nodig om te weet redelike groot (“mega” in Latyn) kop (“cephalus”) ueckermanni en Schoutedenichia horaki, is vernoem waar in die land verskillende spesies voorkom. het in vergelyking met meeste van die ander 550 na twee van Ma hee se mentors. Hulle is die Suid- Ma hee, wat reeds die afgelope twee dekades soorte luisspesies wat wêreldwyd aangetref word. Afrikaanse arakaloë (myt- en bosluiskenners) prof by parasietnavorsing betrokke is, sê: “Dit is ’n erg Bothma het sy studies onder leiding van Eddie Ueckermann van Noordwes Universiteit en verwaarloosde studieveld in Suid-Afrika. Daar is ’n molekulêre ekoloog, prof Conrad Ma hee van die professor Ivan Horak van die Pretoriase Universiteit. Departement Plant- en Dierkunde in die Fakulteit Albei is reeds verskeie jare afgetree (Ueckermann is gebrek aan kundiges in die land en daarom maak Natuurwetenskappe, en prof Sonja Ma hee in die 69 en Horak 86), maar steeds besig met navorsing in ons gereeld van oorsese kollegas gebruik om ons te Fakulteit AgriWetenskappe, gedoen. hulle onderskeie velde. ’n Derde spesie, Trombicula help om nuwe spesies te beskryf.” Sonja Ma hee het onlangs ook met ’n Russiese walkerae, is na wyle dr Jane Walker vernoem, wat Een van Ma hee se voormalige doktorale stu- -kollega, prof Alexandr Stekolnikov van die Soö֧ logiese ’n kenner oor die bosluisverskeidenheid van Afrika dente, dr Andrea Spicke van die Landbouna Ins tuut van die Russiese Akademie vir Wetenskap was, en onder meer handleidings oor dié spesies in vorsingraad se Veeartsenyins tuut, het tydens saamgewerk om ses nuwe chiggermyt-spesies te Botswana en Kenia help saamstel het. haar opnames oor die inwendige parasiete wat iden fi seer. Sy het die myte op veldmuise naby Vlooie, luise, myte en bosluise word almal in 13 soorte muisspesies regoor Suid-Afrika ge- Hoedspruit in Mpumalanga gevind. Die aankondiging as uitwendige parasiete beskou wat in een of vind word, minstens 13 onbekende soorte wurms oor die nuwe spesies is in die vaktydskrf Systema c ander stadium gedurende hulle lewensiklus op gevind. Hulle moet egter nog eers formeel bestu- and Applied Acarology gedoen. die liggame van gasheerdiere voorkom en op hul deer word om hulle uniekheid te beves g. terug na inhoudsopgawe / back to contents 9 ISSUE/UITGAWE XX MONTH/MAAND 20XX navorsing

Navorser op soek na olifantluise – nie ’n maklike taak nie! m ’n luis op ’n olifant raak te sien, is beslis nie die maklikste ding op Oaarde nie! Daarom vra prof Sonja Ma hee van die Departement Bewar- ingsekologie en Entomologie die hulp van veeartse en mense in die wildbed- ryf met die insameling van dié kleine insekte, sodat die nodige navorsing oor hulle verskeidenheid gedoen kan word. So lyk die olifantluis Ma hee sê olifantluise (Haematomyzus elephan s) is kleiner as 1 cm en waarvan navorsers donker van kleur. Tipies sal hulle tussen die hare op ’n olifant se slurp, stert, reeds weet, die onderlyf of rondom die oë te vinde wees. Dit maak hulle dus redelik moeilik Haematomyzus om met die eerste oogopslag raak te sien. elephan s, van nader Sy sê:“Die maklikste is om op die uitkyk te wees vir luiseiertjies, wat soos beskou. Dit is minder fyn waterdruppeltjies op die dier se hare vassit.” as 1 cm groot. Ma hee versoek dat mense wat met olifante werk, wat byvoorbeeld ge- Foto: Wikipedia durende die verskuiwing van diere of mediese ondersoeke verdoof word, ’n oog sal oophou vir dié luise, en voorbeelde daarvan vir haar sal insamel en aanstuur. Ma hee is ’n kenner op die gebied van vlooie, luise en ander parasi ese insekte wat op Suid-Afrikaanse wildlewe voorkom. Sy en haar studente bestu- deer reeds die afgelope 20 twin g jaar die verskeidenheid wat op enigiets van streepmuise tot pikkewyne voorkom. Sy sê verskillende soorte diere het elkeen hulle eie soort vlooie en luise. Sy vervolg: “Tans weet ons nog net van een luisspesie wat op Afrika én luise wat ingesamel word, gene es ontleed word. Die luise se uitwendige Asia ese olifante voorkom. Ons wil vasstel of dit wel die geval is, en of daar kenmerke sal ook deeglik bestudeer word, onder meer met behulp van nie dalk nog is wat net altyd maar net misgekyk is nie.” elektronmikroskopie. Ma hee pak die olifantstudie in samewerking met luiskenner, prof Lance Olifantluise (Haematomyzus elephan s) behoort aan ’n groep of suborde Durden van die Georgia Southern Universiteit in die VSA aan, met wie sy van drie luisspesies wat op soogdiere met sterk velle voorkom. Ook in dié reeds sedert 2003 saamwerk. Medewerkers uit Australië en van die Hans Ho- suborde is vlakvarkluise (Haematomyzus hopkinsi) en Haematomyzus porci,’n heisen Navorsingstasie in die Fakulteit Veeartsenykunde van die Universiteit spesie wat op ’n soort wildevark uit die woude van midde-Afrika voorkom. van Pretoria sal hulle daarmee bystaan. Vir nadere besonderhede oor hoe om Ma hee met haar studie te help, is Gedurende Ma hee en haar kollegas se studie sal voorbeelde van olifant- sy bereikbaar by sma [email protected] of 082 4134344. Interna onal recogni on of research on parasites of African penguins his year’s Cambridge University Press “Early Career Researcher Prize” has Tbeen awarded to Dr Marcela Espinaze, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Conserva on Ecology and Entomology and the Department of Mathema cal Sciences (Faculty of Science). This is an annual prize for the best paper published by an early career researcher in the fi eld of Parasitology. The winning paper en tled “Parasite diversity associated with African penguins (Spheniscus demersus) and the eff ect of host and environmental factors” formed part of Marcela’s PhD project that was conducted under supervision of Prof Sonja Ma hee of the Department of Conserva on Ecology and Entomology, Prof Cang Hui of the Department of Mathema cal Sciences and Dr Lauren Waller (Cape Nature at the me). The same paper was earlier recognized as “PAPER OF THE MONTH” by the journal Parasitology (see blog post in h ps://www.cambridge.org/core/blog/2019/03/26/parasite-diversity- associated-with-african-penguins-spheniscus-demersus-and-the-effect-of- host-and-environmental-factors/)*. Marcela’s publica on is based on a study that was the fi rst of its kind to be conducted on the endangered African penguin. The study recorded the ecto, helminth- and blood parasite diversity associated with African penguins in their natural habitat, and explored the role of external factors (colony type, nest density, age, season) on the parasite diversity and level of infesta on on the penguins and in their nests. Dr Marcela Espinaze measuring the head of a penguin chick Fieldwork was undertaken in 2016 and 2017 at fi ve African penguin colonies in the (two mainland and three island colonies). Adult penguins the diff erent colonies, which may indicate that external factors associated with and their chicks in the nests were brushed to extract ectoparasites, and each penguin colony infl uence parasite demography. blood samples were taken to assess the presence of blood parasites. Guano The study made a valuable contribu on to colony management decisions was also collected from chicks to assess the presence of helminth parasites, as it shed light on factors that could poten ate parasi c infesta ons associated and nest material was collected to extract nest ectoparasites. Environmental with this threatened penguin species. parameters were recorded at each colony, and included nest density, mean ambient temperature and precipita on. • The paper is freely available for three months (to download the paper The study obtained high sample numbers (793 penguins and 628 nests please visit across colonies) and showed that parasite abundance was aff ected by penguin https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/parasitology/article/parasite- age (chicks are more aff ected), loca on (island colonies are less aff ected), diversity-associated-with-african-penguins-spheniscus-demersus-and-the- nest density (total and ac ve nests) and season (penguins are more aff ected effect-of-host-and-environmental-factors/25482FDBBFB91C690159B89D- in spring). Parasite infesta ons on penguins and in their nests varied across 83359F42).

terug na inhoudsopgawe / back to contents 10 ISSUE/UITGAWE XX MONTH/MAAND 20XX economics

Government and private sector should help develop rural areas through agriculture Both the government and the private sector should help develop rural areas through agriculture to lessen the nega ve impact of rising unemployment and low economic ac vity. Wandile Sihlobo of the Agricultural Business Chamber of SA and Prof Johann Kirsten of the Bureau of Economic Research report... he rural economy should not be forgo en ment policy and infrastructure-related constraints and management of standards, input supplies, Tin SA’s post-Covid-19 recovery plans. This is are due to the following reasons: and on-farm and off -farm infrastructure. Support s ll an important segment of society and the • Weak co-ordina on and misalignment of func- could also include various forms of government economy, though 68% of the popula on now ons and priori es between diff erent govern- guarantees to enable the provision of agricultural resides in urban areas. Apart from its reliance on ment departments and diff erent spheres of fi nance at preferen al rates, infrastructure, inputs remi ances and social transfer payments, the one government; and machinery. outstanding characteris c of the rural economy is • A misalloca on of the budget by the na onal Such subsidies are cri cal for farmers esta- its dependence on a few key industries, all of which and provincial governments; and blishing and improving their farms and need to be are typically resource-based, such as agriculture, • Poor co-ordina on between the government well managed. They will only have the necessary mining, fi shing, tourism and forestry. and the private sector, which has led to a impact if there is some form of accountability, re- With rising unemployment and low economic misalignment of transforma on programmes, sponsibility, agricultural upskilling and buy-in from ac vity, policymakers are searching for areas of incen ves and, in some cases, vision. the benefi ciaries. We should avoid the dependency growth and job crea on. For many rural areas, syndrome and moral hazard. There should always Now is the me to act decisively to unlock the agriculture and tourism are the only industries that be a personal commitment from the benefi ciary poten al of the sector by removing constraints to s ll have the poten al to generate livelihoods and to ensure a success story and ensure government accessing land, fi nance, markets and water and employment. The pandemic may severely delay support leverages the opportunity for the be- improving safety in the rural areas, as well as service gains from tourism, but agriculture could play an nefi ciary. delivery by our provincial and local governments. important role in the near term. However, this will The Comprehensive Agricultural Support Pro- This is a challenge that should be addressed require that we confront various infrastructure gramme has shown that buying and distribu ng by the government and the private sector. The and governance constraints that have hindered inputs and equipment through government pro- government can play a facilita on and enabling role development and growth of agriculture over the curement schemes is o en too expensive, slow by considering the following: past two decades. and bureaucra c. Using the principle of co-fi nance • Removing the inhibi ng requirements facing These include: of investment and purchases by the benefi ciary is smaller farmers and entrepreneurs in deep • Market failures (high transac on costs, remote more needs-based and o en quicker. rural areas and tradi onal communi es to loca on); Large commercial farmers and agribusiness supply state ins tu ons, such as hospitals, • Government failures (ineffi ciencies, poor service companies can assist the agricultural transforma on prisons and school feeding programmes, with delivery and corrup on); process. Wool and grain farmers in the Eastern food. We need to inves gate the possibility of a • Community failures (poor local ins tu ons, Cape, beef farmers in the and sugar state procurement programme (depots) where vested interests of tradi onal leaders); and farmers in Mpumalanga have already illustrated produce from these farmers can be procured, • Poor land governance (lack of secure tenure). what can be done. aggregated and distributed to state ins tu ons. While the private sector is well placed to deliver These constraints cause many rural communi es • Streamlining the land administra on processes, on the transforma on process, it is hamstrung to be caught in a poverty trap from which they to register tle deeds or rental contracts by divisions. It is strange that the sector s ll has cannot escape. What’s worse, rural areas have quicker and reform the process of subdividing to deal with race-based farmer and commodity less access to public service and infrastructure land so tle deeds to farm worker houses and organisa ons. There is an urgent need to do away than urban areas due, partly, to the higher per the dona on of land to farmers can be made with this fragmenta on, since there is poten al to unit cost of infrastructure investment and service possible. upscale the many success stories of public-private delivery in rural areas. This extends to “so ” • Delivering on its main support task in the partnerships (PPPs). Three common themes run infrastructure such as health care centres, as well agricultural sector, namely enforcement of all through these: as “hard” infrastructure such as road networks, rail, regula ons and rules, and co-ordina ng eff orts • PPP-structured fi nance to help meet develop- silos, irriga on systems, water and electricity, thus of the government and other stakeholders to ment goals; leading to low agricultural produc vity and poor ensure the mely delivery of fi nance, inputs, • Suppor ng market linkages to help agriculture linkages to markets for farmers. advisory services and more. By doing what they play its part in crea ng a more inclusive SA; and What should therefore be done diff erently to are supposed to do, na onal and provincial • Upskilling and technology transfer through address these challenges so that economic ac vity governments can improve the ability of all farmer training and the development and and employment can take off in rural areas a er farmers to contribute eff ec vely to job crea on adop on of appropriate technology in Covid? Recently the ANC’s economic transforma on and food security in the sector. commi ee and Business for SA (B4SA) released produc on and handling prac ces. One important dimension of the government’s their respec ve strategy documents for the post- The task of rural development through agriculture role is a proper and streamlined government sup- Covid-19 inclusive economic recovery. needs the concerted eff ort of both the government port system. Well co-ordinated and eff ec ve Both priori sed the agriculture sector for and the private sector. SA agriculture has the support measures are cri cal for the success of its transforma ve poten al and aligned their poten al and space to make a meaningful establishing new farmers and ensuring sustainable strategies with the contents of chapter 6 of the contribu on to job crea on and economic ac vity, land reform. Establishing a farming business from Na onal Development Plan (NDP), which refl ects and to grow the export footprint from agriculture, scratch is diffi cult given large land and capital costs. the commitment of the government and private but this will require prac cal and well-tested It is unlikely to be achieved successfully without the sector to SA’s larger development agenda. approaches. assistance of the state. The NDP ideas on how to strengthen the The word support has to be properly understood agriculture sector entered the policy arena in 2012. • Wandile Sihlobo is chief economist of the for us to eff ec vely ar culate specifi c interven ons. But in the subsequent eight years li le has been Agricultural Business Chamber of SA, and It includes advisory services, access to seasonal done to implement the principles and foster the Johann Kirsten is professor of agricultural fi nance, fair and equitable access to markets and required co-ordina on with the private sector. economics at Stellenbosch University and supply chains, eff ec ve government regula on The lack of implementa on of agricultural govern- director of the Bureau of Economic Research.

terug na inhoudsopgawe / back to contents 11 ISSUE/UITGAWE XX MONTH/MAAND 20XX

Covid-19 First-genera on Learning and Teaching in COVID-19

by Rhoda Malgas and Dr Ethel Phiri

The Covid-19 lockdown brought into sharp relief the constraints that fi rst-generation Proud students faced even before the pandemic. graduates, Here we report on the incredible eff orts of from left to students to stay academically productive right: Angel and on insights that we have gained as we Aphelele supported them. Goldsmith, Dolly Tuaandi, Ukumiswa ngxi kweenkqubo ngenxa Chimwemwe yeCovid-19 kuye kwezisa isiqabu esiman- Tembo-Phiri dla kwimiqobo ebijamelene naba- and Tawonga fundi abazinzalelwane zalapha kwa- Mkandariwe nangaphambi kwalo bhubhani. Apha, sinikela ingxelo ngemigudu emangalisayo eye yenziwa ngabafundi ukuze baqhubele phambili kwizifundo zabo nangobulumko esiye sabu zuza ngelixa sibaxhasa. responsibilities of self-care, and any personal or of neglected and under-utilised crops. We have Die Covid-19 grendelstaat het die be- cultural prohibitions regarding asking for help. identifi ed students reaching out to others with off ers perkings waarmee eerstegenerasie stu- Not all fi rst-generation students are resource- of help and support, even while they themselves dente selfs voor die pandemie te kampe poor, and not all resource-poor students are fi rst- are in need of material goods. Others have shown gehad het, opnuut in die kollig geplaas. generation candidates. But the demographic realities leadership, helping fellow-students with research Hier doen ons verslag oor studente se are that fi rst-generation students are predominantly tasks and assignments, off ering tutoring and help ongeloofl ike pogings om akademies pro- students of colour from resource-poor households. with analysis. duktief te bly, asook oor insigte wat ons Institutional responses to the needs of these students Against the backdrop of institutional imperatives, opgedoen het terwyl ons steun aan hulle are usually focused on material necessities such our rationale for investing our academic time in verleen het. as subsidies and concessions on accommodation, our fi rst-generation students, in particular, is based food, fees, and other services. But the Covid-19 on several convictions. First, these graduates are lockdown eff ectively closed down other vital required in the post-Covid-19 economy. They know We were reminded that poverty of channels of sustenance – student jobs were shed, and understand parts of society that are most badly resources is not poverty of the mind... unemployment dried up the trickle-feed of cash aff ected, and they are well-positioned to detect from home, and those essential social gatherings trends, needs and responses in diff erent sectors. As lecturers we are investing large amounts of our amongst peers are now reduced to variably active Second, once they earn an income, they will be in time and energy into sustaining the academic and Whatsapp chat groups. Added worries of family in a position to build an asset base for themselves, personal wellbeing of students under lockdown. We distant locations, and social isolation from peers and if they wish, for others in their circles. Third, are especially concerned about our fi rst-generation add to the mosaic of challenges that risk academic of all the students in South Africa to be negatively students. As fi rst-generation graduates ourselves, success. As we faced the unprecedented demands aff ected by Covid-19, we anticipate that drop-out we are familiar with diff erent aspects of being that of lockdown ourselves, we made a commitment to rates are likely to be highest amongst this subset of fi rst one in the family/neighbourhood/community provide academic support for the most vulnerable students. Senior students close to graduation should to graduate from university. Under Covid-19, we students in our (virtual) classrooms. be prioritised with regard to academic support to are seeing the usual pressures mount, exposing Being sensitive to the realities sketched here enhance their chances of graduation. At the same fault lines of inequality. But we are also seeing aff orded us as lecturers an opportunity to partner time, academic gains made by lower-year students remarkable agency and leadership as students dig with fi rst-generation students on their learning should be retained. Concessions like the one recently deep to sustain themselves and to help others. journeys. As we learned more about the contexts of presented at SU – where graduation was delayed The lockdown precipitated many challenges all our students during weekly check-in meetings, until March 2020 – are appropriate as it will avoid for lecturing staff . Lecture series were disrupted, we created our assignments, adjusted our style extra registration expenses in the new year. fi eld and lab experiments came to a halt, and weeks of content delivery, and even the content it- Lastly, the application rate of fi rst-generation of unprecedented change lay ahead of us. The self, to integrate and welcome the array of lived consequences for students included quick decisions experiences in the classroom (Jehangir, 2010). students is likely to decline as rising unemployment about accommodation arrangements, uncertainties Acute awareness of exacerbated constraints forces youngsters to seek work to help the family. about the academic year, prospects of delayed for our fi rst-generation students kept us thinking Disaggregation of new applicants by race sadly graduation, and the fi nancial implications of it about how we may off er our science subjects in remains a key indicator of fi rst-generation student all. Our responses as lecturers, supervisors, and ways that do no further harm with regard to any intake. We would do well to adapt and adopt policies members of staff have been informed by a glimpse systemic challenges that these student face – issues to attract and retain students of colour, to eff ect of the eff ects of Covid-19 still unfolding around us. with data, access to a printer, language and writing demographic transformation at the university, but While all our students are aff ected, we are acutely styles, etc. But while we focused our attention on also in the job market. This also requires renewed aware that, for resource-poor fi rst-generation resource defi cits, we were becoming increasingly eff orts to adopt pluralistic, inclusive teaching atti- students, the fallout is far greater. aware of abundances elsewhere and in other forms tudes and philosophies amongst academic staff . First-generation students are those who are amongst our fi rst-generation students. This is something we refl ect on deeply ourselves. the fi rst in their families, or of the fi rst generation We were reminded that poverty of resources Our eff orts in supporting fi rst-generation stu- in their families, to attend university (Heymann is not poverty of the mind. Under the lockdown dents in our departments and faculty have held and Carolissen, 2011). They usually will have we have seen fi rst-generation students rise to the unintended benefi ts for us as lecturers. We are overcome incredible odds to join a university occasion, coming up with novel ideas to take hold collaborating on research and teaching, sharing campus. Once in the system, they join their peers of dramatic changes to their research assignments. novel ideas and practices, and sharing resources in the milieu of the novel experiences of university In two of our modules, it is fi rst-generation students and support as we navigate our academic careers life: transitioning from high school into university, who are top of their class and most advanced with during Covid-19. We would like to express our from teenage years into adulthood, and from family regard to research and assignments. First-generation appreciation to the scores of students, especially life to independent living. This is to say, if they students in our circles are submitting papers for fi rst-generation students, who inspire our research overcome the shock of living expenses, anxieties publication, reporting on research topical to social and teaching. We believe that as graduates, these over family constraints to meet these new needs, issues such as food insecurity and the agronomy students will be an asset to African scholarship. terug na inhoudsopgawe / back to contents 12 ISSUE/UITGAWE XX MONTH/MAAND 20XX

Covid-19 Lockdown – no excuse for passivity in a country like South Africa

On 28 July we celebrated World Nature Conserva on Day. Drs Tony Rebelo of the SA Na onal Biodiversity Ins tute and Alanna Rebelo of the Department of Conserva on Ecology and Entomology, are of the opinion that we should con nue to appreciate and conserve the plants and animals around us during lockdown.

Dr Tony Rebelo & Dr Alanna Rebelo As we celebrated World Nature Conversa on off event, but the beginning of nature explora on Day on 28 July, it helped to maintain a perspec ve and apprecia on in and around our homes during his year, the height of Covid-19 lockdown in of the value of all life when one considers that each hard lockdown. Many residents joined one of April coincided with the fi h iNaturalist City T is visi ng our dwellings for a very good reason, and the six city lockdown projects on iNaturalist, and Nature Challenge. In this annual global nature many of them are actually cleaning up a er us, or recorded the life around their homes. hunt, the public were encouraged, as ci zen We can much from what people found and scien sts, to go and explore their ci es and report helping to limit pest numbers. shared. In the Fynbos, of course birds feature on the animals and plants that share our world. highly around people’s homes, but Cape Town’s With everyone confi ned to their homes in many City Nature Challenge – lockdown edi on top posi on goes to the Dwarf Chameleon, Marble major ci es around the world, with only some At the end of April 2020, six ci es in southern Lea oe Gecko, the Honeybee and Brown Garden fortunate enough to have gardens or balconies, Africa took part in the City Nature Challenge 2020 this posed a major challenge for a nature hunt. lockdown edi on of the 244 worldwide, namely Snail (an invasive alien; you know the one), with Although only a few months have passed, it is Cape Town, the Garden Route, Durban, Nelson the Redeye Dove making posi on fi ve. already hard to remember that in South Africa we Mandela Bay, Tswane and Gaberone. In the Garden Route, where Fynbos meets the were only allowed out for medical emergencies Cape Town again – for the second year running forests, birds take all the honours – Cape Weaver, and food. Which meant that nature interac on – scored top spot in the world for number of Greater Double-Collared Sunbird, Redeye Dove, Fiscal Shrike (Jannie) and the Speckled Mousebird. was confi ned to one’s home. nature observa ons (34,254). Interes ngly, almost At the interface of the Fynbos and thicket Lockdown was, however, no excuse for passivity a quarter of all Cape Town’s observa ons were biomes, Nelson Mandela Bay features the Common in a mega diverse country such as South Africa. collected by the Scouts. Although the Garden Dwarf Gecko, Tropical House Gecko, Honeybee, Many Capetonians discovered the wonders of a Route only made posi on 10, it secured second Citrus Swallowtail and Common Blue in its top fi ve. nectar feeder, or the power of a half apple and spot for ci es outside of the United States. Would you have guessed that the four most a handful of seeds le outside. Many birds and Expressing her amazement at the results, recorded animals in Durban are bu erfl ies? – cri ers could be en ced to visit, when human Dr Eleanor Yeld Hutchings of the Biodiversity with the Common Bush Brown, Natal Pansy, Dark visitors were forbidden. Management Branch of the City of Cape Town said: Blue Pansy and Citrus Swallowtail leading the Lockdown became a me for people to engage “For a country [that was in] hard lockdown I think pack, and a dragonfl y, the Julia Skimmer, in spot with the wildlife in their homes and gardens. You it’s unbelievable how much we managed to do.” number fi ve. Staying with the grassland biome, may ask how you can engage with nature? If you Cape Town’s top observer was Grade 11 learner the city of Tswane recorded Honeybee, Spiny have gardens, you can, for example, look for and Jeremy Gilmore, who racked up 834 observa ons. Sugar Ant, Laughing Dove, Hadeda and Common record the elusive Dwarf Chameleon, or have a Several hundred observa ons from a garden is no Dwarf Gecko as the species most commonly garden party and record all the cri ers visi ng the mean feat. He is one of Cape Town’s youth, who found in gardens. fl owers, the plants, and your picnic. has a passion for learning about indigenous fl ora, And Gaborone is off the charts, literally. Of the If you are a night owl, why not hold a night as well as protec ng what we have le . In his spare top fi ve animals, only one moth – the Vestal – has expedi on, and look for spiders and insects by me, he joins the Friends of Tokai Park in hacking a common name – the other Antlions, moths, bugs their eyeshine, and the pale chameleons, and alien trees in Tokai Park to protect the Fynbos. other denizens of the night, such as praying and beetles s ll need to become be er known Our City Nature Challenge success is perhaps man ses, crickets and frogs? before they are bap zed with vernaculars. not surprising in a country such as South Africa, No garden is no excuse not to interact with Who would have thought that the tale of six where we have an es mated 67,000 animal nature. You can do bird surveys from your windows, ci es would be so diff erent, so rich, and so exci ng? species, and over 20,400 plant species described. or set up moth traps (sheets illuminated with a We should take stock of the animals and plants We have around 7% of the world’s vascular plant bright light at night), or insect hotels or nes ng that share our homes and gardens (for example species, 5% of mammal, 7% of bird, 4% of rep le, boxes. Inside our houses, the geckos, mosquitoes using the free iNaturalist app). Conserva on and 2% of amphibian, 1% of freshwater fi sh and 16% of and other goggas can entertain and infuriate us. environmental awareness is fun, joining a global If you are feeling lonely, isolated, and socially- shark, skate and ray species. And not only this, but community is free, and you can begin at home. distanced, you need only to peek into the corners around half to two-thirds of the species in each of and under the beds to fi nd ants, house fl ies, or these groups are found only in South Africa. • Dr Tony Rebelo is affi liated with the South perhaps even cockroaches and bed bugs. But apart African Na onal Biodiversity Ins tute and Dr from these obvious pests, there are also a great A tale of six ci es in lockdown Alanna Rebelo is a postdoctoral researcher in diversity of amazing moths, fi sh moths, spiders and And so con nues the tale of the six ci es. The City the Department of Conserva on Ecology and beetles. Nature Challenge turned out not to be just a one- Entomology. terug na inhoudsopgawe / back to contents 13 ISSUE/UITGAWE XX MONTH/MAAND 20XX

Covid-19 Agricolleges: Reimagining online educa on beyondeyond 20202020 griculture. It’s among the world’s oldest educa on is under threat, online learning is opportunity for school leavers, job seekers and Aindustries and yet it has survived through the no longer ‘second best’ and Wi-Fi hotspots are those already in the industry to upskill in a specifi c ages, through wars, plagues and fi nancial crises everywhere. area – whether in lockdown or not. – and it will survive through Covid-19 too. The While some ins tu ons have moved their When it comes to the quality of online industry’s resilience is, of course, partly thanks classes to online and distance educa on pla orms educa on, the ques ons and issues are not much to sheer necessity, but it’s also indica ve of the with rela ve ease, others have struggled. The diff erent to concerns about the quality of face- ability of farmers to adapt and respond to change, same can be said of the students and teachers, to-face learning. Just as you would assess the by fl exing their mental muscles to drive increases with wide-ranging access to resources, capabili es university you want to a end, the same goes for in produc vity and effi ciency, even when mes are and funding making it extremely diffi cult in checking out online ins tu ons for things like tough. some areas. But that’s no reason not to embrace accredita on, the qualifi ca on you ul mately Just because it’s an old industry, doesn’t mean the inevitable and rapidly approaching change. receive, the relevance of the syllabus, and the it’s old fashioned. Those who have qualifi ed as soil Covid-19 has simply increased the speed at quality of the teachers or the pla orm used. The engineers, animal gene cists or food scien sts, for which governments will need to fi nd solu ons to far shorter history of online ins tu ons warrants a example, can a est to the need to stay modern tradi onal educa on. Students in rural areas, who careful check to ensure they aren’t simply there to and relevant when it comes to farming. So it’s are unable to access online content are already take short-term advantage of the current shi into only logical that the agricultural industry will once being provided with alterna ves such as television online. Courses completed through AGRICOLLEGES again adapt and adjust to a Covid-19 era. This me, or radio broadcas ng – and the me has come interna onal represent the quality of qualifi ca ons however, perhaps the greatest change won’t be to step it up another notch. Already students can recognised as world class. what is learnt, but how that learning is delivered. download online content at free Wi-Fi hotspots in shopping centres and restaurants. They can then The human element A permanent change study the content in their own me and upload It’s one thing to create an emergency replacement The virus has caused a remarkable shi , that has assignments at the same hotspots. As data costs for face-to-face learning, and quite another to forced the world to embrace technology in almost reduce and smart phones and devices become create a well-established base for long-term edu- every sphere of life. Radical transforma ons have more accessible, online learning is being reshaped ca on. At school level, many parents, teachers taken place to learning programmes and the way faster and for more people. and children have found that the need for human they are taught, in an eff ort to save the 2020 contact tests the benefi ts of online learning. The academic year. In par cular, it has created the Retaining more, faster through online result may be an increase in what is known as perfect environment for signifi cant growth and For those who do have access to the right tech- blended learning – an integra on of technology acceptance of online learning. As governments nology, research shows there is evidence that with classroom educa on. This would ul mately grapple with decisions around whether or not to learning online is more eff ec ve in a number create a new genera on of learners who are ready reopen schools and universi es, online learning is of ways. Some research shows that on average, for more full- me online learning a er they leave growing and has entrenched itself as educa on’s students retain 25-60% more material when school. new darling. learning online, compared to only 8-10% in a AGRICOLLEGES interna onal already uses a Once the general sense of panic over Covid-19 classroom. This is mostly due to the students being blended learning approach to its courses, com- subsides, tradi onal ins tu ons will most likely able to learn faster online. E-learning requires 40- bining independent online learning with online revert to what they know: face-to-face teaching 60% less me to learn than in a tradi onal sharing of insights and informa on, and face-to- in bricks and mortar classrooms. What remains classroom se ng because students can learn face prac cal training for certain course elements. to be seen, however, is whether or not students at their own pace, going back and re-reading, AGRICOLLEGES interna onal has the further will do the same. As learners adapt to online and skipping, or accelera ng through concepts as they advantage of using the shared learning principle job seekers and employees start to understand the choose. The world’s library is now on the cloud. of each student being able to share their learning benefi ts that come with more fl exible learning - Another advantage of online learning is experience with their fellow students in online that can be achieved at a me and in a safe place aff ordability. In a Covid-19 environment, the very chat groups. that suits them - the move to online learning is real impact on personal and commercial fi nances Technology alone can’t deal with people on becoming a more permanent op on. has led to widespread job losses and a reduc on a personal, human, tac le level. However, it is According to WeForum, even before COVID-19, in spending on all but necessi es. Rou ne tasks possible to use technology to unlock human there was already high growth and adop on are being automated and the people who add poten al, through pla orms that are sophis cated in educa on technology, with global edtech value to a business through increased produc vity enough to enable engagement through chat investments reaching US$18.66 billion in 2019 and and profi tability are the most likely to hold onto groups, video mee ngs, forums and document the overall market for online educa on projected their posi ons. Paying for more aff ordable online sharing. It’s an eff ec ve and effi cient way for a to reach $350 Billion by 2025. Whether it is courses that can be completed in the safety of single teacher to reach more people with quality online learning at school or university, language your own home is therefore, understandably, content and input, without losing touch. apps, virtual tutoring, video conferencing tools gaining popularity. Not to men on the fact that or online learning so ware, there has been a those wan ng to upskill, are able to do so while signifi cant surge in usage since COVID-19 reared s ll being able to work and earn an income. Ge ng ahead in a world of disrup on At the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown, agri- its head. Quality and quan ty culture was named as an ‘essen al service’. Advancing agricultural skills Online learning wins in both the departments of Educa on was not. And yet, living in a world Just as video conferencing has enabled farmers to quality and quan ty. While universi es turn people of disrup on and uncertainty, online learning move towards a world in which they seldom need away each year, economies of scale are possible enabled many people to retain some control and to meet their suppliers or customers in person, online without the limita on of classroom and return to work with a be er skill-set than they le technology has enabled the people they employ, campus size. Take online pla orm AGRICOLLEGES it. to gain new skills and knowledge online, that align interna onal, for example. The business provides Technology con nues to evolve, the world is with a new, more advanced way of doing things. a world-class, accredited online learning pla orm, moving at a furious pace and educa on is catching The star ng point, however, is the fact that is already being tapped into by learners from up fast. Online learning is the catalyst to achieving that computer literacy and access to the internet 22 countries. And in spite of borders being closed, this, and AGRICOLLEGES interna onal is leading with a smart device are basic requirements in those learners have been able to con nue their the fi eld in the evolu on of cloud-based, online this new world – and those without them are course work from the safety of their own homes. agri-educa on. at a dis nct disadvantage when it comes to the A growing range of short courses as well as a one- www.agricolleges.com ability to access online learning. We have moved year NQF4 Cer fi cate in General Agriculture are • Contact Wynand Espach for more into a world where tradi onal bricks and mortar off ered by AGRICOLLEGES, providing a perfect informa on: [email protected] terug na inhoudsopgawe / back to contents 14 ISSUE/UITGAWE XX MONTH/MAAND 20XX