Bongumusa Mkhize
SASRI - KMU |
BSc in Computer Science and IT
(Univesirty of KwaZulu Natal)
Date started: February 2010.
Supervisor : Poovie Govender
Bongumusa is attached to the Knowledge Management Unit and he is responsible for performing a variety of programming assignments requiring knowledge of established procedures and data processing requirements. He develops, maintains and modifies programmes and also manages the content of SASRI website. |
Shivani Govender
SASRI - CBRC |
BSc in Microbiology and Biochemistry
(Univesirty of KwaZuluNatal)
Date started: June 2009.
Shivani is attached to the Crop Biology Resource Centre and she is recording results and maintains a database of all insect population and molecular data, and she also performs specific test cross matings between eldana populations to test for Wolbachia-induced phenotype. she is also responsible for detecting Wolbachia in eldana moths using molecular analyses (DNA extractions, PCR using 4 Wolbachia-specific primers,Agarose gels and DNA Sequencing) |
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Busisani Gwala
SASRI - PERC
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BSc degree in IT: Computer Science and IT
(University of KwaZulu-Natal).
Date started: January 2010.
Supervisor : Aresti Paraskevopoulos
Busisani is attached to the Plant and Environment Centre and is responsible for system administration and analysis of the MyCanesim system. He is also involved in the development of applications that are used by various researchers and scientists at SASRI. |
Mbalenhle Mbambo
SASRI - DARU |
Diploma in Environmental Health
(Durban University of Technology)
Date started: Jannuary 2010.
Mbalenhle is attached to the Diagnostic & Analysis Resource Unit and is responsible for ensuring compliance with Occupational Health & Safety Act (OHSAct). She is also involved in Identification & Evaluation of Risks, Prevention & Control of Hazardous Exposure, Monitoring of proper use, handling & disposal of chemicals and coordination of Safety; Health & Environmental issues. |
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Njabulo Mkhize
SASRI-PERC |
BSc degree in Agriculture: Agronomy
(University of Zululand)
Date started: December 2008
Supervisor : Michiel Smit
Njabulo is attached to the Plant and Environment Resource Centre and is a team member in the research project entitled "Critical evaluation of a sugarcane-soybean crop rotation system in the South African sugar industry " He is also involved in characterisation of sugarcane canopy development, light interception and nutrient uptake in field cane under various fertiliser and trash management regimes. |
Slindile Sithole SASRI-CBRC |
BSc Degree in Environmental Biology
(University of KwaZulu Natal)
Date Started: September 2009.
Slindile is attached to the Crop Biology Resource Centre and is responsible for Determining the effects of plant water stress on silicon uptake by sugarcane and thereafter on plant resistance to eldana .
She is also Investigating the interaction between nitrogen and silicon nutrition on resistance of sugarcane to eldana and thrips. |
Petrus Makoro
SASRI-PERC |
BSc Agriculture in Soil Science
University of Limpopo
Date started : January 2010
Petrus is attached to the Plant and Environment Resource Centre and a team member in the first phase of a research project entitled "Effect of CMS on Nitrogen losses, soil acidity, and sugarcane yield." The first phase involves determining N losses following CMS application. This work will be conducted in a pot trial and Petrus will be key in selecting the soil to be used, preparing the pots and the vacuum system to be connected to the pots, packing and treatment application, and data collection. The latter will be used to prepare a presentation to be delivered towards the end of November 2010. |
Maphilisi Zulu
SASRI-CBRC |
BSc degree in Biological Science
(University of KwaZulu Natal)
Date started: January 2010
Supervisor: Deborah Sweby
Maphilisi is attached to the Crop Biology Resource Centre and he is responsible for maintenance of all Wolbachia-positive Eldana colonies; establishing Busseola fusca and Chilo Partellus colonies; establishing colonies of parasitoids (e.g. Xanthopimpla stemmator) on three hosts : Busseola fusca, Chilo Partellus, and Eldana saccharina. He keeps detailed records of parasitoid behavior on the different hosts, recording whether parasitism is successful or whether parasitoid eggs are encapsulated by the hosts. |
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Nokuphila Sibiya
SASRI - CBRC |
BSc degree in Microbiology
(Univesirty of KwaZulu Natal)
Date started: January 2010.
Supervisor: Mike Way
Nokuphila is attached to the Crop Biology Resource Centre and she is responsible for monitoring the pest Fulmekiola serrata (Sugarcane Thrips), screening for thrips pathogens, rearing of thrips and determining the reasons for the seasonal population crash in March each year. |
Gugulethu Makatini SASRI- CBRC |
BSc and BSc Hons: Plant Pathology
(University of KwaZulu-Natal)
Date started: January 2010
Supervisor: Sharon McFarlane
Gugulethu is attached to Crop Biology Resource Centre and she is involved in a project investigating sour rot, a fungal disease that is becoming increasingly important in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands. She is investigating the rate at which sour rot symptoms develop and the associated effect of the fungus on cane quality, the conditions that favour the development of sour rot, varietal susceptibility and pathogen diversity. |
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Thobile Mbatha
SASRI-PERC |
MSc: Crop Science
Date started: January 2010
Supervisor: Sanesh Ramburan
Thobile is attached to the Plant and Environmental Resource Centre. She is responsible for a research project entitled ''Investigating variety and trash interaction'' . She will be investigating how common commercial varieties (in the Midlands and Northern KwaZulu-Natal areas) respond to trash blankets in comparison with bare surfaces. She will be looking at factors such as germination and emergence, canopy formation, population dynamics and recoverable value yields. |
Thabang Ramogodi
SASRI-PERC |
BSc and BSc Hons: Plant Pathology
(University of Pretoria)
Date started: January 2010
Supervisor: Michiel Smit
Thabang Ramogodi is attached to Plant and Environment Resource Centre and is responsible for a project on characterisation of water uptake and soil water control using a fibreglass wick system in potted soil. He also assists with quantification of nitrogen fixation and transfer in a soybean-sugarcane crop rotation system. |
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Santhuri Naidoo
SASRI - CBRC
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BSc in Biological Science (University of KwaZulu Natal) Date started: September 2008
Santhuri is attached to the Crop Biology Resource Centre and is responsible for setting up and monitoring pitfall traps in insecticide trials. She is also involved with monitoring the effect of treatments on sugarcane pest in trials; refining a lab bioassay method for assessing the comparative efficacy of insecticides against eldana and developing new methods of THRIPS sampling. |
Sindisiwe Shange
SASRI - CBRC |
N. Dip: Agriculture in Crop Production(Tshwane University of Technology )
Date started: April 2010
Supervisor: Des Conlong
Sindisiwe Shange is attached to the Crop Biology Resource Centre, she is involved in the water project. The aim of the project is to determine optimal stocking rate for productive mass rearing of weed bio control agents. Phénrica guerini on Pereskia acuelata. |