Two alumni of the Faculty of AgriSciences at Stellenbosch University have been recognised for the exceptional work they are doing as agriculturalists. During the regional finals of Agricultural Writers South Africa, Dr Elsje Joubert and Dr Johann Strauss were named as Limpopo and the Western Cape's best agriculturalists for 2017.
The awards have been presented by the 200 members of the Association since 1977 to the top farmers and the best agriculturalists in different regions throughout South Africa. The 2017 national winners will be announced at a function in Bloemfontein on 11 November.
Dr Elsje Joubert
Dr Elsje Joubert is the acting Technical Manager at Subtrop, the South African Growers Society for avocadoes, mangoes, litchis and macadamias. She shows extreme commitment towards this sector of the agricultural sphere. Elsje obtained her PhD in Entomology from Stellenbosch University with research focusing on how climate change will influence the physiology and population dynamics of Eldana saccharina, a stalk borer of economic value to the sugar cane industry. She was a MSc student in the Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, and was also affiliated with the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology (CIB).
In her current role at Subtrop she represents the company in Levubu, the Soutpansberg as well as the Cape production areas. Elsje's received her first practical experience in 2011 when she joined Citrus Research International. She worked on fruit flies and thrips in the field. She then worked for the South African Sugar Cane Research Institute (SASRI) and in 2013 accepted a position at Subtrop.
Her passion lies in the consulting and supporting work she does in the industry. Although she acknowledges that the agricultural sector has many challenges, she believes that these can create new opportunities for her role as an extension officer.
Dr Johann Strauss
Dr Johann Strauss is at the forefront of promoting and expanding conservation agriculture in the vulnerable but extremely important grain industry in the Western Cape. His contributions to sustainable research and trials have a major impact on Western Cape agriculture.
Dr Strauss is a senior researcher in Sustainable Cultivation Systems in the Directorate of Plant Sciences of the Western Cape Department of Agriculture at Elsenburg. He obtained his BSc, MSc and PhD Agric degrees from Stellenbosch University. For his doctorate he studied drought-tolerant spring wheat cultivars in South Africa.
During a visit to Argentina in 2011 he was able to view the country's no-till practices. He returned to establish the Conservation Agriculture Western Cape forum in 2012. Since then, many producers have begun using disc planters and have put cover crops to the test.
His practical concepts of so-called “Walk & Talks" through trials and on participating farms are very popular. The project, as well as his new research, has contributed to the Riversdal Farmers' Day doubling in visitor numbers. It now attracts more than 400 visitors.
The value of his work can also be measured by the contributions his work receives from industry. The Winter Grain Trust and the Protein Research Foundation (PRF) annually fund part of his projects. He recently received more than R1 million, with about R90 000 being specifically allocated to Conservation Agriculture Western Cape.
The well-known Rothamsted Research unit in England visited Elsenburg recently, as part of their endeavour to include Dr Strauss's Langewens long term trial in their Global Long-Term Experiment Network. Langewens is the only long-term system trial that exists for which animal production data is also available.
