The Ballie Wahl-merit award for the best Horticulture student in Citrus production
Du Toit Prins, ʼn fourth year student at the department of Horticultural Sciences at the University of Stellenbosch recently became the second recipient of the Ballie-Wahl-merit award. This award is handed out annually to the best third year student in the citriculture course presented at the department of Horticultural Sciences. In this course attention is given to important aspects such as cultivar selection, the influence of climate on citrus production, as well as the important factors considered when establishing new citrus orchards. In addition, the course also entails an in depth study of the physiological factors influencing fruit quality, horticultural manipulations of citrus trees and the use of plant growth regulators to produce citrus fruit of optimal internal and external fruit quality.
This recently instituted merit award is embursed by the Citrus Technical Association (CTA), an independent assossiation of technical citrus researchers and consultants founded in 1984. The aim of this merit award is te reward student excellence as well as encourage further studies in citrus.
Ballie Wahl is a well-known name in the South African, as well as international citrus industry. His technical knowledge and his ability to incorporate different complex aspects relating to citrus production have contributed to him becoming a household name in the corridors of the global citrus environment. Ballie is an ʼn alumni of the University of Stellenbosch and after obtaining his BSc Agric degree in 1966 he served the citrus industry in various roles after which he retired in 2006. His relentless commitment to helping new roleplayers in the South African citrus industry and sharing his invaluable knowledge is of irreplacable value.