​​Agricultural Economics

The profession of Agricultural Economics was born out of the attempts of early pioneers in the United States to address two fundamental questions, namely (1) “What is the (reciprocal) relationship between the agricultural sector and the rest of the economy?” and (2) “How can farms be managed more efficiently?” ​

Animal ​Sciences

The Department of Animal Science commemorate​​d its 75th anniversary in 1996, which makes us one of the oldest established departments of Animal Sciences in the country​.​​​

​​​Conservation Ecology  

One of the greatest challenges facing humankind is the conservation of biodiversity, especially in nature reserves, farmland, cities, mining and forestry areas. ​The increasing population growth in developing countries is another challenge.

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Forest and Wood Science 

South ​Africa has beautiful forests. Some of the tree species a​re used for timber that compares favourably with the best in the world.​​

Genetics​

Genetics deals with the molecular structure and function of genes, gene behaviour in the context of a cell or organism (e.g. dominance and epigenetics), patterns of inheritance from parent to offspring, and gene distribution, variation and change in populations, such as through Genome-Wide Association Studies.​

​​​Horticultural Sciences 

Horticulture is the science, technology and business involved in intensive plant cultivation for human use – from a garden to the activities of a multinational corporation.​

  Plant Pathology​

Plant Pathology is defined as the study of the organisms and environmental conditions that cause diseases in plants, the mechanisms by which this occurs, the interactions between these causal agents and the plant (effects on plant growth, yield and quality), and the methods of managing or controlling plant disease.

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​​Soil Science

Soil is the extremely thin but precious skin covering our planet that sustains all terrestrial life forms and contributes nutrients and filters contaminants to aquatic environments. ​  Soil Science focuses on the importance of soils as a very slowly renewable natural resource​.

       ​​Viticulture & Oenology

Oenology is the science and study of all aspects of wine and winemaking, and viticulture entails vine-growing and grape-harvesting. 

​​​Experimental Farms​

The University owns two experimental farms (Welgevallen and Mariendahl) that are used mainly for the training of undergraduate students and for research projects of postgraduate students and academic staff of the Faculty of AgriSciences.