Faculty of AgriSciences
The Faculty of AgriSciences at Stellenbosch University (SU) is held in high esteem at national and international levels for the quality of its training and research and also as consultant in the agricultural and forestry industry.
Sub-communities within this community
Recent Submissions
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Hyperglycemia-induced oxidative stress and heart disease-cardioprotective effects of rooibos flavonoids and phenylpyruvic acid-2-O-β-D-glucoside
(BMC (part of Springer Nature), 2017)Diabetic patients are at an increased risk of developing heart failure when compared to their non-diabetic counter parts. Accumulative evidence suggests chronic hyperglycemia to be central in the development of ...
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Adapting the Dragonfly Biotic Index to a katydid (Tettigoniidae) rapid assessment technique : case study of a biodiversity hotspot, the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa
(Pensoft Publishers, 2017)Global biodiversity faces many challenges, with the conservation of invertebrates among these. South Africa is megadiverse and has three global biodiversity hotspots. The country also employs two invertebrate-based rapid ...
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Characteristics of selected non-woody invasive alien plants in South Africa and an evaluation of their potential for electricity generation
(University of Cape Town, Energy Research Centre, 2017)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Alien invasive plants (AIPs) pose a threat to the existence of plant and animal biodiversity in the ecosystems they invade. They need to be cleared, monitored and eventually eradicated from the landscape. ...
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Measuring thiols in single cultivar South African red wines using 4,4-dithiodipyridine (DTDP) derivatization and ultraperformance convergence chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry
(MDPI, 2018)Wine varietal thiols are important contributors to wine aroma. The chemical nature of thiols makes them difficult to measure due to low concentrations, high sensitivity to oxidation, and low ionization. Methods for the ...
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The effect of extensive human presence at an early age on stress responses and reactivity of juvenile ostriches towards humans
(MDPI, 2018-07)The effect of extensive human presence and regular gentle handling performed at an early age (0–3 months old) on stress responses and reactivity of juvenile ostriches towards humans was investigated. A total of 416 ostrich ...
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Foliar application of steinernema yirgalemense to control planococcus ficus : assessing adjuvants to improve efficacy
(South African Society for Enology and Viticulture, 2018)The vine mealybug (Planococcus ficus) is regarded as a key mealybug pest of grapevines in South Africa, with entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) being touted as a potential alternative to chemical control, although their ...
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Growth at the microscale : long term thinning effects on patterns and timing of intra-annual stem increment in radiata pine
(SpringerOpen, 2018-10-09)Background: Stem radial growth in forests is not uniform. Rather, it is characterized by periods of relatively fast or slow growth, or sometimes no growth at all. These fluctuations are generally a function of varying ...
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Plant functional trait data and reflectance spectra for 22 palmiet wetland species
(Elsevier, 2018)We provide reflectance spectra for 22 South African palmiet wetland species collected in spring 2015 from three wetlands throughout the Cape Floristic Region. In addition, we provide summarized plant functional trait data, ...
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The Damara sheep : an appraisal of its reproductive performance and potential
(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 1998-03)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Investigations undertaken in this research program was hampered by mainly two aspects viz. small numbers of animals available for research purposes and that the work was executed, due to circumstances, ...
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Cost of illness for outpatients attending public and private hospitals in Bangladesh
(BMC (part of Springer Nature), 2016)Background: A central aim of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is protection for all against the cost of illness. In a low income country like Bangladesh the cost burden of health care in tertiary facilities is likely to be ...
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Potential for utilization of wood ash on coastal arenosols with limited buffer capacity in KwaZulu-Natal and its effect on eucalypt stand nutrition and growth
(Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology, 2017)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A field trial was established to test the effects of various wood ash and fertilizer application rates on the nutrition and early growth of a clonal Eucalyptus grandis × urophylla stand near Richards ...
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Understanding farmers' preferences for wastewater reuse frameworks in agricultural irrigation : lessons from a choice experiment in the Western Cape, South Africa
(South African Water Research Commission, 2016-01)Wastewater has emerged as an alternative source of water. Since the agricultural sector remains the largest water user world-wide, it is the main potential user of treated wastewater. However, while there are trade-offs ...
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Design of a pot experiment to study the effect of irrigation with diluted winery wastewater on four differently textured soils
(South African Water Research Commission, 2016-01)Due to the intensification of environmental legislation, the wine industry is expected to find solutions for the treatment or re-use of winery wastewater. The objective of the study was to design and evaluate a pot experiment ...
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Monetary value of the impacts of filamentous green algae on commercial agriculture : results from two geographically different case studies
(South African Water Research Commission, 2016-07)This paper presents estimates of the monetary value of the impact of eutrophication (algae) on commercial agriculture in two different catchments in South Africa. A production function approach is applied to estimate the ...
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Research note: the use of SO2 to bind acetaldehyde in wine : sensory implications
(South African Society for Enology and Viticulture, 2018)It is thought that the formation of hydroxysulphonate when sulphur dioxide is added to wine containing free acetaldehyde negates the sensory impact of the latter compound, but little research has been done on this. Descriptive ...
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Potential of local entomopathogenic nematodes for control of the vine mealybug, planococcus ficus
(South African Society for Enology and Viticulture, 2018)Planococcus ficus, the vine mealybug, is the dominant mealybug pest of grapes in South Africa. To provide an alternative for chemical control, entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) were investigated as a biological control ...
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The grapevine and wine microbiome : insights from high-throughput amplicon sequencing
(Frontiers Media, 2017)From the time when microbial activity in wine fermentation was first demonstrated, the microbial ecology of the vineyard, grape, and wine has been extensively investigated using culture-based methods. However, the last ...
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Facilitating the recovery of natural evergreen forests in South Africa via invader plant stands
(SpringerOpen, 2017)ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Contrary to general belief, planted and naturalized stands of introduced species facilitate the recovery of natural evergreen forests and their diversity. Forest rehabilitation actions are often performed ...
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Climate change effects in the Western Himalayan ecosystems of India : evidence and strategies
(SpringerOpen, 2017)Background: The fragile landscapes of the Himalayan region are highly susceptible to natural hazards, and there is ongoing concern about current and potential climate change impacts. This study provides background information ...
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The relationship between agricultural biodiversity, dietary diversity, household food security, and stunting of children in rural Kenya
(Wiley Open Access, 2017)The study was to determine the role of Dietary diversity (DD), household food security (HFS), and agricultural biodiversity (AB) on stunted growth in children. Two cross‐sectional studies were undertaken 6 months apart. ...
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How beta diversity and the underlying causes vary with sampling scales in the Changbai mountain forests
(John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2017-10)This study aims to establish a relationship between the sampling scale and tree species beta diversity temperate forests and to identify the underlying causes of beta diversity at different sampling scales. The data were ...
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Board meeting frequency and corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting : evidence from Malaysia
(Virtus Interpress, 2017)This study aims at determining the effectiveness of board meeting frequency on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting by public listed companies on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia. A CSR reporting index consisting ...
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Investigating the potential of strength grading green Eucalyptus grandis lumber using multi-sensor technology
(North Carolina State University, 2017-11)The exploitation of Eucalyptus grandis lumber as structural material may take advantage of the finger-joint and edge-gluing of the boards while they are still wet, so as to reduce the natural susceptibility of the species ...
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Woody encroachment as a social-ecological regime shift
(MDPI, 2018-06-28)African savannas are increasingly affected by woody encroachment, an increase in the density of woody plants. Woody encroachment often occurs unexpectedly, is difficult to reverse, and has significant economic, cultural ...
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Analysing taxonomic structures and local ecological processes in temperate forests in North Eastern China
(BioMed Central, 2017)Background: One of the core issues of forest community ecology is the exploration of how ecological processes affect community structure. The relative importance of different processes is still under debate. This study ...
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Conservation of indigenous cattle genetic resources in Southern Africa’s smallholder areas : turning threats into opportunities - A review
(Asian-Australasian Association of Animal Production Societies, 2017)The current review focuses on characterization and conservation efforts vital for the development of breeding programmes for indigenous beef cattle genetic resources in Southern Africa. Indigenous African cattle breeds ...
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Climate as possible reproductive barrier in Pinus radiata (D. Don) interspecific hybridisation
(Marin Dracea National Research-Development Institute in Forestry, 2017)Historically, interspecific hybridisation with Pinus radiata D. Don had limited success. The effect of environmental conditions and position of pollination bags in the tree were investigated as possible hybridisation ...
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Enzyme kinetics modelling approach to evaluate the impact of high CO2 and super-atmospheric O2 concentrations on respiration rate of pomegranate arils
(Taylor & Francis, 2017)Super-atmospheric O2 has been shown to affect respiration rate (RR), but no model describing its effect on RR for pomegranate arils has been reported. This study investigated the effects of four different gas compositions ...
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The effect of grape temperature at pressing on phenolic extraction and evolution in méthode cap classique wines throughout winemaking
(South African Society for Enology and Viticulture, 2018)Maintaining the chemical composition of a wine is essential for the wine industry. Although the sugar-acid balance of a wine is of primary sensory importance, individual acids and oenological parameters are equally important. ...
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Impact of grape temperature at pressing on organic acids and oenological characteristics of méthode cap classique wines
(South African Society for Enology and Viticulture, 2018)Maintaining the chemical composition of a wine is essential for the wine industry. Although the sugar-acid balance of a wine is of primary sensory importance, individual acids and oenological parameters are equally important. ...
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