For the year 2006

KwaZulu-Natal Branch SASPP

Our lunch time meetings with light snacks and refreshments still prove to be a popular time for SASPP meetings at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.  This past year about 75 students, staff and visitors attended an exciting slide presentation by Dr Brendan Neumann on the biotechnology for enhanced biological control – lessons he learnt from the NATO Advanced Study Institute in Italy.

Dr Pat Caldwell
SASPP – UKZ Branch Co-ordinator

 

Northern Branch SASPP - Prof. T.A. S. Aveling

Western Cape Branch SASPP

During 2006/2007, the Western Cape Branch had two very successful meetings in Stellenbosch.

1. Dr. Keith Seifert (Agriculture & Agri-Food, Canada) presented a lecture entitled "How Low Can You Go? Making the Link between the Microscope and the Sequencer" in the department of Microbiology, University of Stellenbosch on 5 April 2006.  The meeting organisation was a combined effort by the Department of Microbiology and the Western Cape Branch of the SASPP.  Fifty-two people attended this lecture, which was followed by a discussion and finger lunch.

2. Prof R. Charudattan, from the university of Florida, Gainesville, USA, presented an overview on the use of pathogens for the biological control of weeds with an emphasis on bioherbicides at the Vredenburg campus of the ARC-Plant Protection Research Institute in Stellenbosch (15 January 2007).  The meeting was attended by 29 people.

At the meeting on 15 January 2007, dr Paul Fourie verbally tended his resignation as chairman of the Western Cape branch.  Dr Lizel Mostert, Researcher at the department of Plant Pathology, University of Stellenbosch, was approached to assume the duties as chairperson, and she accepted this responsibility.  This appointment will come into effect at the 2007 AGM, if no objections are received.

Dr. Paul Fourie

SASPP – Western Cape Branch Co-ordinator