BulletinGMRD

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September 2013, Issue 16 Research newsletter of the Govan Mbeki Research and Development Centre

www.ufhgmrdc.ac.za

Issue16 – September 2013

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The Govan Mbeki Research and Development Centre (GMRDC) acts as a service to staff on all research and development related matters across all campuses and administers the University’s research budget. The mandate includes stimulating, promoting and building research capacity among staff and postgraduate students.

Prof Gideon de Wet, Dean: ResearchEmail: gdewet@ufh.ac.za, Tel: +27 (0) 40 602 2440, Fax: +27 (0) 40602 2319Rina Flanegan, Manager: Research AdministrationEmail: rflanegan@ufh.ac.za, Tel: +27 (0) 40 602 2440, Fax: +27 (0) 40 602 2319William Awusi, Manager: Postgraduate StudiesEmail: wawusi@ufh.ac.za, Tel: +27 (0) 43 704 7509, Fax: +27 (0) 43 704 7338

www.ufhgmrdc.ac.za/

Contents September 2013Research NewsUFH alumni honoured at 46th SASAS Congress 3

Livestock and Pasture Science staff and students shine at Icomst Conference in Turkey 4

DST parliamentary portfolio committee visits UFH 5

Research Niche Areas announced 6

Research profile: 10 questions with Dr Tobela Nkukwana 13

CollaborationsOrange-fleshed sweet potato trial shifts to next phase 8

East London desegregation uneven, UFH study finds 10

News, notices and opportunities

UFH in the News 12

Conferences coming up 12

NRF free standing innovation scholarship call 16

Send your news for the Bulletin to William Awusi at wawusi@ufh.ac.za

Read about Universiy of Fort Hare research on Carpobrotus Edulis (L) bolus and its potential significance in treating fungal infections associated with the HIV virus. The report appeared in the Saturday Dispatch, 31 August 2013

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University of Fort Hare Alumni awarded two medals at SASAS 2013 Congress

The two UFH alumni, Dr Busani Moyo (2012) and Dr Peter Olutope Fayemi (2013) were awarded bronze medals in acknowledgement of their exceptional contributions to the advancement of professionalism and knowledge in Animal Science and the livestock industry in South Africa.

THESE broze medal awards are given to the best PhD/MSc thesis/dissertation in animal science submitted for

evaluation by the SASAS Awards Committee.

The conferment of such awards on PhD graduates from previously disadvantaged Universities is the first in history since the founding of SASAS on the 28th April 1961, according to insiders.

Prof Muchenje commented that “this is some good news for our dear Dr Fayemi. He is the second PhD graduate at UFH to receive such an award (the 2011 medal was awarded to Dr Busani Moyo on the 25th June 2013)”. He added he believed the awards were a “thumps-up to our thorough supervision and external examination processes”.

A proud Prof Muchenje said he hoped Dr Moyo would finalise all his publications which the independent reviewers have strongly recommended. He explained Dr Moyo had already published four papers from his thesis, and three were in the last review phases with different highly rated international journals.

Bronze Medals are awarded for exceptional achievements in a particular year pertaining to:

• In the research category, a meritorious thesis, dissertation or other scientific publication relevant to research in the field of Animal Science;

• In the technology transfer category, the application of innovative management systems or new techniques for the transfer of knowledge and technology regarding Animal Science and related fields; and

• In the industry development category, as a deserving contribution towards the development and improvement of production in the livestock industry.

In another nod to the department, Head of Department and Professor (Meat Science) at the University of Fort Hare, as well as Co-Chair of South Africa’s National Research Foundation SARChI Chair in Meat Science-Genomics to Nutrinomics, Prof Voster Muchenje was elected a member of the SASAS Council.

The congress was attended by 27 delegates from UFH and yielded a total of 239 paper contributions from livestock industries, government officials and academia from various institutions in the continent, South America, Europe and different parts of the globe.

Of the 239 papers, an impressive 17% were presented by delegates from UFH. From these papers, a total of 111 theatre presentations and 128 posters were featured addressing the theme Ensuring scientific succession to serve a vibrant livestock industry.

The UFH delegates expressed their gratitude to the University and the GMRDC in particular for the support received to participate in this congress.

Research contacts @ UFH for this articleHead of Department and Professor (Meat Science) at the University of Fort Hare, as well as Co-Chair of South Africa’s National Research Foundation SARChI Chair in Meat Science-Genomics to Nutrinomics: Professor Voster Muchenje: VMuchenje@ufh.ac.za

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Livestock and Pasture Science department staff and students shine at Turkish Conference

Ms Amanda Y. Chulayo with Prof Melvin Hunt (pictured above) and Ms Njisane Yonela Zifikile (pictured right) defending her poster at ICoMST 2013 in Turkey.

(Photos – Supplied)

MEMBERS of staff and students of the Livestock and Pasture Science department recently made numerous presentations at the 59th International

Congress of Meat Science and Technology (ICoMST 2013) held in Izmir on the Turkish Mediterranean coast from 18-24 August.

The head of the Department of Meat Science, Prof Voster Muchenje together with Dr Peter Fayemi presented a paper entitled Relationship between ambient conditions and colour indices of some variety meats during the main conference under the theme Animal Welfare and Slaughter while some 6 poster presentations by staff and students were made.

The Congress was themed The Power of Meat in 21st Century and focused on the latest developments in muscle and meat science including the sub-themes of novel meat sources, meat sustainability, animal welfare and slaughter, muscle biology and biochemistry, microbiology and chemical hazards,  advanced preservation techniques and meat-based functional foods.

Interestingly Congress organisers adopted a new approach this year by also addressing engineering applications in the meat industry and specific hot topics which included shockwave technology (for tenderising meat) and the use of peptidomics (studying the set of peptides in an organism) for differentiating horse from beef meat.

Poster presentations included:A.Y. Chulayo, V. Muchenje: Activities of Creatine Kinase and Lactate Dehydrogenase as Welfare Indicators in Slaughter Cattle.

C. W. T. Nantapo, V. Muchenje, A. Hugo, Z. T. Rani: Proximate Composition and Fatty Acid Profiles of Mutton as Affected By Season, Place of Purchase and Cut.P. O. Fayemi, V. Muchenje: Quantitation of Ovine Protein Gene Product 9.5 (ovpgp 9.5) from Head-stunned Dohne Merino.T. T. Nkukwana, V. Muchenje, P. J. Masika, L. C. Hoffman, K. Dzama: Proximate Composition and Overtime Variation in Colour, Drip Loss and Ph of Breast Meat from Broilers Supplemented with Moringa Oleifera Leaf Meal.Y. Z. Njisane, V. Muchenje: Influence of Breed, Gender and Age on Avoidance-related Behaviour, Bleeding Times and The Quality of Meat from Sheep.Z. T. Rani, A. Hugo, V. Muchenje: Consumer Perceptions and Instrumental Measurements of Mutton Quality at Point of Purchase in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa.

Prof Muchenje added ICoMST has been operating for over 60 years and is recognised worldwide and by the official board on meat science and technology – The American Meat Science Association (AMSA).

The department would like to acknowledge and thank the GMRDC for making it possible to attend the Congress.

The report on the following page was compiled for the Bulletin by the students who attended the special Graduate Course at the conference.

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Ms Chulayo, Amanda Yucca, Ms Njisane Yonela Zifikile and Dr Peter Olutope Fayemi from the Department of Livestock and Pasture Science attended an Advanced Meat Science and Technology Graduate course from 15th to 17th August 2013 in Izmir, Turkey.

Almost 40 graduate students (Master’s and Doctoral candidates) and postdoctoral researchers from reputable Universities across the globe participated in this course. With the aim of contributing to competencies in basic & applied Meat Science and Technology, participants received lectures that were practically relevant to promoting food industries and human health.

The lectures and case studies were facilitated by respected scholars including the Emeritus Professor Eero Puolanne and Professor Dave Ledward, who is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal, Meat Science. At the end of the course, each of the participants was awarded an official ‘certificate of attendance’ by the Ege University in İzmir, Turkey for active involvement in ≥ 80% of the lectures, case studies and presentations.

Participants then attended the ICoMST conference which was attended by delegates from 49 countries. Here Prof. V. Muchenje, Dr T. T. Nkukwana, Dr P. O. Fayemi, Ms Y. Z. Njisane and Ms A. Y. Chulayo respectively presented their work during the conference.

To attend an international conference is an eye opener, it builds confidence, and it inspires one to further his or her studies and to know who to consult when facing challenges during research. The students were thrilled to be given an opportunity to present their work at an international level because they received feedback from fellow animal scientists.

Attending the conference really enriched our understanding of the current trends linking Animal Science with Meat Science and Technology. We are very grateful for the support received from the NRF and the GMRDC at the University of Fort Hare. To the organisers of the ICoMST, thank you for the job well done until the next ICoMST in Uruguay, keep well.

Research contacts @ UFH for this articleHead of Department and Professor (Meat Science) at the University of Fort Hare, as well as Co-Chair of South Africa’s National Research Foundation SARChI Chair in Meat Science-Genomics to Nutrinomics: Professor Voster Muchenje: VMuchenje@ufh.ac.za

An incredible opportunity

Delegates after the congress with ICoMST Organisers in Izmir, Turkey.

(Photo – Supplied)

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sUFH Departments report to Science and Technology Parliamentary Portfolio CommitteeA number of University of Fort Hare departments made presentations to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee for Science and Technology during an oversight visit in Alice in late July to report on research and projects funded by the department.

The departments of Livestock and Pasture Science, Agronomy, Biochemistry and Microbiology, the Fort Hare Institute of Technology (FHIT) together with other initiatives such as the Community University Partnership Programme (CUPP) pilot project, the Indigenous Knowledge systems and RAVAC all reported on programme activities to date and how funding received from the Department of Science and Technology (DST) was utilised.

The portfolio committee was headed by the chair, Mr Eugene Nhlanhla Nqaba Ngcobo, who was accompanied by committee members representing different political parties. They were welcomed by both the Vice-Chancellor Dr Mvuyo Tom and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Professor Larry Obi.

Both VC and DVC mentioned the University’s impressive increase in research outputs with Prof Obi outlining the University’s research niche areas and plans to commercialise research areas making research and innovation relevant to the society that it serves.

Prof Voster Muchenje as the Head of Department and Professor (Meat Science) and who is the Co-Chair of South Africa’s National Research Foundation SARChI Chair in Meat Science-Genomics to Nutrinomics (in partnership with Stellenbosh University) told committee members the initiative had grown out of previous research activities attached to the department and had resulted in 4 doctorates, 15 master’s degrees, several honours dissertations and some 35 NRF interns.

Research outputs included 44 peer-reviewed articles, 1 patent, more than 40 national and international conference presentations and three commissioned reviews with positive spin-offs for the surrounding community.

These benefits such as the Nguni Cattle Project, farmer and co-operative training, advice to abattoirs and communities would be felt for many generations, he added.

Professor Graeme Bradley reported on the establishment of a regional small molecule analysis facility which was given a boost with the acquisition of the AB Sciex Triple TOF™, a mass spectrometry system which has enabled the department to train students in the province to meet the current national skills shortage in biotechnology and proteomics. The equipment, which was funded by the NRF, has allowed the department and its students to conduct mass spectrometry experiments for a broad range of life science applications, such as discovering new drugs, detecting biomarkers, and aiding in food safety and environmental analysis.

Two regional training workshops were held since the Triple TOF™ was acquired in mid-2012, not only benefitting staff and students from Fort Hare, but also the universities of Nelson Mandela Metro, Rhodes and Walter Sisulu.

Following a presentation on the Indigenous Knowledge Systems Project which had benefitted 2 students and resulted in numerous benefits to surrounding communities, Professor Gary Minkley reported on the community engagement partnership programme.

Prof Minkley, who holds the SARChI Chair in Social Change outlined the multi-faceted aspects and achievements of this pilot project which drew interested and critical questions from the committee members.

Achievements included charting the way forward to a potential research niche area in community engagement with a NRF CE grant (2013-2015) for a project entitled Towards a Critical Comparative Scholarship about Engagement and Community with a current student cohort of 6 PhD students, three masters’s students and three current journal publications in progress.

The Chair of the parliamentary Portfolio Committee for Science and Technology, Mr Eugene Nhlanhla Ngcobo (centre) asks a question while fellow members Ms M Dunjwa (left) and Ms J Kloppers-Lourens (right) listen during a presentation by UFH departments in the CLEA Boardroom on the Alice Campus.

(Photo – Barbara Manning)

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Prof Pearson Mnkeni reported on the Varian 710ES Spectrometer and numerous other industry-standard equipment aimed at facilitating the investigation of soil nutrient management strategies. This injection of high-end equipment had resulted in increased student outputs in the form of 7 doctorates, 14 masters and five post-doctoral fellows together with 40 published papers in rated journals since 2009.

Prof Mnkeni said the availability of the equipment had enabled the Department of Agronomy to generate knowledge that has:

• Clearly and scientifically defined the nature of soil fertility challenges in the Eastern Cape;

• Drawn attention to local farmer-available organic waste which can cost-effectively be used to restore and maintain soil fertility;

• Elaborated on mechanisms in which kraal manure enhances mineral fertiliser effectiveness;

• Shown that carefully screened cyanobacteria can be used to improve the productivity of degraded soils;

• Shown that human exctreta collected by means of ecological sanitation can be safely recycled in agriculture minimising the use of mineral fertilisers; and

• That these nutrient management strategies not only improve soil fertility but also encourage the sequestration of carbon thus minimising greenhouse gas emissions.

With the range of equipment at Fort Hare University, Prof Mnkeni added that the department felt confident to partner with University of Free State to submit a Centre of Excellence proposal in Food Security for funding by the DST and NRF.

The University was developing considerable expertise in renewable energy through the Fort Hare Institute of Technology, headed up by Prof Edson Meyer. Focusing on solar energy together with biomass energy under Dr Samuel Mamphweli, the Institute has built two zero-energy houses which are powered by the sun using photo-voltaic panels and numerous biomass gasification community engagement projects in the field.

With a large research team of four senior researchers, 1 post doctoral fellow, 4 doctoral candidates and 15 MSc, the Institute had graduated 5 doctorates and three master’s degrees to date with three book chapters, 10 peer-reviewed journal publications and 7 peer-reviewed conference proceedings.

Following the presentations in the CLEA boardroom, delegates visited the AgriPark, the Fort Hare Dairy Trust and the piggery project hosted by the Dean of Science and Agriculture, Professor Farhad Ahdgasi.

The event took place days before the University hosted the annual 2013 National Science Week from 27th July to 03rd August 2013. The event was held at the FOSST Discovery Centre, a unit within the Faculty of Science and Agriculture on the Alice campus. The University was one of 23 hosts in the province aimed at popularising the role played by science in our daily lives.

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According to Prof Mnkeni, commu-nities are benefitting and outreach activities are in progress to pro-mote:• Adoption of conservation ag-

riculture practices as one way of arresting or reversing soil degradation;

• Recycling of organic waste through composting and vermi-composting (worms).

These activities are funded by the departments of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Rural De-velopment and Land Reform, the provincial department of Agricul-ture and Fort Hare’s Agriculture and Rural Development Research Institute (ARDRI).

These studies form the main thrust of establishing and building links with communities with the aim of establishing seedling nurseries in rural areas using compost and vermi- compost as growing media. This exercise has begun with the AgriPark Nursery in Alice.

UFH building soil science skills

Research Niche AreasCongratulations to the departments who were successful in nursing their proposals for Research Niche Areas to fruition. In a recent announcement, the university has recommended that the following Research Niche Areas (RNAs) begin planning for operations.

• Education: Early Childhood Development• Law: Law, Science and Justice

Science and Agriculture with two RNAs namely:• Sustainable Agriculture• Water Resources for sustainable development.

The RNA project is for a five year period after which the University should assess the situation again to decide to cease or to continue with the project. Accredited research targets must be set for each RNA.

A full report will be carried in the next Bulletin.

FHIT head Professor Edson Meyer (below) listens to comments during his depart-ment’s presentation to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee.

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Orange-fleshed sweet potato pilot shifts to new phase

The orange-fleshed sweet potato trial site adjoining the AgriPark complex on the Alice campus. The project is moving into the next phase. (Photo - Supplied)

COMMUNITY-based nurseries are in line to benefit from the orange-fleshed sweet potato demonstration site at the University of Fort Hare as it moves to phase

two, according to Lesley Maraganedzha of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC).

Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are rich in starch but more importantly, they can contribute substantial quantities of beta-carotene, the precursor of vitamin A, to the diet. Vitamin A is an anti-oxidant which is important for growth and development together with the maintenance of the immune system and good vision.

Maraganedzha, who is based at the University of Fort Hare told the Bulletin the next phase involved assisting in the establishment of nursery enterprises based in the community, aimed at supplying stock seedlings of sweet potato cultivars which had been grown on the demonstration site adjoin the AgriPark on the Alice Campus.

Phase 1 consisted of setting up the 1.5 ha demonstration site with the aim to promote and support community-based food security and nutrition programmes by transferring the technical knowledge of new orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, with a particular focus on the agronomic practices. In addition, Maraganedzha said transferring awareness of the benefits of growing cultivars of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes to the wider community was another objective. The cultivars concerned included Bophelo (Orange), Impilo (Pale Orange), Ndou (Cream) and 199062.1 (Pale Yellow to Orange).

In partnership with the AgriPark which processes and dries vegetables, the project is aimed at getting small-scale farmers

from the surrounding areas around and in the Province to nurture and grow the different cultivars with the express aim of growing seedlings which can then be sold onwards.

Phase 1 of the project was funded by the Department of Science and Technology, in collaboration with the ARC and consisted of a number “grow-outs” at rural-based universities. These include the universities of Fort Hare, Zululand, Limpopo and North West.

“In Phase 2, the ARC will offer farmers business opportunities for providing seedlings in the form of cuttings (the vine growers) and there will be added value by supplying the AgriPark with the nutritious sweet potato to process into dried products,” Maraganedzha added.

This second phase is partnering and funded by Department of Rural Development and Land Reform. Products in the agri-processing chain included juice, soup, chips and other dried products.

The ARC has been promoting the propagation of indigenous leafy vegetables through demonstration agronomy for some years now and there is widespread interest in the nutritional benefits of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes all over Africa in an effort to alleviate hunger and malnutrition in areas where poverty is widespread.

Maraganedzha said orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are easy to grow and don’t require too much water except as seedlings. They are tolerant to major pests and diseases, and the storage

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roots are starchy, sweet and easy to cook. They require few inputs and crowd out weeds as they spread. They take around four months (120 days) to grow from planting to harvesting in ideal conditions and are well adapted to poor and sandy soils.

In South Africa vitamin A deficiency is a serious health problem. Studies have shown that 64% of 1-9 year old children suffer from vitamin A deficiency, which can cause slow development and stunted growth, it affects eyesight and makes children susceptible to many diseases.

Growing orange-fleshed sweet potatoesSweet-potato grows well on sandy to sandy loam soil. This is important according to Maraganedzha as heavy clay soil and/or stony soil with hard layers causes poorly shaped storage roots or tubers. Sweet-potato is a warm season crop and low temperatures causes slow growth and the plant is very frost sensitive. Planting seasons are as follows:

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• Areas with light frost: plant from middle October to end December,

• Areas with heavy frost: plant from middle to the end of November, and

• Frost-free areas: plant in August to February.

The growing period of sweet-potato is 4-5 months, however in colder areas they can take longer. In good conditions, up to 20 - 30 tons/ha (even 50 t/ha) can be harvested at once or as needed, according to Maraganedzha.

Research contacts @ UFH for this articleContact Lesley Maraganedzha: TMaraganedzha@ufh.ac.za who is conducting the trials at the University of Fort are for the Agricultural Research Council.

Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes here and in AfricaAs mentioned above the ARC has de-veloped many new cultivars of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes.

According to the ARC the following South African cultivars address Vitamin A deficiency: Impilo, Khano, 2000-10-7.New ARC cultivars with cream to cream-orange flesh include Amasi, Letlhabula, Mamphenyane, Mokone, Monate, Ndou, Phala, Serolane.

This approach is often referred to as biofortification meaning that crucial nutrients are added to food biologically, by breeding better varieties of crops that people already eat.

Elsewhere in Africa, similar projects have taken place. At right is a campaign poster from harvestplus.org, an inter-national project in partnership with the International Potato Centre (www.cipotato.org) based in Mozambique in which scientists gathered evidence from Mozambique and Uganda which showed that these tubers are, in fact, improving people’s lives.

Children who are eating them do have more vitamin A in their blood. Based on other studies of the effects of vita-min A, nutritionists are confident that the boost is big enough to improve the health of those children. See www.harvestplus.org for more information.

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Property transfers and desegregation in East London

Recent research undertaken by the Department of Geography and Environmental Science at the University of Fort Hare has shown that spatial

integration and desegregation in residential suburbs in East London from 1993-2008 was largely uneven.

Another interesting finding was that desegregation was proportionally highest in East London’s residential suburbs that were in close proximity to the historical Black Group Areas such as Amalinda and Haven Hills near Duncan Village with Gonubie following a close second.

Entitled Desegregation in Suburbs in East London, South Africa 1993-2008, the research was undertaken by Professor Cecil Seethal and Dr John Bwalya of the University of Zambia.

The research was presented to postgraduate students and staff during a seminar hosted by the Fort Hare Institute of Social and Economic Research (FHISER).

In a well structured presentation Prof. Seethal sketched the historical legislative framework which regulated segregation and added that following the repeal of these discriminatory laws, researchers started examining degsegregation and the extent of integration in urban metropolitan areas.

Several concepts were used to investigate integration such as sense of community, social cohesion, sense of neighbourhood and social capital.

“Our study utilised the notion of social capital, and incorporated three proxy indicators: trust and safety, social networks or interactions, and norms of reciprocity,” Prof Seehtal said.

The presented stressed that while their research had also examined integration in areas with fairly substantial current populations of black residents such as Southernwood, Gonubie and Cambridge, the presentation focused mainly on desegregation.

Using what was termed realist intensive research design in the form of a case study, Prof. Seethal and Dr Bwalya studied data including 21,683 property transfers in East London suburbs together with interviews with city councillors, estate agents, public representatives such as Members of Parliament and secondary sources held in libraries.

The study aim was to evaluate socio-spatial integration in residential suburbs in East London with two objectives of assessing the trends in Black property residential transfers in East London’s residential suburbs from 1993-2008 and to attempt to explain the spatial differences in desegregation in residential suburbs in East London during the 16-year period.

(Findings continued overleaf)

Average residential property value, East London 1993-2008.

(Graphic: Supplied)

Proportion of Black residential property transfers, East London 1993-2008.

(Graphic: Supplied)

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Some of the findings of the study• The largest amount of property transfers during the period took place in Gonubie followed by

Beacon Bay and Haven Hills North.

• The highest number of Black residential property transfers took place in Haven Hills North, Amalinda North and South, followed by Gonubie, Beacon Bay, Morningside and Sunnyridge (see graphic below).

• Desegregation in residential suburbs in East London was proportionally highest in those suburbs where the value of residential property sales was more modest and affordable.

• East London’s residential suburbs that were historically Black before the Group Areas Act proved particularly attractive as desegregation residential neighbourhoods for Blacks in the period 1993-2008.

• The study also found political, economic and social variables played critical roles in influencing the number of property transfers and that these variables included the establishment of Bhisho as the Provincial capital; out-migration of white residents at the dawn of the post-apartheid era; the steady transformation of the South African labour market and narrowing of the income gap between the race groups; downscaling in line with different life stages, changes in family structure and for safety and security; and financial pressures.

• The global economic recession from 2008 and the resulting increasing higher interest rates on property loans during stagnant economic times negatively impacted on the number of residential property transfers in East London’s suburbs, including Black property transfers.

• They also found that relatively higher numbers of Black residential property transfers in East London’s residential suburbs took place during periods of higher economic growth (and therefore lower interest rates).

• Finally, research on the racial transformation of South Africa’s suburban markets suggests that in 2013 the estimated percentage of white buyers in suburban areas is likely to drop – for the first time – below 50% of total buying, with Black buyers estimated to total 32% of all suburban buyers (up from 23% in 2005, and 30% in 2008.

Research contacts @ UFH for this articleContact Professor Cecil Seethal: CSeethal@ufh.ac.za at the Depart-ment of Geography and Environmental Science, 040-6022080.

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SA Society of Microbiology CongressThe 18th Biennial Conference of the South African Society of Microbiology (SASM) will be held at Forever Resorts Warmbaths, Bela-Bela between 24 and 27 November 2013.

Fort Hare’s own Professor of Microbiology & HOD, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Professor Anthony Okoh is the President of SASM and he and his team will play a significant role in the conference, which is being hosted by the School of Molecular and Cell Biology of the University of Witwatersrand.

This year’s conference is themed From Africa to the World: Trending Microbiology and papers and posters will be presented in the following categories: Environmental Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Industrial Microbiology, Virology, Medical Microbiology, Plant Microbiology and Food Microbiology.

The GMRDC would like to wish Professor Okoh and his team well for the conference.

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10 Questions with Dr Tobela Nkukwana, Poultry nutrition scientist

1. Congratulations on obtaining your doctorate and graduation this year. Can you outline the nature of your study (doctorate) and how you came to be interested in this area of study, as I see you worked in industry?My interest in poultry started when I was in my final BSc year (Animal Science Production) degree. I enjoyed the poultry production module so much that I did my practical vacation project in both broiler and layer management and I started reading magazines on commercial production systems for more knowledge in the field. Studying an MSc degree in Poultry Science, supervised by the world renowned poultry scientist Prof. Rob Gous at the University of KwaZulu-Natal with exposure to the commercial poultry sector enticed my interest in this field further.

2. As a woman, why animal production science, is that not normally a male-dominated area or is that changing at last?Studying Animal Science was not even my second choice when I applied to universities, medicine, followed by pharmacy were my fields of interest. However, I failed to meet the requirements at the intended universities so I ended up at the University of the North, Turfloop (now Limpopo) doing a BSc (Medical Sciences). When the course was frozen to improve the curriculum to meet the requirements for professional registration with the then Medical and Dental Council, by default, I ended up in the Animal Science field.

3. With your interest in Moringa oleifera in particular, has your research shown that using moringa as a nutritional additive could result in the decrease in usage of antibiotic growth promoters in the broiler industry?The total ban on the use of antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) in poultry diets is still debatable, globally. The inclusion of AGPs as additives in poultry feeds at sub-therapeutic levels during the early stages of growth has been widely practiced in the poultry industry since early 1950’s. The objective was to improve gut functionality and health, thereby maximising both nutrient utilisation efficiency and growth performance. In the late 1990s, many consumers in the European Union perceived edible poultry tissues as contaminated with harmful concentrations of drug residues linked to the development of antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria, which poses a threat to human health. In January 2000, Denmark restricted the use of antibiotics to therapeutic use, by prescription only; which

on January 1, 2006 was followed by the European Union instituting a ban on sub-therapeutic usage of all AGPs in animal production in EU member nations. Although a complete ban has not been implemented in many countries, including Brazil, South Africa and the USA, international pressure and public health concerns are likely to lead to such a scenario. To promote transparency and traceability towards safer food production, all poultry and feed companies have evolved to accommodate consumer and societal issues, taking responsibility to support the safety of AGPs use. The advantage of using alternatives nonetheless, is that there is no need for a withdrawal diet to buffer the tissues. Several plant extracts, including Moringa oleifera have been found to pose antibiotic and antioxidant effects. Moreover, Moringa oleifera is a common dietary supplement for humans, either sprinkled in food or tea, or used or in tablet form. Plan additives are preferred for their non-toxic chemical composition, relatively low cost and easy availability; which is the case in South Africa, as the plant is found in many rural communities, in the Limpopo region in particular. There is a niche market in SA that does not use AGPs in poultry production at all; and I can only hope that someday, Moringa oleifera will be among the product of choice as an alternative to antibiotics.

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4. Do you see this happening in the future as public or consumer opinion shifts towards buying poultry meat that is produced in a more sustainable and healthy manner?As mentioned above, a total ban was instituted in the EU in January 1, 2006; however, there is still resistance in a number of countries, including Brazil, South Africa and the USA. Hopefully, the international pressure and public health concerns are likely to lead to such a scenario, especially now that meat quality issues are debated in the public domain.

5. Why moringa? Has there been lots of prior research, as it is widely distributed in Africa, the Middle East, India and Madagascar isn’t it? Some even call it the miracle tree and it’s marketed as a supplement for humans as well.I got to know of the Moringa plant from studies done in the department of Livestock and Pasture Sciences in ruminants, by PhD candidate (Dr. Busani Moyo) and MSc (Miss. Kumnandi Qwele) students. They researched on the leaves’ antioxidants effects; then I started reading more on the plant, and discovered that it also possessed growth promoting and antibiotic effects. Research on the Moringa plant is all over the Internet, especially, on human health. Peer reviewed articles on the effects of Moringa oleifera leaves on cancer, diabetes, hypertension and other health threatening diseases to humans have been published. As a result, not many studies have been done on livestock.

6. There have been tremendous advances in genetic selection in the poultry industry in the past decades, accounting for huge efficiencies. Have nutritional advances kept pace with genetic potential for growth in your view? Will there be a shift to more work or research in nutritional advances in poultry nutrition?Definitely, the poultry sector is the most vertically integrated in the world. Every chicken genotype has a specific feed that is tailor made for its genetic potential. This working relationship between breeding, feed, rearing and processing companies is behind the successes seen in the poultry industry, globally. The in-feed use of antibiotics was actually aimed at supporting the fast growth of the current broiler strains as they exit the production environment very early in life. The fast growing broiler chicken is marketed from 5-weeks of age, thus many pathogens cannot be avoided. Therefore, AGPs function to promote good bacteria and kill pathogenic agents in the gut, while enhancing feed utilisation efficiency. Nutrition research is on-going, because without the inclusion of AGPs in poultry feeds, highly digestible feeds are required for ease of utilisation by the still developing gastrointestinal tract. That is why the search for alternatives is major research globally – looking at plants, and other products

with prebiotic, probiotic, enzymatic regulating, antibiotic, anti-oxidative, and growth promoting effects.

7. It looks like poultry nutrition scientists these days have many considerations to take into account, factors such as environmental management, metabolic and physiological stress factors, the effects of nutrition on yield and product quality, immunology, and gut health. Can one ever keep up with the research and advancements?The good thing about poultry research is the instant results, as compared to other livestock species. Poultry research is also very stimulating because scientists are working with a known genotype, environment, expected feed intake and growth performance; and can predict yield upon processing – all that is done is modelling of possibilities should these parameters be altered or as the markets change to meet consumer demands for a better product. Nutrient utilisation efficiency by a good genotype depends on the controlled pathogen-free environment to keep the bird comfortable and the absence of metabolic and physiological stress through use of readily digestible ingredients in feed formulations.

8. Many people, even people who eat chicken, share a negative view of chickens bred in cramped cages and which are force-fed and never get to scratch around in the dirt. How is the meat industry responding to these (possibly false) public perceptions and is there pressure to move towards a more humane and sustainable way to produce chicken meat for human consumption?Broiler chickens, which are the birds reared for meat production are kept on the floor covered with wood shavings for bedding for the comfort of their feet and to provide insulation. Housing for broilers is designed in such a way that temperature, humidity, ventilation and lighting are controlled by a computer system that regulates automatically as external conditions change. All of this is aimed at producing a happy and bruise-free chicken as demanded by the chicken loving consumer. It is layers, i.e. egg laying birds that are kept in cages. However, this is also changing due to consumer concerned groups advocating animal welfare. The need for cages is to control the quality of eggs produced, i.e. dirt, cracks, infestation with pathogens etc. Currently available layer hen housing is made of material that is friendly to bird health, especially the comfort of the feet; and the cages are wide enough to allow movement.

9. I see that most of your clinical work was conducted in commercial poultry rearing facilities at the University of Stellenbosch. The Livestock and Pasture Science department co-hosts a SARChi Chair in Meat Science with Stellenbosch. How did this partnership help you in your studies and how do you see the relationship benefitting future research students at Fort Hare?Actually, I had registered for my PhD studies in 2008,

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Notices & opportunitiesCall for applications for Research Training Fellowship for Developing Country Scientists (RTF-DCS) 2013-14, DST

AS an instrument for the promotion of South-South Coop-eration in Science and Technology, the Centre for Science

and Technology of the Non-Aligned and Other Developing Countries (NAM S&T Centre) initiated a Fellowship scheme titled Research Training Fellowship for Developing Country Sci-entists (RTF-DCS) in 2012, which is sponsored by the Depart-ment of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India. The Fellowship aims at capacity building of young research-ers of the developing countries in science and technology by giving them opportunities to affiliate themselves with premier academic and research institutions in India with full financial support including their international travel, and lo-cal hospitality, etc. The NAM S&T Centre invites applications from the eligible scientists in developing countries for RTF-DCS for the finan-cial year 2013/14.The following broad disciplines are supported: Agricultural Sciences, Biological and Medical Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematics, Earth Sciences, Materials, Minerals and Metallurgy, Multi-disciplinary and Other Areas.If you have a MSc, are under 40 and are interested, the dead-line is: Monday 14 October 2013

Links for forms: http://www.dst.gov.za/index.php/media-room/latest-news/704-call-for-applications-for-research-training-fel-lowship-for-developing-country-scientists-rtf-dcs-2013-14http://www.dst.gov.za/images/Announcement_Brochure_for_RTF-DCS_2013-14.pdf

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but due to lack of facilities for the kind of research I envisaged, it was only in 2011 that I started collecting data. Prof. Dzama is a professor in the Department of Animal Science at Stellenbosch University and he was also Prof. Muchenje’s PhD supervisor. The two of them talked, and further talks between Prof. Dzama and his co-workers started and my research became a possibility. I believe that collaboration was the beginning of greater things to come, like the SARChi Chair shared between SU and UFH; and opportunities for other students at UFH to conduct their research at SU. I was fortunate working with SU in that the individuals we worked with have good scientific knowledge in meat science (Prof. Hoffmann), poultry science and nutrition (Dr. Pieterse); as well as good relations with the private sector. Had it not been for the willingness of certain individuals at SU Animal Science Department, my PhD would still be hanging.

10. Your thesis has resulted in an impressive publication list of 6 manuscripts for journals, a paper at ICoMST 2013 (August 2013) and another at SASAS (June 2013). We hope you find some spare time to hang out with your family and pursue some other interests besides work? I had 6 chapters in the thesis, and all of them were

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sent to internationally respected peer reviewed journals. However, only one has been accepted to date, in the Food Chemistry Journal; the rest are still under review. Amongst those still under review, there are some that were returned with corrections to be addressed, and were sent back; hopefully we will hear some good responses soon. I also had an opportunity to send abstracts to ICoMST 2012 and SASAS 2013, which were accepted. One of the abstracts that was sent to SASAS 2013 will be published in the Animal Feed Manufacturer’s Association (AFMA; a South African Feed Manufacturer’s Association) journal this month (September). I did not realise how hectic an academic career is, until I did a PhD and started supervising postgraduate students, writing papers and attending conferences. Fortunately, I still manage to have me-time and time for my family.

Research contacts @ UFH for this articleContact Dr Tobela Nkukwana: TNkukwana@ufh.ac.za

This Bulletin can be downloaded from the GMRDC website

www.ufhgmrdc.ac.za

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