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Dr Wiehann Steyn joins Fruitgroscience as Programme Manager – Crop Production

Fruitgroscience, as part of the implementation of its revised strategy, is pleased to announce that Dr Wiehann Steyn, currently a senior lecturer at the Department of Horticultural Science at Stellenbosch University, will join Fruitgroscience on 2 May 2011 as programme manager and research leader of the crop production research programme (pome and stone fruit). He will be based at the Fruitgroscience offices in Stellenbosch. Apart from overseeing and providing strategic guidance to research on crop production, Wiehann will also serve as a conduit for information flow between researchers, technical advisors and fruit producers to assure the relevancy of research efforts and the optimal utilization of limited research funds and capacity. Wiehann will work closely with Stellenbosch University, the ARC and other research organisations both locally and abroad and will link in with the technical groupings in the industry. Fruitgroscience expects Wiehann to persist with his research programme on sunburn and fruit quality. According to Wiehann, his passion for agriculture, horticulture and plant science is largely due to growing up on a Villiersdorp apple farm. His interest in fruit farming and plants in general culminated in undergraduate and postgraduate studies in horticulture at Stellenbosch University. He conducted his MSc Agric on a part time basis while employed by the ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij as researcher in the Horticulture Division (1996-1999). He left the employment of the ARC in 1999 to pursue a PhD on red colour development and loss in pear fruit, which he obtained in March 2003. During the last 8 years at the Department of Horticultural Science, Wiehann has supervised or co-supervised 16 postgraduate students while a further 5 MSc and 3 PhD students are currently pursuing their studies under his guidance. Wiehann's training as a whole tree physiologist provided him with a good perspective on the integrative science that fruit farming has become. He has conducted horticultural research for the persimmon industry while in terms of pome fruit his research has focused on fruit pigmentation, sunburn, consumer preference for apple and pear appearance and eating quality, and the effect of fruit microclimate on fruit quality. Thus far, this research has led to a book chapter, 10 peer reviewed papers, and 10 conference proceedings while a review on the functions of fruit pigmentation has been accepted for publication. Apart from presentations at various international and national congresses, Wiehann has presented over 50 lectures at industry forums and to the general public. He has served on the board of the Cape Pomological Association from 2004 until 2007 (as chair from 2006). He currently serves on the board of the Southern African Society for Horticultural Science, the Sharon Fruit of South Africa Technical Committee, and the Fruitgroscience Technology Transfer Committee. According to Wiehann, the 13 months spent as acting head of the Department of Horticultural Science was one of the highlights of his time at the University. Fruitgroscience is committed to increase the profitability and long term competitiveness of the South African deciduous fruit industries through dedicated and relevant research, capacity development and technology transfer. We, along with our alliance partners and colleagues, are delighted to welcome Wiehann to the team at Fruitgroscience.