Cover picture credit: ZA Pretorius
In 1998 Renée approached the well-known plant pathologist Prof Sakkie (Zack) Pretorius of the University of Free State to ask him to collaborate on the very first wheat QTL mapping study in South Africa. Together with the former company PANNAR SEED a career-long collaboration with some of the best rust trials in the world started at Greytown . These trials benefitted the South African and international small grains industry tremendously.
In November 2025 Renée concluded her final wheat and barley rust ratings with Prof Willem Boshoff and Dr Cornel Bender on the farm Umvuzana (LSP enterprises) kindly made available by Mr Piet Herbst. Apart from the research funds provided by the small grain producers of South Africa, NRF, BBSRC, Open Innovation Pioneer and KAUST, this endeavour would not have been possible without the unsung heroes, namely the many technical teams, taking care of these trials over two decades. Renée is also grateful for the many international collaborators who joined us at these trials and for lovely, shared dinners at the St Cathryn’s Country Golf Estate, where Piet and Cathy Nel kindly provided us with accommodation over the years.
The CenGen team is looking forward to continuing this fruitful collaboration with the plant pathology experts at UFS in the years to come.
