HONEYBUSH RESEARCHERS, STUDENTS & RESEARCH TOPICS

 

A team of expert researchers and students were participating in this research project. They work​ on several aspects of the honeybush plant and its production, as well as the processing and characteristics of honeybush products. The researchers and their respective fields of study within production and product research are:

PRODUCTION RESEARCH

Dr Cecilia Bester (Project Leader, ARC) - honeybush plant genetics and breeding, cultivation and community development	​	Professor Francis Lewu (CPUT) - effects of irrigation on the quality of honeybush	​	​Dr Trevor Koopman (ARC) - fungal diseases of the honeybush plant
Dr Nike Lewu (ARC) - effects of irrigation on honeybush production	​	​Dr Carolyn Howell (ARC) - response of honeybush to different levels of irrigation	​	​Louise Smit (ARC) - fungal species causing dieback on honeybush
​Thokozani Mkhize (ARC) - community development and honeybush	​	​	​	​
​ ​PRODUCT RESEARCH ​ ​ ​
​Prof. Elizabeth (Lizette) Joubert (Co-Leader, ARC) - agro-processing and unlocking the value of honeybush	​	​Prof. Dalene de Beer (ARC) - analysis of the phenolic compounds in honeybush	​	​Dr Erika Moelich (SU) - sensory analysis of honeybush
​Magdalena (Nina) Muller (SU) - sensory analysis of honeybush	​	​Dr Nireshni Chellan (SAMRC) - safety of honeybush products for human consumption	​	​
​RESEARCH STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN THE PROJECT ​ ​ ​ ​
​Gugu Mabizela (ARC) - effect of drought stress on honeybush plants	​	​Dr Jennifer Koen (ARC) - propagation of honeybush plants	​	​Mary-Jane Mahlare (CPUT) - effect of irrigation and water stress on honeybush plants
Brigitte du Preez (SU) - development of a quality grading system for honeybush	​	​Melvi Todd (ARC) - consumer communication via labelling of honeybush products	​	​Alicia Petrus (SU) - An accelerated high temperature oxidation (fermentation) process for honeybush tea
​Carla Dippenaar (SU) – phenolic compounds in honeybush with alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity	​	​Helene van Schoor (SU) – rapid methods to classify and grade honeybush	​	​