University of Mpumalanga

Morphological, Physiological and Antioxidant Responses of Five Dryland Maize (Zea mays L.) Genotypes to Water-Deficit Stress

Maize (Zea mays) is a critical staple for global food security, particularly in developing nations facing a projected population increase to 9.7 billion by 2050, necessitating enhanced agricultural productivity and drought-resilient cultivars. This study provides a comprehensive...

Linking environmental variability to diatom assemblages in seasonal wetlands

Seasonal wetlands undergo recurrent inundation and contraction, creating strong hydrochemical variability and non–independent observations within pans. We tested whether this variability translated into diatom differentiation in five pans within each of two South African Ramsar w...

Climate change and the rising threat of Macrophomina phaseolina: implications for food security, food safety, and sustainable crop health management

Abstract Macrophomina phaseolina is a destructive soil-borne necrotrophic fungal pathogen that causes substantial yield losses in a wide range of economically important crops worldwide. Disease severity is strongly enhanced under drought, high temperature, and salinity stress, co...

Agricultural Knowledge Systems and Behavioural Determinants of Smallholder Farmers’ Adoption of Underutilised Crops in South Africa

Underutilised indigenous crops (UICs) are increasingly recognised for their potential to contribute to climate-resilient agriculture, dietary diversification, and household food security among smallholder farmers in South Africa. However, evidence regarding farmers’ knowledge, at...