Global Council for Innovation in Rapeseed and Canola
Members' Directory
Last name :
SWANEPOEL
First name :
Pieter
Entrance year :
2024
Occupation :
Associate Professor
Birthdate :
1986/09/22
Address :
JS Marais Building,
Victoria Street, 7600 Stellenbosch / South Africa
Main fields of interest :
- Crop protection
- Fertilization
- Crop production
- Agronomy
- Plant physiology
- Nutrition
- Agronomy
Professional experience : I am the Chair of the Department of Agronomy at Stellenbosch University. Our department is known for its impactful contributions, strong industry ties, and has a reputation for excellence. As an Associate Professor, I lead an active program that involves mentoring MSc(Agric) and PhD students. My approach is grounded in agroecosystem principles, which emphasize the integration of sustainable farm management techniques to support the intensification of agricultural production systems. With a focus on responsible and ethical resource use, my research encompasses soil, water, nutrient, crop, and animal resources. In addition to research, I am involved in teaching Agronomy to BSc(Agric) and Postgraduate Diploma students. My goal is to develop pragmatic, critical thinkers equipped with skills that are highly valued by the agricultural industry. As an advocate for collaboration, I place great importance on forging purposeful partnerships and cultivating diverse networks. I am a board member of the Protein Research Foundation (South Africa) which strives to make a significant contribution to the promotion of local production of protein (among others canola oilcake) on a sustainable basis, in order to satisfy the growing demand for protein for animal production purposes as well as the optimal utilisation thereof, which will lead to an increase in the standard of living of all people of South Africa.
Education : * PhD Interdisciplinary: University of the Free State; 2014
* MSc(Agric); Pasture Science; University of Pretoria; 2011
* BSc(Agric); Animal and Pasture Science; University of Pretoria; 2009
Selected publications : * MacLaren C, Mead A, van Balen D, Claessens L, Etana A, de Haan J, Haagsma W, Jäck O, Keller T, Labuschagne J, Myrbeck Å, Necpalova M, Nziguheba G, Six J, Strauss J, Swanepoel PA, Thierfelder C, Topp C, Tshuma F, Verstegen H, Walker R, Watson C, Wesselink M and Storkey J (2022) Long-term evidence for ecological intensification as a pathway to sustainable agriculture. Nature Sustainability 2022, 1–10.
* Musto GA, Swanepoel PA, Strauss JA. 2023. Regenerative agriculture v. conservation agriculture: potential effects on soil quality, crop productivity and whole-farm economics in Mediterranean-climate regions. The Journal of Agricultural Science 1–11.
* van der Nest, J.R., Hardie, A.G., Labuschagne, J. and Swanepoel, P.A., 2022. Effects of form, fineness and placement of lime with and without soil tillage on barley and canola growth and development. South African Journal of Plant and Soil, 39(4), pp.260-269.
* MacLaren, C., Labuschagne, J. and Swanepoel, P.A., 2021. Tillage practices affect weeds differently in monoculture vs. crop rotation. Soil and Tillage Research, 205, p.104795.
* Tshuma, F., Rayns, F., Labuschagne, J., Bennett, J. and Swanepoel, P.A., 2021. Effects of long-term (42 years) tillage sequence on soil chemical characteristics in a dryland farming system. Soil and Tillage Research, 212, p.105064
