Ncobile Bridget Zulu

• Implementing the Agricultural Pest Act 1983 (Act no 36 of 1983) both at Buffelspoort Plant Quarantine Station (BPQS) and DoA approved private Post Entry Quarantine (PEQ) facilities to ensure prevention of agricultural pests as per The NPPO of South Africa based on pest risk analysis (PRA) on different crops or commodities by rendering the following services:

1. Facilitate the importation of plant propagation material of new fruit cultivars/varieties into South Africa.

2. Advisory service to importers on procedures, requirements, regulations and acts pertaining to importation of plant propagation material into South Africa.

3. Maintenance and monitoring of plant propagation material while in post entry quarantine through fertilization, pesticide pest management, manual and automated irrigation systems.

4. Engage and communicate with stakeholders/clients/importers through meetings/monthly report/ telephonic communications on a regular basis.

5. Facilitate diagnostic testing and evaluation of imported plant propagation material during the post entry quarantine period.

6. Provide plant propagation material of a high quality and pest free to clients/importers after release from post entry quarantine.

• Supervision of BPQS personnel and developing work protocols to ensure a high quality administrative system.
• Management of BPQS by optimising and developing methods, acquiring resources that will improve on delivering an effective and efficient plant quarantine service.
• Auditing private PEQ centers in terms of international protocols.
• Database management by ensuring all technical and scientific information is updated and available upon request.
• Conducting Citrus Black Spot (CBS) orchard inspections for citrus fruit being exported to EU and issuing inspection reports on E-certification.

• Mango blossom malformation project
• Studying the occurrence of Fusarium mangiferae on malformed panicles and leaves as well as the epidemiology and control of mango blossom malformation through:

1. Implementation of field trials by planning, conducting and supervising activities (field markings and sprays)

2. Capturing and processing data in field and laboratory and compiling reports.

3. Managing project equipment and ensuring proper utilisation of resources.

• ASBVd project
• RNA extractions on avocado leaves to detect the presence of Avocado Sunblotch Viroid disease (ASBVd) by means of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and gel electrophoresis.
• Collecting and analysing ASBVd data from 2008 to 2013 for publication purposes.
• Citrus Improvement Programme
• Producing viroid free citrus material by means of shoot tip grafting.
• RNA extraction on citrus leaves and using PCR to detect the presence of Citrus Tristeza Virus (CTV), six citrus viroids (Citrus exocortis viroid (CEVd), Citrus bent leaf viroid (CBLVd), Hop stunt viroid (HSVd), Citrus viroid III (CVd-III), Citrus viroid IV (CVd-IV) and Citrus viroid OS (CVd-OS), Apple stem Grooving Virus (ASGV) and Citrus Psorosis Virus (CPV).
• Other projects/ responsibilities
• Using tissue culture to develop guava cultivars that are resistant to Guava Wilt Disease (GWD)
• Disease diagnosis by fungal isolations on soil and roots for the detection Phytopthora and Pythium.
• Database management for the Citrus Improvement Project (CIP) and Avocado Sunblotch Viroid disease (ASBVd).
• Implementing the Agricultural Pest Act 1983 (Act no 36 of 1983), to ensure proper management and handling of imported propagation material of quarantine importance.
• Maintenance of quarantine facilities in terms of chemical applications for pest control, temperature and irrigation control to ensure optimal growth of quarantine material in glasshouses and tunnels.

• Same responsibilities as Research Technician post above.