Ever-increasing human populations and increased industrialisation exert great pressure on our natural resources. Some of the greatest challenges both developed and developing countries around the world face are sustainable food production and soil utilisation, as well as the protection and reclamation of soil and groundwater resources. These challenges can be met through a broad understanding of plant and environmental interactions and insight into soil chemical, physical and biological processes. The Department of Plant Production and Soil Science is a multidisciplinary department and consists of four broad disciplines:
Agronomy
Horticultural Science
Pasture Science
Soil Science
Each discipline has specific focuses, which in many instancesinvolve cross-cutting research projects. We believe that multidisciplinary training, as well as specialisation in Agronomy, Horticultural Science, Pasture Science and Soil Science, will enable graduates and postgraduates from our Department to embark on a diverse range of careers in both the agricultural and environmental fields.
The various disciplines of the Department of Plant Production and Soil Science are presently complemented by 14 academics, two emeritus professors, one honorary professors, seven extraordinary professors and 10 support staff. The diverse disciplines and the strong complement of academics attract many postgraduate students locally and from the rest of Africa. The highly qualified academics also attract substantial external project funding to the Department.
Our vision
To provide high-quality teaching, research and community service in order to play a significant role in the advancement of the agricultural sciences as the basis for prosperity of the peoples of South Africa and the African continent.
Our mission
To prepare graduate and undergraduate students in agronomy, horticulture, pasture science, and soil science for fulfilling careers in academia, industry or government
Develop thorough research, new knowledge and techniques that are relevant to the production and management of economically important plant species, and the management of soil and water resources on a sustainable basis
Communicate research findings through scholarly publication and educational programmes of value to stakeholders
Support the scientific community and serve the broader public through outreach activities such as problem-oriented research and extension.
News
TuksGolf Training Centre officially opened at the University of Pretoria - 17/05/2013
The University of Pretoria prides itself on its publicly recognised achievements pertaining to its various sporting fraternities. These achievements can be attributed to the University’s sporting facilities, which are of the highest quality among South African universities. To add to its quality achievements, the University of Pretoria, through TuksSport and the High Performance Centre (hpc), has now officially opened a golf training centre.
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South African law professor to report to the United Nations on Lethal Robots - 16/05/2013
South African human rights law professor, Christof Heyns, will submit a widely anticipated report on Lethal Autonomous Robots (LARs) to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council on 29 May 2013.
Prof Heyns, from the University of Pretoria (UP), was appointed as UN Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions in 2010. During last year, he conducted worldwide research on the question whether states should be allowed to use LARs - weapons that, once deployed, can use lethal force without further human intervention - during war, or peace.
[Read More]
A continental Leadership Transformation Programme established - 15/05/2013
The African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Albert Luthuli Centre for Responsible Leadership (ALCRL) recently co-hosted a roundtable aimed at establishing a continental leadership transformation programme.
[Read More]
The University of Pretoria prides itself on its publicly recognised achievements pertaining to its various sporting fraternities. These achievements can be attributed to the University’s sporting facilities, which are of the highest quality among South African universities. To add to its quality achievements, the University of Pretoria, through TuksSport and the High Performance Centre (hpc), has now officially opened a golf training centre.
South African human rights law professor, Christof Heyns, will submit a widely anticipated report on Lethal Autonomous Robots (LARs) to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council on 29 May 2013.
Prof Heyns, from the University of Pretoria (UP), was appointed as UN Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions in 2010. During last year, he conducted worldwide research on the question whether states should be allowed to use LARs - weapons that, once deployed, can use lethal force without further human intervention - during war, or peace.
The African Union’s New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Albert Luthuli Centre for Responsible Leadership (ALCRL) recently co-hosted a roundtable aimed at establishing a continental leadership transformation programme.
Judges from five African countries (Botswana, Malawi, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda) joined participants from 20 other African countries for a course on socio-economic rights, presented by the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria from 6 to 10 May 2013.
Speaking on TuksFM’s Bang Bang Breakfast Show, the University of Pretoria’s Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Cheryl de la Rey, announced that the second Woolly Winter Campaign will be launched earlier in a bid to make it ‘bigger and better’ than the previous year’s effort.
Last edited by: Ansa Heyl