GSSA Congress 2017

52nd Annual Congress inc. Research Skills Workshop and Policy & Practice Workshop - 23 to 28 July 2017 Wits Rural Facility near Hoedspruit Mpumalanga.

First Page

The 52nd Annual Congress was held at WITS Rural Facility, near Hoedspruit, on the border of the two hosting provinces, Limpopo and Mpumalanga. The Congress incorporated the 8th Research Skills Workshop and a Policy and Practice Workshop.

List of delegates Conference proceedings Conference programme

24 July 2017

Opening Address: Kruger-to-Canyons Biosphere - Grasslands, Bushes and a Biosphere

Dr John Job

25 July 2017

Rangeland Management

Keynote address: Heterogeneity as the basis for rangeland

Sam Fuhlendorf, Oklahoma State University

Keynote address: Biodiversity for society – a reflection on the diversity of direct local impacts of the Kruger National Park

Louise Swemmer, SANParks - Kruger National Park

Patterns of grass productivity in communal rangelands and protected areas in semiarid Mopaneveld, and implications for rehabilitation

Tony Swemmer

The impact of livestock grazing on inselberg vegetation along a grazing gradient in three biomes in South Africa

Laetitia Piers

What are the long-term effects of high density, short duration stocking on the soils and vegetation of mesic grassland in South Africa?

Kevin Kirkman

Effect of bush control on species composition, tiller and leaf production of grasses

Mthunzi Mndela

The importance of ecosystem state factors to the hydrologic responses of woodlands to land management activities

Jason West

Keynote address: Social and legal barriers and opportunities for using prescribed fire on private land in the Southern Great Plains, USA

Urs Kreuter

Keynote address: Managing African rangelands using heterogeneity characteristics

Rina Grant

Consolidation of the wildlife estate: management challenges at differing spatial scales with special reference to drought

Mike Peel

Holistic Planned Grazing™ fails to beef up farm production: an ox’s-eye view

Zander Venter

Planted Pastures: Cultivar Adaptations and Management

The production potential and botanical composition of kikuyu over-sown with temperate grass-legume mixtures using different establishment methods

Janke van der Colf

Effect of cutting on dry matter and total non-structural carbohydrate percentages of ten selected Italian ryegrass cultivars

Khutso Mohubedu

Morphological differences between chicory varieties and the potential of using plant height as a measure of dry matter yield

Sigrun Ammann

Effects of salinity on germination performance of selected Lolium and Eragrostis grass species

Mziwanda Mangwane

Effect of cutting stages on re-growth dry matter production and nutritional value of the five winter cereal cultivars in Moloto district Gauteng and Nooigedacht, Mpumalanga province

Patrick Rakau

Biomass production of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne (L)), cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata (L)) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea (Schreb)) varieties grown under irrigation at Alice, South Africa

Sizwe Tikwayo

Planted Pastures: Cultivar Adaptations and Management

The effect of nitrogen fertilisation on dry matter production and botanical composition of grass-legume pastures in the southern Cape

Bernhard Jordaan

The effect of nitrogen fertilisation on the yield and botanical composition of kikuyu-based pastures

Charne Viljoen

Planted Pastures: Production Systems and Management

Designing diverse forage crop mixes for weed suppression

Chloe MacLaren

Influence of social dynamics on intensification of fodders innovations in communal areas of Limpopo province

Ntuwiseni Mmbi

Yield and chemical composition of native pastures in six semi-arid communal grazing lands located in three soil types: effect of disturbance and season

Ayanda Kwaza

26 July 2017

Tree-Grass Interactions

Coppice dynamics of two common savannas trees species under different post-harvest treatments

Wayne Twine

Comparing the effects of canopy cover increase on grass biomass between Dichrostachys cinerea and Terminalia sericea

Tilly Randle

The effects of environmental factors on Seriphium plumosum L. encroachment susceptibility

Gilbert Pule

Woody plant densities, cover, height class distribution and their uses in six semi - arid communal grazing lands located in three soil types

Ayanda Kwaza

The effect of fire, frost and simulated grazing on the survival of Vachellia sieberiana (formerly Acacia sieberiana) seedlings along an altitudinal gradient

Jennifer Russell

Rangeland Assessment and Monitoring

Savanna Long-Term Research Initiative in the Southern Great Plains

John Walker

An assessment of woody biomass as a sustainable energy source in a bush thickened area of northern Namibia

Nico Smit

Assessment of grass species composition and nutritive value as influenced by soil characteristics in two different grazing areas under North West province, South Africa

Sesupho Manyedi

Competition and defoliation tolerance of Themeda triandra and Eragrostis curvula

Naledi Zama

Development of a robust, easy-to-use biodiversity index for mesic grasslands

Lize van der Merwe

Livestock Diet and Nutrition

Retrogression in rumen and body metabolism of starving cattle on communal area grazing lands: case study of smallholder dairy cattle in Vhembe district, South Africa

Florence Nherera-Chokuda

Comparing production of Zulu and Merino sheep on veld and grazing maize - preliminary report

Peter Oosthuizen

Anti-nutrients and in vitro digestibility of Lablab purpureus and Vigna unguiculata forage legumes

Soul Washaya

A systematic study of Themeda triandra Forssk.: anatomy, genetics and cytology

Sinethemba Ntshangase

Rangeland Fire Ecology

Hercules and the Hydra revisited: combining traditional management efforts with fire to control resprouting woody plant encroachment and restore savanna ecosystems

Bill Rogers

Fire ecology and management of wildfires in Indonesian rain forests growing on peat beds and its potential relevance to ground fires in southern African wetlands

Trevor Wilson

The native, C3 grass Festuca costata alters grassland fuels and fire spread in the Drakensberg

Devan McGranahan

Does fire facilitate biodiversity or forage productivity in renosterveld rangelands in the Kamiesberg Uplands?

Megan Simons

Application of fire in savanna conservation areas

Bruce Brockett

Land Transformation and Restoration

Containing desertification in arid northern Kunene region, Namibia

Axel Rothauge

Targeted livestock grazing to improve and restore rangelands

John Walker

Soil nutrient content and forage quality on old lands in the Umzimvubu Catchment

Ntomboxolo Mamayo

27 July 2017

Biodiversity Initiatives and Conservation Planning

The Gauteng Biodiversity Stewardship Programme

Emily Taylor

Carbon tax and the need for carbon sequestration and offset

Josef van Wyngaard

Strengthening rangeland stewardship and restoration through Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) learning platforms

Dan'sile Cindi

Communal Livestock Farming Systems

Climate change adaptation strategies in the communal areas of Namibia and South

Igshaan Samuels

The future of communal livestock farming in semi-arid Namaqualand

Khululiwe Ntombela

Using the socio-ecological system in understanding the challenges in collective management of communal rangelands in the rural Eastern Cape

Andiswa Finca

Addressing constraints to increase livestock production in Taleni and Shweni communities, Chris Hani District municipality, South Africa

Nobuntu Matyholo-Mapeyi

Special Session: Grasses as Invasive Aliens

Grasses as invasive plants in South Africa

Vernon Visser

Global impact assessment of alien grasses occurring in South Africa

Khensani Nkuna

Are invasive grasses (Poaceae) suitable targets for biological control? A case study of two African Sporobolus spp. invading Australia

Guy Sutton

Competitive ability of vetiver grass: Does vetiver allow germination and establishment of native grasses?

Lindokuhle Dlamini

Developing management guidelines for the cultivation of alien bamboos in South Africa

Susan Canavan

Gala Dinner

Herding 4 Health

M Grover

Policy & Practice Workshop

Influence Of Legistration On Natural Resource Management

Andrew Rossaak, Emross Consulting

Awards

Best Paper in the AJRFS in 2017

Colin Everson and Terry Everson - The long-term effects of fire regime on primary production of montane grasslands in South Africa

Best Presentation

Josef van Wyngaard - Carbon tax and the need for carbon sequestration and offset

Best Presentation by a Young Scientist

Lize Joubert – van der Merwe - Development of a robust, easy-to-use biodiversity index for mesic grasslands

Norman Rethman Planted Pastures Award

Janke van der Colf - The production potential and botanical composition of kikuyu over-sown with temperate grass-legume mixtures using different establishment methods

Best Research Proposal Poster

Yvette Brits - Investigating active veld restoration by means of alternative fertilisation practices in the North West province

Best Poster

Josef van Wyngaard - Seasonal effect on quality, yield and botanical composition of cultivated beef pasture

Faux Pas

Mthunzi Mndela