Mr Thabang Ramogodi

MSc Student

Research Interests

I have completed BSc (Hons) Plant pathology in 2008 under the supervision of Prof Terry Aveling and co-supervisor Prof Reyes Blanco. I am currently doing my first year MSc in Plant Pathology under the same supervisor with Dr Gert Marais as my co-supervisor.

The focus of my Bsc (Hons) project was based on the quality of sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) seeds which comprised mainly vigour and health testing of the seeds. Sweet sorghum is affected by a wide range of seed-borne pathogen resulting in significant yield loss annually. The aim of the study was to test five fungicide-treated cultivars of sweet sorghum in South Africa for seed vigour and record seed-borne pathogens and saprophytes. Various yield reducing pathogens where isolated from the seeds as well as those fungi known to produce mycotoxins thus posing a serious threat to animals and human beings consuming contaminated sorghum grains.

My MSc project will focus mainly on the epidemiological studies of the seed-borne fungus known as Phoma sorghina (Sacc.) Boerema, Dorenbosch & van Kest on sorghum.