THE FUSE

For South African wheat farmers, choosing the right cultivar can make an important difference to the performance and profitability of a crop. Behind many of the wheat varieties available to producers are plant breeders who spend years selecting and testing plants for traits that can help farmers deal with real production challenges. One of these researchers is Kim Delport, the Agricultural Research Council’s Small Grain lead wheat breeder for spring wheat cultivars in irrigation areas. Since joining the ARC in 2013, Kim has focused on developing improved wheat cultivars that can deliver competitive yields while also offering traits such as disease resistance, adaptability and good bread-making quality. Her work is becoming increasingly important as farmers face rising temperatures, changing weather conditions and the need to produce more food locally.