Research topic:
"Ecophysiological characterization and modelling of macadamia orchards in Limpopo, South Africa"
Research foci:
- Understanding the water use behavior of macadamia trees as a result of changes in microclimate and soil water content across seasons
- Quantifying macadamia tree water use under different environmental conditions and for trees of different cultivars and ages
- Identifying the most important drivers of macadamia tree transpiration
- Exploring the effects of environmental factors and management interventions on the productivity and water use of macadamia orchards along an altitudinal gradient in Limpopo, South Africa
- Developing and evaluating a macadamia tree transpiration model (under non-limiting water conditions) aiming at setting the upper limit of macadamia water use requirements in different environmental conditions
- Improving water use efficiency of macadamia orchards through a better management of irrigation
Teaching:
- M.SIA.P19M.Mp: Experimental Techniques in Tropical Agronomy
- M.SIA.P22.Mp: Management of Tropical Plant Production Systems
Publications:
- Nelson, W.C.D., Hoffmann, M.P., May, C., Mashao, F., Ayisi, K., Odhiambo, J., Bringhenti, T., Feil, J.H., Yazdan Bakhsh, S., Abdulai, I. & Rötter, R.P. (2022): Tackling climate risk to sustainably intensify smallholder maize farming systems in southern Africa. Environmental Research Letters, 17, 75005, https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac77a3.
- Rötter, R., Scheiter, S., Hoffmann, M., Pfeiffer, M., Nelson, W., Ayisi, K., Taylor, P., Feil, J.-H., Yazdan Bakhsh, S., Isselstein, J., Linstädter, A., Behn, K., Westphal, C., Odhiambo, J., Twine, W., Grass, I., Merante, P., Bracho-Mujica, G., Bringhenti, T., Lamega, S., Abdulai, I., Lam, Q., Anders, M., Linden, V., Weier, S., Foord, S., Erasmus, B.F. (2021): Letter-to-the-Editor: Modeling the multi‐functionality of African savanna landscapes under global change. Land Degradation & Development, https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.3925.