Speaker

Hendrika (Driekie) Fourie began her career in nematology at the Grain Crops Institute (former Department of Agriculture), South Africa, in 1991, equipped with an honours degree from the former Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education. While pursuing her career, she earned an MSc degree from North-West University, South Africa, and a PhD from the University of Leuven, Belgium. Her research focused on identifying and introgressing root-knot nematode resistance in local soybean varieties. Driekie and her teams conducted nematology research at the Grain Crops Institute and later at the North-West University (where she is still appointed as an Extraordinary Professor), integrating breeding, botany, molecular biology, and plant and animal biodiversity. Driekie trained 16 Hons, 20 MSc and 12 PhD students and conducted research, primarily aimed at developing nematode management strategies for various grain and vegetable food crops. She is the chief editor of the book ''Nematology research in South Africa: A view from the 21st century'', has authored and co-authored 92 scientific articles, and has presented numerous oral and poster presentations at national and international levels. In 2023, Driekie joined Syngenta as a product biologist, responsible for profiling new seed care product introductions in the Africa-Middle East region. She is still affiliated with the North-West University as an extraordinary professor and co-supervise (appointed by the University of Pretoria) an MSc study focusing on the sustainability of a TYMIRUM® technology seed treatment. She is also part of the Global Soil Health Dr project of Syngenta that focuses on soil health optimisation in local potato fields. She enjoys spending time with her family and grandchildren, walking and travelling around the globe, exploring new frontiers.