Dr Renate Smit
Dr Renate Smit was introduced to the deciduous-fruit industry as an undergraduate working for Dr Elmi Lötze in the Department of Horticultural Sciences at Stellenbosch University. After graduating with a BSc in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology in 2009, she managed the Horticultural Sciences analytical laboratory before embarking on a BScAgricHons at the suggestion of postharvest physiologist Dr Mariana Jooste.
“I loved postharvest,” recalls Smit. “Working in the analytical laboratory piqued my interest.” After finishing her BScAgricHons in 2014, she resigned to devote her full attention to her MScAgric, which eventually became a PhD.
“My research evolved from CATTS [controlled-atmosphere temperature treatment system] to include fumigation with ethyl formate,” she says. Together with Dr Shelley Johnson, phytosanitary entomologist and market-access specialist at Hortgro, Smit demonstrated the efficacy of ethyl formate in controlling grain chinch bugs, banded fruit weevils, and other phytosanitary pests in deciduous fruit.
Since 2021, Smit has been employed by Hortgro as a phytosanitary researcher. She currently manages their new PHYLA facility on the Welgevallen Experimental Farm in Stellenbosch. “With this facility, we can try to solve problems a lot quicker,” she says, “to get useful information back to the industry.”
Her postharvest background is invaluable in evaluating new phytosanitary treatments. She is experienced in assessing fruit quality and identifying internal and external disorders that may result from storage conditions or phytotoxicity.
According to Smit, she enjoys her job because she likes solving problems. “It’s never mundane,” she says. “It’s never the same. There are always new challenges. That’s why I like it and why it’s a good fit for me.”