Thea Claassen's Contact Details

Thea Claassen's Company Details

Westfalia Technological Services (WTS) is the research division of Westfalia Fruit Estates. WTS is focussed on applied avocado research, but also has projects on mangoes, macadamias and litchis. WTS has changed and grown and there are now six specialised teams: Intellectual property, Quality assurance, Genetic Resources, Horticulture, Pathology, and Market Access. These sections are outlined below.Intellectual property: select, acquire and protect plant material; creating commercial potential for Westfalia.Quality assurance: monitor fruit quality in-field and post-harvest, and determine optimum storage protocols for Westfalia's fruit.Genetic Resources: breed avocado rootstocks; obtain and screen high potential avocado fruiting and rootstock selections and cultivars.Horticulture: evaluate new fruiting and rootstocks cultivars, optimise productivity, seasonality and predictability of fruit quality (e.g. using near-infrared spectroscopy), and conduct postharvest trials.Pathology: provide an early warning of potential disease outbreaks; decrease disease incidence and fungicide use; and investigate new products and application methodology.Market Access: act on behalf of the Subtropical Fruit Growers Association to mitigate quarantine risks, monitor pest levels, and interact with officials to facilitate market access into various countries.