Prof Eastonce Gwata was born and worked in Zimbabwe in soybean genetic improvement. He was sponsored by Australian International Development Assistance Bureau (AIDAB) (MSc) and the Rockefeller Foundation (PhD). Prof Gwata obtained his Post-Doc at International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) (Nairobi) – Genetic Improvement of Cajanus cajan and Selection of Cicer arietinum.
His major interest is in genetics of tropical legumes particularly N-fixation, biochemistry and product development. He has experience with small-holder crop production systems in Southern Africa. Currently, he is a Professor (Crop Genetic Improvement, South Africa) at the University of Venda.
Prof Gwata's major achievements are the development of improved cultivars of pigeon pea and soybean for southern Africa; identification and characterization of novel indigenous rhizobial strains for tropical legumes (including Phaseolus acutifolius) and mentorship of early-career scientists.