Dr Riekert van Heerden (PrSciNat) is a Senior Scientist and Manager of the Crop Performance and Management Program at the South African Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI). He holds a PhD in Plant Physiology from North-West University, South Africa. Dr Van Heerden is a National Research Foundation (NRF)-rated Scientist who has Authored/Co-Authored 39 publications in ISI-accredited scientific journals. He also holds an Honorary Professor position at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. Dr Van Heerden's main role at SASRI is to Lead Research on cane quality management of sugarcane. He fosters a passion for participatory on-farm research, which is integrated with formal research to enable effective and continuous knowledge exchange with stakeholders.
