Suzan Khoza

In my role, I focus on developing inbred and hybrid varieties tailored for the South African market. Our primary aim is to produce varieties that can thrive under the challenging conditions caused by diseases, destructive pests, and drought. To achieve this, we leverage advanced technologies such as Predictive Analytical Tools, R studio, GPS planters, drones, ear photometry, and molecular breeding applications.

• Lead community initiatives in Africa
• Delmas station won ACE awards regionally and globally in 2019 and 2020 and global recognition in 2021
• Changed people's lives, especially children
• More sites are now participating in community initiatives
• Formed good relationships with external stakeholders
• Presented on “Be Curious Week”

• Execute Breeding Operation in the Eastern region
• Trial Evaluation (Collect and analyse data across 36 locations)
• Trial and Nursery experiment creation
• Produce regulated materials for the East and West region
• New starts, PXP, R0 predictions for LX and SW using tools such as progeny explorer and population explorer
• Inventory management
• SHE rep representative
• Safety Training
• Labour management

• Coordinating and assisting in all seed lab operations
• Coordinating and assisting in Field operations
• Experiment creation and mapping in Breeding Software’s
• Packing Nurseries and Trials
• Updating Standard Operating Procedures
• Talk to learners and students in schools and universities respectively about careers in Science
• Training colleagues and subordinates on new technologies
• Managing inventory, sorting, and updating seed quantities
• Leading the QAQC (Quality Assurance/Quality control) project
• Seed sampling for fingerprinting
• Lab (Fingerprinting data) and Field Data analysis
• Training, motivating, and supervising seasonal workers
• Assisting with the implementation of site safety procedures and programs

• Planting and packing nurseries
• Designing and printing labels
• Seed lab operations, shelling, treating, and counting
• Making use of new breeding tools
• Thinning and Rouging
• Pollinations, harvesting, and shelling
• Data collection using handheld and taking pictures of inbreds
• Creating sets and mapping
• Working with regulated materials/GMOs
• Gene checking and Leaf sampling
• Assisting with the implementation of site safety procedures and programs
• Involved with the hiring, training, motivation, and supervision of temporary employees

• Assisting master's students in Popcorn and maize breeding, Planting trials and nurseries, Pollinations, Collecting data and Data analysis