Stellenbosch postharvest scientist Dr Elke Crouch wins 2026 Daan Strydom Science and Technology Award from Hortgro

Dr Elke Crouch, head of Stellenbosch University's Department of Horticultural Science, has won the Daan Strydom Science and Technology Award for 2026. Hortgro published the announcement. The award citation recognises her "outstanding contribution to South Africa's deciduous fruit industry." It focuses on her postharvest work on the quality, storability and market performance of apples and pears.

The award recognises excellence in research, science and technology, or a lifetime contribution to those fields.

Research aimed at export quality

Crouch has been at Stellenbosch University's Department of Horticultural Science since 2003. According to the citation, she has spent more than two decades on postharvest physiology, teaching, applied research and service to the industry. She holds the Post-Harvest Physiology Research Chair in Deciduous Fruit, which Hortgro supports. Through the chair she has built a lasting programme of applied and fundamental research into pome fruit quality.

The citation lists some of the costliest and most complex quality problems her work tackles:

• internal browning in 'Cripps Pink', 'Fuji' and related apple cultivars
• superficial scald in 'Granny Smith'
• mealiness in 'Forelle' pears

The citation calls this research central to keeping fruit in good condition over long-distance export. It says the work also helps reduce waste, protect producer returns and strengthen the reputation of South African fruit. It describes her career as "a compelling example of science serving industry," aimed at problems that matter to producers, packhouses, exporters and consumers.

Getting research to packhouses

The citation singles out one strength as among her most valuable: turning complex postharvest physiology into practical guidance through presentations and guidelines. That guidance reaches the people who make day-to-day decisions on harvest maturity, cooling, controlled atmosphere storage, disorder risk and fruit handling. She has also served for many years on technical and advisory bodies. The citation says this shows that industry bodies guiding quality management, storage practice and technical decisions trust her expertise.

Her recognition within the industry includes repeated acknowledgement from Hortgro Science for final research reports, as well as awards linked to student research. She hosted and served on organising committees for major horticultural science events, including the 14th International Pear Symposium in Stellenbosch.

Skills pipeline for the sector

The citation also highlights her work training the next generation of specialists. She has supervised or co-supervised many PhD and MScAgric graduates. Almost all of them worked on industry-funded projects and have become part of the technical knowledge base that supports the South African fruit sector. She has headed the Department of Horticultural Science since 2023. The citation says this strengthens the institution from which the deciduous fruit industry draws skilled graduates, applied research and scientific support.

The citation concludes that her work has improved the industry's ability to understand, predict and manage postharvest disorders, "thereby supporting export reliability, producer profitability and consumer confidence."