Dr.Regina B. Cronje

Keynote Speaker

Topic: Challenges and opportunities for litchi production in Southern Africa under changing climatic
conditions
Regina B. Cronje, PhD (Horticultural Science)
Researcher, Agricultural Research Council - Tropical
and Subtropical Crops, Mbombela, South Africa
Email: regina@arc.agric.za

Education:

    • D. in Horticultural Science. University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa. 2023.
    • Sc. in Crop Science. University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany. 2002.

 

Employment History:

    • Researcher at the Agricultural Research Council – Tropical and Subtropical
      Crops, Mbombela, South Africa. 2004-current.
    • Technical Assistant for the South African Mango Growers’ Association,
      Mbombela, South Africa. 2003-2004.

 

Professional Status:

    • Member of the International Society for Horticultural Science
    • Registered with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions
    • Registered with ORCID (ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5069-5005)

Academic Activities and Awards:

    • Invited speaker at the 2025 Litchi Breeding Workshop. China, June 2025.
    • Keynote speaker at the 7th International Symposium on Litchi, Longan and other Sapindaceae Fruits. China, June 2023.
    • Plenary speaker at the 5th International Symposium on Lychee, Longan and Other Sapindaceae Fruit. India, May 2016.
    • Member of the Scientific Committee for the 7th International Mango Symposium held in Mexico (May 2025).
    • Member of the Scientific Committee for the 7th International Litchi and Longan Symposium held in China (June 2023).
    • Member of the Scientific Committee for the 4th International Litchi and Longan Symposium held in South Africa (December 2012).
    • Chairperson of the session ‘Germplasm, genomics, biotechnology & crop improvement (I)’ at the 7th International Symposium on Lychee, Longan and Other Sapindaceae Fruits in China (June 2023).
    • Co-chairperson of the session ‘Physiology, biochemistry, biotechnology and nanotechnology’ at the 5th International Symposium on Lychee, Longan and Other Sapindaceae Fruit in India (June 2016).
    • Chairperson of the meeting of the ISHS working group on Lychee, Longan and Other Sapindaceae Fruit held during the 5th International Symposium on Lychee, Longan and Other Sapindaceae Fruit in India (June 3 June 2016).
    • Chairperson of the session ‘Cultural Practices & Crop Physiology’ at the 4th International Symposium on Lychee, Longan and Other Sapindaceae Fruit in South Africa (December 2012).
    • Co-editor of the book ‘Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Crops: Production, Processing and Marketing’ by Apple Academic Press-CRC Press., USA. ISBN: 9781774911105. 2023.
    • Co-editor of the book ;Temperate Fruits: Production, Processing and Marketing’ by Apple Academic Press-CRC Press., USA. ISBN: 9781771889193. 2021.
    • Guest editor for the special edition “Advances in breeding and production of
      tropical and subtropical fruits” in the Horticulturae Journal (2022-2023).
    • Editor of the Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Lychee, Longan
      and Other Sapindaceae Fruit (Acta Horticulturae, No. 1029). 2014.
    • Member of the Subtrop Journal editorial board (2018 to current).
    • Awarded prize for Best Poster presented in the theme ‘Physiology, biochemistry,
      biotechnology and nanotechnology’ at the 5th International Symposium on
      Lychee, Longan and Other Sapindaceae Fruit, India, 2016.
    • Awarded prize for Best Poster presented at Combined Congress 2015, George,
      South Africa.
    • Awarded the Lindsay Milne Floating Trophy for outstanding contributions to the
      South African litchi industry, 2009.
    • Awarded prize for Best Poster presented at Combined Congress 2007,
      Badplaas, South Africa.

Past and Current Litchi Research Projects:

    • Past projects on litchi included timing of water stress and fertilizer applications to
      manipulate autumn shoot growth for improved flowering, use of plant growth regulators for controlling untimely shoot growth and enforcing shoot dormancy to promote floral induction and initiation during warm winters as well as foliar applications of mineral salts and plant growth regulators to enhance fruit colour and size.
    • Focus areas of her current research on include application of biostimulants to mitigate sunburn and cracking damage on litchi fruit and regenerative orchard practices for climate resilience and sustainable production of subtropical tree crops.

Selected Publications:

    • CRONJE, R.B. AND JONKER A.J. 2023. Quantification of ethylene production in leaf and bud tissue of the subtropical tree crop litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) using gas chromatography and flame ionization detection. Bio-protocol 13(06): e4636. https://doi: 10.21769/BioProtoc.4636.
    • CRONJE, R.B., CHEN, H., WANG, H., ZHOU, B., WU, Z., YAO, L., HU, Z., QI, W., XIAN, J. AND MANDAL, D. 2023. Chapter 7: Litchi, p.419-558. In D. Mandal, U.Wermund, L. Phavaphutanon, and R. Cronje (eds.). Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Crops: Production, Processing, and Marketing. Apple Academic Press-CRC Press, Palm Bay, FL, USA. Hard ISBN: 978-1-77491-1105. eBook ISBN: 978-1-00330-503-3.
    • CRONJE, R.B., HAJARI, E., JONKER, A., RATLAPANE, I.M. HUANG, X., THERON, K.I. AND HOFFMAN, E.W. 2022. Foliar application of ethephon induces bud dormancy and affects gene expression of dormancy- and flowering-related genes in ‘Mauritius’ litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.). Journal of Plant Physiology, 276: 153768. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jplph.2022.153768.
    • REGINA CRONJE, CHRISTO HUMAN AND INNOCENT RATLAPANE. 2021. Pruning strategies for young ‘Nadorcott’ mandarin trees planted in high density orchards in South Africa. International Journal of Fruit Science, 21(1): 921-931. DOI:10.1080/15538362.2021.1940418.
    • HAJARI, E., NONYANE, D. AND CRONJE, R. 2020. Sequence-related amplified polymorphism markers – a tool for litchi breeders in Africa. South African Journal of Science, 116(7/8), Art. #7461, 6 pages. https://doi.org/10.17159/ sajs.2020/7461.
    • CRONJE, R.B., D. SIVAKUMAR, D., MOSTERT, P.G. AND KORSTEN. L. 2009. Effect of different preharvest treatment regimes on fruit quality of litchi cultivar ”Mauritius” Journal of Plant Nutrition, 32: 19-29.
    • CRONJE, R.B. 2008. Effect of fruit development, maturity and harvesting of litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) on postharvest fruit quality. Stewart Postharvest Review (online journal), 3 (3): 1-10.
    • Numerous publications in South African horticultural industry journals and magazines and chapters in books on cultivation of litchi and mango published by the Agricultural Research Council.
@ 2027 VIII International Symposium on Lychee, Longan and Other Sapindaceae Fruits