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

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

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Position	Employer / Location	Period
Researcher	Agricultural Research Council – Tropical and Subtropical Crops Mbombela, South Africa	2004–Present
Technical Assistant	South African Mango Growers’ Association Mbombela, South Africa	2003–2004

PROFESSIONAL STATUS

Status	Organization / Details
Member	International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS)
Professional Registration	South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions
ORCID	0000-0001-5069-5005

ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES AND AWARDS

Category	Details
Invited and Keynote Presentations	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.
Scientific Committee Memberships	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).
Session and Working Group Leadership	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 (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).
Editorial Activities	Co-editor of the book Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Crops: Production, Processing and Marketing. Apple Academic Press–CRC Press, USA. ISBN: 9781774911105. 2023. Co-editor of the book Temperate Fruits: Production, Processing and Marketing. 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 Horticulturae (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–Present).
Awards and Recognition	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

Research Period	Focus Areas
Past Research Projects	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. Foliar applications of mineral salts and plant growth regulators to enhance fruit colour and size.
Current Research Projects	Application of biostimulants to mitigate sunburn and cracking damage on litchi fruit. Regenerative orchard practices for climate resilience and sustainable production of subtropical tree crops.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Year	Publication
2023	CRONJE, R.B. AND JONKER, A.J. 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.org/10.21769/BioProtoc.4636
2023	CRONJE, R.B., CHEN, H., WANG, H., ZHOU, B., WU, Z., YAO, L., HU, Z., QI, W., XIAN, J. AND MANDAL, D. Chapter 7: Litchi, pp. 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
2022	CRONJE, R.B., HAJARI, E., JONKER, A., RATLAPANE, I.M., HUANG, X., THERON, K.I. AND HOFFMAN, E.W. 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
2021	REGINA CRONJE, CHRISTO HUMAN AND INNOCENT RATLAPANE. Pruning strategies for young ‘Nadorcott’ mandarin trees planted in high density orchards in South Africa. International Journal of Fruit Science, 21(1): 921–931. https://doi.org/10.1080/15538362.2021.1940418
2020	HAJARI, E., NONYANE, D. AND CRONJE, R. 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
2009	CRONJE, R.B., SIVAKUMAR, D., MOSTERT, P.G. AND KORSTEN, L. Effect of different preharvest treatment regimes on fruit quality of litchi cultivar “Mauritius”. Journal of Plant Nutrition, 32: 19–29.
2008	CRONJE, R.B. 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.