SASRI Quarantine Glasshouse celebrates 40 years of excellence
The SASRI Quarantine Glasshouse marked its 40th anniversary with a celebratory gathering that included tea, cake, and a tour of the facility recently. Roger Bailey (retired Assistant Director, who was key in the design of the glasshouse from 1975), and Solen Subramoney (former RSD and Quarantine supervisor for over 30 years) attended the event. SASRI Director, Dr Shadrack Moephuli, opened the proceedings, emphasising the critical role of quarantine facilities in supporting food security and crop preservation. He highlighted SASRI’s commitment to maintaining a world-class quarantine facility to safeguard South Africa’s sugar industry and enable the secure exchange of sugarcane varieties globally to strengthen the gene pool.
Current Quarantine Pathologist, Aimee Koch, presented an overview of the facility’s history, discussing key physical changes, equipment upgrades, and contributions from the dedicated quarantine staff over the years. Special tributes were paid to the late Tania van Antwerpen (Quarantine Pathologist for over 20 years and the late Patrick Majozi (Quarantine assistant ) for their significant contributions to Quarantine. Roger Bailey and Solen Subramoney shared memorable moments from their time at the facility, while Dr Sumita Ramgareeb (Breeding and Field Resource Unit Manager) acknowledged advancements in quarantine tissue culture, specifically the apical meristem technique used to eliminate diseases from imported and exported sugarcane material. This protocol has become standard across Quarantine, Pathology, Biotechnology, and the NovaCane® facility.
The honor of cutting the anniversary cake—designed to resemble the essential disinfecting shoe bath—was given to Roger Bailey. After enjoying cake and tea, attendees visited the glasshouse to view the updates described in the presentation. In recent years, the facility has undergone major refurbishment, including resurfacing of floors and walls in all 10 cubicles with a four-layer resin, crucial for meeting stringent hygiene standards. SASRI and SASA were thanked for their continuous support in ensuring the glasshouse operates at optimal efficiency. The event concluded with a warm appreciation for everyone who has contributed to Quarantine, past and present, over the past 40 years.
Quarantine celebrating the 40th anniversary with a cake cutting.
