ACHIEVEMENTS
Dave Goodenough making
the GSSA proud
Ntuthuko Mkhize
Current Address: Agricultural Research Council
Email address: [email protected]
A
fter 53 years of selfless service
to the ARC, Dave Goodenough
is still contributing immensely to
the seed industry. Dave, who joined
the GSSA in the mid-1979s, recently
received the Science for a Better Life
Award from the South African National
Seed Organisation (SANSOR) and Bay-
er. This award is given annually to some-
one who has made a significant contri-
bution and impact to the seed industry
and who left a legacy for future genera-
tions in the seed industry. His research
and forage breeding has made a mas-
sive contribution to seed and livestock
industries.
or are still being marketed in South Af-
rica and internationally. “It has thus
very definitely been a TEAM EFFORT”,
emphasises Dave. Receiving this award,
Dave paid tribute to his co-operation
with a biochemist Dr Johan Marais and
his former colleague, Sigrun Amman.
Dave served on the council of the GSSA
as Honorary Treasurer for 10 years, and
then as President of the GSSA in 2001.
In 1995, Dave received the Meritorious
Award from the Grassland Society in
recognition of outstanding service to
Grassland Science. In addition to plant
breeding, Dave also enjoys catching fish
and, in his younger days, enjoyed play-
ing league soccer and hockey. Valuable
advice Dave received from his mentor,
Dr Dieter Reusch, is that you need to
have an “intimate” relationship with the
plants that you evaluate- “that enables
you to identify the most superior plants
for inclusion in your forage breeding
projects”.
Dave, who was born near Umkomaas
on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, first
joined the ARC-Cedara in January 1966
as a Forage Breeding Pupil Technician.
Later in the years, Dave was promoted
to Research Technician, Senior and then
Chief Technician. In 1983 he was ap-
pointed Project Leader in Forage Crop
Breeding, the post he held until his “re-
tirement” at the end of April 2011. Dave
never really retired because he was then
reappointed at ARC-AP Cedara on con-
tract basis to mentor and guide the
forage breeding team until the end of
June 2018. He comes to Cedara and ad-
vises the team.
Dave emphasises the major roles his
mentors have played over the years in
guiding and shaping his thinking and
forage breeding strategies. He initially
worked under the mentorship of Forage
Plant Breeder Mr Jolyon Rhind, during
which time Jolyon bred and released
Midmar Westerwolds Ryegrass in 1975,
with Dr Dieter Reusch and Dave being
listed as co-breeders of Midmar. This
was the first ryegrass to be bred at Ce-
dara, and was vigorously marketed in
South Africa for many years as well as
in Australia. Later, under the mentorship
of a geneticist, Dr Dieter Reusch, Dave
bred Dargle, his first Italian ryegrass in
1993, which was also marketed in South
Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
These ryegrasses were followed by
many years of breeding and the release
of 45 more varieties, most of which were,
Grassroots
Vol 19
No 4
Figure 1: Dr Lukeshni Chetty (General Manager of SANSOR) and Dr Dave Good-
enough, (ARC’s retired Forage Breeder and GSSA’s former council member)
November 2019
04