Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK, Oct. 9 — The University of Namibia’s Neudamm Campus, within the Department of Animal Production, Agribusiness, and Economics (DAPAE), has recently acquired a state-of-the-art Perkin Elmer DA 7250 Near Infrared (NIR) analyzer. This noteworthy investment, valued at N$850,000.00, was made possible through funding from the Rangeland Improvement through Bush Control and Sustainable Intensification to Mitigate Climate Change and Improve Livelihoods and Food Security in Southern Africa (RIBS) project.
The RIBS project is a 3.5-year initiative set to run from 2022 to 2026, supported by the Southern African Science Service Centre for Climate Change and Adaptive Land Management (SASSCAL) 2.0, with funding totalling N$10.75 million (€524,980). This collaborative endeavour unites five consortium partners: UNAM (coordinator for African partners), Namibia University of Science and Technology, Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources, North-West University (RSA), and Brandenburg University of Technology (Germany).
The newly acquired DA 7250 NIR analyzer is PerkinElmer’s third-generation diode array NIR instrument, custom-designed for the food and agricultural sectors. It offers exceptional analytical accuracy, speed, user-friendliness, and versatility. Its calibrations cover a wide range of applications, analyzing various parameters such as moisture, protein, fat, fibre, and starch across diverse samples, including powders, pellets, grains, pastes, and slurries.
This significant addition to the University’s resources will greatly enhance research efforts under the RIBS project. Furthermore, it represents a substantial advancement in capacity building within the Faculty of Agriculture, Engineering, and Natural Sciences, which includes the School of Agriculture and Fisheries Sciences.
To ensure the efficient utilization of the DA 7250, Ms. Nombulelo Molokoane, an accredited PerkinElmer representative, conducted an extensive training session for over 25 UNAM staff members across Neudamm, Ogongo, and Sam Nujoma campuses, as well as postgraduate students and several industry professionals.
The DA 7250 NIR analyzer is a valuable tool for the rapid analysis of samples, capable of processing grains, pellets, and liquids in just 6 seconds. While its speed and precision make it an invaluable asset, it does require initial calibration using wet lab results.
The acquisition of the DA 7250 NIR analyzer underscores the University of Namibia’s dedication to excellence in teaching, learning, and research. It also represents a significant milestone in advancing the RIBS project’s objectives of improving rangeland management, mitigating climate change, and enhancing livelihoods and food security in Southern Africa. – Namibia Daily News
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