Chief Scientist — Prof. Mmaditshaba Rapatsa-Malatji

Prof. Mmaditshaba Rapatsa-Malatji — Chief Scientist at Nana Organics

Science you can trace back to other scientists

Prof. Mmaditshaba Rapatsa-Malatji is an aquaculture scientist and academic with specialised expertise in fish nutrition, sustainable aquaculture and plant-nutrition research. She provides scientific and technical guidance, with a focus on sustainability, productivity, water-use efficiency and practical application for South African producers. Her work is centred on advancing innovative farming systems that strengthen food security, support skills development and promote environmentally responsible agricultural production.

Use MICRO, GROW and BLOOM together at 3+3+3 mL/L. Add MICRO to water first and mix, then GROW and mix, then BLOOM. Maintain tank pH at 5.5–6.0. Never mix undiluted concentrates or add this hydroponic dose to a fish tank.

Published aquaculture and plant-nutrition research provides background guidance. It does not establish the stability, yield, water savings or other performance of a Nana Organics product without product-specific testing.

Our scientific thesis

Water is the medium of life — and the future of how we feed ourselves.

Hydroponics supplies mineral nutrients through water rather than soil. Plants still require suitable light, root-zone oxygen and careful management. Water and land use depend on the crop, system and conditions; efficiency must be measured, not assumed.

Areas of Expertise

Research, nutrition and training

Each expertise area below is a strand of the same story — water as a precision delivery system for nutrition. These are research and education areas, not additional Nana Organics system offerings.

Hydroponic Plant Nutrition

Hydroponics supplies mineral nutrients through water rather than soil. MICRO, GROW and BLOOM are used together alongside suitable light, root-zone oxygen and system management. Source-water compatibility requires assessment; a formulation alone does not establish suitability for every South African water source.

Read the science

Skills & Training

Translating peer-reviewed hydroponic research into practical curricula for South African producers, students and rural cooperatives — so the science leaves the lab and reaches the farm, the school and the backyard.

Read the science

Training Academy

Learn hydroponic plant nutrition.

Hydroponic Plant Nutrition covers MICRO, GROW and BLOOM mixing, source water, EC and pH. Confirm course availability, instructor, format and scope before booking.

Inside the work

What the science looks like in practice

These hydroponic configurations illustrate plant-nutrition research — not evidence of Nana Organics product trials.

Lush green lettuce thriving in an NFT hydroponic channel in a hydroponic channel — Illustrative NFT lettuce cultivation.

Illustrative vertical tower hydroponic configuration; final equipment confirmed by quotation — Vertical tower hydroponics — illustrative configuration.

Healthy white hydroponic plant roots suspended suspended in a nutrient solution — Illustrative roots in hydroponic cultivation.

Guiding Principles

Five principles that guide our work

Guiding principles for nutrient supply, responsible use and customer support.

Evidence first

Distinguish published guidance from product-specific evidence.

Measure water use

Record consumption and investigate avoidable losses.

Compare costs

Assess pack prices against your expected use and budget.

Clear directions

Provide consistent mixing directions and accessible growing guidance.

Local before global

Developed with South African growers in mind; assess local source water, climate and crop conditions rather than assuming universal compatibility.

Published research and practical nutrient guidance.

Explore product directions and published cultivation background. Research context is not product certification.

Interpret the research background responsibly

Guidance is not product certification

A scientific research background provides context for asking questions and interpreting evidence. It does not itself establish product registration, stability, safety classification or crop performance. Those require their own documentation; the profile is not a product-release approval.

When reading research, check the crop, water, system and experimental conditions. Another institution’s result is not a Nana Organics trial. Practical guidance should distinguish literature context from the current product directions.

Prof. MmaditshabaRapatsa-Malatji