Drs Trudy Paap and Tanay Bose, Research Fellows with the Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP), participated in the 11^th Meeting of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) Working Party 7.02.09: Phytophthora in Forests and Natural Ecosystems, held from 8-13 September in Paihia, New Zealand.

Dr Paap delivered a keynote address titled "The root rot pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi: A long overlooked threat to the Cape Floristic Region." In her presentation, Dr Paap emphasized the devastating effects of the invasive pathogen P. cinnamomi on the endemic and endangered flora of the Cape Floristic Region (CFR). She also shared insights from her work in the Southwest Australian Floristic Region (SWAFR), where this pathogen has caused irreversible damage to the native flora of Western Australia.

Dr Tanay Bose presented his talk, "Phytophthora Research in Sub-Saharan Africa: Unveiling the imperative next steps," which was inspired by his recent article published in Mycological Progress. His presentation traced the introduction of Phytophthora to the Western Cape of South Africa during colonial times and discussed the lack of research on the diversity and impact of this genus across sub-Saharan Africa. According to Dr Bose, further study is crucial to understanding the pathogen's effect on ecosystems in the region.

Dr Bose, as a part of the “Phytophthora Preservation Group”, also co-authored a talk presented by Prof. Bruno Scanu from Università degli Studi di Sassari, Italy

titled "Phytophthora: An ancient, historic, biologically and structurally cohesive, and evolutionarily successful generic concept in need of preservation". In addition to Dr Bose and Prof. Scanu, co-authors included T. Bourret, C. Brasier, D.E.L. Cooke, F. Govers, N. Grünwald, and T. Jung. The talk underscored the importance of preserving the genus Phytophthora as it continues to pose a serious threat to global ecosystems, the preservation group emphasized the need for sustained research and conservation efforts to protect both biodiversity and the structural integrity of ecosystems impacted by the pathogen.

In a significant announcement, Dr Bose, Chair of the next Phytophthora Congress, along with Dr Paap, presented a proposal for the 2026 edition of the conference to be held in South Africa. This will mark the first time the congress is hosted on the African continent, scheduled for 13-21 September 2026. The event will spotlight the growing importance of Phytophthora research in Africa and globally.