On 4 December, FABI hosted a visit by a group from Sappi’s Mpumalanga forestry operations. The group, led by Prof. Jolanda Roux, visited the FABI biocontrol and insect rearing facility on the University of Pretoria's Hillcrest Campus and the Institute’s Hatfield campus facility. They were shown the research work being done by the Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP) to combat Eucalyptus and Pine pests in South African commercial plantations, including the disease screening and biological control research facilities. The tour also included visits to FABI laboratories, the diagnostic clinic, culture collection, tissue culture, chemical ecology and Crispr/CAS-9 laboratories.

Foresters are often the first to spot new pests and diseases in plantations and experience first hand the impact they cause. They also assist FABI researchers in the field when they visit plantations for fieldwork and extension duties. Visits like these are an excellent opportunity for them to be shown the work FABI does “behind the scenes” to keep trees healthy.