As part of their course in Crop Protection, second and third year students from the University of Pretoria visited the FABI Biocontrol Centre. This formed one of their practical sessions and involved four stops where the students were exposed to different aspects of biological control of forest insect pests. A major aim of the visit to the FABI Biocontrol Centre is for the students to gain an understanding of the research required to support a biological control programme.

The stops were:

1.     Insect pests of plantation forests in South Africa

2.     Biological control of eucalypt insect pests

3.     Biological control using entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs)

4.     Biological control of the Sirex woodwasp using parasitic nematodes

The practical was organised by Dr Michelle Schröder, with assistance from Ms Samantha Bush, Ms Zandile Mngadi, Mr Osmond Mlonyeni, Mr Joseph Khadile and Dr Brett Hurley.