6 Nov 2021

FABIans recognised with UP Academic Achievers’ Awards

Thirteen FABI research staff members' research excellence was recognised at the recent UP Academic Achievers' Awards.


5 Nov 2021

Researchers from FABI and UQ strengthen collaboration with regular online meetings

Members of MPP and UQ teams have been taking part in monthly research meeting throughout 2021 using online platforms.


4 Nov 2021

FABI researchers make an early start to present at the 3rd IUFRO Acacia webinar

FABI researchers make an early start to present at the 3rd IUFRO Acacia webinar.


3 Nov 2021

Liberating taxonomic data from literature under the spotlight SASSB Seminar

The activities of the Swiss NGO, Plazi, was the topic of discussion by its Founder and President Dr Donat Agosti at the Southern African Society of Systematic Biologists (SASSB) seminar on 14 October.


29 Oct 2021

AI and Crop Health – Business Day article for World Food Day

AI and its role in crop health monitoring was featured in an article written by Prof. Dave Berger for a special edition of the newspaper Business Day.


29 Oct 2021

First publications celebrated at the TPCP publication party

After an 18 month hiatus, FABI celebrated the first publications in an ISI-rated scientific journal of three FABI postgraduate students in the TPCP and CTHB groups


27 Oct 2021

ICFR-FABI collaboration on long-term Gonipterus trial

A large group consisting of staff and students from FABI, the ICFR and Sappi met last week in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands for the first damage scoring of a long-term Gonipterus trial.


26 Oct 2021

FABI’s Internship Programme in Phytosanitation and Biosecurity expands even further

Two more candidates, Phozisa Dlokweni and Sindiso Mtshubungu joined the internship programme in Phytosanitation and Biosecurity at FABI on 1 October. Phozisa and Sindiso both have obtained degrees in forestry at the Nelson Mandela University.


25 Oct 2021

FABI Phytosanitation and Biosecurity interns attend a phytosanitary course

Interns in the Phytosanitation and Biosecurity internship programme in FABI had the privilege to attend a two-day introductory phytosanitary course recently.


21 Oct 2021

FABIans and Engineers collaborate on digitization of agriculture presentation

Two FABIans teamed up with two engineers to present a talk at the 2021 IEEE 4th 5G World Forum.


20 Oct 2021

FABI researchers investigate photosynthesis in the Namib

Professor Tjaart Krüger and Dr Michal Gwizdala travelled to the Namib Desert to explore the molecular mechanisms responsible for sustaining photosynthesis in hypolithons in extreme environments.


19 Oct 2021

Cobus Visagie presents at DGFM Centennial symposium

Celebrating their 100th year of existence, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Mykologie (DGfM) held their conference from 6-10 October in Blaubeuren, Germany.


18 Oct 2021

Mad Mac Flower blight fieldtrip

During the week of 5 October, the Macadamia Protection Programme was in Mpumalanga for an on-going flower blight survey.


15 Oct 2021

Lesotho agricultural research delegation visits FABI

FABI hosted a visit by a delegation from the Lesotho Department of Agricultural Research (DAR) on 11 October.


14 Oct 2021

ARP hosts its annual Research Day

The Hans Merensky Chair in Avocado Research, hosted its annual Student Research Day as a hybrid meeting on 5 October.


13 Oct 2021

FABIans attend the NSSA Symposium

Professor Brett Hurley and PhD candidate Agil Katumanyane attended the 23rd Symposium of the Nematological Society of Southern Africa (NSSA).


12 Oct 2021

Nicky Creux co-organises International Sunflower Association (ISA) webconference

Dr Nicky Creux, programme leader of the Crop Floral Biology and Environments research group in FABI was a co-organiser ( of the International Sunflower Association (ISA) webconference on sunflower-pollinator interactions.


12 Oct 2021

Quentin Guignard interviewed on SAFM

Dr Quentin Guignard participated in a live radio interview on SAFM recently where host Stephen Grootes spoke to him about his research work conducted as part of his PhD research.


8 Oct 2021

FABI participates in the third seed packing project for the National Maize Cultivar Evaluation Trials

A team of 36 FABI TPCP/CPHB students and interns took to task packing a large number of maize seed cultivars from the 20-22 September 2021.


8 Oct 2021

Discover FABI’s art collection

FABIans and visitors to the Institute now have the biographical information about the artists whose artwork adorns the walls in FABI available at their fingertips.


7 Oct 2021

Translating plant health information into South African languages

On 5 October, FABIans lent their voices to be heard towards the accomplishment of a mission to talk to smallholder grain farmers in South Africa in their own languages


7 Oct 2021

More than 500 Eucalyptus trees harvested for future studies in FABI

From 13-15 September, a group of FABIans visited SAPPI plantations in the Richards Bay area to collect leaf material from more than 500 Eucalyptus grandis trees.


6 Oct 2021

FABI celebrates World Fungi Day

On Saturday 2 October a group of FABIans joined Prof. Mike Wingfield in celebrating World Fungi Day.


5 Oct 2021

Sclerotinia stem rot of soybean research featured in the FABI International Seminar Series

Dr Damon L. Smith of the University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) was the guest presenter at the September FABI International Seminar Series on 30 September.


5 Oct 2021

FABI and SAPPI partner for Phytophthora trials

A group of TPCP researchers inoculated 19 families of Eucalyptus benthamii with Phytophthora alticola as part of an infection trial in partnership with Sappi.


4 Oct 2021

FABI shines at the Spring graduation

The University of Pretoria conferred 20 postgraduate degrees – 13 PhD degrees and seven MSc degrees – to FABIans during the Spring graduation ceremony.


4 Oct 2021

Zander Myburg and co-workers awarded US-DOE grant to decipher woody biomass production and environmental interactions of eucalypt trees

Professor Zander Myburg, Director of the FMG Programme in FABI will lead an international team of researchers in a US-DOE funded project for large-scale genome sequencing to decipher woody biomass production and environmental interactions of eucalypt trees.


4 Oct 2021

Remembering Neville Denison (1936-2021)

Reflections of Prof. Mike Wingfield, Founding Director of the TPCP and FABI on the passing of Neville Denison.


30 Sep 2021

Twelfth Online meeting of the bark beetle mycobiome International Research Coordination Network

On Wednesday 29 September, the Bark Beetle Mycobiome International Research Coordination Network held their 12th online meeting.


28 Sep 2021

Diversifying the biological control of Gonipterus sp. 2 in South Africa

Recent surveys have revealed several species of egg and larval parasitoids to occur in the native range of the Gonipterus scutellatus species complex.


20 Sep 2021

Cobus Visage a winner in the Zeiss Microscopy Image Contest 2021

Congratulations to Prof. The winning entries can be viewed here.


17 Sep 2021

FABI has its first drone pilots

ITwo FABIans have recently completed a Remote Piloted Aircraft pilot course and license accredited by the South African Civil Aviation Authority.


16 Sep 2021

FABI well represented at the ISCE conference 2021

From 5-10 September, academic staff, postdoctoral fellows, and students from FABI attended the 36th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Chemical Ecology (ISCE).


14 Sep 2021

GRP Disease Diagnostic and Extension service ready for new season after their visit to Cropwatch

During the week of 6-8 September, members of the Grain Research programme (GRP) travelled to Komatipoort to visit research partners, Cropwatch Africa.


13 Sep 2021

FABI team returns to the Cederberg for sampling

Members of the FABI met up with colleagues from Stellenbosch University to sample declining trees in the Cederberg mountains.


9 Sep 2021

SASSB webinar explores a continental floristic riddle

The September webinar of the Southern African Society for Systematic Biology on 2 September had as guest speaker Dr Isabel Sanmartin, a senior scientist at the Royal Botanical Garden, CSIC in Madrid, Spain.