Many hands make light work at the TPCP tree planting
Some 50 students linked to the Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP) in FABI replanted more than 1700 Eucalyptus and 200 pine seedlings on the morning of 5 March.
10 Mar 2021
8 Mar 2021
GRP team visits farms in the Eastern Cape and KZN
The Grain Research Program (GRP) team in collaboration with the University of the Free State’s Department of Plant Sciences team embarked on a field trip to the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
3 Mar 2021
FABI researchers work with Sappi in KwaZulu-Natal
FABI team members visited various Sappi holdings in KwaZulu-Natal during the week of 22 February.
26 Feb 2021
Drivers and brakes of pathogen emergence
Professor Daniel Croll of the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland was the guest presenter of this month’s FABI International Seminar Series on 25 February.
19 Feb 2021
In memoriam: Professor Stefan Neser
Stefan passed away on Wednesday, 17 February 2021. Our deepest condolences to his wife Ottilie, his children, other members of his family, and the many special friends that he had in South Africa and abroad.
19 Feb 2021
Macadamia research program’s field visit to Mpumalanga
The Macadamia Protection Program (MPP) is back in the field! MPP research group leader Dr Gerda Fourie, joined by MSc candidate Dee Twiddy and PhD candidate Elisa Pal travelled to the Mpumalanga area during the week of 9 February.
18 Feb 2021
FABI biocontrol centre imports Anaphes nitens from Australia
Despite travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a shipment of Anaphes nitens collected in Queensland, Australia was received by the FABI biocontrol facility at the University of Pretoria’s experimental farm last week.
17 Feb 2021
Two FABIans attend the Leadership Academy for Agriculture
During the first week of February, two FABIans, Drs Mahlane Godfrey Kgatle and Miekie Human attended the first of three sessions of the “Leadership in the Connection Economy Programme”.
15 Feb 2021
New internship programme begins at FABI
n 1 February, a new internship programme was launched at FABI under the auspices of the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Plant Health Biotechnology (CPHB).
12 Feb 2021
Professor Ströh addresses FABI MMM
Professor Anton Ströh, Vice-Principal: Institutional Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, and acting Vice-Principle for Research and Post-graduate Educationat the University of Pretoria was the guest speaker at the FABI Monday Morning Meeting (MMM) of 8 February. Innovation Africa @UP is an important part of this plan to drive transdisciplinary research and FABI is a core part of this flagship project. FABI Director Prof.
12 Feb 2021
US collaborators visit FABI to plan a joint research project
Long-time FABI research collaborator and extraordinary staff member of the Institute, Prof. Francois Roets from Stellenbosch University visited FABI on 11 February to meet various colleagues and to discuss numerous collaborative projects.
11 Feb 2021
Disease screening of maize genotypes in the Eastern Cape
Drs David Nsibo and Mahlane Godfrey Kgatle of the Grain Research Program (GRP) travelled to the Rocky Park Farm in Ugie, Eastern Cape, from 25-27 January 2021. The team would like to thank Sinelizwi Fakade and Lesego Selokela for assisting the team with the planting and maintenance of the MCT at Rocky Park Farm and the University of Pretoria, respectively.
8 Feb 2021
The FABI diagnostics team is growing
Thirty-two years ago the first diagnostic clinic to service the South African forestry industry was established as part of the birth of the Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP). The FABI Diagnostic Clinic continues to grow to serve the increasing needs of its industry partners. Gabrielle has been a part of the FABI family since 2009, where her research focused on phytobacteria, and for her PhD and postdoc she studied bacterial wilt on Eucalyptus. Shawn Fell is nearing completion of his MSc degree which focused on the PSHB and its associated fungi on pecan trees. The FABI Diagnostic Clinic also welcomes six students and two interns to the team.
4 Feb 2021
Congratulations to Ntombikayise Nkomo on completing her PhD
FABI celebrated the completion of the second PhD in 2021 with Ntombi Nkomo producing what FABI Director Prof. Ntombi’s primary supervisor was Prof. Several members of the soft rot Pectobacteriaceae family such as Pectobacterium brasiliense1692 (Pb1692) attack a wide range of crops worldwide with P. The objective of Ntombi’s PhD study was to determine the role of two transcriptional regulators SlyA and PhoP in the biology of Pb1692.
1 Feb 2021
Industry partners seconded to the University of Pretoria
Dr Miekie Human and Stefan Links are employed by Grain SA, but have been seconded to the University of Pretoria with effect from 1 February for part of their time.
29 Jan 2021
FABI’s International Seminar Series resumes focussing on the impact mycotoxins on human health
ABI’s very successful and popular International Seminar Series that was established early in 2020 hosted its first seminar for 2021 on 28 January.
28 Jan 2021
Khumbhuzile Bophela presents the first FABI Prestige Seminar in 2021
FABI congratulates Khumbuzile Bophela on being the first FABIan to successfully complete all degree requirements to pass her PhD in 2021.
28 Jan 2021
FABI researchers feature prominently in FSA magazine
The research programmes and activities of several FABIans are profiled in the second issue of the Timber Industry Present magazine (TIP-MAG), an online publication of the Timber Industry Pesticides Working Group (TIPWG) of Forestry South Africa (FSA).
25 Jan 2021
FABI hosts a virtual SASPP Symposium
On 20 January, FABI had the pleasure of hosting a virtual congress of the South African Society of Plant Pathologists’ (SASPP).
22 Jan 2021
New book on pests and diseases of Pine and Eucalyptus in Colombia published
Professor Mike Wingfield and FABI alumnus Dr Carlos Rodas have co-authored a new book entitled “Important insect pests and diseases of Pinus and Eucalyptus in Colombia”.
22 Jan 2021
ARP team members visit Tzaneen
During the week of 18 January, members of the Avocado Research Programme (ARP), Dr Velushka Swart, PhD candidate Phinda Magagula and MSc candidate Raven Wienk travelled to Tzaneen. Finally, to ensure that this trip served to accomplish as much as possible, they visited several Macadamia orchards in the area to sample nuts with Husk rot symptoms on behalf of the Macadamia Protection Programme (MPP).
20 Jan 2021
Mike unpacks FABI’s past at MMM
Following the recent clearing-out of 30 years’ paperwork, Prof. Mike Wingfield shared some of the 32-year history of the Institute at the Monday Morning Meeting (MMM) of 18 January.
15 Jan 2021
FABIans get 2021 up and running
ABI officially opened for the new year starting with an online Monday Morning Meeting on 11 January.
12 Jan 2021
Mike Wingfield starts 2021 by clearing FABI of 30 years of his accumulated correspondence
The new year got off to a busy start when Prof.
11 Jan 2021
RGE-FABI THP symposium links three continents
The RGE-FABI Tree Health Programme (THP) hosted its annual symposium on 3 December.
14 Dec 2020
FABI wishes for the Festive Season and 2021
We wish you a restful holiday period, and all the very best for 2021!
13 Dec 2020
FABIans contribute to special issues in two scientific journals commemorating the International Year of Plant Health
The United Nations has declared 2020 the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH), in recognition of the urgent need for greater global collaboration to protect plant health.
11 Dec 2020
FABI became the first institute of Innovation Africa@UP in 2020
In 2020, the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) became the first institute to join the Innovation Africa@UP unit.
10 Dec 2020
Join us for the Southern African Society for Plant Pathology conference on 20 January!
We are excited to connect with you on 20 January for our Southern African Society for Plant Pathology(SASPP) hybrid meeting at Future Africa at the University of Pretoria.
10 Dec 2020
Prof. Kupe visits FABI to discuss the need to rethink, reimagine and reposition higher education in a post-COVID-19 world
The Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria, Professor Tawana Kupe addressed the FABI Monday Morning Meeting on 30 November on higher education reimagined in the post COVID-19 world. COVID-19 has many negative implications for higher education. Notwithstanding the challenges, the pandemic has highlighted the need for a hybrid or blended education. Universities also have enormous research and development resources to contribute to the transformation of society. This is Professor Kupe’s third visit to FABI since his appointment at UP, and much appreciated by the community.
9 Dec 2020
Recently-appointed Sappi Vice President visits FABI
FABI was honoured to host a visit by the newly-appointed Vice President: Sappi Forests, Duane Roothman on 2 December.
8 Dec 2020
Last tree planting event for 2020
Forty FABIans from the Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP) and Grain Research programme (GRP) got their hands dirty replanting 200 pine and 1500 Eucalyptus seedlings into potting bags at the last tree planting event for 2020 on 27 November. This year’s tree planting also included students from the GRP who harvested maize leaves.
7 Dec 2020
Treatment trials established to fight Phytophthora die-back in Kirstenbosch gardens
South Africa’s iconic silver trees (Leucadendron argenteum) are listed as Endangered (EN) in the Red List of South African Plants.
2 Dec 2020
Almuth Hammerbacher promoted to Associate Professor
FABI congratulates Dr Almuth Hammerbacher on her well-deserved promotion to Associate Professor, effective January 2021.
1 Dec 2020
FABI PhD student presents at Entomology 2020
Ms Luki-Marie Scheepers, a PhD student in the Applied Chemical Ecology research group in FABI, presented her and her co-authors’ work on the Pine Emperor moth, Nudaurelia clarki, at the prestigious Entomological Society of America (ESA) annual meeting ‘Entomology 2020’. Annual conferences like these are usually highly anticipated collaboration and networking events and this year was no different despite it being hosted virtually. The online platform empowered a global audience, from 51 countries, to watch a total of 87 symposia divided into sections including systematics, medical science, ecosystems and physiology. The symposium content was full of variety, ranging from how bumblebees cope with self-created heat, how a fly evades your swat on a neural level and so much more. This conference illustrates the grit and innovation of researchers worldwide to continue networking, collaborating, innovating and working towards a finding answers for real-world problems despite a gripping global restriction on movement.
30 Nov 2020
Beauty in biodiversity and research excellence celebrated at 2020 year-end function
FABIans celebrated their stellar achievements in 2020 and toasted to new partnerships on 21 November at the first virtual year-end function.