Gearing up for a pest and pathogen arms race
Tree health practitioners discuss technological advances and re-emerging threats to the world’s forests on the last day of the 30th TPCP Annual Meeting
20 May 2019
19 May 2019
Prof. Mike Wingfield shares insights on running a successful tree health programme
At this year's Annual TPCP meetings, Prof. Mike Wingfield shared seven attributes he considered central to the success of the 30-year-old programme.
19 May 2019
The power of partnerships, basic research and new technologies highlighted at the 30th Annual Meeting of the TPCP
The Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP) hosted its 30th annual meeting at the University of Pretoria’s Future Africa campus on 14 May.
18 May 2019
The DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology celebrates 15 years of tree health research
The DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) hosted its 15th annual meeting at the University of Pretoria’s Future Africa campus on 13 May.
16 May 2019
FABI at the IUFRO Shoot, Leaf And Wilt Diseases Meeting in Italy
FABI enjoyed a significant presence at the IUFRO meeting focused on shoot, leaf and wilt diseases of forest trees held from the 6th to the 10th May in Italy)
7 May 2019
PSHB survey in Northern Cape Pecan orchards
A team of four FABIans, together two staff members of the South African Pecan Producers Association (SAPPA), spent last week surveying pecan orchards in the Northern Cape for the presence of PSHB (Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer) infestations.
2 May 2019
Dr Cobus Visagie to join FABI
The University of Pretoria (UP) has appointed Dr Cobus Visagie as Associate Professor and will join FABI from June 2019. Dr Visagie currently works as senior researcher at the ARC, and hold extraordinary positions at UP and Stellenbosch University.
30 Apr 2019
FABI shines at the Autumn Graduation
Congratulations to those FABIans that were capped at the Autumn Graduation Ceremony of the University of Pretoria.
29 Apr 2019
Danielle Roodt successfully defends her PhD thesis
Danielle Roodt successfully defended her PhD entitled “The evolution of xylogenesis in the vascular plants” during her Prestige Seminar on 23 April, becoming the sixth FABIan to be awarded their PhD this year.
28 Apr 2019
Shothole Borer meetings in the Cape Peninsula
Profs Wilhelm de Beer from FABI, and Francois Roets from Stellenbosch University, participated in a number of PSHB related meetings in the Cape Peninsula during the past week.
26 Apr 2019
Congratulations to Eric Visser on successfully defending his Ph.D
Erik Visser successfully defended his Ph.D. after he presented a Prestige Seminar entitled “Transcriptomic model of resistance mechanisms in the Pinus-Fusarium circinatum interaction” on 18 April.
25 Apr 2019
FABIans attend the Black Women in Science inaugural gala dinner
FABI Ph.D. candidates Benedicta Swalarsk-Parry and Khumbuzile Bophela attended the inaugural Black Women in Science (BWIS) gala dinner on 6 April.
25 Apr 2019
The Mondi Chair in Forest Pathology: Celebration of a 25 year investment
Mondi South Africa, part of the leading international paper and pulp company began its investment in the Mondi Chair in Forest Pathology in 1994. On Monday 17 April Mondi held a celebration at their Homeleigh Guest House in Kwambonmbi to recognize the contributions of the Mondi Chair in Forest Pathology.
23 Apr 2019
Fourth FABI Ph.D. for 2019
Caryn Oates become the fourth FABIan to be awarded their Ph. Leptocybe invasa is a gall wasp that causes significant damage to Eucalyptus plantations in South Africa. It was found that L.
18 Apr 2019
FABIans celebrate Zander Human’s prestige seminar
Zander Human successfully defended his PhD thesis after presenting his prestige seminar in the FABI auditorium on 16 April, meeting all the requirements for a doctoral degree. Protea repens grow on nutrient-poor soil in the fynbos biome, a habitat prone to fire. Zander identified not only fungal communities present in the structures but also bacterial communities.
17 Apr 2019
FABI PhD student wins prize at Joint Genome Institute User Meeting in San Francisco
FABI team members Prof. Lazarus Takawira, a PhD student under the supervisor of Dr Steven Hussey and the author of the paperback Imagine Africa, flew the FABI banner high by scooping the Best Student Poster award. Lazarus’ research made extensive use of a JGI Community DNA Synthesis Grant awarded to his supervisor, Dr Hussey, in 2016. Captions: 1. 2.
12 Apr 2019
Exciting initial results towards the management of the pine emperor moth
FABIans Dr Marc Bouwer, Luki-Marie Scheepers and Rosa Knoppersen had a short field trip to Bulwer in April to to service and remove pine emperor moth pheromone traps that were previously deployed in that area.
10 Apr 2019
Guide on biological control of insect pests in forests published
The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has published a “Guide to the classical biological control of insect pests in planted and natural forests”. The guide includes information on the processes leading to classical biological control (CBC), the implementation of CBC and post-release monitoring and evaluation of CBC agents.
9 Apr 2019
FABIans participate in a Biosafety symposium
The second annual Biosafey SA symposium was held in Pretoria at the beautiful Diep in die Berg conference centre on 14 March. Michael Pepper from the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Health Sciences kick-started the symposium with a thought-provoking presentation addressing the ethical, legal and social implications of human genetics and genomics.
8 Apr 2019
FABI researchers co-organize international low-cost viral diagnostics workshop featuring open-source technologies
A Global Challenges Research Fund-supported international collaboration, aiming to develop point-of-care low cost viral diagnostic (LCVD) assays, convened at Future Africa for a three-day workshop from 13-15 March 2019.
5 Apr 2019
New UP Vice Chancellor visits FABI
The University of Pretoria’s recently inaugurated Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Tawana Kupe visited FABI on 1 April, addressing staff and students at the weekly Monday Morning Meeting.
4 Apr 2019
An “Engaging Plant Scientists” initiative
During the March school holidays, the Plant Pathogenic Bacteria Research Programme hosted a grade 10 learner, Mbali Mogashwa, and a third year BSc Microbiology student, Rose Shabangu for a day.
3 Apr 2019
Mites and malformations close to home
Floral malformation is an important disease problem on mango trees where it is associated with various Fusarium spp.
2 Apr 2019
CFTPP Team at CERC’s 40 km team building walk
The whole year's work depends on a good start in spring, and the work for the year is best begun in spring.
1 Apr 2019
Dr Wayne Hancock visits the Macadamia Protection Programme and presents a special seminar at FABI
Dr Wayne Hancock of Southern Cross University, Australia visited Dr Gerda Fourie, research leader of the Macadamia Protection Programme in FABI, from 25 to 28 March.
29 Mar 2019
Quentin Santana becomes the third FABIan to earn the title “Dr” in 2019
Congratulations to Quentin Santana on fulfilling all the requirements for a PhD degree! Quentin is the third candidate at FABI to achieve this feat in 2019.
27 Mar 2019
Crossing the Equator: A research visit to the National Coffee Research Institute (NaCORI) in Uganda
From 18 to 22 March, Dr Vuyiswa Bushula-Njah visited the National Coffee Research Institute (NaCORI) in Uganda.
20 Mar 2019
International Day of Forests celebrated at Future Africa and FABI
FABI Director Professor Bernard Slippers and FABI founding Director and current IUFRO President Prof Mike Wingfield were amongst the numerous speakers who addressed the theme “Forests and Education” at a symposium celebrating the International Day of Forests held at the University of Pretoria’s Future Africa Campus on 18 March.
20 Mar 2019
FABIans flexed their green fingers at 2019’s first tree planting session
A team of about 40 students spent the morning on 21 March replanting 1600 cuttings into potting bags at the FABI nursery on the University of Pretoria’s experimental farm.
19 Mar 2019
PSHB fungus tested for pathogenicity on commercial forest trees
During the past week, Prof. Wilhelm de Beer and some FABI students inoculated Eucalyptus grandis and wattle trees with the PSHB fungus on the experimental farm of the University.
19 Mar 2019
FABI hosts delegation from DAFF’s International Day of Forests celebrations
FABI hosted a delegation of officials from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), academics and forestry students on 19 March.
15 Mar 2019
FABI PhD student speaks about his prize-winning science communication video and tree health matters in interview with VOC FM
FABI PhD candidate Darryl Herron cast the spotlight on tree health matters during an interview with VOC FM, a community radio station based in Ermelo, Mpumalanga, on 14 March.
15 Mar 2019
FABI attends the Fungal Genetics meeting
Eight Fabians attended the Fungal Genetics meeting in Asilomar, California during March 2019.
14 Mar 2019
Busy week in the field for the TPCP
In the week of 4 March, the TPCP had three different field trips to the KwaZulu-Natal, Midlands.
6 Mar 2019
Thirteen students join the CTHB Undergraduate Mentorship Programme in 2019
Thirteen undergraduate students will get their first taste of life as researchers as mentees in the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology’s undergraduate mentorship programme.
1 Mar 2019
Prof Steven Chown: Global leader in Antarctic Science and Biodiversity visits FABI
Professor Steven Chown of the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University in Australia visited FABI on the 27 February to engage with academic colleagues and students.