This research programme is fully funded by Citrus Research International, with emphasis on the sustainable management of important preharvest diseases, and pre- and postharvest insect pests of citrus in South Africa. The increased pressure on South African agriculture from the EU Green Deal, particularly on export crops such as citrus, necessitates the need to focus research on gaining a better understanding of the epidemiology of diseases and biology of insect pests in order to develop and advise on effective Integrated Pest Management strategies. The diseases currently under consideration in this programme are Phytophthora root rot, Botrytis grey mould and Alternaria brown spot. The complex of fruit flies (Bactrocera and Ceratitis species) and psyllids present or at risk of introduction to South Africa are the focus of our entomological research.
Citrus Health
New Publications
van der Waals JE, Kruger K. (2020) Emerging potato pathogens affecting food security in southern Africa: Recent research. South African Journal of Science 116(11/12)
10.17159/
Moleboheng M, Modisane KJ, Apostolides Z, van der Waals JE. (2020) Metabolomic Fingerprinting of Potato Cultivars Differing in Susceptibility to Spongospora subterranea f. sp. subterranea Root Infection. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21:3788.
10.3390/ijms21113788
Simango K, Slabbert C, van der Waals JE. (2020) Alternative hosts of Spongospora subterranea f. sp. subterranea in southern Africa. European Journal of Plant Pathology In Press
10.1007/s10658-020-01993-z
Mbedzi PP, Van den Hooven L, Vorster BJ , Van der Waals J. (2019) Screening for Sclerotinia sclerotiorum resistance using detached leaf assays and simple sequence repeat markers in soybean cultivars. Crop Protection 215:104909.
10.1016/j.cropro.2019.104909
Muzhinji N, van der Waals JE. (2019) Population biology and genetic variation of Spongospora subterranea f. sp. subterranea, the cause of powdery scab and root galls on potato in South Africa. . Phytopathology
10.1094/PHYTO-12-18-0467-R