Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) · University of Pretoria
Email: david.read@fabi.up.ac.za
Research groups: DST/NRF Centre of Excellence in Plant Health Biotechnology · Plant Virology Group · Health of Emerging Crops Programme
Dr David Read
Research Fellow
About
I am currently appointed as a postdoctoral fellow with FABI and am part of the Grain Research Programme. My broad research interests include plant pathogenic viruses, their arthropod vectors and control of their spread. I completed both my masters and doctoral studies with FABI and went on to complete a number of postdoctoral studies primarily in the agricultural research environment.
Both my MSc and PhD studies focussed on the characterisation of Citrus tristeza virus populations within Southern Africa and how population structures of this virus impacts its control using mild-strain cross protection. My postdoctoral studies involved using a non-targeting RNAseq approach to characterise viral populations of maize, potato and sweet potato in both South Africa and east Africa. In addition to this, a number of opportunities arose to characterise novel viral pathogens in a number of other agriculturally important crops, as well as ornamental and indigenous plant species, which include Macadamia,Alcea, Alstroemeria andwheat.
My research fellowship will continue to focus on the virology of agricultural and ornamental host species and to grow capacity in the plant virology space within FABI.
My Publications
Journal Articles (24)
Bornman S, Read D, Wingfield B, Wilken M (2026) Unveiling the hidden virome of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum: New tools and discoveries in mycovirus detection. Virology. 623. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2026.111020
Espach A, Esterhuizen L, Africander N, Thiart S, Read DA, Pietersen G (2025) First report of pepper ringspot virus on potato (Solanum tuberosum) in South Africa. Journal of Plant Pathology. doi: 10.1007/s42161-025-01887-1
Coertze S, Coetzee B, Basson E, de Villiers D, Makhura T, Moster D, Slippers B, Rose LJ, Visagie CM, Read D
(2025)
First Report of Clavibacter nebraskensis Causing Goss’s Bacterial Leaf Blight on Maize (Zea mays) in South Africa.
Plant Disease.
109.
doi: 10.1094/PDIS-01-25-0164-PDN
Mapfumo P, Archer E, Swanevelder ZH, Wilken M, Creux N, Read DA (2025) Plant Pathology. Genomic Characterisation of Bidens mottle virus in South Africa and an Assessment of the Impact on Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) in an Open Field Setting. doi: 10.1111/ppa.14089
Read DA, Pietersen G, Slippers B, Steenkamp E (2024) Genomic characterization of novel viruses associated with Olea europaea L. in South Africa. Archives of Virology. 169. doi: 10.1007/s00705-024-06132-1
Robert R, Robberste N, Thompson GD, Read DA (2024) Characterization of macadamia ringspot‑associated virus, a novel Orthotospovirus associated with Macadamia integrifolia in South Africa. European Journal of Plant Pathology. doi: 10.1007/s10658-024-02832-1
Hough B, Wingfield B, Read DA (2024) Identification and characterization of mycoviruses in transcriptomes from the fungal family Ceratocystidaceae. Virus Genes. doi: 10.1007/s11262-024-02112-4
Pietersen G, Morgan S, Read DA (2024) First report of Citrus concave gum-associated virus (CCGaV) on apple (Malus spp.) in South Africa. Journal of Plant Pathology. doi: 10.1007/s42161-024-01629-9
Read DA, Thompson GD, Swanevelder DZH, Pietersen G (2023) Metaviromic Characterization of Betaflexivirus Populations Associated with a Vitis cultivar Collection in South Africa. Viruses. 15. doi: 10.3390/v15071474
Morgan SW, Read DA, Burger JT, Pietersen G (2023) Diversity of viroids infecting grapevines in the South African Vitis germplasm collection. Virus Genes. doi: 10.1007/s11262-023-01971-7
Hough B, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield B, Read DA (2023) Fungal viruses unveiled: A comprehensive review of Mycoviruses. Viruses. 15. doi: 10.3390/v15051202
David Read, Bernard Slippers, Emma Steenkamp (2022) Genomic characterization of a novel potyvirus infecting Barleria repens in South Africa. Archives of Virology. doi: 10.1007/s00705-022-05662-w
David Read, Ronel Roberts, Goddy Prinsloo, Genevieve Thompson (2022) Genomic and phylogenetic characterization of wheat yellows virus, a novel tenuivirus infecting wheat in South Africa. Archives of Virology. doi: 10.1007/s00705-022-05649-7
Read DA, Pietersen G, Slippers B, Steenkamp ET (2022) Chrysanthemum virus B and chrysanthemum chlorotic mottle viroid infect chrysanthemum in South Africa. Australasian Plant Disease Notes. doi: 10.1007/s13314-022-00478-8
David A Read, Elrea Strydom, Bernard Slippers, Emma Steenkamp, Gerhard Pietersen (2022) Genomic characterization of soybean blotchy mosaic virus, a cytorhabdovirus from South Africa. Archives of Virology. doi: 10.1007/s00705-022-05526-3
David A. Read, Genevieve D. Thompson, Nathan Le Cordeur, Dirk Swanevelder, David Read (2022) Genomic characterization of grapevine viruses N and O: novel vitiviruses from South Africa. Archives of Virology. doi: 10.1007/s00705-021-05333-2
Otlotleng Moloto, Gerhard Pietersen, Dirk Swanevelder, Genevieve Thompson, David Read (2022) First report of grapevine polerovirus 1 in South Africa. Australasian Plant Disease Notes. 17. doi: 10.1007/s13314-022-00459-x
Read DA, Thompson GD, Swanevelder D, Pietersen G (2021) Detection and diversity of grapevine virus L from a Vitis cultivar collection in Stellenbosch, South Africa. European Journal of Plant Pathology. doi: 10.1007/s10658-021-02380-y
Read DA, Roberts R, Thompson GD (2021) Genomic characterization of two novel viruses infecting Barleria cristata L. from the genera Orthotospovirus and Polerovirus. Archives of Virology. doi: 10.1007/s00705-021-05150-7
Read DA, Roberts R, Swanevelder D, Pietersen G, Thompson GD (2021) Novel viruses associated with plants of the family Amaryllidaceae in South Africa. Archives of Virology. doi: 10.1007/s00705-021-05170-3
Read DA, Pietersen G (2016) PCR bias associated with conserved primer binding sites, used to determine genotype diversity within Citrus tristeza virus populations. Journal of Virological Methods. 237. doi: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2016.09.004
Read DA, Pietersen G (2015) Genotypic diversity of Citrus tristeza virus within red grapefruit, in a field trial site in South Africa. European Journal of Plant Pathology. 142. doi: 10.1007/s10658-015-0631-x
Lin H, Pietersen G, Han C, Read DA, Lou B, Gupta G, Civerolo EL (2015) Complete genome sequence of “Candidatus Liberibacter africanus,” a bacterium associated with Citrus Huanglongbing. Genome Announcements. 3. doi: 10.1128/genomeA.00733-15
Scott KA, Hlela Q, Zablocki ODJ, Read DA, Van Vuuren SP, Pietersen G (2013) Genotype composition of populations of Citrus tristeza virus grapefruit cross-protecting GFMS12 in different host plants and aphid-transmitted sub-isolates. Archives of Virology. 158. doi: 10.1007/s00705-012-1450-4
Espach A, Esterhuizen L, Africander N, Thiart S, Read DA, Pietersen G. (2025) First report of pepper ringspot virus on potato (Solanum tuberosum) in South Africa. Journal of Plant Pathology 10.1007/s42161-025-01887-1
Coertze S, Coetzee B, Basson E, de Villiers D, Makhura T, Moster D, Slippers B, Rose LJ, Visagie CM, Read D. (2025) First Report of Clavibacter nebraskensis Causing Goss’s Bacterial Leaf Blight on Maize (Zea mays) in South Africa. Plant Disease 10.1094/PDIS-01-25-0164-PDN
Mapfumo P, Archer E, Swanevelder ZH, Wilken M, Creux N, Read DA. (2025) Plant Pathology. Genomic Characterisation of Bidens mottle virus in South Africa and an Assessment of the Impact on Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) in an Open Field Setting 10.1111/ppa.14089
Robert R, Robberste N, Thompson GD, Read DA. (2024) Characterization of macadamia ringspot‑associated virus, a novel Orthotospovirus associated with Macadamia integrifolia in South Africa. European Journal of Plant Pathology 10.1007/s10658-024-02832-1
Hough B, Wingfield B, Read DA. (2024) Identification and characterization of mycoviruses in transcriptomes from the fungal family Ceratocystidaceae. Virus Genes 10.1007/s11262-024-02112-4
Pietersen G, Morgan S, Read DA. (2024) First report of Citrus concave gum-associated virus (CCGaV) on apple (Malus spp.) in South Africa. Journal of Plant Pathology 10.1007/s42161-024-01629-9
Read DA, Thompson GD, Swanevelder DZH, Pietersen G. (2023) Metaviromic Characterization of Betaflexivirus Populations Associated with a Vitis cultivar Collection in South Africa. Viruses 10.3390/v15071474
Morgan SW, Read DA, Burger JT, Pietersen G. (2023) Diversity of viroids infecting grapevines in the South African Vitis germplasm collection. Virus Genes 10.1007/s11262-023-01971-7
