Education and Training

 

The broad and highly multi-disciplinary research focus of the CPHB on native tree health allows for the training of students from many fields (including microbiology, entomology, ecology, plant physiology, plant biotechnology, plant pathology, molecular biology and bioinformatics). As a result, the CPHB has developed an excellent record with regards to the successful mentoring and education of MSc and PhD students. These valuable contributions of the CPHB and its partner programme, the Tree Protection Cooperative Programme (TPCP), were recognized by the Department of Trade and Industry with the 2011 National award for "Human Resource Development - quantity and quality of students".

New Publications

Aylward J, Roets F, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2026) Seiridium insolitum sp. nov.: a new canker pathogen on Cupressus and Hesperocyparis in Southern Africa. Journal of Plant Pathology 10.1007/s42161-026-02302-z
Pham NQ, Suzuki H, Marincowitz S, Roets F, Paap T, Kapsosideris N, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2026) Two decades of the Immersiporthe knoxdaviesiana (Cryphonectriaceae) canker outbreak driven by clonal pathogen lineages. Plant Pathology 75:e70274. 10.1111/ppa.70274
Gürtel ND, Pham NQ, Roux J, Nel WJ, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2026) The pine-infesting bark beetle, Cyrtogenius luteus (Coleoptera: Scolytinae), discovered in South Africa. African Entomology 34:e27477. 10.17159/2254-8854/2026/a27477
Schröder ML, van Noort S, Greyling I, Hurley BP. (2026) Parasitoid diversity associated with Phoracantha semipunctata and Phoracantha recurva in South African Eucalyptus plantations. African Entomology 34 10.17159/2254-8854/2026/a25013
Zhou HX, Dong HB, Zhou WW, Wingfield MJ, Chen SF. (2026) A comparison of twenty-six baits for isolating Calonectria species illustrates differences in their efficacy and relevance. IMA Fungus 17 10.3897/imafungus.17.190896
Schertler A, Lenzner B, Dullinger S, Moser D, García-Rodríguez A, Krisai-Greilhuber I, Voglmayr H, Bufford JL, Santini A, Ghelardini L, Capinha C, Reino L, Wingfield MJ, Thines M, Talhinhas P, Dawson W, van Kleunen M, Kreft H, Pergl J, Pyšek P, Weigelt P, Winter M, Essl F. (2026) Are novel and co-xenic associations common in alien fungal and fungus-like plants pathogens?. New Phytologist 10.1111/nph.71455
Thango S, Nsibo DL, Berger DK, Visagie CM, Slippers B. (2026) Phenotypic variation in the in vitro and in planta aggressiveness traits among Exserohilum turcicum strains from South Africa. Plant Pathology 75(4):e70257. 10.1111/ppa.70257
Bradshaw MJ, Paul A, Villani S, Bensch K, Mitchell KJ, Pfister DH, Visagie CM, Garfinkel AR, Quesada-Ocampo L, Aime MC, Braun U. (2026) Modern taxonomy as the foundation for identifying and managing fungal and fungus like plant pathogens. Plant Disease 10.1094/PDIS-12-25-2537-FE
Balocchi F, Wingfield MJ, Paap T. (2026) Occurrence of Phytophthora cinnamomi in the rhizosphere of declining Leucadendron elimense subsp. salteri in South Africa. Forest Pathology 56(4):e70097. 10.1111/efp.70097 PDF
Pham NQ, Wingfield BD, Marincowitz S, Marpaung YMAN, Selebi AP, Tarigan M, Wingfield MJ. (2026) A novel Cryphonectria species (Cryphonectriaceae, Diaporthales) discovered on Eucalyptus, including insights into the mating biology of the genus. Fungal Biology 130:101831. 10.1016/j.funbio.2026.101831