The Grain Research Program (GRP) is a newly established programme that was developed by a team of multidisciplinary grain researchers from different institutes and programmes at FABI and elsewhere in South Africa. The GRP was formed to engage directly with grain stakeholders to initiate research that will support this sector by identifying future challenges to the industry and exploring solutions to these challenges. To its stakeholders in agriculture, the GRP also provides extension and disease/pest diagnostic services. In other words, the vision of the GRP is to contribute to South Africa’s food security and bioeconomy by conducting basic and solution-oriented research, which in turn forms a base for further innovation in the South African agricultural sector. 

Other FABI programmes in the grain health domain:

Applied Mycology

Cereal Foliar Pathogen Research

DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Plant Health Biotechnology

Crop Floral Biology And Environments

Molecular Plant Physiology

Molecular Plant-Pathogen Interactions

Potato Pathology Programme

Seed Science

 

  

 

New Publications

Schröder ML, Hurley BP, Wingfield MJ, Slippers B, Garnas JR. (2025) Thermal limitations to the biological control of Gonipterus sp. n. 2 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in South African Eucalyptus plantations. Agricultural and Forest Entomology 10.1111/afe.70002
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 109:1580. 10.1094/PDIS-01-25-0164-PDN
Nzuza P, Schröder ML, Heim RJ, Daniels L, Slippers B, Hurley BP, Germishuizen I, Sivparsad B, Roux J, Maes WH. (2025) Assessing Gonipterus defoliation levels using multispectral unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) data in Eucalyptus plantations. Ecological Informatics 90:103301. 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2025.103301
Kunene S, Mmushi TJ, Steenkamp E, Motaung T. (2025) Pinus-derived membrane vesicles disrupt pathogenic metabolism in fungi. plant biology 10.1111/plb.70069 PDF
Dewing C, Yilmaz N, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield BD, Visagie CM. (2025) Capturing the fungal diversity hidden in Eastern Cape dairy pastures. Mycological Progress 24(1):38. 10.1007/s11557-025-02059-2
Dewing C, Yilmaz N, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield BD, Visagie CM. (2025) Capturing the fungal diversity hidden in Eastern Cape dairy pastures. Mycological Progress 24:38. 10.1007/s11557-025-02059-2 PDF
Wychkuys KA, Giron E, Hyman G, Barona E, Castro-Llanos FA, Sheil D, Yu L, Du Z, Hurley BP, Slippers B, Germishuizen I, Bojacá CR, Rubiano M, Sathyapala S, Verchot L, Zhang W. (2025) Biological control protects carbon sequestration capacity of plantation forests. Entomologia Generalis 10.1127/entomologia/2025/3015 PDF
Harikrishnan K, Rajeshkumar KC, Patil PM, Jeewon R, Visagie CM. (2025) Aspergillus dhakephalkarii and A. patriciawiltshireae spp. nov., two new species in Aspergillus sect. Nigri ser. Japonici (Eurotiales, Aspergillaceae) from India. Phytotaxa 695:57–79. 10.11646/phytotaxa.695.1.2
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
Stazione L, Corley JC, Allison JD, Hurley BP, Lawson SA, Lantschner MV. (2025) Novel associations among insect herbivores and trees: Patterns of occurrence and damage on pines and eucalypts. Ecological Applications 35:e70018. 10.1002/eap.70018