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Health of Emerging Crops Programme
New Publications
Mavima L, Steenkamp ET, Beukes CW, Palmer M, De Meyer SE, JAMES EK, Venter SN, Coetzee MPA. (2025) Estimated timeline for the evolution of symbiotic nitrogen fixing Paraburkholderia. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 213:108447.
10.1016/j.ympev.2025.108447
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
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 

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 

Wondafrash M, Wingfield MJ, Hurley BP, Slippers B, Mutitu EK, Jenya H, Paap T. (2025) DNA sequence data confirms the presence of two closely related cypress-feeding aphid species on African cypress (Widdringtonia spp.) in South Africa. Southern Forests 86:278-285.
10.2989/20702620.2024.2390863 

Martin G, Canavan K, Chikowore G, Bugan R, De Lange W, du Toit B, Harding G, Heath R, Hill M, Hurley BP, Ivey P, Muir D, Musedeli J, Richardson DM, Slippers B, Stafford L, Turner A, Watson K, van Wilgen BW. (2025) Managing wilding pines in the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa: Progress and prospects. South African Journal of Botany 177:377-391.
10.1016/j.sajb.2024.12.011 

Goundar P, Slippers B, Hurley BP, Lawson SA. 2025. Classical biological control of bark and wood borers in Pinus plantations. In: Biological Control of Insect Pests in Plantation Forests. Hurley BP, Lawson SA, Slippers B. (eds). Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp 321-338.
Hurley BP, Slippers B, Lawson SA. 2025. Biological control in plantation forests: trends and opportunities. In: Biological Control of Insect Pests in Plantation Forests. Hurley BP, Lawson SA, Slippers B. (eds). Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp 3-18.
Slippers B, Fitza KNE, Garnas JR. 2025. Genetic diversity should be considered in biological control programmes in plantation forestry. In: Biological Control of Insect Pests in Plantation Forests. Hurley BP, Lawson SA, Slippers B. (eds). Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp 71-94.
Wondafrash M, Slippers B, Hurley BP. 2025. Accidental introductions of natural enemies in plantation forests. In: Biological Control of Insect Pests in Plantation Forests. Hurley BP, Lawson SA, Slippers B. (eds). Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp 161-190.
Visagie CM, Yilmaz N, Allison JD, Barreto RW, Boekhout T, Boers J, Delgado MA, Dewing C, Fitza KNE, Furtado ECA, Gaya E, Hill R, Hobden A, Hu DM, Hülsewig T, Khonsanit A, Luangsa-Ard JJ, Mthembu A, Pereira CM, Price J-L, Pringle A, Qikani N, Sandoval-Denis M, Shumacher RK, Seifert KA, Slippers B, Tennakoon DS, Thanakitpipattana D, vanVuuren N, Groenewald JZ, Crous PW. (2024) New and Interesting Fungi. 7.. Fungal Systematics and Evolution 13:441–494.
10.3114/fuse.2024.13.12 

Francinah M. Ratsoma, Nthabiseng Z. Mokoena, Quentin C. Santana, Brenda D. Wingfield, Emma T. Steenkamp, Thabiso E. Motaung. (2024) Characterization of the Fusarium circinatum biofilm environmental response role. Journal of Basic Microbiology 00(00):1-16.
10.1002/jobm.202300536
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(7):1474.
10.3390/v15071474
Ratsoma FM, Mokoena NZ, Santana QC, Wingfield BD, Steenkamp ET, Motaung TE. (2023) Characterization of Fusarium circinatum biofilm and its matrix’s environmental response role. RsearchSquare 00(00):00-00.
10.21203/rs.3.rs-3040583/v1
Katumanyane A, Slippers B, Wondafrash M, Malan AP, Hurley BP. (2023) Mechanisms behind differential white grub host susceptibility to entomopathogenic nematodes. Nematology
10.1163/15685411-bja10253
Hough B, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield B, Read DA. (2023) Fungal viruses unveiled: A comprehensive review of Mycoviruses. Viruses 15(5):1202.
10.3390/v15051202 

Kunene S, Steenkamp E, Motaung T. (2023) Isolation of extracellular vesicles from pine (Pinus sp.) leaves and roots. RsearchSquare 00(00):00-00.
10.21203/rs.3.rs-2912064/v1
Pal E, Allison JD, Hurley BP, Slippers B, Fourie G. (2023) Life History Traits of the Pentatomidae (Hemiptera) for the Development of Pest Management Tools. Forests 14(5)
10.3390/ f14050861 

Katumanyane A, Slippers B, Wondafrash M, Malan AP, Hurley BP. (2023) Susceptibility of white grubs from forestry and sugarcane plantations in South Africa to entomopathogenic nematodes. BioControl
10.1007/s10526-023-10185-7
Luki-Marie Scheepers, Jeremy D. Allison, Bernard Slippers, Egmont R. Rohwer, Patrick M. Mc Millan, Jan E. Bello. (2023) Pine Emperor moths from KwaZulu-Natal use the same pheromone component previously isolated from Nudaurelia cytherea (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) from the Western Cape. African Entomology 31((2023)):1-9.
10.17159/2254-8854/2023/a13231
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
Bose T, Dovey S, Brachmann A, Witfeld F, Begerow D, Kemler M, Roux J, Slippers B, Vivas M, Wingfield MJ. (2023) Retention of post-harvest residues enhances soil fungal biodiversity in Eucalyptus plantations. Forest Ecology and Management 532:120806.
10.1016/j.foreco.2023.120806
Fru FF, Wingfield MJ, Roux J, Steenkamp ET. (2023) High diversity and clonality are hallmarks of Fusarium circinatum in South Africa. Plant Pathology 72(1):39-52.
10.1111/ppa.13644
David Read, Bernard Slippers, Emma Steenkamp. (2022) Genomic characterization of a novel potyvirus infecting Barleria repens in South Africa. Archives of Virology
10.1007/s00705-022-05662-w
Francina L. Bopape, Chrizelle W. Beukes, Kopotsa Katlego, Ahmed I. Hassen, Emma T. Steenkamp, Eastonce T. Gwata. (2022) Symbiotic Performance and Characterization of Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.) Rhizobia Occurring in South African Soils. Agriculture 13(1):30.
https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture13010030
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
10.1007/s00705-022-05649-7
Wanjofu EI, Venter SN, Beukes CW, Steenkamp ET, Gwata ET, Muema EK. (2022) Nodulation and Growth Promotion of Chickpea by Mesorhizobium Isolates from Diverse Sources. MDPI-Microorganisms 10(12):1-16.
Chizné Peremore, Brenda Wingfield, Quentin Santana, Emma T Steenkamp. (2022) Biofilm characterization in the maize pathogen, Fusarium verticillioides. bioRxiv 00(00):00-00.
10.1101/2022.11.18.517
Pal E, Allison JD, Guignard Q, Hurley BP, Slippers B, Fourie G. (2022) Characterisation of the Alarm Pheromone of Bathycoelia Distincta (Pentatomidae). Journal of Chemical Ecology
10.1007/s10886-022-01388-w
Maduke A, Slippers B, Van der Linde E, Wingfield M, Fourie G. (2022) Botryosphaeriaceae on Macadamia leaves, nuts and racemes and their association with disease. SAMAC Journal
Pal E, Hurley B, Allison J, Slippers B, Fourie G. (2022) Potential management tactics hidden in the life cycle of stink bugs. SAMAC Journal :53-55.
Venter SN, Palmer M, Steenkamp ET. (2022) Relevance of prokaryotic subspecies in the age of genomics. New microbe and New infections 48
10.1016/j.nmni.2022.101024
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
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
10.1007/s00705-022-05526-3
Sonnekus B, Slippers B, Hurley B, Joubert E, Stiller M, Fourie G. (2022) Diversity and Molecular Barcoding of Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) Associated with Macadamia in South Africa. Insects 13(7)
10.3390/insects13070601 

Maphosa MN, Steenkamp ET, Kanzi AM, Van Wyk S, De Vos L, Santana QC, Duong TA, Wingfield BD. (2022) Intra-Species genomic variation in the pine pathogen Fusarium circinatum. Journal of Fungi 8:657.
10.3390/jof8070657
Mavima L, Steenkamp ET, Coetzee MPA, Palmer M. 2022. Mixta. In Bergey's Manual of Systematics of Archaea and Bacteria (eds M.E. Trujillo, S. Dedysh, P. DeVos, B. Hedlund, P. Kämpfer, F.A. Rainey and W.B. Whitman). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118960608.gbm02012
Mavima L, Steenkamp ET, Coetzee MPA, Palmer M.. (2022) Mixta. Bergey's Manual of Systematics of Archaea and Bacteria
10.1002/9781118960608.gbm02012
Pal E, Allison JD, Hurley BP, Slippers B, Fourie G. (2022) Genetic diversity of the two-spotted stink bug Bathycoelia distincta (Pentatomidae) associated with macadamia orchards in South Africa. PLoS ONE 17(6)
10.1371/journal.pone.0269373
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(1)
10.1007/s13314-022-00459-x
Guignard Q, Slippers B, Jeremy D. A. (2022) Chemical and visual ecology of the Symphyta. Agricultural and forest entomology 24
10.1111/afe.12510
Maphosa M, Steenkamp ET, Kanzi A, van Wyk S, De Vos L, Santana QC, Duong AT, Wingfield BD. (2022) Intra-species genomic variation in the pine pathogen Fusarium circinatum. Preprints 2022040298
10.20944/preprints202204.0298.v1 

Messal M, Vivas M, Kemler M, Begerow D, Brachmann A, Witfeld F, Naidoo S, Slippers B. (2022) Fungal Communities of Eucalyptus grandis Leaves Are Influenced by the Insect Pest Leptocybe invasa. Frontiers in Microbiology 13(3:841621)
10.3389/fmicb.2022.841621 

Jami F, Marincowitz S, Durán A, Slippers B, Abad JIM, Chen S, Wingfield MJ. (2022) Botryosphaeriaceae diversity on Eucalyptus clones in different climate zones of Indonesia. Forest Pathology :1-14.
10.1111/efp.12737
Aylward J, Havenga M, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ, Dreyer LL, Roets F, Steenkamp ET. (2022) Novel mating-type-associated genes and gene fragments in the genomes of Mycosphaerellaceae and Teratosphaeriaceae fungi. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 171:107456.
10.1016/j.ympev.2022.107456
Queffelec J, Postma A, Allison JD, Slippers B. (2022) Remnants of horizontal transfers of Wolbachia genes in a Wolbachia‑free woodwasp. BMC Ecology and Evolution 22(36):1-14.
10.1186/s12862-022-01995-x 

Avontuur JR, Palmer M, Coetzee MPA, Steenkamp ET. 2022. Tatumella. In Bergey's Manual of Systematics of Archaea and Bacteria (eds M.E. Trujillo, S. Dedysh, P. DeVos, B. Hedlund, P. Kämpfer, F.A. Rainey and W.B. Whitman). https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118960608.gbm01170.pub2
Mavima L, Beukes CW, Palmer M, De Meyer SE, James EK, Maluk M, Muasya MA, Avontuur JR, Chan WY, Venter SN, Steenkamp ET. (2022) Delineation of Paraburkholderia tuberum sensu stricto and description of Paraburkholderia podalyriae sp. nov. nodulating the South African legume Podalyria calyptrata. Systematic and Applied Microbiology 45(3)
10.1016/j.syapm.2022.126316
Smith AK, Slippers B, Hurley BP, Fourie G. (2022) Diversity of Lepidoptera associated with macadamia nut damage in South Africa and development of molecular tools to monitor pest populations. Agricultural and Forest Entomology :1-22.
10.1111/afe.12497