Projects

FABI News

News Archive

8 Sep 2026

Thirteen FABIans conferred postgraduate degrees at the UP Spring Graduation

FABI congratulates the 13 graduates from the Institute capped at UP's Spring Graduation ceremony.

7 Sep 2026

FABI hosts first CryptoADAPT workshop on <I>Cryptococcus</I> biodiversity

FABI hosts first CryptoADAPT workshop on Cryptococcus biodiversity

FABI hosted the first CryptoADAPT workshop from, bringing together researchers from five countries and seven academic institutions

4 Sep 2026

Congratulations to Lazarus on completing his PhD!

Well done Lazarus on successfully completing your PhD!

1 Sep 2026

Aaron Harvey secures second runner-up at the 2026 UP Visualise Your Thesis competition

Aaron Harvey has been awarded Second Runner-Up in the 2026 Institutional Visualise Your Thesis competition, hosted by UP’s Department of Research and Innovation.

27 Aug 2026

Bayer presentation at FABI

FABI hosted a guest presentation by Bayer’s Head of Corn Breeding, Africa

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FABI Events

10 September 08h30

Student Seminars

14 September 08h30

Monday Morning Meeting

17 September 08h30

Student Seminars

21 September 08h30

Monday Morning Meeting

FABI in a nutshell

Research Features

Archive

Tracing the past, building the future: FABI research unlocks the genetics and genomics of the Sirex woodwasp complex

FABI researcher co-authors global perspective on mycotoxins and food safety.

FABI researchers Prof. Cobus Visagie, Dr Neriman Yilmaz, and Nicole van Vuuren, together with international collaborators, have published a comprehensive taxonomic revision of the fungal order Eurotiales, which includes the economically important genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, and Talaromyces.

New publication explores the chemodiversity of Penicillium isolated from alpine and arctic environments, including ten new species.

Review emphasizes the importance of understanding the genetics of sex determination for effective genetic pest management in insects.

Eleven new Penicillium and Talaromyces species discovered in South African culture collections.

A new study reveals the presence of Mycotoxins in Eastern Cape maize in South Africa.

Eurotiales update: FABIans Prof. Cobus Visagie and Dr Neriman Yilmaz and their collaborators have published a review of recently described Eurotiales species, including the economically important Aspergillus, Penicillium, Paecilomyces and Talaromyces.

Da Vinci's Yeast: FABIans Prof. Cobus Visagie, Dr Neriman Yilmaz, and their collaborators have recently described and named a newly discovered yeast species of the famous Italian painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect Leonardo da Vinci.

The potential economic impact of the PSHB invasion in South Africa has been calculated to be a massive R275 billion over the next ten years, if nothing is done to stop the spread of this invasive beetle. Researchers from FABI collaborated with Stellenbosch University ecologists and economists to model the unmitigated economic impact of this invasion.

A recently published paper in the journal Current Forestry Reports documents a collaboration between an international team of forest pathologists and invasion scientists. Led by Dr Trudy Paap, the authors present a framework for conceptualizing and managing invasive forest pathogens.

A recently published review article by Dr Andi Wilson in a special issue of the journal 'Microbiology & Molecular Biology Reviews' provides details of the genes that are essential to the sexual cycle in filamentous Ascomycete fungi and further describes their functions in a variety of model and non-model species.

Penicillium section Canescentia re-evaluated and five new species described from the fynbos biome in South Africa.

In November 2019, the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology hosted a workshop on ‘Frameworks used in Invasion Science’. The workshop led to a NeoBiota special issue on this theme, and includes a review by FABI researchers and international colleagues, exploring frameworks in the context of forest pathology.

A doctoral study in FABI confirms for the first time the presence of Xylosandrus crassiusculus, a polyphagous ambrosia beetle and its fungal symbiont, Ambroseilla roeperi, in three provinces in South Africa. The authors warn that this beetle species could be a threat to native and plantation trees.

A review on invasive gall-forming wasps that threaten non-native Eucalyptus plantations by researchers in the TPCP appears in Agricultural and Forest Entomology. They profile several species of likely Australian origin that have established on non-native Eucalyptus plantations globally and discuss various challenges to their management.

A study in the TPCP confirms the identity of seven novel fungal species associated with Dendroctonus valens, the red turpentine beetle. The study follows on surveys on the fungal associates of the beetle in China and North America. Results from this work appear in Persoonia.

A postdoctoral study in the TPCP describes two novel Huntiella species in the African clade, bringing the number of known species in the genus to 31. Though closely related, the two species display different mating systems. Outcomes from this study appear in the journal MycoKeys.

A review of the invasion history and global management strategies of Eucalyptus snout beetles in the Gonipterus scutellatus species complex by researchers in the TPCP appears in the Journal of Pest Science.

In a collaborative venture with Dr Jos Houbraken (Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institute, the Netherlands), Prof. Cobus M Visagie, Dr Neriman Yilmaz (both from FABI) and others have recently completed and published a major study updating the taxonomy of the Eurotiales.

A study in the Forest Molecular Genetics (FMG) Programme at FABI interrogates the benefits of implementing genomic selection for growth and wood quality traits in an established Eucalyptus grandis breeding programme in South Africa. Outcomes from this study appear in an article.

The first study on alternative weed and cultivated hosts of Spongospora subterraneaf. sp. subterranea (Sss), in southern Africa identifies two species as ideal trap crops for rotation with potatoes. The study also introduces three new families to the known hosts of Sss in the region.

A consortium of microbiologists from around the globe, FABI included, is pushing for an overhaul in how scientific names are assigned to uncultivated bacteria and archaea. Despite their ecological, agricultural and medical importance, these organisms traditionally have not been recognized by the international body governing the nomenclature of prokaryotes.

Professor Cobus Visagie is a researcher in the Applied Mycology group at FABI. One of the group’s research goals is to discover fungal diversity in South Africa, and Cobus’ research is strongly focussed on the economically important genera Aspergillus, Penicillium and Talaromyces.

Postdoctoral research by Dr Norman Muzhinji in the Potato Pathology Programme at the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) sheds light on the genetic structure and diversity of Spongospora subterranea f. sp. subterranea in four potato-growing regions in South Africa, providing valuable insights on its management.

An MSc study by Kira Lynn in the RGE-FABI Tree Health Programme at the University of Pretoria has described a new Fusarium species, Fusarium rekanum sp. nov., associated with Euwallacea perbrevis, an ambrosia beetle species infesting Acacia crassicarpa plantations in Riau, Indonesia.

FABI postdoctoral Fellow Dr Andi Wilson has established a CRISPR-Cas9-based genome editing protocol for use in Huntiella omanensis, a tree-inhabiting fungus belonging to the Ceratocystidaceae family.

Research undertaken as part of a PhD study by Molly Malefo at the University of Pretoria’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute sheds more light on the role of protease inhibitors in plants under drought stress.

The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) has funded a postdoctoral research project dedicated to monitoring plant health in botanical gardens and arboreta across South Africa. Two postdoctoral Fellows at the University of Pretoria’s Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute have held these fellowships.

The first comprehensive study mapping the distribution and genetic diversity of invasive Eucalyptus insect pests in sub-Saharan Africa confirms the presence of five major foliage-feeding species in 14 countries. The results of this study have implications on the quarantine, future research and management of these pests on the continent and beyond.

Dr Joey Hulbert broke new ground when he became the first candidate at the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute to complete a PhD study incorporating citizen science. Citizen science is an approach that involves members of the public as active participants in scientific research.

FABI technology unravels the genetics behind fungal genome evolution The RIPper is a bioinformatics tool for the for quantifying genome-wide RIP mutations in fungal genomes. The strength of this software lies in the automation of laborious techniques to study the mutation process called Repeat-Induced Point mutations (RIP). The RIPper applies these technique

With the increased availability in genome data, inferences regarding evolutionary relationships among taxa can now be performed on a genome-wide scale. But it is widely accepted that not all parts of such massive datasets support the same evolutionary hypothesis. Because of this, a group of researchers at FABI recently investigated the effect of this.

The use of genome data to characterize species and elucidate relationships, particularly between problematic taxa, has become routine practice in bacteria. Recently, researchers from FABI joined in an international effort to describe two novel genera and characterize these within the larger context of the important bacterial group Burkholderia.

A PhD student in FABI, Runlei Chang, has discovered and described 19 new fungal species from China as part of the research for his thesis. These fungi are all associated with conifer-infesting bark beetles and their mites and belong to well-known genera such as Ophiostoma and Leptographium.

Two research papers from FABI were selected as cover stories in two consecutive issues of the international journal, Plant Pathology. The journal is published by Wiley for the British Society of Plant Pathology.

Plastids play an integral role in wood formation, and yet they are routinely ignored in the study of xylogenesis in forest trees. Desre Pinard and Dr Eshchar Mizrachi have published a review highlighting the unique biology of plastids in wood, suggesting that a new type of plastid, the xylopast, exists.

Approaches for characterizing metabolic potential from genomic sequences have previously been predicted to be useful in the description of bacterial taxa. Dr Marike Palmer, has recently employed these approaches for identifying biological processes contributing to the divergence of bacteria with a variety of lifestyles.

Comparative genomics is shaping our notion of what fungal species are. Based on current data, these unique evolutionary units are separated from one another by boundaries that are porous under certain conditions. This affects our expectations regarding their population biology and evolution, and our strategies for recognizing and controlling them.

The Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer is an ambrosia beetle native to Southeast Asia. In 2017 this pest was detected in South Africa. Its presence has since been confirmed in all provinces except Limpopo. The beetle has a symbiotic relationship with the fungus Fusarium euwallaceae, which causes branch die-back and death of susceptible trees.

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ONGOING PROJECTS

NATIONAL MONITORING

National Monitoring and diagnostic services, compilation of official host list & distribution
Team: FABI diagnostic clinic team (FABI, UP), Dr T. Paap, Prof. W. de Beer
Funding: FABI, DEFF

Monitoring in commercial plantations (pines, eucalypts, wattles)
Team: Prof. B. Hurley & Tree Protection Cooperative Programme (TPCP) team (FABI, UP)
Funding: TPCP, FABI

Monitoring in commercial avocado orchards
Team: Prof. Noelani van den Berg & Avocado Research Programme (ARP) team, FABI diagnostic clinic team
Funding: (FABI, UP), Hans Merensky Foundation

Monitoring in commercial macadamia orchards
Team: Dr Gerda Fourie & Macadamia Protection Programme (MPP) (FABI, UP), team, FABI diagnostic clinic team
Funding: Macadamia South Africa NPC (SAMAC)

Monitoring in commercial pecan orchards
Team: Prof. W. de Beer (FABI), H. du Toit, I. Schubach (SAPPA) & FABI diagnostic clinic team
Funding: South African Pecan Producers Association (SAPPA)

Monitoring in botanical gardens countrywide
Team: Drs Mesfin Gossa, T Paap, Prof. M. Wingfield, FABI diagnostic clinic team
Funding: SANBI, FABI, supported by IPSN framework

Development of PSHB surveillance app
Team: Prof. B. Slippers, Mr Roedolph Nieuwenhuis,
Funding: Cropwatch Africa, FABI

REGIONAL MONITORING

Monitoring Tshwane outbreak of PSHB
Team: Shawn Fell, FABI diagnostic clinic team, Prof. W de Beer, Drs T. Paap, M. Gossa
Funding: FABI

Monitoring Tshwane parks & Pretoria National Botanical Garden
Team: Shawn Fell, FABI diagnostic clinic team, Prof. W de Beer, Drs T. Paap, M. Gossa
Funding: FABI

Monitoring in native forests in the greater Durban area
Team: Profs W. de Beer (FABI), F. Roets (US), M. Hill (RU), Garyn Delport
Funding: FABI, DEFF

Monitoring Durban Botanical Gardens & Zimbali Coastal Estate in KZN
Team: Drs Indrani Hazel Govender, Mesfin Gossa, T Paap & DUT students and interns
Funding: FABI, Durban University of Technology, Zimbali Environmental Management Agency

Monitoring the Upper Highway area of eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal
Team: Andrew Botterill, Dr Kerry Slater (UNISA), Drs Mesfin Gossa, T Paap
Funding: FABI, DEFF, supported by UNISA

Monitoring in native forests in Garden Route & Tsitsikamma
Team: Profs W. de Beer (FABI), F. Roets (US), M. Hill (RU), Garyn Delport
Funding: FABI, DEFF

Monitoring in Southwestern Cape, tree growers, grapevine and & deciduous fruit trees
Team: Prof. F. Roets (US), City of Cape Town
Funding: Vergelegen Estate, City of Cape Town, growers

Monitoring in Kruger National Park
Team: Mr Roedolf Nieuwenhuis (Cropwatch Africa), Profs B. Hurley, W. de Beer, B. Slippers & FABI diagnostic clinic team
Funding: Cropwatch Africa, FABI

NATIONAL STRATEGY

Development of a National Strategy for PSHB
Team: Dr Stuart Christie (4SightFutures)
Funding: DEFF, DALRRD

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

Project: Exploring potential biocontrol agents for PHSB control
Dr Wilma Nel (FABI, UP, Postdoctoral fellow)
Supervisors: Profs B. Hurley, B. Slippers, W. de Beer, M. Hill
Funding: DEFF, FABI

Project: Impact of PSHB on Native forests in South Africa & exploration in SA forests for biocontrol options & understanding the native landscape for biocontrol release
Garyn Townsend (FABI, Rhodes, PhD student)
Supervisors: Profs B. Hurley, W. de Beer, M. Hill, F. Roets
Funding: DEFF, CTHB, FABI, CBC

Project: Laboratory rearing of PSHB for biocontrol experiments
Shawn Fell (FABI, UP, Technical)
Supervisors: Profs B. Hurley, B. Slippers, W. de Beer,
Funding: DEFF, FABI

GENERAL BIOLOGY OF PSHB IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONTEXT

Project: Population genetics, mating type genes & whole genome sequencing of Fusarium euwallaceae in South Africa
Claire Randolph (FABI, UP, MSc student)
Supervisors: Prof. W. de Beer, Prof. I. Barnes, Dr Trudy Paap
Funding: FABI, DEFF

Project: Population study & whole genome sequencing of PHSB in South Africa
Dr Anandi Bierman (US, Postdoctoral fellow)
Supervisors: Profs J. Terblanche, F. Roets, W. de Beer (advisor)
Funding: DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology

Project: Whole genome and transcriptome sequencing of PHSB and its Fusarium fungal symbiont in South Africa
Dr Anandi Bierman (US, Postdoctoral fellow)
Supervisors: Profs J. Terblanche, F. Roets, Dr. Heiko Vogel (Max Planck)
Funding: diverse sources including DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology NRMP and Max Planck

Project: Thermal performance of the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer
Madeleine Pienaar (US, MSc student)
Supervisors: Dr. A. Bierman, Profs J. Terblanche and F. Roets
Funding: DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology

Project: Assessing Fusarium euwallaceae virulence to hosts: the effect of host phylogeny
Group of Honours students (US, Honours students)
Supervisor: Prof F. Roets
Funding: Stellenbosch University

Project: Understanding the interaction between E. fornicatus & E. xanthopus and their fungal symbionts in South Africa
Dr W. Nel (FABI, Postdoctoral fellow)
Supervisors/collaborators: Prof. W. de Beer, F. Roets, B. Hurley, Drs Trudy Paap, Anandi Bierman
Funding: FABI, DEFF, DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology

AGRICULTURAL CROP TREES

Project: Impact of PSHB on Pecan trees in South Africa
Shawn Fell (MSc student, FABI)
Supervisors: Wilhelm de Beer, Brett Hurley
Funding: SAPPA

Project: Testing the impact of F. euwallaceae on deciduous fruit trees & grapevines and developing rapid screening technique
Team: Profs F. Roets and P. Addison (US)
Funding: US, Hortgrow, Winetech

URBAN FORESTS

Project: PSHB in Urbanised Cape Town and surrounds: monitoring, chemical control, and the effect of plant stress
Heather Nependa (US, PhD student)
Supervisors: Profs F. Roets, W. de Beer
Funding: Vergelegen Estate

Project: PSHB at Lourensford estate: chemical control and management strategies
Elise Roberts (US, MSc student)
Supervisor: Prof F. Roets
Funding: Lourensford Estate

Project: PSHB risk assessment and strategy planning for urban areas (Johannesburg & Soweto)
Project team: Profs B. Slippers, W. de Beer, B. Hurley, Dr T. Paap (FABI, UP), Prof. M. Byrne, Dr S. Newete (Wits), Dr S. Christie
Funding: Johannesburg Cityparks, FABI

Project: Remote sensing tools for PSHB risk assessment in urban areas (Johannesburg & Soweto)
Marko Mudede (Wits, PhD student)
Supervisors: Profs M. Byrne, Dr S. Newete
Funding: Wits, Johannesburg Cityparks

Project: Survey of PSHB outbreak on Fagaceae hosts in Durban Botanical Gardens
Students: Three Durban University of Technology students
Supervisors: Dr Mesfin Gossa, Dr T Paap, Indrani Hazel Govender
Funding: FABI, Durban University of Technology

Project: PSHB Assessment at Zimbali Coastal Estate in KZN
Students: Durban University of Technology students & interns
Supervisors: Dr Indrani Hazel Govender
Funding: FABI, Durban University of Technology

Project: An assessment to establish the level of infestation of the alien invasive Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (Euwallacea fornicatus) beetle in the Upper Highway area of eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal.
Student: Andrew Botterill
Supervisors: Dr Kerry Slater (UNISA), Drs T Paap, Mesfin Gossa, W. de Beer (FABI)
Funding: FABI, Durban University of Technology

COMPLETED PROJECTS

ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF IMPACT OF PSHB

Project: Invasion of the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer Beetle in South Africa: A preliminary assessment of the economic impacts
Project leader: Prof. D. Richardson
Collaborators: MP De Wit, DJ Crookes, JN Blignaut, ZW de Beer, T Paap, F Roets, C Van der Merwe, DM Richardson.
Funding: CIB, CBC, CTHB, FABI, DEFF

NATURAL FORESTS

Project: Impact of PSHB on Southern & Eastern Cape Native forests
Garyn Townsend (FABI, UP, MSc student)
Supervisors: Profs W. de Beer, M. Hill, F. Roets
Funding: CBC, CTHB, FABI, DEFF

Project: Review of PSHB in South Africa and Impact of PSHB on Southern & Eastern Cape Native forests
Elmar Van Rooyen (US, MSc student)
Supervisors: Prof. F. Roets, W. de Beer, M. Hill
Funding: CTHB, US, FABI, DEFF

AGRICULTURAL CROP TREES

Project: Impact of PHSB on Avocado trees in South Africa
Michael du Toit (FABI, UP, MSc student)
Supervisors: Profs N. van den Berg, W. de Beer, Dr G. Fourie
Funding: Hans Merensky

Project: Survey of PSHB in commercial tree nurseries in Gauteng
Claire Randolph (FABI, UP, Honours student)
Supervisors: Prof. W. de Beer, Dr Trudy Paap
Funding: FABI

Project: Impact of PHSB on macadamia trees in South Africa
Dee Twiddy (FABI, UP, Honours student)
Supervisors: Dr G. Fourie, Profs. N. van den Berg, W. de Beer
Funding: SAMAC

OTHER RELATED PROJECTS

Project: Euwallacea spp. and their fungal mutualists infesting commercial Acacia crassicarpa in Indonesia.
Kira Lynn (FABI, UP, MSc student)
Supervisors: Profs Irene Barnes, M. Wingfield, W. de Beer
Funding: RGE-FABI Tree Health Programme (RGE-FABI THP).

Workshops & Symposia

Archive

The TPCP / FMG-EPPI Symposium 2026

New Publications

Nadasen TR, Hein I, Berger DK. (2026) Structural phylogenetics identifies conserved effector families and cell death-inducing proteins from Cercospora zeina. Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions First Look 10.1094/MPMI-05-26-0048-R

Mbamali SKS, Mohlomi N, Van Der Nest MA, Mchunu NP, Permaul K. (2026) Reciprocal Genome Projection Reveals Reference-Conditioned Functional Variation in Clinical Aspergillus Section Nigri Isolates. Pathogens 10.3390/pathogens15090941

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

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

Kim JS, Lee W, Seo CW, Lee JW, Perera RH, Rho SM, Visagie CM, Houbraken J, Lim YW. (2026) A comprehensive assessment of Penicillium diversity in marine environments. Studies in Mycology 115:1–57. 10.3114/sim.2026.115.01

Jami F, Truter M, Pavlic M, Chen SF, Roux J. (2026) Identification of Botryosphaeriaceae species in the South African National Collection of fungi, including a novel species of Oblongocollomyces. African Biodiversity & Conservation 56(1):1-13.

Vettraino AM, Bose T. (2026) Urban green spaces as emerging hotspots for Phytophthora diversity: a global synthesis of host associations, distribution and management gaps. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change 9:1872981. 10.3389/ffgc.2026.1872981

Burgess TI, Wingfield MJ. (2026) Unveiling a hidden menace: Invasive tree pathogens, less known but increasingly threatening Southern hemisphere forests. Annual Review of Phytopathology 64 10.1146/annurev-phyto-011325-100959

Motete T, Solís M, Hammerbacher A, Naidoo S. (2026) Gene expression profiling in Eucalyptus associates Phenylpropanoid resistance to Teratosphaeria destructans. Plant Pathology 10.1111/ppa.70207

Aylward J, Atkins S, Roets F, Danti R, Della Rocca G, Emiliani G, Fraser S, Garbelotto MM, Herron DA, Scali E, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2026) High genetic diversity in the Cypress canker pathogen Seiridium cardinale in the Southern Hemisphere. Plant Pathology 75 10.1111/ppa.70212

van Heerden A, Pham NQ, Duong TA, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2026) Draft genome sequence of Ganoderma philippii, a serious root rot pathogen of Eucalyptus in Southeast Asia. Australasian Plant Pathology 55:81. 10.1007/s13313-026-01159-1

Schoeman C, Roodt D, Mc Menamin A, Bezuidt O, Dithugoe C, Pinard D, Mizrachi E. (2026) Conserved symbiosis-associated genes in the cycad Encephalartos natalensis suggest co-option for cyanobacterial symbiosis. New Phytologist 10.1111/nph.71311

Townsend G, Hill M, Hurley BP, Roets F. (2026) Native Scolytinae and Platypodinae beetle assemblages in indigenous South African forests and their co-occurrence with the invasive PSHB beetle. Journal of Insect Conservation 30 10.1007/s10841-026-00779-8

Botha I, Maduna SN, Hagen SB, Lall N, Berger DK. (2026) 3RAD-guided SNP discovery for species identification and conservation of the medicinal southern African tree Genus Greyia Hook. & Harv.. Ecology and Evolution 16(5):e73412, 1-29. 10.1002/ece3.73412

Balocchi F, Duncan G, Yilmaz N, Wingfield MJ, Paap T. (2026) The critically endangered geophyte Gladiolus aureus threatened by a wilt disease associated with Fusarium libertatis. Journal of Plant Pathology 10.1007/s42161-026-02227-7

Bose T, Wingfield MJ. (2026) Plantations are invasive pathogen bridgeheads—response to Li et al.. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 10.1016/j.tree.2026.05.006

Jamieson B-A, Paap T, Pegg GS, Carnegie AJ, Wingfield MJ, Roux J, Hardy GEStJ, Drenth A, Hammerbacher A, Bose T. (2026) Quambalaria spp.: Emerging Tree Pathogens of Concern. Current Forestry Reports 12:13. 10.1007/s40725-026-00274-y

Masuku SK, De Vos L, Thabiso TE, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield BD. (2026) Baseline sensitivity of South African Fusarium circinatum to tebuconazole. Journal of Plant Pathology 10.1007/s42161-026-02197-w

Fitawek W, Anjulo A, Healey M, Lawson SA, Hurley BP. (2026) The Moringa value chain in Ethiopia and the socio-economic impact of pests and diseases. CABI Agriculture and Bioscience 10.1079/ab.2026.00041

Lynn KMT, Wingfield MJ, Oliveira LSS, Alfenas AC, Ferreira Alfenas RF, Marincowitz S, Barnes I. (2026) Phylogenetic and population genetic analyses reveal patterns of divergence amongst isolates of Ceratocystis manginecans. Ecology and Evolution 16 10.1002/ece3.73652

Dlamini CM, Matongera TN, Lawson SA, Healey M, Tanga A, Regasa K, Kassie W, Hurley BP, Germishuizen I. (2026) Modelling spatiotemporal dynamics of wattle plantations in northwestern Ethiopia using harmonised PlanetScope and RapidEye imagery. Trees, Forests and People 25:101293. 10.1016/j.tfp.2026.101293

Ndou M, Potts WM, Duong TA, Teske PR, Childs AR, Henriques R. (2026) Conspecific scaffold-level genome assembly outperforms heterospecific chromosome-level assemblies for assessing genetic indicators in a threatened marine fish. Evolutionary Applications 19:e70247. 10.1111/eva.70247

Marx B, van Dijk A, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD. (2026) Breaking the mould: Cellulose in the cell walls of the Ophiostomatales. Fungal Biology Reviews 57 10.1016/j.fbr.2026.100489

Wingfield BD, Coetzee MPA, Wingfield BJ, Groenewald M, Pohl C, Wingfield MJ. (2026) The genetic blueprint of Cyclohexamide resistance: Analysis of 816 yeast species. Research Square 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9313202/v1

Paap T, White D, Bose T, Burgess TI. (2026) Diversity and phylogeny of Phytophthora Clade 9, including descriptions of three novel species. Mycological Progress 25:29. 10.1007/s11557-026-02140-4

Kgatla MM, Barker C, Baxter JR, Bester-van der Merwe AE, Chaisi M, Chakona A, Cherry MI, Daniels SR, Du Preez LH, Haddad CR, Hawkes PG, Ho C, Hoareau TB, Jacobs A, Jacobs K, Janion-Scheepers C, Jansen van Vuuren B, Kabongo RM, Khoza TT, Khumalo NL, Mahlanza T, Makapela L, Makhubo BG, Maneveldt GW, Mashego K, Matcher G, Matthee CA, Mavhunga M, Midgley JM, Mlambo M, Monsanto DM, Mthombeni R, Murray SL, Mynhardt S, Nang-Mba B, Ndlovu M, Parbhu SP, Phetla V, Phukuntsi M, Pitcher TR, Samaai T, Sethusa MT, Simon CA, Sink K, Sole CL, Theron GL, van Asch B, van der Bank M, van Steenderen CJM, Villet MH, Visagie CM, Williams KA, Willows-Munro S, Da Silva JM, Mwale M. (2026) An overview of DNA barcoding of biodiversity in South Africa. PLOS ONE 21(4):e0345173. 10.1371/journal.pone.0345173

Li GQ, Slippers B, Wingfield MJ, Chen SF. (2026) Diversity, distribution and host range of Botryosphaeriaceae in China. Forest Pathology 10.1111/efp.70077

Joubert M, van den Berg N, Theron J, Swart V. (2026) Leaf bleaching is associated with extensive transcriptional reprogramming in avocado trees with sunblotch disease. Virology 620:110903. 10.1016/j.virol.2026.110903

Nzuza P, Schroder ML, Slippers B, Maes WH. (2026) Spectral responses to larval and artificial defoliation in Eucalyptus dunnii: Implications for UAV-based detection of Gonipterus damage. Drones 10(4) 10.3390/drones10040250

Six DL, Marincowitz S, Duong TA. (2026) Ophiostoma ipsi-confusi sp. nov. Six, Marinc. & Duong, a consistent symbiotic fungus of the pinyon ips bark beetle, Ips confusus LeConte. Symbiosis 10.1007/s13199-026-01135-9

Yan Z, Zhao Y, Meng X, Gao M, Si H, Zhao G, Bose T, Chang R. (2026) New manganese-oxidizing Acremonium-like fungi from halophytic rhizospheres in the Yellow River Delta, China. Mycologia :1-13. 10.1080/00275514.2026.2627133

Eshetu FB, Barnes I, Nahrung HF, Fitza KNE, Slippers B. (2026) A Century of invasion: How biosecurity influenced populations of Sirex noctilio and Its fungal symbiont in Australasia. Molecular Ecology 35(6):0962 - 1083. 10.1111/mec.70311

Viljoen A, Duong TA, Kanzi AM, Wingfield BD. (2026) Comparative analysis of mitochondrial genomes in the Ceratocystidaceae reveals highly conserved gene organization despite substantial genome size variation. BMC Genomics 10.1186/s12864-026-12755-2

Ribeiro MF, Cavallini G, Solce GN, Favoreto AL, De Souza Passos J-R, Barbosa LR, Hurley BP, Wilcken CF. (2026) Cold storage of Gonipterus platensis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) eggs for Anaphes nitens (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) rearing. PeerJ :1-14. 10.7717/peerj.20903

Pham NQ, Marincowitz S, Marpaung YMAN, Tarigan M, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2026) Two Cryphonectriaceae species from Eucalyptus leaves in North Sumatra and their stem inoculation outcomes. Fungal Systematics and Evolution 17:69–79. 10.15761/fuse.2026.17.05

Nickles GR, Stokes CK, Narh DL, Lynn KMT, Fuqua SR, Bryan C, Allen BM, Bivins CP, Bok JW, Brewer JS, Buthelezi ST, Clark JPRM, Coon KL, Corby LR, Coetzee MPA, Dewing C, Duong TA, Harris MA, Keller NP, Kopotsa K, Lane FA, Nichols HL, Nieuwoudt A, Nuñez MA, Medina Munoz ME, Park SC, Pham NQ, Ryan KT, Solís M, Vilgalys R, Wallace JM, Wang YW, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ, Worley TK, Zallek TA, Zamanian M, Hoeksma JD, Drott M, Pringle A. (2026) Equipped for success: Genomes and metabolites of the European Amanita muscaria are conserved in its novel South African range. New Phytologist 10.1111/nph.71064

Pham NQ, Wingfield MJ, Duong TA, Wingfield BD. (2026) Draft genome sequence of Elsinoe masingae: the causal agent of Eucalyptus scab in South Africa. Australasian Plant Pathology 55:37. 10.1007/s13313-026-01082-5

Pham NQ, Marincowitz S, Wingfield BD, Crous PW, Santos SA, Durán A, Tarigan M, Wingfield MJ . (2026) Pseudoteratosphaeria supramediana sp. nov. (Teratosphaeriaceae, Mycosphaerellales), a new foliar pathogen on Eucalyptus in Indonesia. Australasian Plant Pathology 55:28. 10.1007/s13313-026-01092-3

Nel WJ, Jali S, Barnes I, Wondafrash M, Hurley BP. (2026) Outbreaks of a native jewel beetle, Agrilus grandis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), on commercial black wattle, Acacia mearnsii, plantations in South Africa. African Entomology 34(1):1-5. 10.17159/2254-8854/2026/a24625

Postma A, Klynsmith L, Duong TA, Allison JD, Smidt W, Waterhouse RM, Lesny P, Oeyen JP, Petersen M, Martin S, Liu S, Zhou X, Ziesmann T, Donath A, Mayer C, Misof B, Niehuis O, Peters RS, Podsiadlowski L, Coetzee MPA, Joubert F, Slippers B. (2026) Genome and transcriptome-based identification and expression profiling of chemosensory gene families across developmental stages and tissues in Sirex noctilio (Hymenoptera: Siricidae). Insect Molecular Biology :1-14. 10.1111/imb.70029

Aylward J, Visagie CM, Roets F, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2026) Genome analyses reveal two novel species of Seiridium from Acacia mearnsii. Mycological Progress 25:8. 10.1007/s11557-026-02121-7

Liu QL, Wingfield MJ, Duong TA, Wingfield BD, Crous PW. (2026) Taxonomy, distribution and dispersal of Calonectria species: Important pathogens of forestry, agricultural and horticultural crops. Current Forestry Reports 12(4) 10.1007/s40725-025-00262-8

Carstens M, Pliego C, Norval A, van den Berg N. (2026) Dematophora necatrix: From taxonomy to molecular advances. Fungal Biology Reviews 55:100471. 10.1016/j.fbr.2026.100471

Nethononda PD, Hurley BP, Slippers B, Makhura MN. (2026) Smallholder farmers’ knowledge, perception and management of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Zea mays at irrigation schemes in Limpopo province, South Africa. Crop Protection :107457. 10.1016/j.cropro.2025.107457

Karsten M, Fourie G, Roets F, Javal M, Terblanche J, Dittrich-Schröder G, Bierman A. 2026. Genetic Toolkits for IPM. In: Principles of Integrated Pest Management. Terblanche J, Karsten M. (eds). CABI, pp 294-319.

Swanepoel S, Naidoo S. (2026) A weighted gene co-expression network analysis characterises the common defence responses of Eucalyptus to diverse biotic challenges. Scientific Reports 16:5387. 10.1038/s41598-025-32699-z

Addikah C, Abubeker H, Mukiibi A, Bairu M, Amelework A, Van der Laan M, Mangani R. (2026) Current and future potential of cassava (Manihot esculenta) in Southern Africa: a scoping review. 4:120. 10.1007/s44279-026-00598-0

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