FABI News

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Research Features

Wondafrash M, Slippers B, Asfaw BA, Makowe IA, Jenya H, Bush S, Kayumba I, Nambazimana A, van der Lingen S, Hurley BP.  Tracing the distribution of natural enemies of non-native Eucalyptus insect pests in sub-Saharan Africa. 22nd Congress of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa. 28 June to 1 July 2021.  

Wondafrash M. Pest surveillance. DUT Workshop. 24 May 2021. 

Wondafrash M. Introduction to pests and pathogens. DUT Workshop. 24 May 2021.   

Wondafrash M. Monitoring plant health in South African Botanical Gardens. DUT Workshop. 24 May 2021. 

Paap T. Phytophthora biology, impact, and management. DUT Workshop. 24 May 2021. 

Paap T. Urban tree health. DUT Workshop. 24 May 2021.

Paap T. Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer. DUT Workshop. 24 May 2021.  

Wondafrash M, Wingfield MJ, Slippers B, Hurley BP, Hulbert JM, Wilson JR, Paap T. The value of botanical gardens to biosecurity and plant health research in South Africa. National Symposium on Biological Invasions. 5-7 May 2021. 

Wondafrash M. Plant health in botanical gardens. A webinar. 28th July 2020.

Wondafrash. Monitoring plant health in sentinel sites: botanic gardens and arboreta in South Africa. FABI postdoc seminar, 2nd March 2020, Pretoria. 

Paap T. An update on Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB) in South Africa. SANBI Interpretation Officers Meeting, Lowveld National Botanical Garden, 21st of October 2019, Nelspruit.

Wondafrash M. Plant health project in botanic gardens and arboreta in South Africa. SANBI Interpretation Officers Meeting, Lowveld National Botanical Garden, 21st of October 2019, Nelspruit. 

Wondafrash M, Paap T. Sentinel plant research and monitoring PSHB. Beetle Workshop, 1st November 2019, Pretoria.

Wondafrash M, Paap T. Best garden practices and plant health. Free State National Botanical Garden, 1st October 2019, Bloemfontein. 

Wondafrash M, Paap T. Monitoring plant health in botanical gardens and arboreta across South Africa. Seasonal Plant Sale Day in Free State National Botanical Garden, 28th September 2019, Bloemfontein. 

Paap T. Pest and disease management and biosecurity in botanic gardens. A Plenary Talk at Horticulturalists Enrichment Forum at Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, September 2019, Johannesburg. 

Wondafrash M, Slippers B, Hurley BP. Distribution and diversity of invasive pests of Eucalyptus in sub-Saharan Africa, 21st Congress of Entomological Society of Southern Africa (ESSA), 8-11 July 2019, Umhlanga. 

Paap T. An update on PSHB in South Africa and emerging plant diseases in Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden. Presentation at Kirstenbosch National Botanic Garden, June 2019, Cape Town. 

Wondafrash M, Paap T. Monitoring Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB) in sentinel sites: botanic gardens and arboreta. (PSHB) Research Network, 28th May 2019, Pretoria.

Wondafrash M. Distribution and diversity of invasive Eucalyptus insect pests and their natural enemies in sub-Saharan Africa, FABI Post Doc Seminar, 8 April 2019, Pretoria.

Paap T. An update on Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB) and its fungal symbiont in South Africa. PSHB meeting at eThekwini Municipality, 14th March 2019, Durban.

Paap T, de Beer ZW. Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer in South Africa. European PhD Network “Insect Science” IX Annual Meeting, 14th November 2018, Florence, Italy.

Paap T, de Beer ZW. Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer in South Africa. Presentation to Italian National Research Council (CNR) Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection (ISPP), 13th November 2018, Florence, Italy.

Paap T, de Beer ZW, Burgess TI, Wingfield MJ. Sentinel tree research in botanical gardens of South Africa. COST Action FP1401 Final Meeting: Sentinel plantings for detecting alien, potentially damaging tree pests, 19th Oct 2018, Sursee, Switzerland.

Paap T, de Beer ZW. Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer in South Africa. Presentation to Forest Research, 4th October 2018, Farnham, United Kingdom.

Paap T, de Beer ZW. Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer in South Africa. Institute of Environment and Recreation Management (IERM) Convention, 19th Sep 2018, Durban.

Paap T, de Beer ZW. Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer in South Africa. Intensive Growers Association Biannual Symposium, 19th July 2018, Durban.

Paap T, de Beer ZW. Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer in South Africa. Presentation to Ethekwini Municipality, 17th July 2018, Durban.

Paap T, de Beer ZW. Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer in South Africa. Presentation to Simbithi Eco Estate, 12th July 2018, Shaka’s Rock. 

Paap T, de Beer ZW, Burgess TI, Wingfield MJ. Sentinel tree research in botanical gardens of South Africa and detection of the invasive polyphagous shot hole borer, a major threat to tree health. 45th Annual Research Symposium on the Management of Biological Invasions in Southern Africa, 4th July 2018, Thohoyandou.

Paap T, Burgess TI, Wingfield MJ. Sentinel trees to detect pest and pathogen invasions: a global project. 29th annual meeting of the Tree Protection Cooperative Programme (TPCP), 16th May 2017, Pretoria.

Paap T. An early warning system for new and emerging threats to global plant health. PSHB Public Information Session, 19th April 2018, Pretoria.

Paap T, de Beer ZW, Migliorini D, Nel WJ, Wingfield MJ. First report of the polyphagous shot hole borer (PSHB) and its fungal symbiont in South Africa. 44th Conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB), 10th January 2018, Pretoria.

Paap T, Burgess TI, Wingfield MJ. Urban trees: Bridgeheads and Sentinels. UNISA Department of Environmental Science Colloquium, People and Green Space, 19th Oct 2017, Roodepoort.

Paap T, Burgess TI, Wingfield MJ. FABI progress report. Curators Week, 5th Oct 2017, Free State National Botanical Gardens, Bloemfontein.

Paap T, Burgess TI, Wingfield MJ. Urban trees: Bridgeheads and Sentinels. Institute of Environment and Recreation Management (IERM) Convention, 12th Sep 2017, Johannesburg.

Paap T. Sentinel Tree Research in South Africa. Murdoch University Plant Pathology Group Seminar, 16th Aug 2017, Perth, Western Australia.

Paap T, Burgess TI, Wingfield MJ. Urban Forests: Sources of invasion for plantations. 28th annual meeting of the Tree Protection Cooperative Programme (TPCP), 17th May 2017, Pretoria.

Paap T, Hulbert J, Burgess TI, Wingfield MJ. Botanical gardens: Sentinel plantings to detect new and emerging Phytophthora risks’ 8th Meeting IUFRO Working Party 7.02.09 Phytophthora in Forests and Natural Ecosystems, 23rd Mar 2017, Sapa, Vietnam.

Paap T. Pathologist on the move. FABI Post Doc Seminar, 20th Feb 2017, Pretoria.

Paap T. Pathogens and insect pests as invasives on trees in urban environments. Non-native species in urban environments workshop hosted by the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology (CIB), 8th November 2016, Stellenbosch.

Paap T. Monitoring tree health at sentinel sites: botanic gardens and arboreta, Curators Week, 3rd October 2016, East London.

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 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
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. PDF
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 PDF
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 PDF
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 PDF
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