FABI News
25 Apr 2025
Suez University delegation visits FABI
FABI was honoured to host a visit by a delegation from Egypt’s Suez University.
23 Apr 2025
Jackie Robinson Day a big hit with FABIans
22 Apr 2025
FABIans enjoy an Easter Tea
FABIans took some time off to enjoy the traditional annual Easter Tea on the morning of 16 April.
18 Apr 2025
Congratulations to Tanay Bose on receiving his Y1 NRF rating
Congratulations to Dr Tanay Bose on receiving his Y1 rating from the NRF.
17 Apr 2025
FABI's Prof. Irene Barnes presents her inaugural address
Professor Irene Barnes presented her inaugural address in the University of Pretoria’s Senate Chamber on 9 April, marking the inauguration of her acceptance as a full Professor.
FABI in a nutshell
Research Features
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.
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, DFFE
Monitoring in commercial plantations (pines, eucalypts, wattles)
Team: Prof. B. Hurley & Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP) team (FABI, UP)
Funding: TPCP, FABI
Monitoring in commercial avocado orchards
Team: Prof. Noëlani 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, Mrs Rina 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: Thulisile Jaca & SANBI interns, Shawn Fell, FABI diagnostic clinic team, Prof. W. de Beer, Drs T. Paap, M. Gossa
Funding: SANBI, FABI
Monitoring in native forests in the greater Durban area
Team: Proff W. de Beer (FABI), F. Roets (US), M. Hill (RU), Garyn Delport
Funding: FABI, DFFE
Monitoring Durban Botanical Gardens & Zimbali Coastal Estate in KZN
Team: Drs Indrani Hazel Govender, Pravin Mark Maistry, M. 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 M. Gossa, T. Paap
Funding: FABI, DFFE, 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, DFFE
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), Proff 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: DFFE, DALRRD
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL
Project: Exploring potential biocontrol agents for PHSB control
Dr Wilma Nel (FABI, UP, Postdoctoral fellow)
Supervisors: Proff B. Hurley, B. Slippers, W. de Beer, M. Hill
Funding: DFFE, 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: Proff B. Hurley, W. de Beer, M. Hill, F. Roets
Funding: DFFE, CPHB, FABI, CBC
Project: Laboratory rearing of PSHB for biocontrol experiments
Shawn Fell (FABI, UP, Technical)
Supervisors: Proff B. Hurley, B. Slippers, W. de Beer
Funding: DFFE, 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: Proff W. de Beer, I. Barnes, Dr Trudy Paap
Funding: FABI, DFFE
Project: Population study & whole genome sequencing of PHSB in South Africa
Dr Anandi Bierman (US, Postdoctoral fellow)
Supervisors: Proff 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: Proff 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, Proff 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 and 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: Proff W. de Beer, B. Hurley
Funding: SAPPA
Project: Testing the impact of F. euwallaceae on deciduous fruit trees & grapevines and developing rapid screening technique
Team: Proff F. Roets and P. Addison (US)
Funding: US, Hortgrow, Winetech
URBAN FORESTS
Project: PSHB in Urbanized Cape Town and surrounds: monitoring, chemical control, and the effect of plant stress
Heather Nependa (US, PhD student)
Supervisors: Proff 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: Proff 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: Prof. 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: Drs Mesfin Gossa, T Paap, Indrani Hazel Govender, Pravin Mark Maistry
Funding: FABI, Durban University of Technology
Project: PSHB Assessment at Zimbali Coastal Estate in KZN
Students: Durban University of Technology students & interns
Supervisors: Drs Indrani Hazel Govender, Pravin Mark Maistry
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, Prof. 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: M.P. De Wit, D.J. Crookes, J.N. Blignaut, Z.W. de Beer, T. Paap, F. Roets, C. van der Merwe, D.M. Richardson.
Funding: CIB, CBC, CPHB, FABI, DFFE
NATURAL FORESTS
Project: Impact of PSHB on Southern & Eastern Cape Native forests
Garyn Townsend (FABI, UP, MSc student)
Supervisors: Proff W. de Beer, M. Hill, F. Roets
Funding: CBC, CPHB, FABI, DFFE
Project: Review of PSHB in South Africa and Impact of PSHB on Southern & Eastern Cape Native forests
Elmar Van Rooyen (US, MSc student)
Supervisors: Proff F. Roets, W. de Beer, M. Hill
Funding: CPHB, US, FABI, DFFE
AGRICULTURAL CROP TREES
Project: Impact of PSHB on Pecan trees in South Africa
Shawn Fell (MSc student, FABI)
Supervisors: Proff W. de Beer, B. Hurley
Funding: SAPPA
Project: Impact of PHSB on Avocado trees in South Africa
Michael du Toit (FABI, UP, MSc student)
Supervisors: Proff 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, Proff 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: Proff Irene Barnes, M. Wingfield, W. de Beer
Funding: RGE-FABI Tree Health Programme (RGE-FABI THP).
There is no way in which the PSHB invasion in South Africa can be stopped. However, some treatments and management strategies can reduce its impact.
Municipalities should:
- Train staff to recognize and cut down heavily-infested reproductive host trees from streets and public areas.
- Infested branches can be cut if the main stem is not infested (This is unlikely, as PSHB usually infests the stem first).
- Designate dedicated dumping sites where infested wood can be dumped as it poses a risk of spreading the beetle.
- Chip wood to pieces finer than 5cm at the dumping sites.
- Provide a help desk (preferably online) where the public can report infested trees and get information.
Tree growers/home owners should:
- Try to determine whether the symptoms are really caused by PSHB (see FABI brochures).
- If unsure, ask help from municipal or other help desks, or your local arborist.
- If the tree is a heavily-infested reproductive host, cut it down.
- Infested branches can be cut if the main stem is not infested (This is unlikely, as PSHB usually infests the stem first).
- Dump the wood at a dedicated site dedicated for this purpose by your municipality.
- Chip the wood to finer than 5cm, allow chips to compost by keeping it wet.
- Or burn the wood on site (some beetles will fly away when the wood becomes hot or when smoke appears, so do not burn in uninfested areas).
- Or solarize (leave in full sun) chopped wood under thoroughly-sealed clear plastic sheets for at least three months in summer or six months during winter (see FABI brochures).
- At present no chemical product is registered (legal) to use on PSHB in South Africa.
DO NOT MOVE INFESTED WOOD (E.G. FIREWOOD) AROUND, ESPECIALLY NOT OUT OF THE INFESTED AREA WHERE YOU LIVE!
PSHB Network Coordinator:
Dr Trudy Paap (FABI, University of Pretoria)
OTHER MEMBERS:
University of Pretoria (FABI):
Proff. Brett Hurley, Wilhelm de Beer, Noëlani Van den Berg, Bernard Slippers, Almuth Hammerbacher, Drs Gerda Fourie, Mesfin Gossa
University of Pretoria (Centre for Invasion Biology, CIB):
Prof. Mark Robertson
University of Pretoria (Department of Plant & Soil Sciences):
Prof. John Annandale, Dr Nicolette Taylor
Rhodes University (Centre for Biological Control, CBC):
Prof. Martin Hill
Stellenbosch University (Dept. Conservation Ecology and Entomology):
Prof. Francois Roets
Stellenbosch University (Centre for Invasion Biology, CIB):
Prof. Dave Richardson
Stellenbosch University (School of Public Leadership):
Prof. Martin de Wit, James N Blignaut, Carmen van der Merwe
University of Witwatersrand (School of Animal Plant and Environmental Sciences):
Prof. Marcus Byrne, Dr Solomon Newete
Durban University of Technology (Department of Horticulture):
Drs Indrani Hazel Govender, Pravin Mark Maistry
University of the Free State (Dept. Plant Sciences):
Drs Gert Marais, Marieka Gryzenhout
UNISA (College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences):
Dr Kerry Slater
Since its discovery in KwaZulu-Natal in 2017, the FABI team has confirmed the presence of the PSHB in eight of the nine provinces in South Africa. The only exception as of November 2021 is Limpopo, but that might merely be because appropriate samples have not been received from that province.
Based on the experiences in California and Israel, avocado trees are among the most susceptible agricultural crop trees to PHSB infestation and FD. To date, PSHB has been found on some backyard avocado trees in Sandton and Knysna, but its presence has not yet been confirmed in any commercial orchards in South Africa (van den Berg et al. 2019). PSHB has been detected in pecan and macadamia orchards, but effects seem to be limited on these crops at the moment, most likely as these do not seem to be reproductive hosts (Fell & de Beer 2020, Twiddy et al. 2021). Other fruit trees in private gardens on which PSHB has been detected include lemon, orange, guava, peach, and grapevine. However, at this point, there is no evidence suggesting that PSHB poses a threat to these crops, but producers should carefully monitor and report any infestations.
In addition to agriculture, commercial forestry is another sector that is concerned. PSHB infestations have been observed on a small number of roadside wattle trees – but to date, no trees in commercial plantations have been infested. Based on observations on Acacia spp. from commercial forestry in SE Asia, however, there is concern around the threat posed to species of importance to the South African forestry industry.
The most visible impact of the PSHB invasion in South Africa is in urban forests on street, park and garden trees, and this became the focus of many articles in the media. Many trees have been killed by PSHB in Sandton, George, and Knysna, while reports from Bloemfontein, the Ekhurhuleni metro, Pretoria, Somerset-West, Pietermaritzburg, and Durban suggest that the impact is becoming worse in those areas. The most common trees to be killed are English oak, Chinese maple, Japanese maple, Boxelder and Sweetgum.
Most unpredictable is the impact that the PSHB invasion will have on our native forests. Several native tree species were found to be infested in the gardens of Sandton, George and Knysna, with species like the Coral tree, Keurboom and Cape willow being particularly vulnerable and often killed. It is now known that the beetle is spreading from the urban areas into native forests close to George, Knysna and Durban. However, which species will be affected and to what extent, is unpredictable.
Click here for the PSHB distribution map and list of municipalities where the beetle has been found in South Africa.
New Publications
Fick A, Swart V, Van den Berg N. (2025) In silico prediction method for plant Nucleotide-binding leucine-rich repeat- and pathogen effector interactions. The Plant Journal 122:e70169.
10.1111/tpj.70169
Bose T, Wingfield MJ, Brachmann A, Witfeld F, Begerow D, Kemler M, Dovey S, Roux J, Slippers B, Vivas M, Hammerbacher A. (2025) Removal of organic biomass in Eucalyptus plantations has a greater impact on fungal than on bacterial networks. Forest Ecology and Management 586:122734.
10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122734
Woodward S, Amin H, Mártin-Gárcia J, Solla A, Diaz-Vazquez R, Romeralo C, Alves A, Pinto G, Herron D, Fraser S, Zas R, Doğmuş-Lehtijärvi HT, Bonello P, Wingfield MJ, Witzell J, Diez JJ. (2025) Host-pathogen interactions in the Pine-Fusarium circinatum pathosystem and the potential for resistance deployment in the field. Forest Pathology 55(2):e70020.
10.1111/efp.70020
Maduke N, Slippers B, Van der Linde E, Wingfield M, Fourie G. (2025) Botryosphaeriaceae associated with racemes, fruits and leaves of macadamia in South Africa. Plant Pathology 0:1–15:1–15.
10.1111/ppa.14107
Hulcr J, Barnes I, Barnes M, Gazis R, Hammerbacher A, Johnson AJ, Lynch S, Lynn K, Marais GC, Mayers CG, Nel W, Villari C, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2025) From forest to fungus: A roadmap to bark beetle mycobiome research. Phytoparasitica 53(45)
10.1007/s12600-025-01246-x
Knoppersen RS, Bose T, Coutinho TA, Hammerbacher A. (2025) Inside the Belly of the Beast: Exploring the Gut Bacterial Diversity of Gonipterus sp. n. 2. Microbial Ecology 88:27.
10.1007/s00248-025-02524-1
Bose T, Roux J, Titshall L, Dovey SB, Hammerbacher A. (2025) Mulching of post-harvest residues and delayed planting improves fungal biodiversity in South African Eucalyptus plantations and enhances plantation productivity. Applied Soil Ecology 210:106091.
10.1016/j.apsoil.2025.106091
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 
Balocchi F. (2025) Risk Analysis for Alien Taxa (RAAT) for Phytophthora cinnamomi in South Africa.
10.5281/zenodo.14858265
Paap T, Balocchi F, Wingfield MJ. (2025) The root rot pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi: a long-overlooked threat to the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa. Biological Invasions 27(4)
10.1007/s10530-025-03570-z
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
Dewing C, Visagie CM, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield BD, Yilmaz N. (2025) Three new species of Fusarium (Nectriaceae, Hypocreales) isolated from Eastern Cape dairy pastures in South Africa. MycoKeys 115:241–271.
10.3897/mycokeys.115.148914
Coertze S, Visagie CM, Rose L, Slippers B, Mostert D, Makhura T, de Villiers D, Basson E, Coetzee B, Read D. (2025) First report of Clavibacter nebraskensis, causing Goss’s bacterial leaf blight on maize (Zea mays L.) in South Africa. Plant Disease
10.1094/PDIS-01-25-0164-PDN
van der Merwe E, Slippers B, Dittrich-Schröder G. (2025) Exploring artificial diets for the laboratory rearing of Sirex noctilio late-instar larvae: a qualitative study. Zenodo
10.5281/zenodo.15049303
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
Brasier CM, Grünwald NJ, Bourret TB, Govers F, Scanu B, Cooke DEL, Bose T, Hawksworth DL, Abad ZG, Albarracin MV, Alsultan W, Altamirano-Junqueria AE, Arifin AR, Arnet MJ, Aumentado HDR, Bakonyi J, Belisle WH, Benigno A, Bienapfl JC, Bilodeau GJ, Blair JE, Botella L, Brandano A, Cacciola SO, Carbone I, Castroagudin VL, Chaendaekattu N, Consford JD, Corcobado T, Covey PA, Daniels HA, Deidda A, Dorrance AE, Dort EN, Drenth A, Drizou F, Evangelisti E, Fajardo SN, Fang Y, Ference CM, Frankel SJ, Goss EM, Guest DI, Hardy GESJ, Harris ARH, Hawku MD, Heungens K, Hong C, Horner IJ, Horta Jung M, Iyanda OJ, Jamieson B, Jeffers SN, Judelson HS, Junaid M, Kalogeropoulou E, Kamoun S, Kang S, Kasuga T, Kudláček T, LeBoldus J, Lee CA, Li D, Llanos AK, Lopez-Nicora HD, Machado H, Di San Lio GM, Maia C, Mandal K, Manosalva P, Martin FN, Matson MEH, McDougal RL, McDowell JM, Michelmore RW, Milenković I, Moricca S, Mostowfizadeh-Ghalamfarsa R, Nagy Z, Nikolaeva EV, Ortega-López P, Paap T, Parada-Rojas CH, Peduto Hand F, Perez-Sierra A, Pettersson M, Prasad P, Puig AS, Raco M, Rajput NA, Ristaino JB, Rooney-Latham S, Seidl MF, Shamoun SF, Solla A, Spies CFJ, Sudermann MA, Swiecki TJ, Tian M, Tripathy S, Uematsu S, Van Poucke K, Vichou AE, Walter M, Webber JF, Williams NM, Wingfield MJ, Yadav D, Yang X, Jung T. (2025) Preserving the Biologically Coherent Generic Concept of Phytophthora, ‘Plant Destroyer’. Phytopathology
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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.
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Townsend G, Hill M, Hurley BP, Roets F. (2025) Escalating threat: increasing impact of the polyphagous shot hole borer beetle, Euwallacea fornicatus, in nearly all major South African forest types. Biological Invasions 27
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Makunde PT, Slippers B, Bush S, Hurley BP. (2025) Host specificity and host stage preference of Psyllaephagus species (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) towards invasive eucalypt psyllids (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae). Agricultural and Forest Entomology :1-13.
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Tarigan M, Wingfield MJ, Jami F, Oliveira LSS, Saha MA, Durán A, Pham NQ. (2025) Pathogenicity of Pythium myriotylum on Acacia crassicarpa and Acacia mangium × Acacia auriculiformis clones in Indonesia. Southern Forests: a Journal of Forest Science 87:1–5.
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D’Angelo D, Hu H, Lahoz E, Risteski J, Steenkamp E T, Viscardi M, van der Nest M A, Wu Y, Yu H, Zhou J, Karandeni Dewage C S, Kotta-Loizou L I, Stotz H U, Fitt B D L, Huang Y, Hu Y, Kiss L, Sorrentino R, Nkomo T, Zhou X, Vaghefi N, Sonnekus B, Bose T, Cerrato D, Cozzolino L, Creux N, D’Agostino N, Fourie G, Fusco G, Hammerbacher A, Idnurm A, Wingfield BD. (2025) IMA GENOME - F20 A draft genome assembly of Agroathelia rolfsii, Ceratobasidium papillatum, Pyrenopeziza brassicae, Neopestalotiopsis macadamiae, Sphaerellopsis filum and genomic resources for Colletotrichum spaethianum and Colletotrichum fructicola. IMA Fungus 16:e141732.
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Espach A, Esterhuizen L, Africander N, Thiart S, Read DA, Pietersen G. (2025) First report of pepper ringspot virus on potato (Solanum tuberosum) in South Africa. Journal of Plant Pathology
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Muema EK, van Lill M, Venter SN, Claassens R, Steenkamp ET. (2025) Mesorhizobium salmacidum sp. nov. and Mesorhizobium argentiipisi sp. nov. are symbionts of the dry-land forage legumes Lessertia diffusa and Calobota sericea. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 19(3):1-20.
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Motaung TE, Ratsoma FM, Kunene S, Santana QC, Steenkamp ET, Wingfield BD. (2025) Harnessing exogenous membrane vesicles for studying Fusarium circinatum and its biofilm communities. Microbial Pathogenesis
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van Dijk A, Wilson AM, Marx B, Hough B, Swalarsk-Parry BS, De Vos L, Wingfield MJ, Wingfield BD, Steenkamp ET. (2025) CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing reveals that the Pgs gene of Fusarium circinatum is involved in pathogenicity, growth and sporulation.. Fungal Genetics and Biology
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Balocchi F, Wingfield MJ, Paap T. (2025) First record of the white root rot fungus Dematophora necatrix on indigenous South African trees. Journal of Plant Pathology
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Coelho MA, David-Palma M, Aylward J, Pham NQ, Visagie CM, Fuchs T, Yilmaz N, Roets F, Sun S, Taylor JT, Wingfield BD, Fisher MC, Wingfield MJ, Heitman J. (2025) Decoding Cryptococcus: From African biodiversity to worldwide prevalence. PLOS Pathogens 21:e1012876.
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Solís M, Hammerbacher A, Wingfield M.J, Naidoo S. (2025) Enhancing plantation forest sustainability: A review of Eucalyptus defence mechanisms to foliar fungal pathogens. Current Forestry Reports
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Ratsoma MF, Santana QC, Wingfield BD, Steenkamp ET, Motaung TE. (2025) Understanding cargo sorting and interactive effects of membrane vesicles in fungal phytopathogens: Current knowledge and research gaps. Fungal Biology Reviews 51
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Harvey A, van den Berg N, Swart V. (2025) In silico characterisation of the avocado WAK/WAKL gene family with a focus on genes involved in defence against Phytophthora cinnamomi. Frontiers in Plant Science 15:1474781.
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Botes J, Ma X, Chang J, Van de Peer Y, Berger DK. (2025) Flavonoids and anthocyanins in seagrasses: implications for climate change adaptation and resilience. Frontiers in Plant Science 15(1520474):1-17.
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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.
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Mangani R, Mazarura J, Matlou S, Marquart A, Archer E, Creux N. (2025) The impact of past and current district-level climatic shifts on maize production and the implications for South African farmers. Theoretical and Applied Climatology 156:109.
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Möller H, Slippers B, van den Berg N. (2025) Branch canker battles: understanding and managing the Botryosphaeriaceae in avocado. Phytoparasitica 53(17)
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Pham NQ, Wingfield BD, Barnes I, Gazis R, Wingfield MJ. (2025) Elsinoe species: The rise of scab diseases. Plant Pathology
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Theron E, van Niekerk JM, van der Waals JE. (2025) A review of the use of phosphonates in the management of Phytophthora nicotianae in citrus in South Africa. Phytoparasitica 53(11)
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Aylward J, Atkins S, Roets F, Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2025) Several Seiridium species (Sporocadaceae: Xylariales) cause cypress canker in South Africa. Fungal Biology 129:101528.
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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.
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Wingfield MJ, Slippers B, Barnes I, Duong AT, Wingfield BD. (2025) The Pine pathogen Diplodia sapinea: Expanding frontiers. Current Forestry Reports 11(2)
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Hurley BP, Lawson S, Slippers B. 2025. Biological Control of Insect Pests in Plantation Forests. Springer: Switzerland.
Mangani R, Archer E, Engelbrecht C, Bellochi G, Mukiibi A, Creux N. 2025. The Impact of Climate Change on Crop Production and Food Security: A South African Perspective. In: Climate Change, Food Security, and Land Management. Leal Filho W, Matandirotya N, Yayeh Ayal D, Luetz JM, Borsari B. (eds). Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp 1-12.
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.
Ashmore JS, Slippers B, Duong TA, Dittrich-Schröder G. (2024) Understanding the genetics of sex determination in insects and its relevance to genetic pest management. Insect Molecular Biology
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Oostlander AG, Elfstrand M, Oliva J, Stenlid J, Well L, Grober C, Klawonn F, Brandt U, Becker Y, Slippers B, von Bargen M, Brodde L, Fleißner A. (2024) Development of a molecular genetics and cell biology toolbox for the filamentous fungus Diplodia sapinea. PLoS ONE 19:e0308794.
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Balocchi F, Sanfuentes E. (2024) Fungal pathogens on Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) and French broom (Genista monspessulana) from Chile. Forest Pathology 54
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Knoppersen R, Hammerbacher A, Bose T. (2024) Fungal Planet description sheets: 1697–1780 (Description of Sporisorium enterogonipteri). Fungal Systematics and Evolution 14:325–577.
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Wingfield BD, Wingfield MJ. (2024) Gene transfer between fungal species triggers repeated coffee wilt disease outbreaks. PLOS Biology
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