FABI News
28 Apr 2026
FABIans Visit Eastern Cape Maize Farms in Support of the Ukhanyo Farmer Development Programme
team of FABIans travelled to the Eastern Cape for a field trip to maize farms supported by the Ukhanyo Farmer Development Programme (UFD)
24 Apr 2026
Special Seminar by Prof. René Heim
Research collaborator Prof. René Heim of the Georg-August University of Göttingen, Germany presented a special seminar in FABI
22 Apr 2026
CPHB Interns meet SACTA officials
SACTA officials visited FABI to meet with the group of CPHB interns
20 Apr 2026
Phophi Nethononda perseveres to complete her PhD
It was a big celebration for Phophi Nethononda when she marked the successful completion of her PhD journey in FABI with the presentation of her Prestige Seminar
17 Apr 2026
FABI Marks Jackie Robinson Day 2026
FABIans gathered at the University of Pretoria’s LC de Villiers Sports Campus for another enjoyable Jackie Robinson Day celebration
FABI in a nutshell
Research Features
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.
Developing capacity in any research field requires high quality, and discipline-specific academic leadership. How does one achieve capacity if a certain expertise is not available in house? One approach is through the establishment of ‘Satellite Labs’. These laboratories are creating a link between a host institute and a partner in industry or academia to transfer knowledge and are led by next-generation experts in fields in which the host institute wants to build capacity. In return, the partner can benefit from another field of expertise that might be well developed at the host institute.
Both, the home institution of the research leader as well as the host institution of the Satellite Lab should see potential in the joint venture, adding and not detracting from already demanding schedules and objectives. The host institution should provide quality local administrative and academic support, as well as sufficient seed funding to allow the development of world class projects and capacity in such a unit. The partner commits to providing training and expertise delivered to the host institute in a sustainable manner. Both institutes can benefit not just from the core research area of the Satellite Lab, but also by exchanging graduate and post-graduate researchers that are able to deepen and strengthen the relationship between host and partner.
We currently host three such Satellite Labs in:
The current explosion in next generation biological- and information technologies is disrupting agriculture business globally, opening transformative new opportunities for intensification and diversification in a sustainable manner. Africa is rich in agricultural growth opportunities, from underutilized land, to novel crop diversity, and a rich agricultural tradition. The intersection of these opportunities makes this a key moment for the continent to stimulate economic and social development through accelerated agricultural development.
Africa lacks the capacity and data needed to unlock the opportunity that the era of digital and precision agriculture offers. These opportunities will also need to be connected with a fragmented agricultural community in a way that allows ownership, social development and resilience. At the same time, the intended intensification needs to be mindful of the value of the continents biodiversity and landscapes that provide vital ecosystem services, as well as the threats that it will face from climate change, pests and disease.
With this in mind, a process has been launched to transform the Experimental Farm of the University of Pretoria into a research and development investment platform called Innovation Africa @UP. The core of this development will be agriculture, although transport, health, education and other sectors will also use this platform. Innovation Africa @UP will provide an anchor for the development of a network of like-minded Agricultural Research Hubs that are transformed into ‘digital and precision agriculture research and training hubs’ across the continent, sharing resources, capacity and data. This network can provide a focused investment platform for the future of agriculture on the continent by developing an interface between business, governments, development and research organizations.
Two world leading research institutions will spearhead this initiative, namely the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI; rated second in the world in some research fields) and Future Africa (a global research hub dedicated to transdisciplinary research for innovation on the continent). These institutions are leading research globally in areas such as plant health, plant breeding, genomics, synthetic biology and other relevant next generation biotechnologies. In partnership with Engineering 4 @UP, the Innovation Africa @UP Experimental Farm will be transformed into a digital research hub, combining development in sensor, autonomous vehicle and drone technology, virtual reality, data science and artificial intelligence with the biological sciences.
These developments in and around FABI and the Innovation Africa hub offer a rich opportunity and reasoning in support of a Satellite Lab in Artificial Intelligence in Farming, in collaboration with the Bioinformatics Laboratory, Université du Québec à Montréal
The acquisition of remote and close-range sensor data (e.g. thermal, hyperspectral), either via satellites, aeroplanes or - more recently - unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has been already proven valuable for managed and natural landscapes. The application of UAVs in combination with optical sensors for crop and forestry status monitoring is a rapidly developing field that offers immense opportunities for plant health management at a scale and level of detail never before possible.
The Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) at the University of Pretoria is hosting world-leading programs focusing on vexing problems regarding the global burden of plant diseases and pests in commercial systems, as well as their spill-over into native vegetation. The University also has extensive capacity Engineering and Information Sciences relevant to remote sensing of plant health, in particular in departments such as Civil, Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering and Computer Science. The University of Pretoria wishes to capitalise on these capacities by developing capacity in the field of remote sensing of plant health. Such an endeavour will also link to developments in the chemical ecology, plant phenotyping and data science capacity in FABI.
The University of Ghent (UGent) is a top 100 university and with over 46000 students and 15000 staff members, it is one of the leading universities in Belgium. The Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, one of UGent’s 11 faculties, is a European research leader in the field of applied biological and life sciences or bioengineering. Its focus on sustainability in life sciences, management and protection of natural and man-made ecosystems, leads to a strong international orientation, with strong support for academic collaboration and research supporting development organisation.
The UAV Research Centre (URC) is a recently established centre of excellence that merges knowledge on UAV remote sensing applications at Ghent University. This multidisciplinary research centre is lead by Prof. Wouter Maes (Faculty of Bioscience Engineering) and Prof. Hiep Luong (Faculty of Engineering). Sustainable precision agriculture is one of the two key focus domains, with particular expertise in early detection of plagues and diseases. In addition, the application of UAV technology in improving agricultural practices in developing countries is one of its main targets.
As such, the collaboration with FABI is a perfect fit for the URC. It will help to expand research through shared projects, and to expand knowledge and experience on plant health monitoring in other regions and for other crops and plants. The expertise of FABI on plant health biotechnology is highly complementary with the expertise of the URC, and provides the basis for potential fruitful and long-lasting collaboration.
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New Publications
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
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
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 