Congratulations to all the FABIans that were capped at the University of Pretoria’s Autumn Graduation. A bumper cohort of eight PhD, 17 MSc and 35 Honours students from FABI were capped – a wonderful achievement and testament to the research excellence in the Institute.

FABI is also especially proud of Dr Khotso Mokhele, one of South Africa’s most distinguished science leaders, who received an Honorary Doctorate: Doctor of Science (honoris causa) on 8 May in recognition of his extraordinary intellectual and leadership contributions to science, higher education and innovation in South Africa and globally. He has, for the past 15 years, served as an advisor to the leadership of FABI, supporting the development of its Avocado Research Programme. This led to the creation of a Research Chair at UP, funded by the Hans Merensky Legacy Foundation, which Dr Mokhele chairs. 

PhD

Dr Alicia Fick

Thesis: Elucidation of avocado immune response activation in terms of NLR regulation and NLR-effector interactions

Supervisor: Prof. N van den Berg

Co-supervisor: Dr V Swart

External co-supervisor: Prof. A Bombarely Gomez (Institute of Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology, Spain)

Dr Kira Lynn

Thesis: Detection, dispersal and global distribution of Ceratocystis species on Eucalyptus

Supervisor: Prof. I Barnes

Co-supervisor: Prof. MJ Wingfield

Dr Phinda Magagula

Thesis : Exploring the rhizopshere microbiome and potential management strategies against Dematophora necatrix in avocado

Supervisor: Prof. N van den Berg

Co-supervisor: Dr V Swart

Dr Phrasia Mapfumo

Thesis: In-field climatic factors contributing to sunflower development and health

across planting dates

Supervisor: Dr NM Creux

Co-supervisors: Prof. ERM Archer, Dr PM Wilken

External co-supervisor: Dr ZH Swanevelder (Agricultural Research Council)

Dr Jackson Muyobela

Thesis: Distribution and phenotypic population structure of the tsetse flies Glossina morsitans morsitansWestwood and Glossina morsitans centralis Machado in Zambia

Supervisor: Prof. CL Sole

Co-supervisors: Prof. CWW Pirk, Prof. AA Yusuf

Dr Manchela Ratsoma

Thesis: Biofilms and extracellular vesicles in Fusarium circinatum

Supervisor: Dr TE Motaung

Co-supervisors: Prof. ET Steenkamp, Prof. BD Wingfield

External co-supervisor: Dr QC Santana (Agricultural Research Council)

Dr Myriam Solís Garcia

Thesis: Factors affecting susceptibility of Eucalyptus to infection by Teratosphaeria destructans

Supervisor: Prof. S Naidoo

Co-supervisor: Prof. A Hammerbacher, Prof. MJ Wingfield

Dr Joshua Tsamba

Thesis: Patterns and drivers of plant and endophyte diversity on sub-Antarctic Marion Island

Supervisor: Prof. M Greve

Co-supervisors: Prof. B Slippers, Prof. PC le Roux

MSc (* passed with distinction)

Susanna Anbu*

Dissertation: Functional characterization of candidate Persea americana nucleotide-binding leucine rich repeat (PaNLR) genes during Phytophthora cinnamomi infection

Supervisor: Prof. N van den Berg

Co-supervisor: Dr V Swart

Katelyn Baird

Dissertation: Identification and molecular characterisation of the necrosis- and ethylene-inducing peptide 1-like proteins (NLPs) of Phytophthora cinnamomi

Supervisor: Prof. N van den Berg

Janine Bisschoff

Dissertation: Potential of new oomycides for the management of Phytophthora nicotianae in citrus nurseries and orchards in South Africa

Supervisor: Prof. JE van der Waals

Co-supervisor: Prof. TA Coutinho

External co-supervisor: Dr JM van Niekerk (Citrus Research International)

Gerhard Botha

Dissertation: Characterisation of Macadamia flower blight in South Africa and efforts towards chemical control

Supervisor: Dr G Fourie

Co-supervisor: Prof. N van den Berg

Iné Botha*

Dissertation: Molecular studies to differentiate species in the endemic and medicinally important genus Greyia

Supervisor: Prof. DK Berger

Co-supervisors: Prof. N Lall, Dr MN de Canha

Aaron Harvey*

Dissertation: Characterisation of the WAK / WAKL gene family, with a focus on members in Persea americanaimplicated in defense against Phytophthora cinnamomi

Supervisor: Dr V Swart

Co-supervisor: Prof. N van den Berg

Matthew Jackson*

Dissertation: The population genetics and gene editing of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in South Africa

Supervisor: Prof. B Slippers

Co-supervisors: Prof. BP Hurley

Prof. K Krüger

Kyle Leeuwendaal

Dissertation: A novel diagnostic approach to maize pathogens

Supervisor: Dr L de Vos

Co-supervisors: Prof. B Slippers, Prof. ET Steenkamp, Prof. BD Wingfield, Dr MA van der Nest

Shalya Moodley

Dissertation: Exploring the role of callose depositions in the resistance of Persea americana against root rot

Supervisor: Dr V Swart

Co-supervisor: Prof. N van den Berg

Zinhle Nxumalo*

Dissertation: Diversity and evolution of terpene synthase genes in Ascomycota

Supervisor: Prof. MPA Coetzee

Co-supervisor: Prof. AT Duong

Boitshoko Rammuki*

Dissertation: Molecular characterisation of RNA interference in Fusarium circinatum

Supervisor: Prof. ET Steenkamp

Co-supervisors: Prof. BD Wingfield, Dr TE Motaung

External co-supervisor: Dr QC Santana (Agricultural Research Council)

Lize Rostoll

Dissertation: Efficacy of new oomycete fungicides and biological control agents for the management of Phytophthora root rot of citrus in South Africa

Supervisor: Prof. JE van der Waals

Co-supervisor: Prof. TA Coutinho

External co-supervisor: Dr JM van Niekerk (Citrus Research International)

Alinaswe Selebi

Dissertation: Characterisation of the mating type locus and mating strategies in Cryphonectria species

Supervisor: Prof. BD Wingfield

Co-supervisors: Prof. MJ Wingfield, Dr NQ Pham

Hannes Strydom*

Dissertation: Modelling the population dynamics of CRISPR-Cas9 gene drive systems in Sirex noctilio

Supervisor: Prof. B Slippers

Co-supervisor: Prof. M Chapwanya

External co-supervisor: Prof. R Ouifki (North-West University)

Rudolph Strydom*

Dissertation: The efficacy of various soil treatments and cover crops to reduce Spongospora subterranea f. sp. subterranea diseases and soil inoculum levels

Supervisor: Prof. JE van der Waals

Co-supervisor: Prof. JM Steyn

Taponeswa Tasiya*

Dissertation: Diversity and description of Bradyrhizobium species associated with invasive Acacia species in South Africa

Supervisor: Prof. MPA Coetzee

Co-supervisors: Prof. ET Steenkamp, Prof. SN Venter

Anien Viljoen*

Dissertation: Mitochondrial genomes from the Ceratocystidaceae and species boundaries in Ceratocystis

Supervisor: Prof. A Duong

Co-supervisors: Prof. BD Wingfield, Dr AM Kanzi

 

BSC Hons (* passed with distinction)

Caylee Benson

Freddie Botha

Janie Coetzer*

Matthew Cosser

Kyle Craninx*

Aspen Downing

Sam Eichhorn*

Caitlyn English

Kerryn Fourie*

Jennifer Gomes de Freitas*

Natalie Kapsosideris*

Tshiamo Lesedi*

Julia Lutz*

Nokhutula Madekufamba*

Bianke Marx*

Tshwanelo Mathala

Sokunene Mpupa

Mandisa Mthombeni

Promise Ndlovu

JJ Nelson*

Annabel Norval*

Cloé Özdemir

Deanné Raaths

Michané Reutener

Holly Rosenberg*

Kaliwe Sindazi*

James Smith

Tolu Soogun

Lizaan Taljaard

Kananelo Thelejane

Kayla Thomas*

Unathi Tshabalala

Anmari van Buuren*

Jean van den Berg*

Itha Wessels

(Photos of Dr Mokhele courtesy of Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences)