FABI postdoctoral Fellow, Dr Phrasia Mapfumo recently represented Institute and the University of Pretoria at the prestigious New Phytologist Symposium held at the University of Tartu, Estonia, from 8-10 July 8. As the sole representative from southern Africa and the only female black scientist from the continent at this international gathering, she presented groundbreaking research on sunflower disease dynamics in South African production systems. Her poster presentation revealed the first report of Bidens mottle virus (BiMoV) in South Africa and only the second documented case of natural sunflower infection worldwide, highlighting the critical importance of disease surveillance in our region.

The research demonstrated significant yield losses of up to 80.6% from BiMoV infection while also providing valuable insights into how planting dates and temperature conditions affect Sclerotinia head rot progression. These findings have important implications for South African sunflower producers, suggesting that timing flowering periods with hot, dry conditions may help manage Sclerotinia disease. The symposium brought together leading researchers in plant-microbe interactions from around the globe, providing an excellent platform to showcase African agricultural research and establish international collaborations that will benefit future plant pathology research at FABI and across the continent.