Riding the storm: Insights to global tree health issues the focus of the 27th Annual TPCP Symposium
The Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP) hosted its 27th annual meeting at the University of Pretoria on 17 and 18 May. FABI Director, Professor Mike Winfield chaired the programme, which brought together speakers from Canada, New Zealand, Malaysia, South Africa and the United States. Prof. Prof. It has proven difficult to prevent the introduction of pests and disease because of the illicit pest trade, tourism as well as the movement of untreated wood products and in some cases, bioterrorism. Drs Jeremy Allison of Natural Resources Canada and FABI research fellow Almuth Hammerbacher explored the little-known field of chemical ecology – the study of plants’ own defences against insects and diseases – in their respective presentations and how it has gained traction over the years. In her presentation titled: “Update on Fusarium circinatum research in South Africa”, Prof. Gert van den Berg spoke about the strategies Mondi had adopted to reduce the impact of insects and pathogens on its plantations and the effects of extreme climatic conditions. Dr. PhD student Joey Hulbert spoke about the exciting prospects of an active citizenry that is empowered to spot pests and disease. A complete list of all the presenters and the titles of their presentations is available here.
