News

8 Apr 2021

Engaging small holder farmers to use digital disease diagnostic support tools

FABI has partnered with Grain SA and Social Coding to engage smallholder farmers to connect with the Institute’s diagnostic clinic via its digital platform.

6 Apr 2021

FABI bids Fahimeh farewell

A small group of FABIans attended a farewell function for Dr Fahimeh Jami who leaves the Institute after 14 years to join the Agricultural Research Council (ARC).

2 Apr 2021

Discovering biologically-active fungal metabolites from unexplored species

The March guest presenter of the FABI International Seminar Series was the world-renown Prof. Marc Stadler who present on his research activities linked to the discovery of biologically active fungal metabolites from new and hitherto unexplored species.

1 Apr 2021

Partnership to bring big data techniques to Africa’s agriculture and forestry sectors

Advance.io is partnering with Innovation Africa @UP to bring artificial intelligence and big data techniques to the continent’s agricultural and forestry sectors.

29 Mar 2021

Mike Wingfield participates in the Australian Myrtle Rust Symposium

FABI Professor and Advisor to the Executive of the University of Pretoria joined the Australian Plant Biosecurity Science Foundation's National Symposium on Myrtle Rust to present a keynote presentation.

25 Mar 2021

Prof Brenda Wingfield and Dr. Tuan Dong to receive prestigious UP awards

The FABI team was delighted to learn this past week that the University of Pretoria (UP) will recognise Prof Brenda. Wingfield and Dr Tuan Duong for their research excellence.

23 Mar 2021

Augmentative biological control of the Sirex woodwasp continues in 2021

FABI technical staff, Sophie Nyoni and Pritty Khumalo, have again produced millions of nematodes for the control of the Sirex woodwasp.

15 Mar 2021

Online launch of forestry pests and diseases book

The official launch of the recently-published book “Important insect pests and diseases of Pinus and Eucalyptus in Colombia” by Dr Carlos Rodas and Prof. A PDF of the book is freely available for download by clicking here.

12 Mar 2021

Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer online resource

The PSHB Research Network in FABI has been at the forefront of research and field extension work, and to this end has created an online resource for use by both the public and academia.

10 Mar 2021

Many hands make light work at the TPCP tree planting

Some 50 students linked to the Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP) in FABI replanted more than 1700 Eucalyptus and 200 pine seedlings on the morning of 5 March.

8 Mar 2021

GRP team visits farms in the Eastern Cape and KZN

The Grain Research Program (GRP) team in collaboration with the University of the Free State’s Department of Plant Sciences team embarked on a field trip to the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

3 Mar 2021

FABI researchers work with Sappi in KwaZulu-Natal

FABI team members visited various Sappi holdings in KwaZulu-Natal during the week of 22 February.

26 Feb 2021

Drivers and brakes of pathogen emergence

Professor Daniel Croll of the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland was the guest presenter of this month’s FABI International Seminar Series on 25 February.

19 Feb 2021

In memoriam: Professor Stefan Neser

Stefan passed away on Wednesday, 17 February 2021. Our deepest condolences to his wife Ottilie, his children, other members of his family, and the many special friends that he had in South Africa and abroad.

19 Feb 2021

Macadamia research program’s field visit to Mpumalanga

The Macadamia Protection Program (MPP) is back in the field! MPP research group leader Dr Gerda Fourie, joined by MSc candidate Dee Twiddy and PhD candidate Elisa Pal travelled to the Mpumalanga area during the week of 9 February.

18 Feb 2021

FABI biocontrol centre imports Anaphes nitens from Australia

Despite travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a shipment of Anaphes nitens collected in Queensland, Australia was received by the FABI biocontrol facility at the University of Pretoria’s experimental farm last week.

17 Feb 2021

Two FABIans attend the Leadership Academy for Agriculture

During the first week of February, two FABIans, Drs Mahlane Godfrey Kgatle and Miekie Human attended the first of three sessions of the “Leadership in the Connection Economy Programme”.

15 Feb 2021

New internship programme begins at FABI

n 1 February, a new internship programme was launched at FABI under the auspices of the DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Plant Health Biotechnology (CPHB).

12 Feb 2021

Professor Ströh addresses FABI MMM

Professor Anton Ströh, Vice-Principal: Institutional Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, and acting Vice-Principle for Research and Post-graduate Educationat the University of Pretoria was the guest speaker at the FABI Monday Morning Meeting (MMM) of 8 February. Innovation Africa @UP is an important part of this plan to drive transdisciplinary research and FABI is a core part of this flagship project. FABI Director Prof.

12 Feb 2021

US collaborators visit FABI to plan a joint research project

Long-time FABI research collaborator and extraordinary staff member of the Institute, Prof. Francois Roets from Stellenbosch University visited FABI on 11 February to meet various colleagues and to discuss numerous collaborative projects.

11 Feb 2021

Disease screening of maize genotypes in the Eastern Cape

Drs David Nsibo and Mahlane Godfrey Kgatle of the Grain Research Program (GRP) travelled to the Rocky Park Farm in Ugie, Eastern Cape, from 25-27 January 2021. The team would like to thank Sinelizwi Fakade and Lesego Selokela for assisting the team with the planting and maintenance of the MCT at Rocky Park Farm and the University of Pretoria, respectively.

8 Feb 2021

The FABI diagnostics team is growing

Thirty-two years ago the first diagnostic clinic to service the South African forestry industry was established as part of the birth of the Tree Protection Co-operative Programme (TPCP). The FABI Diagnostic Clinic continues to grow to serve the increasing needs of its industry partners. Gabrielle has been a part of the FABI family since 2009, where her research focused on phytobacteria, and for her PhD and postdoc she studied bacterial wilt on Eucalyptus. Shawn Fell is nearing completion of his MSc degree which focused on the PSHB and its associated fungi on pecan trees. The FABI Diagnostic Clinic also welcomes six students and two interns to the team.

4 Feb 2021

Congratulations to Ntombikayise Nkomo on completing her PhD

FABI celebrated the completion of the second PhD in 2021 with Ntombi Nkomo producing what FABI Director Prof. Ntombi’s primary supervisor was Prof. Several members of the soft rot Pectobacteriaceae family such as Pectobacterium brasiliense1692 (Pb1692) attack a wide range of crops worldwide with P. The objective of Ntombi’s PhD study was to determine the role of two transcriptional regulators SlyA and PhoP in the biology of Pb1692.

1 Feb 2021

Industry partners seconded to the University of Pretoria

Dr Miekie Human and Stefan Links are employed by Grain SA, but have been seconded to the University of Pretoria with effect from 1 February for part of their time.

29 Jan 2021

FABI’s International Seminar Series resumes focussing on the impact mycotoxins on human health

ABI’s very successful and popular International Seminar Series that was established early in 2020 hosted its first seminar for 2021 on 28 January.

28 Jan 2021

Khumbhuzile Bophela presents the first FABI Prestige Seminar in 2021

FABI congratulates Khumbuzile Bophela on being the first FABIan to successfully complete all degree requirements to pass her PhD in 2021.

28 Jan 2021

FABI researchers feature prominently in FSA magazine

The research programmes and activities of several FABIans are profiled in the second issue of the Timber Industry Present magazine (TIP-MAG), an online publication of the Timber Industry Pesticides Working Group (TIPWG) of Forestry South Africa (FSA).

25 Jan 2021

FABI hosts a virtual SASPP Symposium

On 20 January, FABI had the pleasure of hosting a virtual congress of the South African Society of Plant Pathologists’ (SASPP).

22 Jan 2021

New book on pests and diseases of Pine and Eucalyptus in Colombia published

Professor Mike Wingfield and FABI alumnus Dr Carlos Rodas have co-authored a new book entitled “Important insect pests and diseases of Pinus and Eucalyptus in Colombia”.