12 Apr 2019

Exciting initial results towards the management of the pine emperor moth

FABIans Dr Marc Bouwer, Luki-Marie Scheepers and Rosa Knoppersen had a short field trip to Bulwer in April to to service and remove pine emperor moth pheromone traps that were previously deployed in that area.


10 Apr 2019

Guide on biological control of insect pests in forests published

The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has published a “Guide to the classical biological control of insect pests in planted and natural forests”. The guide includes information on the processes leading to classical biological control (CBC), the implementation of CBC and post-release monitoring and evaluation of CBC agents.  


9 Apr 2019

FABIans participate in a Biosafety symposium

The second annual Biosafey SA symposium was held in Pretoria at the beautiful Diep in die Berg conference centre on 14 March. Michael Pepper from the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Health Sciences kick-started the symposium with a thought-provoking presentation addressing the ethical, legal and social implications of human genetics and genomics.


8 Apr 2019

FABI researchers co-organize international low-cost viral diagnostics workshop featuring open-source technologies

A Global Challenges Research Fund-supported international collaboration, aiming to develop point-of-care low cost viral diagnostic (LCVD) assays, convened at Future Africa for a three-day workshop from 13-15 March 2019.


5 Apr 2019

New UP Vice Chancellor visits FABI

The University of Pretoria’s recently inaugurated Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Tawana Kupe visited FABI on 1 April, addressing staff and students at the weekly Monday Morning Meeting.


4 Apr 2019

An “Engaging Plant Scientists” initiative

During the March school holidays, the Plant Pathogenic Bacteria Research Programme hosted a grade 10 learner, Mbali Mogashwa, and a third year BSc Microbiology student, Rose Shabangu for a day.


3 Apr 2019

Mites and malformations close to home

Floral malformation is an important disease problem on mango trees where it is associated with various Fusarium spp.


2 Apr 2019

CFTPP Team at CERC’s 40 km team building walk

The whole year's work depends on a good start in spring, and the work for the year is best begun in spring.


1 Apr 2019

Dr Wayne Hancock visits the Macadamia Protection Programme and presents a special seminar at FABI

Dr Wayne Hancock of Southern Cross University, Australia visited Dr Gerda Fourie, research leader of the Macadamia Protection Programme in FABI, from 25 to 28 March.


29 Mar 2019

Quentin Santana becomes the third FABIan to earn the title “Dr” in 2019

Congratulations to Quentin Santana on fulfilling all the requirements for a PhD degree! Quentin is the third candidate at FABI to achieve this feat in 2019.


27 Mar 2019

Crossing the Equator: A research visit to the National Coffee Research Institute (NaCORI) in Uganda

From 18 to 22 March, Dr Vuyiswa Bushula-Njah visited the National Coffee Research Institute (NaCORI) in Uganda.


20 Mar 2019

International Day of Forests celebrated at Future Africa and FABI

FABI Director Professor Bernard Slippers and FABI founding Director and current IUFRO President Prof Mike Wingfield were amongst the numerous speakers who addressed the theme “Forests and Education” at a symposium celebrating the International Day of Forests held at the University of Pretoria’s Future Africa Campus on 18 March.


20 Mar 2019

FABIans flexed their green fingers at 2019’s first tree planting session

A team of about 40 students spent the morning on 21 March replanting 1600 cuttings into potting bags at the FABI nursery on the University of Pretoria’s experimental farm.


19 Mar 2019

PSHB fungus tested for pathogenicity on commercial forest trees

During the past week, Prof. Wilhelm de Beer and some FABI students inoculated Eucalyptus grandis and wattle trees with the PSHB fungus on the experimental farm of the University.


19 Mar 2019

FABI hosts delegation from DAFF’s International Day of Forests celebrations

FABI hosted a delegation of officials from the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF), academics and forestry students on 19 March.


15 Mar 2019

FABI PhD student speaks about his prize-winning science communication video and tree health matters in interview with VOC FM

FABI PhD candidate Darryl Herron cast the spotlight on tree health matters during an interview with VOC FM, a community radio station based in Ermelo, Mpumalanga, on 14 March.


15 Mar 2019

FABI attends the Fungal Genetics meeting

Eight Fabians attended the Fungal Genetics meeting in Asilomar, California during March 2019.


14 Mar 2019

Busy week in the field for the TPCP

In the week of 4 March, the TPCP had three different field trips to the KwaZulu-Natal, Midlands.


6 Mar 2019

Thirteen students join the CTHB Undergraduate Mentorship Programme in 2019

Thirteen undergraduate students will get their first taste of life as researchers as mentees in the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology’s undergraduate mentorship programme.


1 Mar 2019

Prof Steven Chown: Global leader in Antarctic Science and Biodiversity visits FABI

Professor Steven Chown of the School of Biological Sciences at Monash University in Australia visited FABI on the 27 February to engage with academic colleagues and students.


27 Feb 2019

A tree health engagement in Florida

Professor Mike Wingfield spent three days in Gainsville, Florida during the week of the 18 February. This short visit was in part to participate in a workshop seeking to promote forest health research in the southeastern United States.


26 Feb 2019

Fieldwork to understand the emerging Ceratocystis threat to Eucalyptus in South Africa

From 17-19 February, some members of the Ceratocystis team, Dr Irene Barnes, and TPCP students and Postdocs, Arista Fourie, Dr FeiFei Liu and Granny Hlongwane, went on a field trip to Kwambonambi, KwaZulu-Natal to observe the Ceratocystis infection on Eucalyptus hybrid clones in the plantations.


24 Feb 2019

Shot Hole borer projects launched in forests of the Southern Cape

During the past week, Prof. Wilhelm de Beer of FABI and Prof. Francois Roets from Stellenbosch University, visited the southern Cape to launch two research projects on the impact of the Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer (PSHB) on native trees in the area.


21 Feb 2019

Chinese student delegation visits FABI

FABI welcomed a student delegation from the Tsinghua University in Beijing on 20 February.


18 Feb 2019

FABI students do well at SA Botany Congress

During January a group of FABIans participated in the 45th Conference of the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) which was held in conjunction with the Southern African Society for Systematics and Biosystematics (SASSB) and the African Mycological Association (AMA) on the campus of the University of Johannesburg.


15 Feb 2019

CFTPP research leader visits FABI

University of Pretoria Extra-ordinary Professor ShuaiFei Chen made a 10-day visit to FABI during February.


11 Feb 2019

FABIans strengthening collaboration between France and South Africa

The French Embassy organised a meeting of French academics working in South Africa on 8 February. This meeting aimed to connect French researchers from various fields and promote the expertise and innovation between the two countries.


5 Feb 2019

TPCP field extension services boosted by the appointment of Dr Trudy Paap

FABI is pleased to announce that Dr Trudy Paap has been appointed with effect from February to manage the field extension services of the Tree Protection Co-operative programme (TPCP), as well as to support the development of a national pest and disease monitoring and management system that links TPCP, Institute for Commercial Forestry Research (ICFR), Industry and Government resources.


1 Feb 2019

FABIans celebrate two prestige seminars in as many days

FeiFei Liu successfully defended her PhD thesis on 29 January, becoming the second FABIan this year to earn the title “Dr”. This after she presented her prestige seminar, titled “Species diversity and host associations of plant pathogenic Ceratocystis species in China”.


31 Jan 2019

FABIans attend orchids conference

FABI postdoctoral Fellow Dr. Tanay Bose and MSc student Ms. Modjadji Makwela presented their research at theWild Orchids Southern Africa (WOSA) Conference.


29 Jan 2019

Elrea Strydom presents the first prestige seminar at FABI in 2019

Elrea Strydom fulfilled all the requirements for a PhD degree after successfully defending her thesis on 28 January. She became the first FABIan in 2019 to achieve this accolade.


28 Jan 2019

FABI shines at SASPP meeting

The 2019 meeting of the Southern African Society for Plant Pathology (SASPP) took place on the West Coast, hosted by Stellenbosch University.


26 Jan 2019

Scouting for eucalyptus pests on the Cape Peninsula

In a first step towards understanding this problem, FABI Prof. Mike Wingfield undertook a preliminary survey of Eucalyptus trees in the greater Stellenbosch area, assisted by Dr. Mike Allsopp of the Agricultural Research Council, Plant Protection Research Institute.


22 Jan 2019

Mammoth inoculation trial of pine seedlings

Late in 2018, 14 FABIans banded together for the mammoth task of inoculating and disease assessment of 6,360 Pinus patula seedlings with 159 Fusarium circinatum isolates.


18 Jan 2019

Leaders in the TPCP outline strategy for the months ahead

Members of the Tree Protection Co-operative Programme(TPCP) met at the Future Africa campus on 17 January for a briefing on developments affecting the management and work done in the programme in 2019.


17 Jan 2019

FABIans herald 2019 at the Institute’s welcome breakfast and first Monday Morning Meeting

The excitement was palpable as FABI Director Professor Bernard Slippers welcomed staff and students to their first gathering in the Institute for 2019.