Dr Privilege Makunde
| Postdoctoral Fellow | |
Department |
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FABI |
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I am currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) with Prof. Brett Hurley and Prof. Bernard Slippers. My current research focus is development of a National Forest Pest Surveillance system to support Precision Pest Management in SA plantation forests.
My PhD research goal at FABI, University of Pretoria, was to investigate the biology and ecology of invasive eucalypt psyllid pests in South Africa. The study findings have provided novel and foundational information on the biology, host preference, interactions with natural enemies, and seasonal occurrence of the newly reported psyllid, Spondyliaspis cf. plicatuloides, as well as other three eucalypt-feeding psyllids in South Africa, which will inform knowledge-based management programs and future research.
News
Congratulations to Privilege Makunde on successfully completing his PhD.
Fourteen FABIans attended the recent IUFRO All Division 7 (Tree Health) Meeting in Lisbon where they contributed 38 presentations.
Some 40 FABI students and interns working in the TPCP, CPHB and GRP participated in the last tree planting event for 2021.
After an 18 month hiatus, FABI celebrated the first publications in an ISI-rated scientific journal of three FABI postgraduate students in the TPCP and CTHB groups
From 28 June until 1 July, academic staff, postdoctoral Fellows and students from FABI attended the 22nd Biennial Entomological Society of Southern Africa (ESSA) Congress.
Two FABI PhD candidates were recognized for research excellence by the Southern African Institute of Forestry (SAIF).
The IUFRO Working Party 7.03.13 meeting on the ‘Biological Control of Forest Insect Pests and Pathogens’ was hosted by FABI from 5-8 November.
From 3-5 November, participants from Government research institutes and universities gathered at the University of Pretoria’s Future Africa Campus, for a Forest Invasive Species Network for Africa (FISNA) workshop on the implementation of classical biological control to manage insect pests in plantation forests.
Thaumastocoris peregrinus, the bronze bug, is not only a pest attacking Eucalyptus in South Africa but is also a problem in several other African countries.
My Journal Articles
| Publication |
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Makunde PT, Slippers B, Bush SJ, Hurley BP. (2023) Biology of the invasive shell lerp psyllid, Spondyliaspis cf. plicatuloides (Froggatt) (Hemiptera: Aphalaridae). African Entomology 31( e13747)
10.17159/2254-8854/2023/a13747  |
| Makunde PT, Slippers B, Burckhardt D, de Queiroz DL, Lawson SA, Hurley BP. (2020) Current and potential threat of psyllids (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) on eucalypts. Southern Forests 82:233-242.
10.2989/20702620.2020.1813650 |