A hearty congratulations to all the FABI graduates who were capped at the University of Pretoria ’s Spring Graduation ceremony on 5 September! Nine PhD and 16 MSc students supervised or co-supervised by FABI Management Committee members were conferred their degrees at the ceremony. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors and studies. PhD Dr Laura Bester Thesis: The effects of neonicotinoids and increasing temperatures on the thermoregulation and flight ability of South African honey bees, Apis mellifera scutellata (Lepeletier) Supervisor: Prof. CWW Pirk Dr Ayubo Kampango Thesis: Characterization of mosquito community assemblages and vector species ecology to inform control interventions at hotel settings in Zanzibar Supervisor: Prof. CW Weldon External co-supervisors: Prof. P Furu (University of Copenhagen, Denmark), Prof. KL Schiøler (University of Copenhagen, Denmark) Dr QianLi Liu Thesis: Phylogeny, taxonomy and the ecology of Calonectria species Supervisor: Dr SF Chen Co-supervisors: Prof. MJ Wingfield, Prof. BD Wingfield, Dr TA Duong Dr Londiwe Mabuza Thesis: Haploid-inducer development by CRISPR/Cas9 mediated CenH3 gene modification in Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) Supervisor: Dr BG Crampton External co-supervisor: Dr ZH Swanevelder (Agricultural Research Council) Dr Mandy Messal Thesis: Fungal community interactions in the Eucalyptus grandis phyllosphere Supervisor: Prof. B Slippers Co-supervisor: Prof. S Naidoo External co-supervisor: Dr M Kemler (Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany) Dr Rachel Mkandawire Thesis: Diversity of Fusarium Link and mite species associated with malformed Syzygium cordatum Hochst. Ex Krauss (water berry) inflorescences Supervisor: Dr G Fourie Co-supervisors: Prof. ET Steenkamp , Prof. MJ Wingfield , Dr N Yilmaz Dr Knowledge Mushonga Thesis: Crop rotation effects on soil and plant health in a dryland production system in South Africa Supervisor: Prof. JE van der Waals Co-supervisor: Prof. JM Steyn External co-supervisor: Prof. WJ Swart (University of the Free State) Dr Deborah Narh Mensah Thesis: Characterising some mechanisms of iron homeostasis in selected Armillaria species Supervisor: Prof. MPA Coetzee Co-supervisor: Prof. BD Wingfield Dr Elisa Pal Thesis: Ecology and management of Bathycoelia distincta (two-spotted stink bug) in Macadamia orchards in South Africa Supervisor: Dr G Fourie Co-supervisors: Prof. JD Allison , Prof. BP Hurley , Prof. B Slippers MSc (* with distinction) Vasili Balios Dissertation: Engineering early floral induction in Eucalyptus by manipulating the Flowering Locus T (FT) gene Supervisor: Prof. AA Myburg Co-supervisor: Dr SG Hussey Shivan Bezuidenhout* Dissertation: The fungal diversity and mycotoxins associated with South African soybeans Supervisor: Prof. CM Visagie Co-supervisor: Dr N Yilmaz Xavier Brits* Dissertation: Hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) as pollinators of sunflowers in the Waterberg region of Limpopo province, South Africa Supervisor: Prof. CW Weldon Co-supervisor: Dr H Human External co-supervisor: Dr JM Midgley (KwaZulu-Natal Museum) Carla Buitendag Dissertation: Gene silencing mediated by dsRNA reduces grey leaf spot disease in maize Supervisor: Prof. DK Berger Co-supervisor: Prof. J Theron Vinolia Danki Dissertation: Genome‐wide analysis of fitness data in Ceratocystis albifundus Supervisor: Dr MA van der Nest Co-supervisors: Prof. ET Steenkamp , Prof. BD Wingfield, Dr L de Vos External co-supervisor: Dr NP Mchunu (National Research Foundation) Eileen Engelbrecht* Dissertation: Pollination ecology of Lantana camara and its relationship with honey bees ( Apis mellifera scutellata ) in South Africa Supervisor: Prof. CWW Pirk Lukanyo Makhabane* Dissertation: Genome defence mechanisms in Basidiomycota fungi, with special reference to Armillariaspecies Supervisor: Prof. MPA Coetzee Co-supervisors: Prof. ET Steenkamp, Prof. BD Wingfield External co-supervisor: Dr S van Wyk (Stellenbosch University) Idea Makowe Dissertation: Factors influeincing the rearing and success of biological control agents of Gonipterus sp. n. 2 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Supervisor: Prof. BP Hurley Co-supervisor: Dr ML Schröder Tumisang Mokgobu Dissertation: Aggressiveness of diverse African isolates of Cercospora zeina on maize Supervisor: Prof. DK Berger Co-supervisor: Dr DL Nsibo Tshiamo Phakalatsane Dissertation: Analysis of the mating-type loci of Chrysoporthe species Supervisor: Prof. NA van der Merwe Co-supervisor: Dr PM Wilken Innocent Rakubu * Dissertation: Efficacy, host-finding ability and application methods of entomopathogenic nematodes to control pupae of Gonipterus sp. 2 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Supervisor: Prof. BP Hurley Co-supervisor: Dr A Katumanyane Kevin Scheepers Dissertation: Effect of elevated CO 2 on maize susceptibility to grey leaf spot disease Supervisor: Prof. DK Berger Co-supervisors: Prof. JM Steyn, Dr NJ Taylor Onkgopotse Seabi Dissertation: Diversity of fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) from the South African Highveld and Lowveld and a preliminary assessment of their infection with Wolbachia Supervisor: Prof. CW Weldon Co-supervisor: Prof. AD Bastos Dee Twiddy * Dissertation: Characterisation of Macadamia nut diseases in South Africa Supervisor: Dr G Fourie External co-supervisors: Prof. OA Akinsanmi (The University of Queensland, Australia), Dr A Fourie (Utrecht University, The Netherlands) Edwin Wanjofu * Dissertation: Taxonomy and symbiotic effectiveness of Mesorhizobium associated with chickpea Supervisor: Dr EK Muema Co-supervisors: Prof. ET Steenkamp, Prof. SN Venter , Dr CW Beukes