PhD student
I am currently a Postdoctoral fellow with FABI and SANBI. The project that I'm on is focused on using botanical gardens and other urban plantings as sentinel sites for the early detection of novel pest/pathogen intrusions into South Africa (Sentinel plant project). The project also involves detection of new hosts for invasive pests/pathogens already present in the country, the description of novel native diseases/pathogens, and exploring the link between plant collections and natural environments.
Previously I did my PhD at FABI (2018-2022), studying a novel canker disease of Araucaria araucana that had an important outbreak in Chile during 2015-2016. My undergraduate degree (Plant biotechnology engineering) and MSc (Forestry sciences) I completed in Chile at the University of Concepción. Both degrees were completed at the Forest Pathology Lab in the topic of biological control of weeds by using fungal pathogens (bioherbicides).
Balocchi F, Wingfield MJ, Paap T. (2026) Occurrence of Phytophthora cinnamomi in the rhizosphere of declining Leucadendron elimense subsp. salteri in South Africa. Forest Pathology 10.1111/efp.70097
Balocchi F, Duncan G, Yilmaz N, Wingfield MJ, Paap T. (2026) The critically endangered geophyte Gladiolus aureus threatened by a wilt disease associated with Fusarium libertatis. Journal of Plant Pathology 10.1007/s42161-026-02227-7
Balocchi F, Wingfield MJ, Paap T. (2025) First record of the white root rot fungus Dematophora necatrix on indigenous South African trees. Journal of Plant Pathology 10.1007/s42161-025-01861-x
Paap T, Balocchi F, Wingfield MJ. (2025) The root rot pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi: a long-overlooked threat to the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa. Biological Invasions 10.1007/s10530-025-03570-z
Balocchi F, Sanfuentes E. (2024) Fungal pathogens on Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) and French broom (Genista monspessulana) from Chile. Forest Pathology 10.1111/efp.70004
Balocchi F, Wingfield MJ, Paap T. (2024) First Report of Fusarium Wilt and Pink Rot of Phoenix canariensis in South Africa. Forest Pathology 10.1111/efp.70001
Paap T, Balocchi F, Burgess TI, Bose T, Wingfield MJ. (2024) A diverse range of Phytophthora species from botanical gardens in South Africa, including the novel Clade 5 species, Phytophthora mammiformis sp. nov.. Fungal Systematics and Evolution 10.3114/fuse.2024.13.05
Balocchi F, Barnes I, Wingfield MJ, Ahumada R, Visagie CM. (2023) New Resinogalea species from Araucaria araucana resin in Chile and reclassification of the genus in the Cryptocaliciomycetidae. IMA Fungus 10.1186/s43008-023-00122-9
Visagie CM, Magistà D, Ferrara M, Balocchi F, Duong TA, Eichmeier A, Gramaje D, Aylward J, Baker SE, Barnes I, Calhoun S, De Angelis M, Frisvad JC, Hakalova E, Hayes RD, Houbraken J, Grigoriev IV, LaButti K, Leal C, Lipzen C, Ng V, Pangilinan J, Pecenka J, Perrone G, Piso A, Savage E, Spetik E, Wingfield MJ, Zhang Y, Wingfield BD. (2023) IMA genome-F18 - The reidentification of Penicillium genomes available in the NCBI and draft genomes for Penicillium species from dry cured meat, Penicillium biforme, P. brevicompactum, P. solitum, and P. cvjetkovicii, Pewenomyces kutranfy, Pew. lalenivora, Pew. tapulicola, Pew. kalosus, Teratosphaeria carnegiei, and Trichoderma atroviridae SC1. IMA Fungus 10.1186/s43008-023-00121-w
Balocchi F, Marincowitz S, Wingfield MJ, Ahumada R, Barnes I. (2022) Three new species of Pewenomyces (Coryneliaceae) from Araucaria araucana in Chile. Mycological Progress 10.1007/s11557-022-01840-x