The focus of my research is on insect ecology. I am particularly interested in insect pests of horticultural crops, including vectors of plant virus diseases, and insects as natural enemies (parasitoids and predators) of insect pests on plants. Further research interests are concerned with the transmission biology of plant viruses by insect vectors. Research on the complex interactions between plants, herbivorous insects and their natural enemies, and plant virus - insect vector interactions forms the basis of integrated pest and disease management programmes. Thus, the aim of my research is to enhance our knowledge on insect biology for the development of biological and integrated pest/vector management strategies.
I am affiliated with the University of Pretoria Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI) to which I contribute entomological capacity and expertise.
Pullock, D.A., Krüger, K., Manrakhan, A., Yusuf, A.A., Weldon, C.W.. (2024) Addition of selected plant-derived semiochemicals to yellow sticky traps does not improve citrus psyllid captures. Journal of Chemical Ecology 10.1007/s10886-024-01491-0
da Cunha, V.A.G., Pullock, D.A., Ali, M., Neto, A.O.C., Ampatzidis, Y., Weldon, C.W., Krüger, K., Manrakhan, A., Qureshi, J.. (2024) PSYLLID DETECTOR: A web-based application to automate insect detection utilizing image processing and deep learning. Applied Engineering in Agriculture 10.13031/aea.15826
van der Waals JE, Kruger K. (2020) Emerging potato pathogens affecting food security in southern Africa: Recent research. South African Journal of Science 10.17159/sajs.2020/8055