The plant pathology research programme continues to address several important industry challenges. Ongoing research focuses on the incidence and distribution of fungal pathogens in young trees, crown gall, remote sensing for disease detection and various post-harvest issues.
Expertise: Phytosanitary and Biosecurity Workgroup | Integrated Pest Management Group
PRE-HARVEST
Research team
- Dr Minette Karsten
- Prof Lizél Mostert
- Prof Adele McLeod
- Dr Pieter Louw
- Mr Tristan Dorfling
- Dr Yolanda Petersen
- Pof Adriaan van Niekerk
- Mr Anton Boeksma – MSc student
- Ms Reshika Kallideen – PhD student
- Ms Anika Keuck – MSc student
- Dr Lindani Moyo – Postdoctoral fellow
- Ms Viwe Mbulawa – MSc student
- Mr Michael du Toit – MSc student
Projects list
- No new projects
- Compilation of a photographic compendium of deciduous fruit diseases in a South African context (I Crouch)
- Evaluation of apple rootstocks tolerance against specific apple replant disease (SARD) (T Dorfling and A McLeod) - See Rootstocks and nursery tree quality
- Determining the risk of mulches in the spread of canker pathogens in apple orchards (L Mostert, V Jacobs and R Kallideen)
- Tolerance of apple rootstocks against Phytophthora root rot (A McLeod and L Moyo) - See Rootstocks and nursery tree quality
- The potential of organic amendment for managing apple replant disease (A McLeod, A Broeksma and M du Toit)
- Etiology of crown gall of apple in South Africa and potential for biocontrol (Y Petersen and V Mbulawa)
- Evaluating the potential of hyperspectral imaging for remote detection of plum marbling viroid infested nursery and young orchard trees (A van Niekerk)
- Effect of mulching, compost and rootstock genotype on white root rot of apple (A McLeod and A Keuck) - See Rootstocks and nursery tree quality
- Fresh Quarterly Sep 2024: Mouton, A. Keep your trees virus free
- SAFJ Oct/Nov 2023: Mouton, A. Current trends in crop protectants: p. 56
- Hortgro Technical Symposium - 3 June 2024
POST-HARVEST
Research team
- Dr Minette Karsten
- Dr Cheryl Lennox
- Dr Julia Meitz-Hopkins
- Dr Pieter Louw
- Dr Zinash Belay
- Dr Ian Crouch
- Ms Inge Block
- No new students
Projects list
- Postharvest decay control using alternative products for pome fruit and cherries (I Block)
- Postharvest mould of pome fruit stems and calyx sepals – an investigation into the incidence, cause and management (C Lennox & I Block)
- Compilation of a photographic compendium of deciduous fruit diseases in a South African context (I Crouch)
- Atmospheric cold plasma (CP) treatment as an alternative non-thermal fruit surface decontamination (Z Belay)
- Thermal and non-thermal treatments of stone and pome fruit: Towards efficient phytosanitary measures (Z Belay)
- No completed projects