Isit and write this notefrom the corner of myoffice, which some of youwill know, has walls builtfrom the most beautiful

. blue-stained pine logs. Ihave to wonder whetherthe producers of thisproduct realise that thebeauty of these logs is dueto the activities of some ofthe most fascinating fungiknown to us. Sadly also agroup of fungi that killliving trees and reducethe value of saw timber.So we again have thesituation of "one person'smeat ...• ",

A few weeks back, manyreaders of Tree PathologyNews will have attendedthe annual meetings of theTree Pathology Co-operative Programme(TPCP) which was heldalongside the inaugurationof the Forestry andAgricultural BiotechnologyInstitute that now housesthe TPCP. For the TPCPteam and the FABI family,organising this event thatwas attended by about 200people, was a majorundertaking. Three weekslater, we are only starting tocome to the end of theprocess of tying up theloose ends. As part of thisprocess, we would like tothank all those that wereable to share these twospecial days with us. Wehave also received so many

letters of appreciation that it is wholly impossible to respond toeach of these individually - but we do want our forestry friends toknow that these sentiments are sincerely appreciated.

Tree Pathology News andICFR newsletter. .....

When you received this copy of Tree Pathology News, you mighthave been surprised to find that it arrived in the same package asyour ICFR newsletter. Indeed, our biennial newsletter will infuture always be dispatched together with the ICFR newsletter,and the TPCP will contribute to the remaining ICFR newsletters.This is part of a new initiative in which we will strive to bring theTPCP and ICFR closer to each other. The ICFR has been amember of the TPCP since the formal initiation of the co-operative programme in 1990, so the two groups have alwaysworked in close association. However, opportunities to expandthis relationship and particularly to establish joint researchventures are great. Together with Prof. Colin Dyer, the newdirector of the ICFR, we will explore a wide range of routes toexploit these opportunities in coming months and years.

In this newsletter, you will read of various activities of the TPCPduring the last six months. For a group as large as the TPCP,there is always a great deal of news to share with our members.We, however, also do not wish Tree Pathology News to be overlylong. We have thus chosen a "sampling" of news items that relateto all aspects of the TPCP. I hope that you will enjoy thisselection, which ranges from social events to various researchinitiatives.

Visit our Web page .

One of the more colourful routes to explore the activities of theTPCP is by visiting our Web pages. During the course of the last

six months, these have been totally revamped by the most capableAlbe (Meteorite) van der-Merwe, Albe is also known for hisfascinating research on the' genetics of the Cryphonectria cankerpathogen - clearly a person of many talents. The TPCP Webpages are now "housed" alongside the Web pages of FABI, whichyou might also find interesting. You can now see our newsletter,the diagnostic pamphlets, {he 'faces" of most of the teammembers, and many other interesting components of this uniqueprogramme.

New forest entomologist .

Many readers of Tree Pathology News will be aware that PremGovender, forest entomologist from the ICFR, has recently joinedFABI. Prem is now closely linked with the TPCP team and ourintention is that he will provide Forest Entomology input into theProgramme. Although the.focus has tended to be on interactionsbetween forest insects and pathogens, various TPCP team

members have worked in the field of forest entomology for manyyears. Prem's arrival will not only consolidate but also expandthese activities. The ultimate aim is to build a much stronger basein forest entomology in South Africa, particularly through thetraining of students, and thus to ensure long term stability of thisvery important field. To accommodate this new development, weenvisage a name change, which would replace the"PATHOLOGY" in TPCP with "PROTECTION". The scope ofthe Programme would then be to provide the forestry industrywith support in the fields of both pathology and entomology.

I hope that you will enjoy this issue of Tree Pathology News.Please let us have your comments on improvements that you feelwe might make to this informal line of communication.Ultimately we focus on a single aim encompassed in our slogan,which also serves as our Mission Statement "KEEPING TREESHEALTHY".

~aek tothe good 'olz deqs .SASPP CONGRESS 1999

In the heart of the Natal midlands, a congress was held, the 37th

congress of the Southern African Society of Plant Pathology(SASPP), to which a party of enthusiastic Fabians went. Lastyear, we marched in our masses to Edinburgh to expand ourknowledge during the International Congress of Plant Pathology(ICPP) '98. This time the march was closer to home, to"Maritzburg", where we were treated to warmSharks hospitality (and much humidityand thunderstorms). Muchknowledge was acquired, manya new acquaintance wasmade, and much mirth andlaughter was exchangedduring this annual event.

clinic). We were also given a scintillating and thought-provoking talk by Brian Garman about science, the public and thepress (or rather science, mysterious to the public, unpopular withthe press, and unwilling to mix with both these elements).

However, all things intellectual had to be relieved by things more...well ...worldly, and we had to do strange things. The

Mildenhall stakes turned out to be backbreaking work (asalways). (For those of you unfamiliar with this strange

exercise, start thinking about how to get a bottle ofbeer from your forehead to your mouth without

using your hands. This usually involves an unusualtilting of the head, extensive strain on the lowerback and legs, no sense of balance and no clueas to where up or down is. Prizes will be givenat the next TPCP meeting for the mostinnovative contestant from the forestry sector. Itusually helps to have a few beers in already to

figure out how to do this). The last night wewere also treated with a sumptuous meal, and could

become really naughty and giggly because everyonehad to wear hislher school or university blazer.

The FABI team presentedexcellent posters and talkson their particular line ofinterest, and much waslearnt from other fields ofinterest. We were treated byeven more excellent .talks byprominent key note speakers, such asDr. Mary Palm on quarantine measurementsin the USA, Prof. Gerry Adams on Cytospora canker, Dr. DavidGuest on Phytophthora canker, Dr. S.V. Thomson on controlstrategies for fire blight, and more about endophytes, by Dr.Dennis Wilson. More pay-offs were the. release of a new GlobalPlant & Pest Information System (GPPIS) for the detection andidentification of most of the plant diseases and symptoms knownthroughout the world (which will prove valuable in the disease

As is the case in many schools, there had to be a function for thedistribution of prizes. Mostnoteworthy, was that JolandaRouxhas yet again won the woman's division of the renownedMildenhall stakes. FABI also had the most contestants and wonthe overall competition. But even more to our fame, Mike wonyet another award, the prestigious Persoon medal, for all ofhis achievements. We really are proud of our own Dux scholars.What an endina to a verv en'" able cr: T

As soil is the material substrate of life,water is literally its essence. Water is life.From "Out of the earth - civilization and the

life of the soil" by Daniel Hillel

2

Prof. Mike Wingfield and Prof. Johan van Zyl at the opening of FABI

«,::.:.....- :.:.

........

..... :.;:.::: , .;::,-;';-;.:;:: :,:.::,;,:.

A first and a last.. ...the first official TPCP meeting at theForestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), ourexciting new home at the University of Pretoria, but also the lastmeeting this nilllennium. Nowadays we are bombarded with somany "lasts of this millennium/first of the next", that it is fastbecoming a hollow cliche. But maybe in this case it is fitting. Themove to Pretoria and all the initial growth pains are now behindus. And ahead of us, the challenges and excitements now lay

waiting in a new millennium.

~ ~s year the ~ual ~CP Meeting was combined~ WIth the official openmg of FABI. And what anauspicious occasion. But hard work it was for sure. For weeksbefore, many of us often had very little sleep and a couple ofgood workouts. The big day itself started. early.At 6, things were already buzzing around:' FABI.Picking up the waste around the building,' movingthe last decorations into place, testing the projection system onelast time, etc.

Around 8:30 the - 170 delegatesattending the opening were all seatedin the beautiful Sanlam Auditorium.The delegates included friends, old andnew; colleagues from other academicinstitutions in South Africa and abroad;representatives of funding organizations

speakers. The first of these was the Dean of the Faculty of •Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Prof. Robin Crewe, whowelcomed the delegates and gave a very brief overview of thehistory of the idea that, today, isFABI. "You are present at thecoming of age of a rather sturdyyouth, whose influence is going tobe increasingly felt in the future."Prof. Johan van Zyl, the Vice-rector and Principal of theUniversity (also the father of thefabulous FABI idea) did somemore welcoming and gave us abackground as to the philosophybehind the prograrrunes ofexcellence at the UP, of whichFABI is a proud example. "Itexcites us at the UP to see what can be achieved when everybodyworks together towards this dream.... of excellence." Next was

Mike's turn as Director of FABI to introduce Fabulous FABI.And as always, the passion and excitement that is Mike (andFABI) was clearly visible (and not to badly contained in his 30minutes either) as he explained what FABI is, what it looks like,how it grew and why it is so important for the future ofAgriculture and Forestry. " ... the fears and the opportunities, theexcitements and the problems ... ahead of us there is 100 years offighting, arguing and a total reformation of what agriculture is allabout, and that is what FABI has to be part of." Prof. HaukeHennecke from the ETHZ in Switzerland (no top-secretdocuments involved) concluded the first session of the morningwith a more formal scientific lecture about beneficial plantmicrobe symbiosis. From this it was clear that basic research iscrucially important in plant biotechnological research. "Basicresearch must come first in order to solve problems of agriculturalimportance, providing short-term and long-termbenefits to the industry... .I am,therefore, pleased to seethat this

agricultural andforestry industries,as well as thegovernment. Wilhelmde Beer, the master ofceremonies, had the honour ofintroducing some very important

philosophy is applied and a specificobjective of FABI." The session was then

fittingly concluded by a very popular musical interlude.

Mr. Neville Denison, Manager of Tree Improvemcet MOl."Forests tried to recall the music team to take over his allocateotime, but when this failed, continued to entertain us himself with

3

the history and role of the TPCP in South African Forestry. Healso gave honour to the vision and passion of Mike, his team andall the industry role players that worked together to make thisprogramme the most successful of it's kind in the world. "Theperpetuation of the tremendously productive industry-academiaalliance is pivotal to the SA position in the forefront of forestpathology TPCP =.True Partnership Commitment and Passion"

One could not help to want more after the fascinating45 minutes that followed as Prof. Callie Pistorius, Co-director of the Institute for Technological Innovationof the UP explained 'the dynamics of technologicalchange' and the urgent need to manage innovation (=Invention + exploitation) to stay ahead in today's

highly competitive world. "Companies and industrieswill rise and fall by the ability of their managers tomanage the wave of creative destructive that isinnovation." This talk was followed by the fabulous'Inside FABI' video. This excellent and veryprofessional documentary of the doings andhappenings inside FABI was put together by Dr.Dennis Wilson, currently a postdoctoral fellow inFABI. The video was thoroughly enjoyed by everyoneand is sure to be a very valuable asset for many yearsto come, and perhaps a wonderful look into the 'old'FABI somewhere deep into the next millennium.

After lunch, the delegates were invited by theprogramme to "spend a lively afternoon exploring ,"living" laboratories, discussing results with studentsand staff, being baftled by biotechnology, come face toface with fungi and discover a hidden world that formsthe foundations for ourfuture forests andfood." Thatwas theintentionand wasvery

su~essful;i~;~ttTI~nn=mwh~achieved. It was thoroughlyenjoyed by both the researchers and delegates'alike. After the fast pace of the day's proceedings, it was timeto slow down, enjoy some cheese and wine and just interact on amore informal basis. Around 16:30 some formal ceremoniesfollowed. First of all the building was officially opened by Prof.Johan van Zyt. Mr. Mike Edwards of the Forest OwnersAssociation planted a Rhus lancea tree in front of the building asa symbol of industry support of the TPcP. There were also theformal contracts of FABI to be signed and the honours were doneby Dr. Andrew Morris (Sappi), Waldo Hinze (Safcol), Dr.Themba Simelane (DWAF), Andrew Thompson (Mondi), Patrick

Kime (CTC) and Rodney Heame (Banana Growers Association).Mike also announced that five of the labs will be named inhonour of the five people who helped to establish the TPCP,namely Mr. John Tew (HL&H), Mr. Neville Denison (Mondi),Mr. Neville Wessels (SAFCOL), Prof. Piet Lategan (UOVS) andDr. Mike Shaw (Sappi), As usual a wonderful dinner closed theday (for some). Apart from the lively atmosphere and interactionamongst delegates that always characterizes these dinners, wealso had the privilege to listen to Dr. Viktor Hesse (Chairman ofthe Board of the UP), to give thanks to the people involved inpreparing the day and lastly to be entertained by all the boo-boos-$#*&"%!& captured during the filming of the "Inside FABf'video. As I said, the day ended there for some, but others (it isbeing said) from there went to FABI to finish the last of the wine

and some excessenergy at thebeat of .... howshould I knowJThe AnnualMeeting of theTPCP the nextday followed theopening ofFABI. Theprogramme wasshortenedcompared toprevious yearsdue to theshortened time,but wasneverthelessfilled to the brimwith exitingdevelopmentsand results.Mike (TPCP),Brenda (FMBC)and Teresa

(Diagnostic Clinic)gave reviews of theyear that had pastand some insightsinto what is anexiting next year.Prem Govender, who

joined the team inJanuary, gave asummary of what isplanned for forestentomology at the TPCPand the importance ofentomology to the healthof our plantations. Therewere also presentationsfrom visiting internationalresearchers, Prof. GerardAdams and Aaron Maxwell,that again clearlythe importance of and need

for international collaboration regarding research on plantpathogens. From the students side there were project reports onblue stain (Wilhelm de Beer), Armillaria root rot (MartinCoetzee), the Amylostereum symbiont of the Sirex wasp (BernardSlippers), Ceratocystis wilt of Acacia meamsii and eucalypts(Jolanda Roux), Cryphonectria canker (Schalk van Heerden),

4

biological control of Sphaeropsis (Oliver Preisig) and Endothiacanker (Marieke Venter).

An exciting and productive two days were ended with a meetingof the TPCP board. We would like to thank all our industry

colleagues and friends who shared these two days with us. Thankyou for your support and input, without this co-operation from allparties this programme would not be what it is today. TRUEPARTNERSHIP, COMMITMENT AND PASSION from allinvolved.

RightPrem Govender, Rob Dunlopand Dr Charlie Clarke at theopening celebrations.

Left. "Mike why is it that you always getsomeone else to do the planting?I" Mr MikeEdwards doing the honours while Prof MikeWingfield looks on.

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5

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When conductor Leonard Bemstein tookthe New York Philharmonic on tour, hefound this note under his hotel-roomdoor one night: "I think you shouldknow that the fellow in your band whoplays the instrument that pulls in and outonly bothered playing during the oddmoments you were looking straight athim"

6

dnafingerprinting

in thenew millenniumThe year 1982 saw the light on the first paperpublished on the use of DNA fingerprinting.

Since then this technique has become increasinglypopular to use in distinguishing and identifyingorganisms on DNA level. Today, the development ofDNA fingerprinting techniques such as RFLPs(restriction fragment length polymorphisms), AFLPs(amplified fragment length polymorphims) and SNPs(single nucleotide polymorphims) is considered as ahighly advanced research area with applicationsrelating to identification and biological relationships,ranging from humans to animals and plants to fossils.

This year the 5th International DNA FingerprintingConference was held in Port Elizabeth. Delegatesincluded researchers at institutes and universities fromEurope, Asia, United States of America and Africa.The TPCP was never before represented at aninternational fingerprinting conference, but since itwas held in South Africa we had the opportunity toattend and present research results relevant to thisfield.

with DNA fingerprinting applications. For this reason it was notsurprising that Sir Alec Jeffreys was invited to address theattendees at the plenary opening lecture. At this lecture, heenthusiastically reported on human minisatellites, repeat DNAinstability and meiotic recombination.I

DNA fingerprinting is based on the detection of differences(polymorphisms) on the DNA level between organisms. Profilesare obtained from identified (known) and unknown samples. Thedifferences and similarities observed are then used to revealrelationships between organisms or to determine the unknownorganism's identity.

.....impact in the human and animal research.areas....~

It was evident from the conference that DNA fingerprinting hasits most significant impact in the human and animal researchareas. It has thus far been used with great success by forensicscientists in the investigation of crimes relating to human

identification and biological relationshipdetermination. We saw the presentation oftalks where scientists used fingerprintingtechniques to identify aeroplane crashvictims, criminals in law suits, paternity testsand population studies. The technology couldeven be used on highly degraded (ancient)aDNA or DNA from very old samples.

~~DNA

fingerprin ting isbased on thedetection ofdifferences

(polymorphisms) _on the DNAlevel

betweenorganisms.

Several talks and posters focused on the useof fingerprinting in the microbial, andspecifically, fungal world. Examples oforganisms of interest includedCryphonectria, .Armillaria, Mycosphaerella,Verticillium and Phytophthora. The DNAfingerprints could be successfully used foranalysis of genetic variability of populations,epidiomology, identification of specific

individuals, development of useful markers, and detection ofmeiotic recombination.

Sir Alec Jeffreys and co-workers on DNAfingerprinting .

Sir Alec Jeffreys and eo-workers were the first group to publish apaper in Nature on the use of DNA fingerprinting where theyproved the identity of a young boy from Africa. The identity ofthe child was disputed after the mother immigrated to the UK andshe later applied for citizenship for the boy. Sir Jeffreys wasconsulted to ascertain the mother-child relationship. It waspossible to convince the court that the mother was indeed tellingthe truth. This paper revolutionized the whole of the scientificcommunity and led to the publication of many hundreds of papers

.......the new kid on the block: microsatellitefingerprinting . .

The star of the show was definitely the new kid on the block:microsatellite fmgerprinting. Microsatellites are dispersed repeatsof a few DNA bases, that display a very high rate of change. Thismarker system can be used for the identification of specificalleles, enabling the TPCP and FMBC groups to study pedigreesof trees and phytopathogenic fungi. These high-resolution data isbecoming increasingly important in disease managementstrategies vital to the survival of the South African ForestryIndustry.

THE RESEARCH TEAM OF THE TREE PATHOLOGYCO-OPERA TlVE PROGRAMME

The research team of the Tree Pathology Coooeretive Programme is varied. It includes full time staff ofithe University of Pretoria (Prof MJ Wingftefd. uaector and Mondi Professor, Prof. B. Wingfield, Dr.T.A.Coutinho, Dr. A. Viljoen and Dr. J. Roux), Rosemary Visser, Celeste Marais, Marveline Molema andSonja de Beer, colleagues and students attached to other organisations such as the ICFR, technicalassistants funded by the University or through membership fees and post graduate students who aremainly funded by the FRO. Staff from various Departments in the University provide advice and supportwhere this is required.

7

Genetic analysis ofsexual

recombination inCryphonectria

cubensis isolatesfrom ColombiaN.A. van der Merwe, B.D.

Wingfield and M.J. Wingfield

Cryphonectria cubensis is

M.P.A. Coetzee, B.D. Wingfield& M.I Wingfield

within each

literature for Armillaria speciesfrom Europe, North America,Japan and China. .PCR-RFLPprofiles were obtained for theAfrica~ Australia and New

.", ;...:...:.~:.....: '';'.';'.':':'.'.'.

A seemingly tranquil tree standing in the field is really a highly restless organism in continuousmotion: its leaves orienting themselves to intercept sunlight and fluttering in the breeze whileabsorbing carbon dioxide and releasing water vapour

from: "Out of the eorth - civilization and the life of the $oir by Daniel Hillel

r./1/1....·:lliai;;;

tpcp extension•services .

As part of the TPCP's extension services weregularly attend field days and take guests tothe field to present talks to foresters andresearchers. This is an important learningopportunity for all parties involved. Duringthe first part of 1999 we were fortunate towelcome a colleague from abroad to ourProgramme for a week in January. During thisweek, Drs. David Guest and Gerry Adamswere shown forestry practices in Sabie andZululand and had the opportunity to talk toforesters from some of our forestry companies.Dr. David Guest is a leader in Phytophthoraresearch in the world and is currently situated

saWgUblackwattle field day -18mercn 1999

On the 18th of March the South African WattleGrowers Union hosted a field day, dealingmostly with black wattle. At this field day the

Foresters examiningtreesat a field day.

at the School of Botany at Melbourne University inAustralia. He has done extensive research into Jarrahdieback in Australia and visited South Africa to attendour annual Congress for the Southern African Societyof Plant Pathology. Dr. Gerry Adams, a leading plantpathologist and mycologist, from Michigan StateUniversity has been a sabbatical visitor in our groupfor the past 6 months, conducting research onCytospora spp.

This visit included field stops to look at diseases, visitnurseries and breeding programmes and also to showour guests some healthy trees and successes. Bothvisitors presented talks on forest pathology at a fieldday organized by Mondi in Kwambonambi. Wewould like to thank our forestry colleagues fromSAFCOL and Mondi for providing us with excellentaccommodation for our guests. Both were highlyimpressed by your forestry operations and yourhospitality.

TPCP presented a talk on the diseases affecting thesetrees. The importance for sound breeding strategiesand correct management of plantations werehighlighted in the strive for a competitive industry.The black wattle industry has lagged behind in thisaspect, but through renewed funding by SAWGU andthe industry as well as co-operation between the ICFR,

4!. industry and the TPCP it is hoped that this will soon becorrected. Through co-operation Acacia

mearnsii can be the tree of the future!

The services of theDiagnostic Clinic isavailable free ofcharge to allmembers of theTPCP. All samplesshould preferably besend to the clinicwithin 2-3 days aftercollection to ensurethe successfill"analysis of thematerial. For thispurpose materialshould be kept fromdrying out and storedin a refrigerator untildispatch. Use shouldalso be made ofcourier services toensure speedy doorto door delivery.The older thematerial we receive ,the less likelysuccessful diagnosisof the problem is.Please contact TeresaCoutinho for moreinformationregarding thesubmission ofsamples. This alsohelps in the timelypreparation ofspecialised media forthe isolation ofcertain pathogens.Please feel free tomake use of thisservice, since it alsohelps in maintaininga detailed databaseregarding theoccurrence 0 lforestry diseases i.i

South Africa.

DIAGNOSTIC CLINIC-1998

sam~les were received from the MpumalangaProvince, followed by the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands(Fig. 3). We also conducted analysis of a number ofwater, growth media and seed samples for the presence

of pathogens.

One of the important -gservices offered to'~members of the TPCP ~is the diagnostic ~Q.

laboratory. The ~diagnostic services U>'sfunction through IDforesters submitting Esamples to the:iProgramme foranalysis. Isolationsfor pathogens areconducted from plantmaterial, soils andwater, using state ofthe art techniques.

From January to theend of November1998 the clinicreceived a recordnumber of 155samples. This issubstantially morethan the 126 sampleswe received for 1997.In April alone, themonth that we movedinto the Forestry andAgriculturalBiotechnologyInstitute (FABI) a1the University 01 ~Pretoria, we received .~a total of 30 samples ~(Fig. 1). In 1998, the %majority of samples §were from pine-5(50.9%) followed by ID.0eucalyptus (29.8%),E

::l(Fig. 2). In previous zyears we had tendedto receive an equalproportion of pineand eucalypt samples.The majority of

Fig. 1

35

30252015

10

5

oJan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nav Dec

Months of the Year

Fig.2 Pine43.5%

Eucalypts34.2% Wattle

7.5%

*include water, growth media and other treesamples

Fig. 3

8060

4020 __

o~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

10

The TPCP DevelopsCo-operative Unks

with WesternAustralia

Murdoch University has a small but growing forest pathologygroup with strong links to industry groups in Western Australia.Much of the research effort has historically been on Phytophthoradisease problems but this research base is broadening. MurdochUniversity also hosts the State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre(SABC) which is similar in many ways to FABI, but the focus at

• the SABC is on agricultural crops.However, students in the forest pathology

group are increasingly using the modemand well-equipped facilities of theSABC to conduct research with a

molecular basis.In 1997 Mike Wingfield attended the biennialmeeting of the Australasian Plant PathologySociety. It was during this time that many WestAustralian foresters first became aware of thepotential threat posed by Mycosphaerella Leaf Blotch(MLB) disease to their eucalypt plantations. Aninterest was established in pursuing aspects of thisdisease as part of a PhD project and Mike invited AaronMaxwell, a Ph.d student from Murdoch University, over to SouthAfrica to investigate aspects of MLB in this country. Aaronbecame the first person to be exchanged in an initiativeestablished between Mike and Professor Bernie Dell and Dr GilesHardy at Murdoch University in Western Australia.

Researchers from these twogroups on both sides of theIndian . Ocean are keen todevelop co-operative links on a

number of . disease problems,which we have in common. One

::~:;:ttmp:: of these diseases is Sphaeropsis on···:~:t pine and it is upon this that another

Australian, Or Treena Burgess, hasbeen invited to ~ work at FABI. Hopefully in the comingyear a student from FABI will be able to spend sometime at Murdoch University, probably to investigate aspects ofPhytophthora.

1998/1999 TPCP GRADUANDI1998and the first half of 1999 has been very successful for theTPCP with regards to the number of students who completed theirdegrees in some aspect of forest pathology. Three Ph.D's, two M.Se.'s and five honours degrees were conferred on students fromthe TPCPIFMBC. A number of other students will also, within

the next few months, be handing in their theses. Bemard Slipperswas awarded the S2A3-Billiton Bronze Medal from the SouthAfrican Association for the Advancement of Science for amasters degree student who completed an exceptionallymeritorious masters degree dissertation.

Ph.D:Celeste Linde (UOFS)

Population structure of Phytophthora cinnamomi in South Africa.

Jolanda Roux (UOFS)·Diseases of Acacia mearnsii in South Africa, with particular reference to Ceratocystis wilt.

Corli Witthuhn (UOFS)Molecular taxonomy and mating type genes in Ceratocystis sensu stricto.

M. Se.:Bernard Slippers (UOFS)

The Amylostereum symbiont of Sirex noctilio in South Africa.

Sehalk van Heerden (UP)Pathogenicity and variation amongst South African isolates of Cryphonectria cubensis

Honours:Lieschen Bahlmann (UP)

Oliver Dickens (UP)Carin Dunn (UOFS)

Nonnie Geldenhuis (UP)Andre Pretorious (UP)

Johannes van der Merwe (UOFS)Francois Wessels (UP)

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visitors to thetpcp from abroad

Professor Gerry Adams joined the TPCP in September1998 on an eight months sabbatical. He is from theDepartment of Botany and Plant Pathology at MichiganState University. He has very broad interests which includefungi that cause cankers on trees, nursery diseases andmushrooms.

Dr. Anupama Gaur, a postdoctoral fellow, from Indiajoined the TPCP in August 1998. She completed her PhDat Gwalior University and the subject of her thesis

was on endomycorrhizae-plant interactions.She has now changed direction and isworking on the population genetics ofCeratocytis spp. associated with

eucalypts.

Dr. Treena Burgess, a postdoctoral fellow, fromAustralia joined the TPCP at the end of February for a two

year period. Her PhD thesiswhich she completed atMurdoch University was onectomycorrhizae. After herPhD, she spent 3 years doing aPostdoctorate under Prof. Giles Hardy at MurdochUniversity on waterlogging and Phytophthora. Her currentproject is concerned with the population genetics ofSphaeropsis sapinea in Australia and South Africa.

Mr. Xudong Zhou, a PhD student, from China joined theTPCP in September 1998. He completed his MSc at theUniversity of Yunnan on blue stain fungi associated with

. Tomicus piniperda. He is currently working onOphiostomatoid fungi associated with bark beetles in SouthAfrica.

Mr. Aaron Maxwell from MurdochUniversity, Australia, joined the TPCP inJanuary 1999 for four months. He is inthe first year of his PhD under ProfessorGiles Hardy and is working onMycosphaerella cryptica (Mycosphaerellaleaf blotch of Eucalypts).

Len van Zyl who has also been part of the TPCP family for 7years. He has nearly completed his Ph. D.· and will be spendingthe next two years as a post-doe at North Carolina StateUniversity. He will be joining the group of Prof. Ron Sederoffwho is currently the director of the Forest Biote 'Uloiogy GroupLcn will focus his research on the lign+ '"Imr- .tion in "'1compression wood.

~. ~. ~=12

FAREWELLThe TPCP has to say goodbye and farewell toa number of its team members. It has been awonderful experience having these people inour midst and we share many happymemories. We wish you all success in thefuture and.hope to see you soon. Our doorsare always open to you.

Prof. Gerard Adams who spend 8 months in our labs on hissabbatical from Michigan State University in the U.S.A. Gerryspent his time in South Africa working on species of Cytosporaand gave a number of talks to the forestry industry. He has madea lot of good friends amongst the students and will certainly beremembered as one on the coolest Professors ever to spent time inour group. He spent hours teaching and talking to students andmade many fascinating new mycological discoveries. He hassorted out the taxonomy of Cytospora spp. on various hosts, froma number of different countries and has broadened the SouthAfrican host range considerable. Even bug weed was not leftalone! Gerry goes back to his teaching and work responsibilitiesin the middle of May.

Dr. Dennis Wilson who spend 14 months in our labs on apost-doctoral fellowship from Arizona State University. Denniscame to us to work on the endophytes of Eucalyptus and got

sidetracked into doing a number of other things, apart from hisresearch. He quickly gained reputation as an exciting lecturer ofscience and biology as well as a film producer of note. Dennis

. leaves us in May to start an educational trek through Africa backto London, before he goes back to Arizona to resume his teachingand research responsibilities there.

Karin Jacobs who has been part of the TPCP family for 7years, starting as a laboratory assistant in her 3tt1 year at the FreeState University. She has now completed her Ph. D and will bespending the next two years, freezing, in Canada where she willbe doing a post-doc at the Biological Resources program of theEastern Cereal and Oilseed Research centre (until recently knownas the Biosystematics Research Centre).

Karin will be doing a taxonomic study on sporodochial (producescushion-like fruiting bodies known as sporodochia) genera ofhyphomycetes. The eventual products of her research will betaxonomic revisions or monographs of several sporodochialgenera and an identification key to the genera of sporodochialfungi for use in studies of pathogens and the biodiversity inagricultural and forest ecosystems.

Whether setting off across Australia's NullarborPlain, winching a land cruiser across a floodedriver in northern Queensland, meanderingbetween wineries around Margaret River orcommuting the leafy suburbs of Sydney onecannotavoid the presenceof ELlGllY,pt\.::.:, es.

.·:::::::::r:::::::::::~:~:f:::::::;:::::::::··:::::::::::.

••

..... :.:.:::::;::;:;:::;:;:::::.;.:.:.

This uniquely Australian genus containing over 450 speciesis ubiquitous in the Australian landscape and may even befound gathered along waterholes and dry creek beds ofsome of the more parched regions of the continent. Theleaves of these trees play host to entire fungal communitiesconsisting of endophytes, parasites and pathogens whichare in turn interconnected with various mycoparasite andinsect players, each struggling to earn a living in thiscompetitive environment. In healthy indigenous forests thisoften means that although pathogens and parasites arepresent they do not cause significant levels of disease.Where disease is apparent it is often due to a combinationof disturbed habitat and introduced pathogens.

European ColonisationAustralia .

of

European colonisation of Australianot only brought with it aconcomitant invasion of plant andanimal species but also led to thedispersal of eucalypts throughoutthe world. These trees may befound in botanical gardens, privateproperty, in plantations andnaturalised in many regionsaround the globe including Africa,Brazil, China, India, south-eastAsia, Spain, Portugal, andCalifornia 'USA. An Australianmay easily feel at home in parts ofthe Western Cape and otherregions of South Africa. In thepast forty years there has been anenormous increase in' theestablishment of Eucalyptplantations world wide, withcurrent estimates in excess of 12million hectares. This changingdistribution of eucalypts and otherplants across the globe raises amyriad of bio-geographicalquestions. Some plants shifted tonew ideal environments, leavingbehind constraints imposed bypests and diseases. They are

thus able to proliferate wildly and become 'weeds'. Otherplants may introduce new diseases to a susceptibleindigenous plant population, and still others may succumbto pests or diseases present in their new environment.

"Were they pushed or did they jump'?

Plant material brought into both South Africa and Australiahas no doubt harboured pathogens previously absent inthese countries. A classic example of this is the diseasecaused by Phytophthora cinnamomi, a pathogen thatoriginates in Indonesia and has wreaked havoc in nativeplant communities of South Africa and Australia. Thesenative plants which had not co-evolved with the pathogenhave not had the chance to develop a degree of resistanceto these foreign pathogens. Another question of interest,but which remains unanswered is that of the origins androle of various Mycosphaerella spp. associated witheucalypt plantations. Members of the genusMycosphaerella are associated with a leaf blotch disease ofeucalypts with different species causing varying amounts ofdamage. Some species prefer different eucalypt hosts overothers or even one leaf developmental stage to anotherPerhaps most interesting is the apparent distribl...:v.1 .various Mycosphaere/la species. Some species have beenrecorded only in eastern Australia, with another suite beingpresent in western Australia, while some species arerecorded only in southern Africa and another only inPortugal and the USA. This raises the question 'were theypushed or did they jump?" In other words were theseMycosphaere/la species brought across to new continentswith eucalypt material or have they jumped from other hostplants indigenous to the environment to which eucalyptshave been introduced? If they have been introduced from

13

The Second day of the symposium was much more "up my street"and there were a number of very interesting talks given about theuse of RAPDs, microsatellites and RFLPs in the identification ofEucalyptus. All of these are vel)' familiar acronyms for themolecular tools that many of the students and researchers in mylab use every day. These terms will also be very familiar to thoseof you more closely linked to the Forest Molecular Biology Co-operative Programme (FMBC).

In early February Brenda Wingfield visitedThe final meeting of the day was perhaps the highlight of the

Australia to attend a Symposium on the molecular meeting as this was a Round Table Discussion where decisionsGenetics of Eucalyptus in Hobart, Tasmania and to A .ere made on some of the nextvisit with colleagues in Canberra. She had the '~}«~. steps in Eucalyptus molecularfollowing to tell upon her return. . ... .\. ::::" . genetics and genomics. The

. ::. .:«,:;./:;:::: w.. first international collaboration.I started my trip to Australia by attending the symposium. The:+iw ....~;~'-,:::,>;,*". that will be undertakenfirst morning I learnt more about Eucalyptus phylogeny than I between research groups in Brazil, Europe, Australia and Souththink I actually wanted to know. I knew that there were a lot of Africa (FMBC) will be aimed at establishing a set ofEucalyptus species but "that" many? And then there are a variety microsatellite primers to be used for the identification of theof related genera. I think the take home message here is that there widest possible range of Eucalyptus species. The main focusis a lot more that I could learn about Eucalyptus and that there is from the FMBC viewpoint will be on the more importantmuch more to this group than I had appreciated. The other commercial species, thus enabling clonal identification. Anotherinteresting fact though, is that from a molecular phylogeny initiative will be to map a single Eucalyptus genome usingstandpoint not a great deal has yet been published. $~":::~':::::'~:::';'~'::';::~::';:~~*:."®:"":~:':'::'~":::':§l':::'::m:::';::~"':*':':':'g::~'"microsatellites. This will fonn the backbone forIn many respects we are much further ahead with .' chromosome maps of other species. The currentsome of our fungal molecular phylogenies. So :: suggestion is that the focus should be on amaybe the mycologists are ahead of the Botanists:: commercially important species. Other suggestedin some respects?· :::: projects are the mapping and sequencing of the

:: chloropJast genome, the production of a cDNA0;:; library to produce ESTs (expressed sequence tags):: and possibly sequencing a mega base of DNA to.: investigate genome organization in Eucalyptus.

The afternoon of the first day contained many::molecular talks. A couple. of particularly :

:;::;interesting ones regarding the use of the·~ 1chloroplast genome were presented. Some of this::

information may be important in the South African :: After the meeting in Hobart I. went on to visit acontext: Chloroplast genomes are generally passed couple of research labs at the CSIRO in Canberra. Itthrough the female line. This has implications for is our intention to do our next sabbatical in Canberrathe choice of parent species used in hybrid crosses. ::::.:::::::.. .....: ..... '.'. ..::<:::: ':: and so with this visit I have made some inroads intoThis could be more important than I had initially appredatea~<:::::::: <:::::::pIaiffiiiigthe sabbatical. My visit in Canberra was very successful

and my host (Dr. Jeremy Burton) spared me a great deal of his

Australia then why are they present at such low levels inAustralia as to remain un-recorded? Although these arefascinating questions in themselves, they also haveimplications to the potential management of this disease.

Mycosphaerella leaf blotch. .....

The story in South Africa is an interesting one.Mycosphaerella leaf blotch (MLB) first made an impact herein the 1930's when it caused severe damage in Eucalyptusglobulus plantations. Foresters responded to this byceasing to plant E. g/obulus in many regions. The outbreakof this disease was originally attributed to Mycosphaerellamolleriana but later workers suggested that the culprit wasMycosphaerella nubilosB. In 1996 Pedro Crous establishedthat the destructive species present in South Africa was infact Mycosphaerella juvenis. Neither M. molleriana nor M.nubilosa are present in South Africa. The former has onlybeen confirmed in Portugal and the USA and the latteroccurs only in eastern Australia and New Zealand.Interestingly M. juvenis has only been recorded in SouthAfrica. The reason behind the distribution of these speciesmay have potential implications for the control of thisdisease in South Africa. If M. juvenis is present in Australiait would be instructive to know why it is not causing

Symposium onMolecular Genetics

of Eucalyptus

noticeable levels of disease. Whereas, if M juvenis hasjumped from a native southern African plant then controlsolutions may be sought here in South Africa.

Foresters must remain vigilant .....

Cultural practices and breeding programmes play a criticalrole in any control strategy. It has been shown that NSWprovenances of E nitens are more resistant than Victorianprovenances. It is also known that once E. nitens is plantedbelow a given altitude in South Africa then MLB becomes apotential problem. So, by careful provenance selection andappropriate site selection South African foresters have (forthe present) been abie to manage the severity of MLB.However, if the range of plantations is to increase thenfurther work may need to be done in contrOllingMycosphaerella in its more favourable environment at loweraltitude. Also, if M. juvenis is native to southern Africa thenthere may be potential for it to develop increased levels ofpathogenicity through the greater genetic variation presentin an indigenous pathogen population. Foresters mustremain vigilant to the threat of this disease and maintaingenetiC diversity in their breeding programme as well ascontinuing to select for resistance to MLB.

14

very valuable time in showing me around and discussing somedetails of the project that we hope to undertake together. Thiswill be working with a variety of rust fungi. Jeremy is aninternationally recognized expert in this area. This project maysound a little unusual, but one of the most important diseasethreats to the South African Forestry Industry is the introductionof Guava Rust which is a devastating disease in Eucalyptusplantations. Also the most significant gene for gene diseaseresistance work has been done using rusts which infect corn andwheat, and more recently the work done in South Carolina on theWhite Pine Blister rust. Our proposed sabbatical will therefore,involvean exponential learning curve about rust fungi!

As you can gather I did not see much of Australia - just a fewKangaroos and no Koalas. But the trip has established some firmcollaborations and the number of E-mail addresses that I nowregularly communicate with ending in ".au" (which indicatesAustralia) has increased dramatically. My impressions ofAustralia ? A nice enough place to visit, has some Anglo-Saxon overtones that as an English speaking South African Icould relate to but I missed the BUZZ and "Genetic Diversity" ofSouth Africa. Maybe I will get to see more of the place on mynext visit - it is however, VERY far away from South Africa-and for that matter anywhere else in the world.

fOt~t antomologq in'

In January this year Prem Govander, previously from the ICFR,joined the University of Pretoria and the TPCP. He has beenappointed in the Department of Zoology and Entomology as alecturer and will be responsible for starting a ForestryEntomology Programme at the TPCP. At the annual TPCPmeetings, held on the 10th of March Prem presented a lecture onthe current status, as well as the future, of forestry entomot-This article presents some ex •.M;' of this presentation

1. Primary objectives of forest protection• To sustain the future forests and food of our new nation,• To train future scientists, thus ensuring that a source of

expertise in the specialist field of forest entomology isavailable in South Africa,

• To undertake goal-directed research on priority pest problemsexperienced by major players in the South African Forestry .

Industry and generate practical products and solutions tothese problems,

• To monitor pest outbreaks in plantations, permanentsampling plots and countrywide surveys.

2. Bill Dyck report

In March 1995, Bill Dyck reviewed forestry research in SouthAfrica for the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF)and the Forest Owners Association (FOA). He identified variousthreats to forestry Research and Development in South Africa.Currently the situation appears to have deteriorated even furtherwith regards to the issues he raised about Forest Entomology. TheDyck report is therefore used as a point of reference to furtherexplain the situation regarding forest entomology in South Africa.

2.1 Factors that threaten Forestry Entomology inSouth Africa• Scientist mobility - scientist movement out of forestry

research into research management, education, other researchfields or overseas.

• Succession Planning - this is incomplete partly because ofthe fragmented structure and lack of depth in mostorganisations. Many programmes are vulnerable to staff

15

losses and insufficient training through university graduatedegree programmes.

• Funding Uncertainty - the consistently declining budget,especially in forest protection: this country requiresconsiderable skills to ensure that introduced insects anddiseases do not destroy the forest resource. Dependence onuncertain industry funding has a destabilising effect onscientists and their associated research institutes.

• Absence of collaboration and duplication of effort - thisoften leads to inefficiencies and is the outcome of inadequatefunding and planning. Collaboration is the vehicle wherebythe .skills of a combined team effort can make greaterprogress than can ~dividual effort.

2.2 Some recommendations to realise this opportunity• Strategic research - there is a need for longer-term strategic

focus and research planning. This would ensure that researchprogrammes are designed to enable results to be modelledand extrapolated beyond the immediate research project(process research) as opposed to the necessary but short term,less expensive, annual-type applied research (empiricalresearch). This type of strategic focus is one of thecornerstones of the success of the TPCP.

• Collaboration and co-operation - it is critical that scientistsdo not work in isolation of either the end-user of research orof other scientists (especially scientists in the same field ofresearch).

2.3 Forest entomology recommendationThe TPCP as a centre of excellence is working extremely well,whereas forest entomology research is relatively uncoordinated.Therefore, and because forest entomology and pathology skillsare interchangeable, a logical solution would be to include forestentomology research with the TPCP. The Department of Zoologyand Entomology at Pretoria University is integrally associatedwith the TPCP and is the only university in South Africa withForest Entomology expertise.

IMPORTANT ••

3.0 Perks of a university association

• Funding from organisations such as the Foundation forResearch Development (FRD) and Department of Trade andIndustry (DTI) THRIP.

• Opportunities for interaction and networking withinternational universities and institutions. This includesstudent exchange programmes.

• Interaction with postdoctoral fellows from other countriesopens the door to an international scientific network andforeigiJ.expertise becomes readily available. .

• Establishment of foreign contacts to assist in the search andintroduction of biological control agents.

• There are also strong working relationships with the NationalInsect Collection and several quarantine establishments.

• Most postgraduate students are highly motivated, dynamicand gifted. Their expertise is made available to the forestindustry at a fraction of the cost of hiring consultants oremploying full time personnel. Their research focus is intense(undivided attention) and represents a commitment to aspecific area of research within a defined time frame.

• Build up of a critical mass of high calibre postgraduatestudents. Pretoria University also has an "UP with ScienceProgram" where the cream of the crop of high schoolstudents are mentored and introduced to science. Thesestudents can be informed of forestry and be attracted toforestry research at an early age.

It is of utmost importance to support and actively encourageforest entomology in South Africa. It is clear from fieldsituations that insect pests can yearly have a dramatic impact onyield and lead to large-scale losses. FABI and the TPCP is anactive partner in South African forestry and is committed to thepromotion of forest entomology in South Africa and thus theprotection of our forests from pests and diseases.

PLEASE READ THISIn order for us to coordinate our services to you please

help us by using the following contact address:

POSTAL ADDRESS

Tree Pathology Co-operativeProgrammeAtt: Prof. Michael J. WingfieldMondi Professor of Forest Pathologyand Director of FABIForestry and AgriculturalBiotechnology Institute (FABI)University of Pretoria0002

STREET ADDRESS FORDELIVERIES

74 Lunnon Road (between Tindalland Herold Street)Hill crestPretoria

TBI: 012-4-20 ggg<i? rax: 012-4-20 g960~-mail: MikB.WingfiBld@fabi.u~.ac.za

Web pagB: http//www.up.ac.zalacadBmic!fabi/tpcp

16 ~ layout and dei;gtJ by ~m:an Cht;l:t;~