Trunk diseases of grapevines and fruit trees cause cankers and dieback and have an economic impact on production causing yield losses. Research focusses on the etiology, epidemiology and management of fungal trunk diseases of grapevine and fruit trees. As phytomycologist at the Department of Plant Pathology, a major focus of my research includes the characterization of fungal pathogens. Fungal groups including the Basidiomycetes, Botryosphaeriaceae, Diaporthaceae, Diatrypaceae, Didymellaceae, Nectriaceaeand Togniniaceae have been investigated in various projects and a diversity of woody hosts.
The biological control of plant diseases is important in providing an alternative to chemical control. It allows producers to limit fungicide residues which are becoming an important market requirement. The biocontrol programme focuses on the use of Trichoderma species in the control of grapevine trunk diseases as well as the search for new organisms that have potential to be developed into biocontrol products. Various aspects have been researched to understand the mechanisms involved, optimise the application and improve field efficacy.
