The Southern African Society for Plant Pathology: 1962–2020 [Scholarly Article - South African Journal of Science, 26 November 2020]

Title:

The Southern African Society for Plant Pathology: 1962–2020

 

Authors:

Michael J. Wingfield, Universiy of Pretoria

Teresa A. Coutinho, University of Pretoria

Published:

South African Journal of Science, Volume 116, Number 11/12, 26 November 2020

https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/8594

From the article:

Scientific societies play an enormously valuable role in promoting important disciplines. This role is perhaps even greater in countries that are relatively isolated from the rest of the world, such as those in the southern hemisphere, with no long histories of scientific endeavour nor well-established networks of communication. In this regard, scientific societies in South Africa are crucially important; in our view, their value is often under-appreciated. This might also be true for the Southern African Society for Plant Pathology (SASPP), which has drawn together and coordinated the activities of plant pathologists for almost 60 years. In so doing, the SASPP has contributed substantially to the health of plants that sustain agriculture and forestry and food security, and those that constitute one of the most biodiverse and fascinating flora on earth, the Cape Floristic Region. Reflecting on the history of the SASPP in 2020, the United Nations International Year of Plant Health, is timely and relevant.

James E. Vanderplank: South African and globally recognised plant pathologist [Scholarly Article - South African Journal of Science, 26 November 2020]

Title:

James E. Vanderplank: South African and globally recognised plant pathologist

 

Authors:

Teresa A. Coutinho, University of Pretoria

André Drenth, The University of Queensland

Michael J. Wingfield, University of Pretoria

 

Published:

South African Journal of Science, Volume 116, Number 11/12 (26 November 2020)

https://www.sajs.co.za/article/view/8264

From the article:

James Edward Vanderplank, best known to plant pathologists globally simply as ‘Vanderplank’, is widely regarded as one of the world’s most influential plant scientists. This recognition stems from his reputation as the founding father of modern quantitative plant disease epidemiology.1  Professional plant pathologists and students in the discipline are familiar with Vanderplank’s work as it provides a theoretical framework to study disease epidemics and breeding for disease resistance. The United Nations declaration of 2020 as the international Year of Plant Health provides an apt opportunity to reflect on the contributions Vanderplank has made to both plant pathology and plant breeding.