OBJECTIVE 2
Provide accurate pest and disease diagnostics to support farmer decisions and trade readiness.
Effective management of pests and diseases is critical to safeguarding South Africa’s grain production and ensuring access to local and international markets.
Timely and accurate diagnostics empower farmers to make informed decisions, optimise crop protection, and reduce unnecessary pesticide use, ultimately enhancing productivity and resilience. This objective focuses on strengthening diagnostic services and pest surveillance across key grain-producing regions, addressing gaps in access to reliable information, and supporting integrated pest and disease management strategies.
To achieve this, the consortium supports several targeted projects. The FABI Diagnostic Disease Clinic at the University of Pretoria fills a crucial gap by providing expert identification of pests and pathogens for grain and oilseed producers ranging from emerging to commercial farmers. Its accurate diagnostics underpin biosecurity efforts and facilitate trade through essential Pest-Free Area and Pest Risk Analysis reports.
Building on this, research into the seasonal activity and distribution of the invasive fall armyworm in maize-growing areas of Gauteng and North West provinces aims to improve early detection and monitoring. By testing effective trap technologies, the project supports more sustainable and tailored control strategies that help reduce crop losses and input costs. Similarly, in Limpopo, mapping the distribution and abundance of stem borers on maize and sorghum provides vital baseline data that guide early warning systems and targeted pest management, protecting vulnerable small-scale farmers and strengthening food security.
Complementing these pest-focused efforts, disease surveillance projects such as mapping maize ear rots and developing predictive models contribute to integrated pest and disease management. By identifying environmental triggers and refining intervention timing, these initiatives help farmers apply precise control measures. Together, these projects are not only improving how pest and disease threats are detected and managed today but also laying the foundation for a more resilient and innovative grain industry tomorrow.
