Last week on the 4th and 5th of April 2024, five Centre for Biological Control graduates crossed the stage. Two of them graduated with their master’s degrees and three became Doctors after their long research journeys. We are very proud of all of them and would like to congratulate them on their achievements.

The CBC's 2023 Annual Report.  It was another very busy and productive year for the CBC. 

On Friday the 24th of November we had 89 of the Centre for Biological Control's family together for the day for our annual research day. 32 of our staff and students shared their research with us and we bid farewell to those that have finished their time with us although they are always welcome back to the CBC! This day is for the group to meet each other as many of our team don't stay in Makhanda, it was wonderful to have everyone together.

Sagittaria platyphylla or Delta arrowhead, an invasive alien weed is invading aquatic ecosystems throughout the country. After a number of years of testing here at Rhodes, the CBC has been granted permission to release the weevil, Listronotus appendiculatus.

On the 13th of October 2023, five Centre for Biological Control graduates crossed the stage. Four of them graduated with their master’s degrees and one changed their title to Doctor.

On 11 October 2023, the Centre for Biological Control (CBC), with Professor Sizwe Mabizela, the Vice-Chancellor of Rhodes University, and Ms Debbie Muir, an official from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE), released the weevil Listronotus appendiculatus.

Ground-breaking research by two Rhodes University PhD graduates, Tamryn Marsberg and Michael Jukes, has now led to the patent of viral-based products, MultiMax and CodlMax, as alternatives to the conventional use of chemical pesticides on citrus, apples, and litchi. The advantage of these products includes their lack of non-target effects such that the pest is controlled without the knock-on environmental harm.

In an attempt to reduce the amount of chemical pesticides sprayed in the world, insect diseases, including fungi and viruses can be used as biopesticides. The CBC is very proud to be part of the team in producing a new biopesticide- partners are River Bioscience and Citrus Research International. The CBC was integral in the research and development behind the product.

In July- the CBC were well represented at two national conferences.

The 16th International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds took place in Northern Argentina from the 7th-12th of May 2023. The CBC team presented 38 Papers, including a Keynote address, and participated in two workshops at the symposium.

Leaf-cactus (Pereskia aculeata), a spiny creeping plant from Brazil, is a serious threat to indigenous biodiversity in both South Africa and Australia, where it is an invasive alien pest. In South Africa, the flea-beetle Phenrica guerini is a damaging biological control agent for leaf-cactus. MSc student, Elizabeth Dixon, conducted host specificity tests to demonstrate that the flea-beetle is safe for release in Australia, and will not damage any other plants besides leaf-cactus if it is released. This is the first step towards releasing Phenrica guerini in Australia.

We would like to share the Annual Report for the Centre for Biological Control for 2021. Although it was another year under the restrictions of the global pandemic, the CBC kept going and has produced a substantial amount of work.

Hartbeespoort Dam, locally called Harties, is a popular getaway destination known for its scenic views and water activities. For decades, the dam has been infested with an alien plant species that regenerates quicker than it can be removed – the hyacinth.

Megan Reid, a PhD candidate in the Department of Zoology and Entomology at Rhodes University, has won the prestigious Young Entomologists Essay Prize from the Entomological Society of South Africa (ESSA).

For the recently held October graduations at Rhodes University, two PhD graduates were gifted gowns from well-respected academics in their respective fields.

Dean of Science Professor Tony Booth officially launched the Rhodes University Transient Array Radio Telescope (TART) at the Waainek (Makhanda) site last week.

In keeping with the traditions of Rhodes University, the inaugural lecture of Professor Julie Coetzee was held on 2 June 2022 in Eden Grove Red Lecture Theatre to honour her achievement of the title of Professor. There she presented her body of work and the most recent results of her research on the invasive water plant species Pontederia crassipes, commonly known as water hyacinth, and her efforts to understand and control it.

Over the last decade, biological control has significantly reduced the negative impacts of invasive alien plants in the country in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way.

Bite by bite, the army of tiny goggas that have been deliberately released at the polluted Hartbeespoort Dam to tackle the infestation of water hyacinth are winning the battle.

We would like to share the Annual Report for the Centre for Biological Control for 2021. Although it was another year under the restrictions of the global pandemic, the CBC kept going and has produced a substantial amount of work.

African Entomology has recently published the fourth decadal review of biological control of invasive alien plants in South Africa, part of the editorial team are from the CBC and we would like to congratulate and celebrate this achievement. Well done Iain Paterson, Alana Den Breeÿen, Grant Martin and Terry Olckers for compiling and contributing to a great piece of work. The edition consists of 24 papers covering all the aspects of biological control.

The Prosopis podlet weevil from South America (Coelocephalapion gandolfoi) has long been considered a promising candidate for release as a biological control agent against Prosopis in South Africa. The release of the weevil marks significant progress, but several hurdles remain. Researchers will be monitoring and evaluating the progress being made by this weevil towards becoming established in South Africa. Progress, or lack thereof, will be reported to the landowners concerned and the broader Prosopis community.

In 2021, the CBC has had a number of students graduate in the different virtual graduation ceremonies. Five Honours, two Masters of Commerce, ten Masters of Science and six PhD graduates walked across the virtual stage! Huge congrats to you all, we are proud of your achievements.

The 2021 International Congress on Invertebrate Pathology and Microbial Control & the 53rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Invertebrate Pathology took place from the 28th June to the 2nd July. It was a great event with an excellent programme consisting of several live symposia, numerous recorded oral presentations, posters and live chat sessions. Four members of the CBC attended, each contributing an oral presentation.

Grant Martin is the manager of the CBC’s newest programme – the Northern Temperate Weeds Programme. The programme was initiated in March 2017 and aims to bring the benefits of biological control to the mountain grasslands of South Africa.

In early May 2021, the Centre for Biological Control (CBC), in conjunction with The Study House and the Garden Route Botanical Gardens, established its first satellite mass-rearing facility in George in the Western Cape. This was for the weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniae, a biological control agent for the invasive Kariba weed, Salvinia molesta.

Rhodes University’s academic and Associate Professor Julie Coetzee has been elected President of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa (ESSA).

The African tulip tree flea-beetle, Paradibolia coerulea, made it into quarantine in New Zealand in February 2021 and has now been released on the Pacific island of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands to control the invasive African tulip tree, Spathodea campanulata.

For the first time since its inception, the annual National Symposium on Biological invasions, was held as a virtual online event last week. It took place over three days, from 5 – 7 May and saw over 404 delegates register from 21 countries across the globe, including seven African countries.

Most of the cactus species in the Klein Karoo were introduced to the region as garden plants, but have escaped the gardens and formed large populations in areas used for conservation and farming. Thankfully, biological control can effectively and safely control invasive alien cacti without doing any harm to indigenous flora or the environment.

Rhodes University's Associate Professor Julie Coetzee from the Department of Botany recently weighed in on how South Africa has successfully brought Salvinia molesta under control thanks to the release of the weevil into its freshwater systems since 1985.

Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park is the oldest proclaimed nature reserve in Africa and is well known for its amazing wildlife and biodiversity. Recently, infestations of the invasive alien cactus, Opuntia aurantiaca/jointed cactus, were recorded in some remote areas of the park. Jointed cactus is indigenous to South America but has been in South Africa for many years and is a serious problem. In September 2019 the CBC sent a consignment of the biological control agent, a cochineal insect, Dactylopius austrinus, to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi where it was released.

Tapiwa Mushore, MSc student, joined the CBC team in early 2019 to focus on finding a natural solution to controlling the pests of Honeybush tea. This unique herbal tea, with a pleasant honey like taste and flavour, has gained economic importance due to increased demand both globally and locally. This increase in demand has led to a recent shift from wild harvesting to commercial cultivation.

The Centre for Biological Control (CBC) at Rhodes University began a campaign to inundate the Hartbeespoort Dam (HBD) with the water hyacinth planthopper Megamelus scutellaris, a biological control agent of water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes), between 2018 and 2020.

Newer aquatic plant invasions in South Africa include submerged and emergent species such as Brazilian waterweed, yellow flag iris, pickerelweed and delta arrowhead. The CBC is conducting research on these plants. Coarse oxygen weed is a submerged aquatic plant indigenous to South Africa, but is invasive in New Zealand. The CBC is continuing work on this plant with native range surveys and assisting in finding a biological control agent for New Zealand. These species add a whole new dimension to aquatic plant sampling so our researchers contacted an expert in the field for advice, thanks Dr. John Madsen.

Clarke van Steenderen is a current CBC PhD student, and his research focuses on how genetic variation affects the performance of biological control agents. He has come through the ranks at Rhodes University as an undergraduate BSc student at Rhodes, and has worked on a variety of species, with a particular focus on genetics. His Master’s degree focused on the biological control of Cactaceous weeds in South Africa, with a particular emphasis on the genetic relationships within the Dactylopius genus (the ‘cochineal’ bugs).

Director of the Rhodes University Centre for Biological Control (CBC), Distinguished Professor Martin Hill, has been elected to serve as President of the International Organization for Biological Control (IOBC) for a period of four years.

When the CBC was launched in November 2017, the vision for the centre was to conduct research to sustainably control environmental and agricultural pests to protect ecosystems and the societies that depend on them. In addition, the CBC aimed to ensure that maximum benefits of biological control were realised through excellence in research, teaching and learning, implementation, and community engagement. The CBC is fortunate in that it has dedicated staff and students, (see some of our team captured in the image), exciting projects, and an enabling environment within South Africa to achieve its vision.

Thistle cholla, Cylindropuntia pallida, is an extremely spiny cactus that is indigenous to Mexico. It has become a major problem outside of its indigenous distribution, in both Australia and South Africa. Many of the problems associated with thistle cholla are related to how spiny the plant is. Dense infestations of this invasive alien plant reduce the quality of grazing pastures, reduce yields of wool and mohair, and are harmful to livestock and wildlife. Similarly to many other cactus species, biological control is likely to be the best solution.

Several Rhodes University academics recently assisted the Department of Health during its mobile Covid-19 screening drive in Makhanda.

The field of biological control in its nature is a collaborative one. Many cactus species native to South America, are invasive in South Africa. In February 2020, two CBC researchers, Phillippa Muskett and Iain Paterson, spent two weeks doing fieldwork in Argentina and Uruguay. Here Phillippa gives some insights into this trip and her first time in South America.

Billions of tiny insects are currently responsible for rapidly destroying the hyacinth on the Hartbeespoort Dam and scientists are of the opinion that herbicides have not been sprayed on the dying water plants.

The Centre for Biological Control (CBC) has a long standing collaboration with the Fundación para el Estudio de Especies Invasivas (FuEDEI), based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The CBC has collaborated widely with FuEDEI, looking at both aquatic and terrestrial invasive species. In December 2019, two CBC staff members, Matthew Paper and Benjamin Miller, had an opportunity to do some collaborative fieldwork in Argentina over a two-week period. Matthew shares some of his experiences from the trip

Tshililo Mphephu is a PhD student at the Centre for Biological Control (CBC) and recently spent two months in the USA as part of his studies. His research is focused on gaining an understanding of the effects and implications of a parasitic algal infection on the weevil, Cyrtobagous salviniae. The weevil Cyrtobagous salviniae was released in South Africa in 2000 for the control of the invasive floating weed, Salvinia molesta.

From January to August this year the CBC hosted American postdoc, Emily Kraus. During her time here she focused on understanding the relationship between aquatic weeds and their biological control agents, with particular reference to induced resistance.

One of the key aspects of the work of the Centre for Biological Control (CBC) is making the science behind the biological control of invasive weeds accessible by putting both the knowledge and techniques into the hands of our local communities. One such way this is achieved is through the accredited Weed Biological Control Short Course, now in its 22nd year!

This past week Namibia gained a new weapon in the fight against alien invasive cactus species. These cactus species are some of the worst environmental and agricultural weeds in Namibia. None of the cactus plants in Namibia are indigenous, they were all brought from either North or South America because they are easy to grow and don’t require much attention in one’s garden.

Each year, the Society for Invertebrate Pathology (SIP) holds the “International Congress on Invertebrate Pathology and Microbial Control & the Annual Meeting of the Society for Invertebrate Pathology”, providing a valuable opportunity for the CBC to present our latest results while also connecting with several international experts in the field.

Every two years entomologists from around southern Africa gather to attend the Entomological Society of Southern Africa (ESSA) Congress. This year the 21st ESSA congress took place in Durban from 8th – 11th July and 14 CBC staff and students contributed presentations and a poster to the congress.

The CBC and the Foundation for the Study of Invasive Species (FuEDEI- for its Spanish acronym) have been working together for a number of years on the biological control of invasive weeds. From the 10th of February to the 27th of April 2019, the CBC hosted Tomás Righetti, a PhD student based with FuEDEI in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Rhodes University’s Communications Division recently sat down with Distinguished Professor Martin Hill from the Centre for Biological Control, to discuss the history of biological control at Rhodes University and how this method of fighting alien plant species is helping drought-stricken areas like ours replenish water loss.

The CBC was well represented at the annual National Symposium on Biological Invasions held from 15th to 17th May, outside Tulbagh in the Western Cape. This 46th symposium was organised by Stellenbosch’s Centre for Invasion Biology (CIB) and SANBI.

Graduation 2019 saw nine post-graduate students from the Centre for Biological Control receiving their degrees, of which seven were MSc and two were PhD degrees. The ceremonies occurred on 11th and 12th of April 2019.

From the 26th of February till the 15th of March 2019, Evans Mauda, a CBC PhD student embarked on an expedition to Australia. Evans’ journey started a while back with the mighty little ladybird beetle (Cleta eckloni) - a coccinelidae phytophagous insect which is a potential biological control agent of Lycium ferocissimum Miers, also known as African boxthorn.

A number of developments and achievements have happened since the launch of the Centre for Biological Control (CBC), in November 2017. In order to showcase and highlight some of these achievements, the CBC decided to compile an annual newsletter. The first issue of this newsletter was published in January 2019.

For the past three years, researchers from the Centre for Biological Control (CBC) and the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology at Rhodes University have been working in collaboration with members from the University of Gdansk and Medical University of Gdansk (UGMUG) in Poland.

Megan Reid, CBC Masters student, has recently returned from a productive three-month stint in the USA. Her mission? Conducting surveys for natural enemies and potential biological control agents of Mexican water lily (Nymphaea mexicana), which has become an invasive species in South Africa.

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) have appointed Rhodes University Head of Entomology, Distinguished Professor Martin Hill, as one of its South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) chair.

Friday, 12th October 2018 marked a historic event for the Centre for Biological Control (CBC) with the release of a biological control agent, the fly, Hydrellia egeriae, to control Brazilian waterweed (Egeria densa) - a submerged aquatic weed.

The course has become an annual event with space for 25 delegates per course. Each year, spaces on the course are more competitive to get and fill up fast. This year course took place from 1st – 5th October.

The latest international travels by CBC members took them to the picturesque town of Engelberg, in Switzerland, to attend the XV International Symposium on Biological Control of Weeds (ISBCW), from 26-31 August 2018.

Part 2 of the Agricultural Research Programme is focused on the 10th Citrus Research Symposium. The Centre for Biological Control (CBC) was represented at this symposium by a contingent of 12 members comprising of student and professional researchers.

Members of the Centre for Biological Control (CBC) attended the 2018 International Congress of Invertebrate Pathology and Microbial Control and the 51st Annual Meeting of the Society for Invertebrate Pathology (SIP) held at the QT Gold Coast Hotel in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.

The CBC took part in the 'Trading Live for Mandela' – run by the Community Engagement Office at Rhodes University. Kim Weaver, Community Engagement Officer at the CBC, ensured that a number of different CBC related activities took place.

The Centre for Biological Control was represented at the 45th Annual Invasive Species Management Symposium by a contingent of 10 students and 2 staff members. It took place at the University of Venda, in Limpopo from the 3 – 6 July.

Prof Martin Hill and Dr Iain Paterson went over to Argentina recently to strengthen and build partnerships with fellow southern hemisphere collaborators. There were two main objectives for the trip, one was for Prof Hill to spend time with the Foundation for the Study of Invasive Species (FuEDEI) based in Buenos Aires, on a joint project on creating awareness of biological control of water hyacinth at St Vicente. Then the other objective was to attend the 10th Conference of the Argentine Entomological Society in Mendoza.

The newly-established Centre for Biological Control (CBC) at Rhodes University has been awarded a R68m contract by the Department of Environment Affairs (DEA), one of the largest partnerships the University has secured to date.

Students and staff members of the Rhodes University Entomology Department had the opportunity of engaging with Grade 9 students during the Entomological Society of southern Africa’s (ESSA) annual community outreach from 7 - 10 May, which coincided with Rhodes University Community Engagement week.

The recent Rhodes University graduation ceremonies from 5th to 7th April, produced no fewer than 10 MSc & PhD graduates from the Centre for Biological Control - eight MSc's and two PhD's to be exact.

Four members of the Centre for Biological Control (CBC), Associate Prof Julie Coetzee, Dr Grant Martin and two PhD students, Samuel Motitsoe and Rosali Smith recently attended the 15th International Symposium on Aquatic Plants (ISAP), from the 18th to 23th February 2018.

Widely regarded as the number one Entomology research unit in the country, the Department of Zoology and Entomology launched its groundbreaking Centre for Biological Control (CBC) on Thursday, 2 November 2017.

Rhodes University is launching its Centre for Biological Control (CBC) in the Department of Zoology and Entomology. The Centre builds on the existing capacity within the institution and facilitates partnerships with other organisations locally, regionally and internationally.

A biological control agent, eriophyid mite (Colomerus spathodea) was released to control the invasive, African tulip tree (Spathodea campanulata) on Rarotonga which is a small island that forms part of the Cook Islands on the Pacific.

Pereskia (Pereskia aculeata) has been a noticeable problem at Sibudu in the Qwabe area in KwaZulu Natal over the years, although more recently it has gone out of control at the site.

RESEARCHERS yesterday released several small Brazilian bugs into the wild, marking the start of a campaign to halt the spread of an alien invasive plant infesting large areas of South Africa's north-east coast.

A SMALL Brazilian insect has been released at a pilot Nahoon Valley site to destroy an infestation of a pesky cactus devastating indigenous plants and trees in the city's suburbs.

'n Insek omtrent die grootte van 'n duimnael is op die oorlogspad.

Researchers on Friday released several small Brazilian bugs into the wild, marking the start of a campaign to halt the spread of an alien invasive plant infesting large areas of South Africa's north-east coast.

The biological control agent to the invasive plant pereskia will be released into South Africa for the first time in a public release ceremony on 10 October 2014 at Rhodes University in Grahamstown.