The Eucalyptus stem canker pathogen Teratosphaeria zuluensis detected in seed samples

The global spread of Eucalyptus pathogens is thought to be facilitated by the trade in seed for the establishment of new plantations and breeding programmes. In this study we used highthroughput amplicon sequencing to elucidate whether this might be true for the Eucalyptus stem pathogen Teratosphaeria zuluensis in South Africa. DNA libraries were obtained for seed-capsules, clean seed, one-month-old seedlings grown in a phytotron, plants grown in vitro in a tissue culture facility as well as leaves and stems of three-month-old seedlings exposed to a Eucalyptus plantation environment. The DNA libraries were sequenced using high-throughput Illumina MiSeq and 454 technologies. Sequencing revealed the presence of several OTUs in the Botryosphaeriaceae, Mycosphaerellaceae and Teratosphaeriaceae in seed and seed-capsules and amongst these, OTUs that cluster close to T. zuluensis. OTUs from the Mycosphaerellaceae were also recovered from seedlings grown in a phytotron, in vitro propagated seedlings and those exposed to the plantation environment. The results support the view that important Eucalyptus pathogens, including T. zuluensis, can be spread via the trade in seed.National Research Foundation of South Africa (Grant specific unique reference number (UID83924).Tree Protection Co-operative Program (TPCP), the THRIP initiative of the Department of Trade and Industry and the DST/NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology (CTHB) based in the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, South Africa.http://forestry.oxfordjournals.org2017-07-31hb2016GeneticsMicrobiology and Plant PathologyPlant Production and Soil Scienc

Three genetic groups of the Eucalyptus stem canker pathogen Teratosphaeria zuluensis introduced into Africa from an unknown source

The Eucalyptus stem canker pathogen Teratosphaeria zuluensis was discovered in South Africa in 1988 and it has subsequently been found in several other African countries as well as globally. In this study, the population structure, genetic diversity and evolutionary history of T. zuluensis were analysed using microsatellite markers to gain an enhanced understanding of its movement in Africa. Isolates were collected from several sites in Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda and Zambia. Data obtained were compared with those previously published for a South African population. The data obtained from 334 isolates, amplified across eight microsatellite loci, were used for assignment, differentiation and genetic diversity tests. STRUCTURE analyses, θst and genetic distances revealed the existence of two clusters, one dominated by isolates from South Africa and the other by isolates from the Zambezi basin including Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. High levels of admixture were found within and among populations, dominated by the Mulanje population in Malawi. Moderate to low genetic diversity of the populations supports the previously held view that the pathogen was introduced into Africa. The clonal nature of the Ugandan population suggests a very recent introduction, most likely from southern Africa.National Research Foundation of South Africa (Grant specific unique reference number (UID83924).http://link.springer.com/journal/104822017-01-31hb2016Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI)Microbiology and Plant PathologyPlant Production and Soil Scienc

The Struggle for Legitimacy: South Africa’s Divided Labour Movement and International Labour Organisations, 1919–2019

Who could be considered a legitimate representative of South Africa’s working class, and even who constituted this class, was bitterly contested during the twentieth century. This chapter examines the struggles for international recognition by the rival constituents of South Africa’s labour movement, which was sharply divided along racial and ideological lines. Initially, the International Labour Organization and other similar bodies formed links with the white-dominated labour movement, which regarded itself as the legitimate representative of all workers in South Africa. This position was successfully contested by emerging black African trade unions who themselves, in the face of fierce repression, competed for financial support made available by various sections of the international labour movement

Faith-based organisations and organised religion in South Africa and the Nordic countries

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