Curriculum Vitae

Prof Wijnand Swart
Position
Professor
Department
Plant Sciences
Address
P 219 A
Plant Pathology
IB 64
Telephone
0514012383
Office
219A
Information

Short CV
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Publications (Short List)

Chen, W.Q. & Swart, W.J.  2000.  Fusarium oxysporum and F. sambucinum associated with root rot of Amaranthus hybridus in South Africa.  Plant Disease 84: 101. 

 Blodgett, J.T., Swart, W.J., Louw, S.VdM. & Weeks, W.J.  2000.  Species composition of endophytic fungi in Amaranthus hybridus leaves, petioles, stems and roots.  Mycologia 92: 853-859.

  Chen, W.Q. & Swart, W.J.  2001.  Genetic variation among Fusarium oxysporum isolates associated with root rot of Amaranthus hybridus as determined by pathogenicity, isozymes and vegetative compatibility.  Plant Disease 85: 1076-1080.

  Swart, W.J., Tesfaendrias, M.T. & Botha, W.  2002.  First report of basal stem rot caused by Pythium G-group on Kenaf in South Africa.  Plant Disease 86: 698.

  Blodgett, J.T. & Swart, W.J.  2002.  Infection, colonization and disease of Amaranthus hybridus leaves caused by the Alternaria tenuissima group.  Plant Disease 86: 1199-1205.

Chen, W.Q. & Swart, W.J.  2002.  Phytotoxicity of Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium sambucinum culture filtrates  to Amaranthus hybridus and evaluation of amaranth germplasm for resistance.  Euphytica 127(1): 61-67.

Louw, S.VdM., Swart, W.J., Honiball, S.J. & Chen, W.Q.  2002.  Weevil-fungus interaction on Amaranthus hybridus in South Africa.  African Entomology 10(2): 361-364.

Swart, W.J. & Swart, V.R.  2002.  The current status of research on diseases of Opuntia ficus-indica in South Africa.  Acta Horticulturae 581: 239-245.  

Koch, S.H., Ghebremariam, D.S. & Swart, W.J.  2002.  Characterization of South African isolates of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides associated with lupin anthracnose on sixteen lupin cultivars.  African Plant Protection 8: 51-56.

Swart, W.J., Tesfaendrias, M.T. & Terblanche, J.  2003.  First Report of Sclerotium rolfsii on kenaf in South Africa.  Plant Disease 87: 874.

Swart, W.J., Nieuwoudt, D. & Pretorius, J.C.  2003.  Influence of nitrogen fertilization on susceptibility of pistachio seedlings to Botryosphaeria obtusa and B. dothidea.  African Plant Protection 9: 115-117.

Blodgett, J.T., Swart, W.J. & Louw, S.VdM.  2004.  Identification of fungi and fungal pathogens associated with Hypolixus harens and decayed and cankered stems of Amaranthus hybridus.  Plant Disease 88: 333-337.

Tesfaendrias, M.T., Swart, W.J. & Botha, W.  2004.  The characterization of Pythium group G occurring on kenaf in South Africa.  South African Journal of Plant and Soil  21: 25-29.

Ghebremariam, D., Groenewald, E.G., Koch, S.H. & Swart, W.J.  2004.  The production of gibberellin-like substances by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides associated with lupin anthracnose.  South African Journal of Botany 70: 235-240.

Blodgett, J.T., Swart, W.J., Louw, S.VdM. & Weeks, W.J.  2007.  Soil amendments and watering influence the incidence of endophytic fungi in Amaranthus hybridus in South Africa.  Applied Soil Ecology  35: 311-318.

Swart, W.J.  2009.  Strategies for the management of cactus pear diseases: A global perspective.  Acta Horticulturae (ISHS) 811:207-216. 

Botha, C., McLaren, N.W., & Swart, W.J., 2009.  Evaluation of greenhouse inoculation techniques used to screen for Sclerotinia stem rot resistance in soybeans.  South African Journal of Plant and Soil 26(1):48-50.

Kena, M. & Swart, W.J.  2009.  Microbial activity and fungal composition of composted animal manure suppressive to soil-borne pathogens.  Lesotho Journal of Agricultural Sciences 2:1-19. 

Tesfaendrias, M.T., McLaren & Swart, W.J. 2011.  Grain mould fungi and their effect on sorghum grain quality.  South African Journal of Plant and Soil 28(3):172-180

Botha, C., McLaren, N.W., & Swart, W.J., 2011.  The effect of leaf wetness duration and temperature on the development of Sclerotinia stem rot on soybeans.  South African Journal of Plant and Soil 28(3):208-211.  

Kena, M. & Swart, W.J.  2011.  Effects of plant extracts on in vitro suppression of fungal pathogens and control of damping-off of vegetable seedlings in the greenhouse.  Botswana Journal of Agriculture and Applied Sciences  7:36-44.

Crous PW, Shivas RG, Wingfield MJ, Summerell BA, Rossman AY, Alves JL, Adams GC, Barreto RW, Bell A, Coutinho ML, Flory SL, Gates, Grice KR, Hardy GEStJ, Kleczewski NM, Lombard L, Longa CMO, Louis-Seize G, Macedo F, Mahoney DP, Maresi G, Martin-Sanchez PM, Marvanova L, Minnis AM, Morgado LN, Noordeloos ME, Phillips AJL, Quaedvlieg W, Ryan PG, Saiz-Jimenez C, Seifert KA, Swart WJ, Tan YP, Tanney JB, Thu PQ, Videira SIR, Walker DM, Groenewald JZ.  2012.  Fungal Planet description sheets.  Persoonia 29:146-201(142). 

Philippou O. A., Minnaar-Ontong, A., Swart, W. J., and van Biljon A.  2013.  First report of Fusarium oxysporum causing wilt on Hoodia gordonii in South Africa.  Plant Disease 97:1, page 140.   http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-05-12-0501-PDN

W. Quaedvlieg, G.J.M. Verkley, H.-D. Shin, R.W. Barreto, A.C. Alfenas, W.J. Swart, J.Z. Groenewald, and P.W. Crous.  2013.  Sizing up Septoria.  Studies in Mycology 75:307-390.

Crous PW, Wingfield MJ, Guarro J, Cheewangkoon R, Van der Bank M, Swart WJ, Stchigel AM, Cano-Lira JF, Roux J, Madrid H, Damm U, Wood AR, Shuttleworth LA, Hodges CS, Munster M, De JesúsYáñez-Morales M,  Zúñiga-Estrada L,  Cruywagen EM,  De Hoog GS, Silver C, Najafzadeh J, Davison EM, Davison PJN, Barrett MD, Barrett RL, Manamgoda DS, Minnis AM, Kleczewski NM, Luke Flory S, Castlebury LA, Clay K, Hyde KD, Maússe-Sitoe SND, Shuaifei Chen, Lechat C, Hairaud M, Lesage-Meessen L, Pawlowska J, Wilk M, Sliwinska-Wyrzychowska A, Metrak M, Wrzosek M, Pavlic-Zupanc D, Maleme HM, Slippers B, Mac Cormack WP, Archuvy DI, Grünwald NJ, Teresa Tellería M,  Dueñas M, Martín MP, Marincowitz S, De Beer SW, Perez C, Gené J, Marín-Felix Y, Groenewald JZ.  2013.  Fungal Planet description sheets 154-213.  Persoonia 31:188-295 (168, 174).  

P.W. Crous, M.J. Wingfield, R.K. Schumacher, B.A. Summerell, A. Giraldo, J. Gené, J. Guarro, D.N. Wanasinghe, K.D. Hyde, E. Camporesi, E.B. Gareth Jones, K.M. Thambugala, E.F. Malysheva, V.F. Malysheva, K. Acharya, J. Álvarez, P. Alvarado, A. Assefa, C.W. Barnes, J.S. Bartlett, R.A. Blanchette, T.I. Burgess, J.R. Carlavilla, M.P.A. Coetzee, U. Damm, C.A. Decock, A. den Breeÿen, B. de Vries, A.K. Dutta, D.G. Holdom, S.R. Latham, J.L. Manjón, S. Marincowitz, M. Mirabolfathy, G. Moreno, C. Nakashima, M. Papizadeh, M.K. Romberg, R.G. Shivas, J.A. Stalpers, B. Stielow, M.J.C. Stukely, W.J. Swart, Y.P. Tan, M. van der Bank, A.R. Wood, Y. Zhang, J.Z. Groenewald.  2014.  Fungal Planet description sheets 281-319.  Persoonia 33:281-319 (285). 

Wolmarans, K. and Swart, W.J. 2014.  Influence of glyphosate, other herbicides and genetically modified herbicide resistant crops on soil microbiota:a review.  South African Journal of Plant and Soil  31(4): 177–186

Gryzenhout, M., Fouché, H.J. and Swart, W.J.  2017. First report of a serious cladode disease of Opuntia ficus-indica (prickly pear) in South Africa caused by Bisfusarium lunatum.  Plant Disease (in press).

Area(s) of Interest

 My research focuses on the establishment of agricultural systems that are economically sustainable and environmentally sound. I see this as a big challenge in the light of global warming and the need to plant marginal areas with crop species that are drought and salt tolerant. These underutilized, or ‘new crops’, can provide employment in rural communities in semi-arid areas where it will be particularly difficult for farmers to make a living on traditional crops, such as maize or wheat. It is imperative that innovative crop production and protection strategies, with particular emphasis on plant health, as influenced by soil health, be adopted.  My approach is to adopt a “systems approach” by utilizing the functional diversity of fungi and bacteria, above- and below ground, as bio-indicators of soil and plant health. Qualitative and quantitative responses of microbial diversity in time and space to agricultural practices such as tillage vs no-tillage, fertilization, mulching, irrigation, and composting are investigated with a view to increasing agroecosystem quality, productivity and sustainability. This perspective requires a thorough understanding of the biotic and abiotic interactions that contribute to reduced biodiversity and which subsequently results in the disturbance of the ecological stability of the agroecosystem. Microbial diversity is critical to the ecosystem functioning as a result of the many processes for which microbes and arthropods are responsible, such as decomposition and nutrient cycling, soil aggregation, and pathogenicity. The biodiversity of microorganisms, insects and arthropods in a particular agroecosystem is therefore the key to understanding all biological interactions that occur within a particular agroecosystem.  Attention is given to the presence of endophytic and/or mycorrhizal fungi inhabiting the crops concerned with a view to determining their pathogenic potential and ultimate role in the overall health of the agroecosystem.  Both biochemical-based techniques and molecular-based techniques are utilized to study these interactions. Carbon source utilisation patterns (SSCU patterns) are used for monitoring microbial populations and to assess the diversity of microbial communities in soil that is treated with pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. Fatty acid methyl ester analysis (FAME)detects changes in the functional composition of bacterial and fungal communities in the rhizosphere of target crops. Denaturing and temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE and TGGE) are used to monitor changes in microbial populations in teh rhizosphere as are other PCR-based approaches such as RFLP analysis, used for observing structural changes in microbial communities.

Courses Presented

PPG 444 – Host-parasite Interactions – 24 one hour lectures

B.Sc. Agric. Hons in Plant Pathology – PPG 614   (Ecology and biology of disease organisms)

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Elfrieda van den Berg (Marketing Manager)
T: +27 51 401 2531
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