Healthier trees, thanks to pest-control partners

Professors Almuth Hammerbacher, Bernard Slippers, Brett Hurley and Chris Weldon of the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute at the University of Pretoria speak about the importance of protecting South Africa’s timber plantations.

- Almuth Hammerbacher, Bernard Slippers, Brett Hurley and Chris Weldon

FAST FACTS

Forestry companies teamed up with researchers at the University of Pretoria to identify pestcontrol strategies for plantations.

A sustainable method of controlling an insect pest is to introduce its natural enemies into the environment.

Eighty per cent of South Africa’s timber plantations are certified by the international Forest Stewardship Council.

Wood is a valuable renewable resource that is used widely across various sectors, from the paper, textile and bioelectronic industries to construction and mining. When plantations are harvested sustainably for their resources, they provide economic, environmental, cultural and human-health benefits.

Pest-control strategies form a vital part of sustainable forest management. South Africa is a global leader in this regard, with 80% of the country’s timber plantations certified by the international Forest Stewardship Council. Compared with conventional agriculture, South African forestry uses minimal quantities of pesticide, relying instead on cultural practices and biological control, as well as breeding resistant trees and pheromones. This has been achieved largely through close partnership between forest entomologists at the University of Pretoria (UP) and foresters in the industry.

The forestry industry is a major contributor to South Africa’s economy, as it produces about 18,2 million cubic metres of wood annually with an estimated value of R40 billion.

Commercial forest plantations in South Africa consist mainly of