New Merger | Plant Disease and Insect Diagnostic Service

In an innovative move for plant and insect diagnostics, the Plant Disease Clinic Stellenbosch (PDC) and Bluebug Insect Diagnostic Services have officially merged as of March 2025. The newly unified service will continue to operate under the name PDC Stellenbosch, reinforcing Stellenbosch University’s (SU) pivotal role in advancing cutting-edge plant disease and pest diagnostics.

Accurate diagnostics are critical for preventing costly errors in pest and disease management, ensuring sustainable agriculture, and protecting local crop health. With this merger, PDC Stellenbosch strengthens its ability to provide fast, reliable, and comprehensive diagnostics for fungal, oomycete and bacterial plant pathogens, mites, insects, and nematodes. The service also plays a key role in tracking emerging threats, contributing to biosecurity and long-term agricultural sustainability.

Founded in October 2000 by Prof. Gustav Holz, Sonja Coertze, and Lizeth Swart, the PDC Stellenbosch has grown from humble beginnings—handling just 36 diagnostic samples in its first year—to processing over 1,000 samples annually since 2015. Today, its team includes highly qualified diagnosticians and technicians with over 40 years of combined expertise. The PDC Stellenbosch team features a strong lineup of experts, including two full-time MSc-qualified diagnosticians, Doré de Villiers and Elaine Basson, along with skilled technicians Brenda de Wee and Marchel Britz. Leading the clinic’s operations is Sonja Coertze, while Prof. Adéle McLeod provides expertise in business development and molecular detection techniques. The PDC employs diverse methods, including visual inspections, laboratory examinations, and molecular diagnostics, to pinpoint fungal, oomycete and bacterial plant pathogens, thus ensuring precision in disease identification. Their services recently expanded to include fungicide sensitivity and viroid testing.

In September 2023, the PDC relocated to a state-of-the-art facility at the Paul van der Bijl building on the Welgevallen Experimental Farm, made possible through Stellenbosch University (strategic fund grant) and key industry partners. The clinic’s industry sponsors include:

• Gold Sponsors: Hortgro, South Africa Wine and SATI
• Silver Sponsor: VillaCrop
• Bronze Sponsors: Korkom, Berries ZA, ICA and Nexus

An advisory committee, established in 2022, has guided PDC Stellenbosch’s activities and financial sustainability, ensuring continuous innovation and industry relevance. Committee members include Bekker Wessels (ProCrop), Hugh Campbell (Hortgro), Anel Andrag (South Africa Wine), Albert Strever (SU Viticulture and Oenology Department), Dereck du Toit (private consultant), Rudolph Geldenhuys (private consultant and previous CEO of InteliChem), Kobus Serfontein (ICA), MJ Freeborough (AgriSciences Faculty Manager) and Cheryl Lennox (SU Department of Plant Pathology).

Recognising the need for a specialised insect identification service, Prof. Pia Addison of SU’s Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology spearheaded the establishment of an identification service during 2014. Thanks to industry funding from South Africa Wine, Hortgro, and SATI, Bluebug expanded its expertise, appointing Dr. Caro Kapp in 2018. This increased their capacity for insect, mite and nematode diagnostics, including bud mite analysis for pome and other fruit crops. Bluebug Insect Diagnostic Service expanded its services in 2021 to offer both in-person and online workshops.

With this strategic merger, PDC Stellenbosch is set to become a one-stop plant disease and pest diagnostic hub, providing unparalleled expertise in plant pathology and entomology. This collaboration ensures the continued protection of South Africa’s agricultural sector, equipping farmers, researchers, and industry professionals with the best tools to combat pests and diseases.

Caption: Plant Disease Clinic Stellenbosch team: From left to right: (front row) Doré de Villiers, Sonja Coertze and Adéle McLeod. (back row) Marchel Britz, Brenda de Wee, Elaine Basson, Caro Kapp and Pia Addison.

NEWS FLASH: Hortgro has launched a new app to identify pests. Find it here: https://phyto.hortgro.science/