An excellent means of good communication between researchers and farmers and also a first in the country, is the description of an Internet group officially launched on March 25.

The Soutpansberg Tree and Plant Pests and Disease Council (STPPDC) gathered at Sunset, Albasini. Around 40 farmers and foresters, both established and emerging, were introduced to some of the experts who will be answering their daily questions via the Internet.

Mr Dries Alberts, agricultural consultant of Levubu and key player in the initiative, said after the meeting that the audience welcomed the forming of the Internet group.

Agricultural and forestry farmers may join the group and present their problems to the experts or share their findings with other farmers. They may join and request to receive daily or weekly e-mails notifying them that information or questions have been posted or they may request not to receive emails but to go onto the group site whenever they prefer.

The four experts who attended the STPPDC were Prof Mike Wingfield, Director of FABI (Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute), Dr Jolanda Roux and Ms Gerda Fourie, both FABI researchers from Pretoria and Mr Philip Croft, industry Sirex coordinator, based in Pietermaritzburg.

Prof. Wingfield said that he was thrilled with the forming of the Internet group and he wanted more groups all over the country.

"Tree and plant pests and diseases will threaten agriculture and forestry much more in future," Prof Wingfield said and added that it was good to accept that there was a problem and to introduce technology to address the problem.

Dr Roux, leading tree disease expert, said that it was not only the agricultural and forestry farmers that would benefit from the Internet group, but the researchers as well.

"It is equally important for scientists to have access to farmers and foresters," Dr Roux said. Farmers know their trees well and they can post a photo on the Internet when they discover a problem with a tree or plant.

"New diseases and insect pests continually enter the country. In the last three years, at least four new insect pests entered. They are the bluegum chalcid, the bronze bug which is responsible for the discolouring of the eucalyptus tree, the cossid moth and the most recent one, the red psyllid lerp," Roux said.

Mr Croft presented the Sirex Woodwasp, which is endangering pine trees, and Ms Fourie is the expert on banana tree diseases. "There are mainly three banana diseases: the panama wilt, also known as the Furasium wilt, the banana weevil and the Mycosphaerella leave disease. The third one is known in the Soutpansberg area," said Ms Fourie, who introduced their research on fruit trees and asked farmers to send photos or samples for identification.

Mr Fanie Wentzel, forestry manager of Molozi Trust, will play an important role in the managing of the Internet group of the pests and disease council.

"With regard to the small growers: we have Mr Daniel Khaku, Chairperson of the Small Growers, who is a member of the STPPDC and who agreed to be the contact person to pass on the information shared on the Internet group to the small growers," Wentzel said.

"This group leads by example in South Africa," was the comment of Dr Roux.