Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, SLU

What should we call a plant disease when the scientific name of the pathogen keeps changing?
Many diseases affecting crops and forest trees have lacked established Swedish names. Instead, people have often used the scientific name of the fungus, bacterium or virus causing the disease. But scientific names can change as researchers learn more about how organisms are related.

To make communication clearer, the Swedish Society for Plant Pathology has now recommended new Swedish names for a number of diseases affecting forest trees, sugar beet, cereals, oilseed crops and legumes.

Professor Magnus Karlsson at SLU is a former member of the naming committee behind the initiative:
“Pathogens and the diseases they cause are not the same thing. Clear disease names make it easier to communicate across research, advisory services and practice".

Read more about the Swedish Society for Plant Pathology: https://www.svpat.se/

What determines which harmful fungi thrive in our soils? 🌍🍄

A new global study published in Nature Communications reveals that the structure of the surrounding landscape plays a key role in shaping soil-borne pathogenic fungi — organisms that can affect both crop production and ecosystem health.

“Our study shows that landscape structure can be just as important as local soil conditions in explaining how plant pathogenic fungi spread and establish in the soil,” says Petra Fransson, referring to results based on soil samples from more than 500 sites across six continents.

The research shows that landscape complexity and surrounding land use influence fungal communities worldwide, and that these effects vary depending on ecosystem type and spatial scale.

Read more: https://www.slu.se/en/news/2026/05/landscape-structure-influences-soil-borne-pathogenic-fungi-worldwide/

Today, on the International Day of Plant Health we want to celebrate the amazing PhD students at the Department 🌱
This day, initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, highlights the importance of protecting plant health for food security, biodiversity, sustainable forestry, and resilient ecosystems worldwide. Healthy plants are essential for both people and the planet. Our PhD students contribute with research ranging from forest and agricultural plant pathology to microbiology and disease epidemiology

Together, they are helping to build knowledge for healthier forests, sustainable agriculture, and more resilient ecosystems for the future. 💚

Read more about Isak Ingerholt, and his work to lay the foundation for tomorrow’s resistant spruce trees:
https://www.slu.se/en/news/2026/02/he-wants-to-lay-the-foundation-for-tomorrows-resistant-spruce-trees/

Read an interview with Laura Müller on her work with microorganisms, healty soils and ecosystems
https://www.slu.se/en/about-slu/organisation/future-platforms/slu-future-one-health/one-health-updates/interviews/new-phds/laura-muller/

Read about Noomi Lodenius and her research to produce stress-tolerant trees for the future climate:
https://www.slu.se/en/research/research-catalogue/projekt/s/stress-tolerant-trees-for-the-future-climate/

What happens beneath our forests may be just as important as what we see above ground 🌲

In a new article in Nature, Professor Paul Kardol and colleagues highlight how different tree communities shape hidden energy flows underground through complex interactions between roots, fungi, and soil microbes. These unseen networks influence carbon cycling, nutrient exchange, and ultimately forest resilience in a changing climate.

"We were surprised to see that mixed forests didn’t lead to more functional soils. Instead, they showed slightly poorer results than some of the forests with a single tree species", says Paul.

Read more: https://www.slu.se/en/news/2026/05/Tree-communities-shape-hidden-energy-flows-beneath-European-forests/

Picture: The researchers compared 64 different forested areas in Europe; In Finland, Italy, Poland and pictured here, Romania. Photo: Paul Kardol.

Join us for a meeting on Integrated Control in Oilseed Crops, taking place 29 September – 1 October 2026 at SLU Campus Alnarp, Sweden.

⏰ Deadline approaching: 15 May

The conference brings together researchers and professionals to share the latest advances in biological control, integrated pest management, and sustainable oilseed crop production. 🌱

📢 Secure your spot and submit your abstract: https://www.slu.se/ICOC20

Join us online today for Ke Zhang's docent lecture:
Scots pine blister rust in Swedish forests: current epidemics and foresight

Scots pine and Norway spruce are the backbone of Swedish forests, with major ecological, economic and cultural importance. But a damaging fungal disease, Scots pine blister rust, is becoming more severe, with recent outbreaks linked to changing weather conditions and a warming climate.

In this lecture, Ke Zhang will present new research on how the disease spreads, how climate change may influence future epidemics, and how resistant pine trees could help protect forest health in the years ahead.

Attend live online or watch the recording afterwards.

📅 13.30 (CEST) 28 April 2026
🔗 https://www.slu.se/en/calendar/2026/04/docentforelasningar-s-fak/

Welcome!

New international research platform will reduce nitrogen losses in agriculture 🌱

SLU is participating in the new international initiative AgNUE, which aims to reduce nitrogen losses in agriculture and thereby decrease both climate and environmental impacts.

Nitrogen not taken up by crops can lead to emissions of, among other things, nitrous oxide and leaching into water bodies. More efficient and sustainable solutions in agricultural systems are therefore crucial.

“What feels particularly important about this initiative is the international and interdisciplinary collaboration, which is essential for addressing such a complex issue,” says Sara Hallin.

AgNUE is coordinated by Aarhus University in Denmark and brings together 14 partners from universities and research institutes across Europe and the United States. The platform is funded with up to €24 million from the Novo Nordisk Foundation and an additional €6.5 million from the United States.

Läs mer: https://lnkd.in/dcZpxJkC

Interested in integrated pest management, biological control, and sustainable oilseed crop production?

Join us for the 20th IOBC-WPRS Working Group meeting on Integrated Control in Oilseed Crops, 29 September – 1 October 2026 at SLU Campus Alnarp, Sweden. The conference will bring together researchers and professionals to share the latest advances in biological control, integrated pest management, and sustainable oilseed crop production. 🌱

📢 Registration is now open – secure your spot and submit your abstract!

Learn more and register here: https://www.slu.se/ICOC20


The workshop is sponsored by IOBC-WPRS, Faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SLU Partnership Alnarp and SLU Centre for Biological Control. Photo by Chloé Raderschall.