Extra-ordinary Lecturer
Research Interests
My research interests are taxonomy, population and pathology of tree pathogens, especially those that are important to the forestry industries. These pathogens include species of Botryosphaeriaceae, Cryphonectriaceae, Mycosphaerellaceae, Teratocphaeriaceae, Ceratocystis, andCalonectria. I’m also interested in the disease management of various pathogens on plantation trees.
Research Experiences
I conducted my PhD research in the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria. In my PhD thesis entitled, Fungal Diseases of eucalypts in China, which provides extensive study of fungal pathogens of eucalypts in China conducted to date. After I obtained my PhD degree, I conducted two post-doctoral projects in FABI, University of Pretoria and in University of California-Davis, respectively.
In 2013, I moved back to China and worked in in the Research Institute of Fast-growing Trees (RIFT), Chinese Academy of Forestry (CAF). With my friends and colleagues in RIFT and FABI, we built one Tree Protection Programme, RFTPP (RIFT-FABI Tree Protection Programme).
In 2023, I joined in the Fujian Agricultural and Forestry University (FAFU). Now, I’m the research leader of the Forest Pathogen Center, College of Forestry of FAFU. Now we are pushing the collaboration on tree health research between China and FABI.
Pham NQ, Liu FF, Duong TA, Wingfield BD, Chen SF, Wingfield MJ. (2025) Genetic diversity of Calonectria reteaudii isolates from infected Eucalyptus leaves and associated soils indicates a phyllosphere origin of the pathogen. Forest Pathology 10.1111/efp.70037
Li WW, Liu FF, Chen SF, Wingfield MJ, Duong TA. (2025) High genetic diversity and limited regional population differentiation in populations of Calonectria pseudoreteaudii from Eucalyptus plantations. Phytopathology 10.1094/PHYTO-05-24-0154-R
Liu QL, Wingfield MJ, Duong TA, Wingfield BD, Chen SF. (2024) Diversity of Calonectria species from leaves and soils in diseased southern China Eucalyptus plantation. Fungal Biology 10.1016/j.funbio.2024.07.007
Coutinho TA, Carstensen G, Venter SN, Chen SF, Tarigan M, Wingfield MJ. (2024) Bacterial community in apparently healthy and asymptomatic Eucalyptus trees and those with symptoms of bacterial wilt. Journal of Plant Pathology 10.1007/s42161-024-01697-x
Chen BY, Wu WX, Chen SF. (2024) Wide distribution of Teratosphaeria epicoccoides and T. destructans associated with diseased Eucalyptus leaves in plantations in Southern China. Microorganisms 10.3390/microorganisms12010129
Wu WX, Chen SF. (2023) Wide distribution and intraspecies diversity in the pathogenicity of Calonectria in soil from Eucalyptus plantations in southern Guangxi of China. Journal of Fungi
Li WW, Chen SF, Wingfield MJ, Duong TA. (2023) Calonectria species associated with diseased leaves and soils in southern China Eucalyptus plantations. Phytopathology Research 10.1186/s42483-023-00183-z
Liu Y, Chen SF. (2023) Diversity and Distribution of Calonectria Species in Soils from Eucalyptus urophylla × E. grandis, Pinus massoniana, and Cunninghamia lanceolata Plantations in Four Provinces in Southern China. Journal of Fungi 10.3390/jof9020198
Liang XY, Wang QC, Chen SF. (2023) Phylogeny, Morphology, Distribution, and Pathogenicity of Seven Calonectria Species from Leaf Blighted Eucalyptus in HaiNai Island, China. Plant Disease
Li WW, Chen SF, Wingfield MJ, Duong TA. (2023) Calonectria queenslandica: Causal agent of Eucalyptus leaf blight in Southern China. Plant Disease 10.1094/PDIS-01-22-0196-RE