World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Brenda D. Wingfield

Brenda D. Wingfield

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Plant Science and Agronomy
South Africa
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Plant Science and Agronomy

D-Index
81
Citations
23599
World Ranking
403
National Ranking
4

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Plant Science and Agronomy in South Africa Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Plant Science and Agronomy in South Africa Leader Award
  • 2022 - Research.com Plant Science and Agronomy in South Africa Leader Award
  • 2017 - Fellow of the American Phytopathological Society
  • 2009 - Fellow, The World Academy of Sciences
  • Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa
  • Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa

Overview

What is she best known for?

The fields of study she is best known for:

  • Botany
  • Gene
  • Fungus

Brenda D. Wingfield focuses on Botany, Phylogenetic tree, Taxonomy, Genetics and Canker. Her Botany research is multidisciplinary, incorporating perspectives in Evolutionary biology, Internal transcribed spacer and Ribosomal DNA. Her study in Phylogenetic tree is interdisciplinary in nature, drawing from both Phylogenetics, Restriction fragment length polymorphism and Myrtales.

Her Taxonomy study is concerned with the larger field of Ecology. The various areas that Brenda D. Wingfield examines in her Canker study include Eucalyptus, Ceratocystis fimbriata, Host, Tibouchina and Conidiomata. Convergent evolution is closely connected to Ceratocystis in her research, which is encompassed under the umbrella topic of Eucalyptus.

Her most cited work include:

  • Deciphering the cryptic genome : genome-wide analyses of the rice pathogen Fusarium fujikuroi reveal complex regulation of secondary metabolism and novel metabolites (290 citations)
  • Combined multiple gene genealogies and phenotypic characters differentiate several species previously identified as Botryosphaeria dothidea (272 citations)
  • Planted forest health: The need for a global strategy (212 citations)

What are the main themes of her work throughout her whole career to date?

Her primary areas of study are Botany, Genetics, Taxonomy, Phylogenetic tree and Eucalyptus. Her Botany research integrates issues from Internal transcribed spacer and Ribosomal DNA. Her work deals with themes such as Armillaria, Armillaria root rot, Taxon, Mycology and Ophiostoma, which intersect with Taxonomy.

Her research integrates issues of Evolutionary biology, Phylogenetics and DNA sequencing in her study of Phylogenetic tree. She has researched Phylogenetics in several fields, including Zoology, Genus and Ribosomal RNA. Her research on Eucalyptus concerns the broader Ecology.

She most often published in these fields:

  • Botany (52.08%)
  • Genetics (20.21%)
  • Taxonomy (14.17%)

What were the highlights of her more recent work (between 2015-2021)?

  • Genetics (20.21%)
  • Gene (10.83%)
  • Genome (9.58%)

In recent papers she was focusing on the following fields of study:

Brenda D. Wingfield mainly investigates Genetics, Gene, Genome, Botany and Mating type. Her Genetics research includes elements of Ceratocystis fimbriata and Teratosphaeria destructans. Her work carried out in the field of Gene brings together such families of science as Evolutionary biology and Computational biology.

Her Genome research is multidisciplinary, relying on both Mycology and Ceratocystis. As part of her studies on Botany, Brenda D. Wingfield frequently links adjacent subjects like Ascomycota. Her research in Mating type tackles topics such as Sexual reproduction which are related to areas like Outbreak.

Between 2015 and 2021, her most popular works were:

  • Fungal Planet description sheets: 469-557 (89 citations)
  • Host jumps shaped the diversity of extant rust fungi (Pucciniales) (41 citations)
  • Genera of phytopathogenic fungi: GOPHY 2. (40 citations)

In her most recent research, the most cited papers focused on:

  • Botany
  • Gene
  • Fungus

Her main research concerns Botany, Genome, Gene, Mycology and Genetics. She regularly links together related areas like Ascomycota in her Botany studies. Her Genome research is multidisciplinary, incorporating elements of Sequence assembly, Crassa, Mitochondrial DNA and Ceratocystis.

Her research in Gene intersects with topics in Evolutionary biology, Computational biology and Sexual reproduction. Her biological study spans a wide range of topics, including Genetic recombination, Recombination, Clone and Adaptability. Her Taxonomy research incorporates themes from Armillaria root rot, Phylogenetic tree, Phylogenetics, Ceratocystis adiposa and Ceratocystiopsis minuta.

Best Publications

  • Deciphering the cryptic genome : genome-wide analyses of the rice pathogen Fusarium fujikuroi reveal complex regulation of secondary metabolism and novel metabolites

    Philipp Wiemann;Christian M.K. Sieber;Katharina W. von Bargen;Lena Studt

  • Combined multiple gene genealogies and phenotypic characters differentiate several species previously identified as Botryosphaeria dothidea

    Bernard Slippers;Pedro W. Crous;Sandra Denman;Teresa A. Coutinho

  • Planted forest health: The need for a global strategy

    M. J. Wingfield;E. G. Brockerhoff;B. D. Wingfield;B. Slippers

  • Genera of phytopathogenic fungi: GOPHY 2.

    Y. Marin-Felix;M Hernández-Restrepo;Michael J. Wingfield;A. Akulov

  • Fungal Planet description sheets: 469-557

    Pedro W. Crous;Pedro W. Crous;Michael J. Wingfield;Treena I. Burgess;G. E.St J. Hardy

  • Pitch canker caused by Fusarium circinatum — a growing threat to pine plantations and forests worldwide

    M. J. Wingfield;A. Hammerbacher;R. J. Ganley;E. T. Steenkamp

  • Leptographium wingfieldii introduced into North America and found associated with exotic Tomicus piniperda and native bark beetles

    Karin Jacobs;Dale R. Bergdahl;Michael J. Wingfield;Shari Halik

  • Eucalypt pests and diseases: growing threats to plantation productivity

    MJ Wingfield;B Slippers;BP Hurley;TA Coutinho

  • Redefining Ceratocystis and allied genera

    Z.W. de Beer;T.A. Duong;I. Barnes;B.D. Wingfield

  • Diversity and evolution of Fusarium species in the Gibberella fujikuroi complex

    Marija Kvas;Walter F.O. Marasas;Brenda D. Wingfield;Michael J. Wingfield

  • Multi-gene phylogenies define Ceratocystiopsis and Grosmannia distinct from Ophiostoma.

    Renate D. Zipfel;Z. Wilhelm de Beer;Karin Jacobs;Brenda D. Wingfield

  • One fungus, one name promotes progressive plant pathology.

    Michael J. Wingfield;Z. Wilhelm De Beer;Bernard Slippers;Brenda D. Wingfield

  • Taxonomy, phylogeny and identification of Botryosphaeriaceae associated with pome and stone fruit trees in South Africa and other regions of the world

    Bernard Slippers;W.A. Smit;Pedro W. Crous;Pedro W. Crous;Teresa A. Coutinho

  • Multigene phylogenies reveal that red band needle blight of Pinus is caused by two distinct species of Dothistroma, D. septosporum and D. pini

    Irene Barnes;Pedro W. Crous;Brenda D. Wingfield;Michael J. Wingfield

  • Worldwide Movement of Exotic Forest Fungi, Especially in the Tropics and the Southern Hemisphere

    Michael J. Wingfield;Bernard Slippers;Jolanda Roux;Brenda D. Wingfield

  • PCR-Based Identification of MAT-1 and MAT-2 in the Gibberella fujikuroi Species Complex

    Emma T. Steenkamp;Brenda D. Wingfield;Teresa A. Coutinho;Kurt A. Zeller

  • Multiple gene genealogies and microsatellite markers reflect relationships between morphotypes of Sphaeropsis sapinea and distinguish a new species of Diplodia.

    Juanita De Wet;Treena Burgess;Bernard Slippers;Oliver Preisig

  • Two new species of Fusarium section Liseola associated with mango malformation.

    Henriette Britz;Emma T. Steenkamp;Teresa A. Coutinho;Brenda D. Wingfield

  • Phylogeny and systematics of the genus Calonectria

    Lorenzo Lombard;Pedro W. Crous;Brenda D. Wingfield;Michael J. Wingfield

  • Differentiation of Fusarium subglutinans f. sp. pini by histone gene sequence data.

    E. T. Steenkamp;B. D. Wingfield;T. A. Coutinho;M. J. Wingfield

  • Mango malformation disease and the associated fusarium species.

    W. F. O. Marasas;R. C. Ploetz;M. J. Wingfield;B. D. Wingfield

  • Speciation and distribution of Botryosphaeria spp. on native and introduced Eucalyptus trees in Australia and South Africa

    B. Slippers;G. Fourie;P.W. Crous;T.A. Coutinho

  • Ceratocystis manginecans sp. nov., causal agent of a destructive mango wilt disease in Oman and Pakistan

    Marelize Van Wyk;Ali O. Al Adawi;Iqrar A. Khan;Michael L. Deadman

  • Combined multiple gene genealogies and phenotypic characters differentiate several species previously identified as Botryosphaeria dothidea

    Unknown

Frequent Co-Authors

Michael J. Wingfield
Michael J. Wingfield University of Pretoria
Emma Theodora Steenkamp
Emma Theodora Steenkamp University of Pretoria
Bernard Slippers
Bernard Slippers University of Pretoria
Pedro W. Crous
Pedro W. Crous Utrecht University
Teresa A. Coutinho
Teresa A. Coutinho University of Pretoria
Irene Barnes
Irene Barnes University of Pretoria
Treena I. Burgess
Treena I. Burgess Murdoch University
Jolanda Roux
Jolanda Roux University of Pretoria
Thomas C. Harrington
Thomas C. Harrington Iowa State University
Alistair R. McTaggart
Alistair R. McTaggart University of Queensland

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