Prof Ilaria Germishuizen and Greg Fuller from the ICFR, together with Celuxolo Dlamini (UKZN), attended the FABI LiDAR workshop at the University of Pretoria’s Future Africa Campus from 23 to 26 October 2026.
Organised by FABI and UP in collaboration with Prof Wouter Maes from Ghent University, the workshop was led by Mr Lucas Chojnacki, a PhD student in Prof Maes’s laboratory. Participants included FABI postgraduate students and postdoctoral fellows, as well as Dr Nicky Taylor and her students from the Department of Plant Production and Soil Science.
The workshop followed FABI’s recent acquisition of the DJI Zenmuse L3 aerial LiDAR system. An introduction to LiDAR principles and applications in plantation forests and tree crops was followed by data collection over the campus pecan orchard using a DJI Matrice 400 fitted with the L3 sensor. Participants then spent two days working intensively on data processing and analysis in R.
The training offered valuable opportunities for hands-on learning and discussion. Lucas impressed participants with his depth of knowledge, enthusiasm, and ability to explain complex concepts clearly.
ICFR is keen to explore the use of the L3 in its baboon damage research and the artificial defoliation trials within the Eucalypt Canopy Pest Impact Project. LiDAR could help quantify structural damage and changes in tree and canopy structure, providing a fuller understanding of how bark stripping and defoliation affect tree growth and productivity.
The workshop reflects the growing importance of remote sensing in forest health monitoring and management. It also strengthened links between ICFR, FABI, the broader UP agricultural sciences community and Ghent University through shared knowledge, practical skills and a common passion for research.
