ISPP
International Society for Plant Pathology
(Professor
Richard Falloon, President)
Report to ISPP from an Associated Society for 2003-2008.
|
ISPP |
International Society for Plant Pathology (Professor
Richard Falloon, President)
|
|
|
Report to ISPP from an Associated Society for 2003-2008. |
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APS is an international scientific
organization devoted to the study of plant diseases and their control. APS
advances modern concepts in plant health management in agricultural, urban and
forest settings. The Society was founded in 1908 and has grown from 130 charter
members to more than 5,000 plant pathologists and scientists worldwide. APS
provides information on the latest developments and research advances in plant
health science through its journals and its publishing arm, APS PRESS. APS
advocates and participates in the exchange of plant health information with
public policy makers, and the larger scientific community; and provides
opportunities for scientific communication, collaboration, and professional
development.
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Society publications include the
journals, Phytopathology ,
Plant
Disease ,and Molecular
Plant-Microbe Interactions, Plant
Management Network , an online cooperative resource for the applied
plant sciences, features peer-reviewed citable journals and an extensive
searchable database. One member
journal includes, Plant Health Progress, a multidisciplinary
science-based journal covering all aspects of applied plant health management in
agriculture and horticulture and another is PDMR-
Plant Disease Management Reports representing the combination of two on-line
publications, Fungicide and Nematicide Tests and Biological and Cultural Tests. Finally,
The Plant Health Instructor is a journal of peer-reviewed instructional
materials and teaching scholarship for plant pathology and closely related
disciplines. In addition to the
above, APS PRESS has over 250 plant science titles available.
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APS holds one national meeting
annually (
Annual
Meetings), with regional meetings occurring through the six divisions
(Northeast, Potomac, North Central, Pacific, Southern and Caribbean).
Past joint meetings have included 2006 with the Canadian
Phytopathological Society and Mycology Society of America, 2007 with the Society
of Nematology.
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Society
Conferences and Workshops In addition
to those occurring at the annual meetings, reference annual meeting program
highlights for further detail, APS endorses multiple workshops, symposia and
on-line events in various venues. Examples
include the National Soybean Rust Symposium (2005, 2006, 2007), Methods
to Detect Microbes and Microbial Diversity in Soil (2005) and Sudden
Oak Death Workshop (2003).
Plant Pathology
in the Region Served by the Society
Following
the guidelines of the societal Strategic Plan (APS
Strategic Plan), priorities are formed and actions/directives forwarded to
the specific Boards and Offices of APS.
Examples of some of the recent accomplishments and future
directives include,
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APS Journals -increased access–Atypon, electronic
consolidator, active–Back-issues of APS journals are now online.
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Plant Management Network -Joined AGORA:
subscription content free to institutions in countries with developing
economies.
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Future of Plant Pathology Education – Based on
results from the ad-hoc committees, Future
of Education in Plant Pathology and the Profession of Plant Path: Status &
Future Prospects, APS will hold a
national workshop to bring together educators, governmental leaders, employers,
and students to: Enhance
understanding of the current status of plant pathology education and the future
needs for plant pathologists in the US, Identify
strategies for strengthening plant pathology education and research training
opportunities, and Develop action
plans for carrying out the proposed strategies.
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Food safety. With increased concern
about contamination of plant foods by human pathogens, the Public Policy Board
of APS is planning for a national workshop to bring together plant pathologists
and food scientists and to develop a coordinated strategy for addressing this
critical need.
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International Outreach – through the
Office of International Programs, the Library Assistance Program, the
International Service Award, the JANE Award, the International Travel Fund, and
APS Group Memberships continue to expand. The
newest initiative is the OIP Global
Experience which helps young plant pathologists work with scientists and
extension personnel in developing countries in training and outreach efforts.
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APS-ISF Collaboration on the
Codification of Pathogen Races / Strains Commonly Used in the Seed Industry –
through the work of this ad-hoc committee a
set of priorities and objectives related to establishing a set of standardized
guidelines on the codification of races and strains of plant pathogens of
interest to the seed industry are being developed that could be readily adopted
as well as provide a potential mechanism for maintaining and long-term storage
of pathogen reference cultures and/or seeds of host plant differentials .
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Workshop on Culture Collections:
Ensuring the Availability of Essential Research Resources for Plant Associated
Microbes initial meeting 2007, international meeting in development.
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Permitting - APS and USDA-APHIS worked together to
identify and implement mechanisms for streamlining and increasing the
effectiveness of the permitting system. The creation of the ePermit system, the
formation of an Advisory Board on Permitting, and the development of Widely
Prevalent Pathogen Lists for each state are examples of successful initiatives.
Current discussions relate to the development of a pathogen risk system that
would facilitate interstate movement of pathogens and regulatory changes within
PPQ.
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International Societal Collaborations
- APS in an effort to enhance member value and maximize interactions co-signed
with the Chinese Society of Plant Pathology a cooperative agreement for joint
membership in May of 2007. Symposia
exchange at annual meetings, feature articles for newsletters, as well as
publication of articles in either journal at membership rates were some of the
original points of agreement. From
this initial model, APS formed an ad-hoc committee charged with developing a
protocol whereby APS can evaluate potential collaborations with other societies
in terms of both reciprocal member value and appropriateness of any special
benefits afforded to one society or the other.
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APS-USDA Biosecurity Workshop 2007 -
APS and the USDA collaborated again to host a very successful workshop, focused
on issues related to the National Plant Disease Recovery System (NPDRS). The
purpose of the workshop was to bring together representatives of the various
agencies of the USDA, scientists from land-grant universities, and
representatives of industry to review completed drafts of three plant disease
recovery plans, to identify additional high-consequence diseases for which plans
should be developed, and to discuss related topics, such as the definition of
“recovery” and the role of forensics in recovery plans.
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Meeting of Americas - The Mexican
Phytopathology Society (MFS) has offered to be the host site for the MOA.
This proposed joint meeting of the Plant Pathology Societies within the
Americas is planned for spring/summer of 2010.
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APS will host IPCC (International
Plant Protection Convention) at its annual meeting in 2011 (Honolulu, HI).