ISPP Extension Committee

MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 5 FEBRUARY 2003 AT CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND

• Present:    Nigel Hardwick (CSL, UK) Chairman

• Jose Amador (Texas Agriculture Experiment Station, USA)

  Reuben Ausher (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Israel)

• Eric Boa (CABI, UK)
• Rosemary Collier (Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Jersey)
• Dolf De Boer (Agriculture Victoria, Australia)
• Marilou Infante (Department of Agriculture, Philippines)
• Steve Johnson (University of Maine, USA)
• Neil McRoberts (SAC, UK)
• Dion Mundy (HortResearch, New Zealand)
• Nick Pyke (FAR, New Zealand)
• Stuart Wale (SAC, UK)
• Jacqui Wright (SPC, Fiji)

 Following a rather poorly attended committee meeting at ICPP98 the Chairman contacted all ISPP affiliated national societies asking them to identify a correspondent to form the basis of the committee. This was not successful and no progress was made in establishing a full committee.

The Chairman provided advice to the organisers of ICPP03 from his experience as Secretary of ICPP98. He was responsible for organising two sessions at ICPP03, the first a Keynote session, K5, on Knowledge Transfer for Plant Pathology and the second a Concurrent session, C25, on the same subject. He was subsequently asked to be chairman of the discussion session on posters submitted to the Knowledge Transfer section.

Following the poor representation of extension at ICPP98 it was difficult to establish a rapport with national plant pathology societies and individuals to develop a programme of work between the Congresses. However, the stronger presence at ICPP03 and a full programme of extension related presentations and workshops have been encouraging. It was agreed that there was value in continuing with the Committee as part of ISPP.

Dr Eric Boa of CABI Biosciences, UK was appointed Chairman and Dr Steven Johnson of the University of Maine, USA was appointed Vice-Chairman of the Committee.

4. APPOINTMENT TO THE COMMITTEE 

No formal appointments to the Committee were made from the meeting but those attending agreed to form an initial contact group. Dr Boa would consider other appointments as appropriate.

 5. AOB 

A discussion took place on the future direction of the Committee. It was agreed that the Committee should continue to play a major role in ensuring extension issues were well represented at future ISPP congresses. Dr Hardwick had already made contact with the organisers of ICPP08, scheduled for Turin from 24-29 August 2008, concerning the Committee making a contribution to the programme. This would be followed up by Dr Boa with the organisers of ICPP08.

It was agreed that there should be an interim meeting on extension issues between congresses. Concern was expressed at the demise of state funded extension and the disconnection between the rhetoric on the need to communicate the results of research to the industry while not providing the resources to make this possible. Concern was also expressed at the perceived lack of status accorded to extension work compared to research. There was concern that there would be a shortage of extension scientists in the future because universities had generally ceased to offer such training and there was no incentive for commercial companies to do so. These could be subject areas that could be addressed at future meetings organised by the Committee.