INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER ON PLANT PATHOLOGY

(UK Registered Charity No 1065521)

Material for the Newsletter is invited from individual members of ISPP, Associated Societies, Council members, Chairs of all Committees and representatives of Affiliated Societies and Supporting Organisations.

Editor, Brian J. Deverall,  e-mail: bdeveral@mail.usyd.edu.au

In this issue:

• 8th International Congress on Plant Pathology
• 1st Asian Conference on Plant Pathology
• 3rd International Rhizoctonia meeting, China
• Global Initiative on Late Blight
• Whitefly Symposium, Sicily
• IUFRO meeting
• 8th International Symposium on Nitrogen Fixation with Non-Legumes
• Bacterial Wilt Web-site
• AgBioForum
• New Book
• Coming Events

The first circular about the 8th International Congress of Plant Pathology to be held in Christchurch, New Zealand, from 2-8 February 2003, is now available and can be seen on the web-site at <http://www.lincoln.ac.nz/icpp2003/>. See also "Coming Events" in this Newsletter. Intending participants should complete a declaration of interest and return it to the Congress organisers.

First Asian Conference on Plant Pathology (ACPP)

The Secretariat of ACPP thanks people for their interest in the first Asia Conference on Plant Pathology, and informs that there are two mistakes in the Registration, Hotel and Tour Reservation Form.

1. Friendship Hotel, where the main building double room cost should be changed to US$ 80.

2. Shangyuan Hotel, where the standard room cost should be changed to US$ 30.

For information on the First Asian Conference on Plant Pathology (ACPP 2000) from 25-28 August 2000 in Beijing, China, please check the web-site <http://www.ciccst.org.cn/acpp/>.

Third International Rhizoctonia Meeting, China

The Third International Symposium on Rhizoctonia (ISR 2000) is scheduled to be held at the National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, from 17-22 August 2000. ISR 2000 is a formal activity of the International Society of Plant Pathology Rhizoctonia Committee, International Mycology Association Committee for Asia, and National Chung Hsing University. Co-sponsors of ISR2000 are the Phytopathological Society of the Republic of China, the Plant Protection Society of the Republic of China, the Mycological Society of the Republic of China and the Botanical Society of the Republic of China.

The local organizing committee has genuine pleasure in inviting all interested parties to attend the meeting. Please visit the website <http://www.nchu.edu.tw/~isr2000/> for more information about the program and travel. Alternatively a pamphlet describing the symposium is available upon request from Professor Johannes Tschen, College of Life Science, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan, e-mail: <isr2000@dragon.nchu.edu.tw>.

Please note that on 25-28 August 2000 there will be the Asia Plant Pathology Conference in Beijing. For anyone with the time, it will be possible with only a small side trip to participate in both conferences.

Charlotte Lizarraga, a member of the APS and working at the International Potato Center in Lima, Peru, as the GILB Assistant Coordinator, sent the following information.

At the GILB International Conference "Late Blight: A Threat to Global Food Security" held from 16 - 19 March 1999 in Quito, Ecuador, several thematic linkage groups were proposed, including one covering all aspects of research on how populations of Phytophthora infestans are evolving around the world. The main intention of the group is to provide mutual support and encouragement for all researchers and, to be successful, the group needs a good cross-section of workers - from the most technically advanced to the less well-equipped and under-financed laboratories, world-wide.

Three mailing lists for discussion have been set up:

1. Blightec is for methods, technical problems and development of molecular methods for characterisation of isolates suitable for use where expertise and equipment are limited.

2. Blightevol is for debate of general issues like the reliability or value of certain techniques and concepts. Perhaps it will become a place where others can be informed of failed experiments.

3. Blightrain is for assisting with grant applications and networks for joint grant applications; encouraging student and staff training in new methods; and organising training workshops, meetings or symposia.

To subscribe to any of these lists, simply send the following message: <subscribe list-address your e-mail address end> to the LISTSERV address at <blight@bangor.ac.uk>. Leave the Subject box blank. List-addresses: Blightec is <blightec@bangor.ac.uk>; Blightevol is <blightevo@bangor.ac.uk>; and Blightrain is <blightrain@bangor.ac.uk>. It is important to send this command as plain text. Please disable html, MIME, or any other coding that you may be using. Subscription is free.

For further information, contact David Shaw at <d.s.shaw@bangor.ac.uk>. Information on GILB can be found at <www.cipotato.org/gilb> or contact <GILB@cgiar.org>.

Whitefly Symposium in Sicily

Dr Ian Bedford is the coordinator of the European Whitefly Studies Network (EWSN), a European Community funded concerted action and supported by a number of major crop protection companies. It presently has over 60 participants in the network, which covers all aspects of whitefly problems within European agriculture.

In February 2001, the Network is organising a whitefly symposium in Sicily and would like to invite members of ISPP. Further information and registration forms can be obtained from the EWSN office <whitefly@bemisia.freeserve.co.uk> or by contacting David Oliver, the Research Facilitator at <network.ewsn@bbsrc.ac.uk>.

Second IUFRO Meeting - Phytophthora Diseases in Forest Trees and Natural Ecosystems

Giles Hardy advises that this meeting is to be held in the south-west of Western Australia from 1-5 October 2001. Additional field trips will be held on one or both weekends on either side of the meeting (to be decided). The IUFRO Root and Butt Rots Workshop is to be held in Quebec City, Canada, from 17-21 September 2001. The time interval between the two meetings should allow participants time to attend both workshops. This is the only appropriate time to hold the meeting in Western Australia as it fits in with university semesters and breaks. It is also the most beautiful time to visit this part of the world.

The south-west of Western Australia has over 9000 vascular plant species with over 2000 directly infected by Phytophthora cinnamomi. Therefore, there will be plenty to see (Phytophthora impacted heathlands, woodlands and forests) and discuss.

There was an excellent meeting in Oregon (organised by Everett Hansen) in 1999 that proved to be very stimulating and created lots of discussion and debate. It had a good balance of field tours, seminar sessions, a ‘hands on’ session and relaxation.

In order to get expressions of interest in the Western Australia meeting for organising accommodation, venues and funding assistance where possible, it would be greatly appreciated to have some feedback and on intentions to present orally, posters or as practical demonstrations.

For further information on the Phytophthora meeting, see <http://www.ozemail.com.au/~williap/Miscellaneous/phytophthora.htm>.

8th International Symposium on Nitrogen Fixation with Non-Legumes

This symposium will be held in Sydney, Australia, from 3-7 December 2000. The challenge of achieving more biological nitrogen fixation by greater application of non-legume nodulated plants, other systems based on cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and by associative systems with members of the grass family using bacteria such as Azospirillum and its nitrogen-fixing relatives is particularly acute. Like the plant systems involving legumes and the rhizobia, non-legume nitrogen fixation has the potential to bring huge benefits to agricultural ecosystems, just as it is already doing in natural ecosystems.

Sustainable agriculture, by its very definition of keeping a balance between inputs and outputs in ecosystems, demands the extension of biological nitrogen fixation to a greater range of crops, forests and pastures. A significant reduction in reliance on industrially fixed nitrogenous fertilisers by greater use of nitrogen-fixing non-legumes would be an environmentally responsible means of meeting more cheaply the real needs for more food and fibre as the world’s population continues to grow at the beginning of the 21st century.

The main discussion areas will be:

Biochemistry and genetics of diazotrophs (nitrogen-fixers) associated with non-legumes.
Plant-diazotroph interactions and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR).
Actinorhizal, cyanobacterial symbioses and other nitrogen-fixing systems (termites etc.).
Nitrogen fixation in the Gramineae and other non-nodulated systems.
Methodologies for assessing nitrogen fixation with non-legumes.
Inoculation technology and the survival and persistence of diazotrophs (including rhizobia).
Agronomic and ecological significance of nitrogen fixation with non-legume.
Nitrogen fixation, biofertilisers and plant growth promotion.

For more information, contact Professor Ivan R Kennedy, SUNFix Centre for Nitrogen Fixation, Department of Agricultural Chemistry & Soil Science, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Fax: +61-2-9351-5108; e-mail: <int.symp@acss.usyd.edu.au>.

Visit the website at <http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/agric/SUNFix/Sunfix.htm>.

Bacterial Wilt - new web-site

The web-site for news and information on Bacterial Wilt is at <http://ardeath.biosci.uq.edu.au/ibwc/index.html>. The webpages are optimised for the latest versions of Internet Explorer and Netscape browsers. Comments and suggestions to improve this site will be warmly welcomed by Philippe Prior, INRA, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia; Fax: +61-7-3365-1566; <prior@biosci.uq.edu.au>.

The webmaster of AgBioForum, advises that the new issue (Volume 2, No. 3 & 4) of AgBioForum is now on-line at <http://www.agbioforum.org>. The URL has changed so bookmarks need updating.

This issue discusses the impacts and possibilities for agrobiotechnology in less developed countries. The volume also includes a version of "cross fire" where Altieri and Rosset and McGloughlin address common controversies surrounding biotechnology. A table of contents is below for information. With specific questions, please contact <agbioforum@missouri.edu>. Information on editorial policy and submissions is available on-line at <http://www.agbioforum.org>.

Special Issue: The Economics of Biotechnology in Developing Countries

The table of contents is:

Agrobiotechnology in the Developing World? Editor’s Introduction
Escaping The Malthusian Trap G Conko & F L Smith Jr.
Ten Reasons Why Biotechnology Will Not Help M A Altieri & P Rosset
Ten Reasons Why Altieri and Rosset are Wrong M McGloughlin
Making A Difference In Africa? B Woodward, J Brink & D Berger Measuring Agrobiotechnology Research. C A Falconi
Agro-Biotechnology In Developing Countries S Sahai
Transferring GM Crops to LDCs G Traxler
IPR and Biotechnology in LDCs W A Kerr, J E Hobbs & R Yampoin Regulation of Biotechnology in LDCs G Tzotzos
Agrobiotechnology, Trade, and LDCs P Pinstrup-Andersen
Biotechnology in the Global Economy C Juma

Commentary

Feeding a World of Six Billion. C S Prakash

Articles

Genetic Improvements in U.S. Crops G Frisvold, J Sullivan & A Raneses 
The Protection of IPRs: Issues And Options M Maredia et al.

New Plant Pathology book published

A book by Siegfried Fink entitled "Pathological and Regenerative Plant Anatomy" in the series Encyclopedia of Plant Anatomy 14,6 has been published in 1999. It has 1095 pages, 1091 figures, 169 plates and 22 color plates. The ISBN is 3-443-14027-0. It is a comprehensive review of plant anatomy trying to unite the classical plant pathological approach and modern biochemical studies.

The homepage of this title is:

<http://www.schweizerbart.de/pubs/books/fink-plant-pathology-009014600-desc.html>, where there is considerable information on the volume, including its table of contents and a sample page.

For further information, contact Dr Walter Obermiller, Science Publishers, Johannesstrasse 3A, D-70176 Stuttgart, Germany; Fax: +49-711-625005; e-mail: <Obermiller@schweizerbart.de>.

Coming Events

Hosts, Parasites and Pathogens, Genetical Society Spring Meeting in Warwick, UK.
5-8 April 2000.
Contact: Executive Officer, The Genetical Society, Roslin Institute, Midlothian, EH25 9PS, UK; Fax: +44-131-440-0434: e-mail: <Gensoc.Memsec@bbsrc.ac.uk>, or visit the web-site at <www.genetics.org.uk/gsmeetings/wa00.htm>.

Canadian Phytopathological Society Joint Meeting with the Pacific Division of the American Phytopathological Society in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
18-21 June 2000.
Contact: Jack R. Sutherland, Chair, Local Arrangements Committee; Fax: +1-250-598-1959; e-mail: <jsuther@islandnet.com>. See <http://www.uvcs.uvic.ca/conf/cps_aps/>.

10th International Conference on Plant Pathogenic Bacteria in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
23-27 July 2000 .
Contact: Dr Solke H De Boer, Centre for Animal and Plant Health, 93 Mount Edward Road, Charlottetown, PE, C1A 5T1, Canada; Phone: +1-902-368-0950; Fax: +1-902-368-0960; e-mail: <deboers@em.agr.ca>. A conference website is maintained at <www.isn.net/~ppb2000/>.

9th International Congress for Culture Collections in Brisbane, Australia.
23-28 July 2000.
Contact: Dr Lindsay Sly, ICCC-9 Organising Committee, Department of Microbiology, University of Queensland, Brisbane 4072, Australia; Fax: +61-7-3365-1566;e-mail: <sly@biosci.uq.edu.au>

7th International Symposium on the Microbiology of Aerial Plant Surfaces in Berkeley, California.
3-8 August 2000.
Contact: Steven Lindow, University of California, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, 111 Koshland Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Fax: +1-510-642-4995; e-mail: <icelab@socrates.Berkeley.edu>.

American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting in New Orleans, USA.
12-16 August 2000.
See <http://www.scisoc.org>.

The 3rd International Symposium on Rhizoctonia (ISR 2000) in Taichung, Taiwan, ROC.
17-20 August 2000.
Contact: College of Life Science, National Chung Hsing University, 250 Kuokuang Road, Taichung 402, Taiwan, ROC; Fax: +886-4-2860-164; e-mail: <isr2000@dragon.nchu.edu.tw>; Web site: <http://www.nchu.edu.tw/~isr2000/>.

The 1st Asian Conference on Plant Pathology (ACPP 2000) in Beijing, China.
25-28 August 2000.
Contact: Dr Guo Li Yin, Chinese Society for Plant Pathology, Plant Protection Building No. 313, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 1000904, China; Fax: +86-10-6289-1025; e-mail: <bauicbe@public.bta.net.cn>; web-site: <http://www.ciccst.org.cn/acpp>.

Biotechnology 2000 in Berlin, Germany.
3-8 September 2000.
Contact: DECHEMA e.V., c/o 11th IBS, Theodor-Heuss-Alee 25, D-60486 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; e-mail: <info@dechema.de>.

A Symposium on Chemical and Non-Chemical Soil and Substrate Disinfestation in Grugliasco, University of Torino, Italy.
11-15 September 2000.
Contact: Maria Lodovica Gullino, Di.Va.P.R.A. - Patologia Vegetale, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Leonardo da Vinci 44,10095 GRUGLIASCO (TO), Italy; Phone: +39-011-6708539; Fax: +39-011-6708541; e-mail: <congress.mlg@agraria.unito.it>. For a second circular see <http://www.agraria.unito.it/news/SD2000.html>.

XIV International Symposium on Horticultural Economics in Guernsey, Channel Islands.
12-15 September 2000.
Contact: John Ogier, Raymond Falla House, Longue Rue, St Martin’s, Guernsey, Channel Islands, GY1 6AF, UK; Fax: +44-1481-235015;e-mail: <ishs.symposium2000@horticulture.guernsey.net>.

European Virology 2000 in Glasgow, UK.
17-21 September 2000.
Contact: Dr Bill Carman, Institute of Virology, University of Glasgow, Church Street, Glasgow G11 5JR, UK; Fax: +44-141-337-2236; e-mail: <w.carman@vir.gla.ac.uk>.

5th EFPP Congress, Biodiversity in Plant Pathology in Taormina and Giardini-Naxos, Italy.
18-22 September 2000.
Contact: EFPP 2000 Congress Secretariat, Institute of Plant Pathology, Universita di Catania, Via Valdisavoia, 5- 9123 Catania, Italy; Fax: +39-95-234416; e-mail: EFPP 2000@mbox.fagr.unict.it

Symposium on Durable Disease Resistance, Key to Sustainable Agriculture in Wageningen, The Netherlands.
28 November - 1 December 2000.
Contact: Dr J E Parlevliet, Plant Breeding, Wageningen UR, P O Box 386, NL 6700 AJ Wageningen, The Netherlands; e-mail: <jan.parlevliet@users.pv.wau.nl>. See also the web-site at <http://www.spg.wau.nl/pv/symposium.htm>.

8th International Symposium on Nitrogen Fixation with Non-Legumes in Sydney, Australia.
3-7 December 2000.
Contact: Professor Ivan R Kennedy, SUNFix Centre for Nitrogen Fixation, Department of Agricultural Chemistry & Soil Science, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; Fax: +61-2-9351-5108; e-mail: <int.symp@acss.usyd.edu.au>. Visit the website at <http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/agric/SUNFix/Sunfix.htm>.

Plant-Microbe Interactions and Resistance to Disease and Nematodes, a PACIFICHEM 2000 Symposium in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.
14-19 December 2000.
Contact one of: Dr Robert Stipanovic, Fax: +1-409-260-9470; e-mail: <rds846a@acs.tamu.edu>; Dr Rong Tsao, Fax: +1-905-562-4335; e-mail: <caor@em.agr.ca>; Dr Gregory S Basarad, Fax: +1-302-366-5738; e-mail: <barsarab@esvax.dnet.dupont.com>; Dr Robert Hill, Fax: +64-7-858-4702; e-mail:<rhill@hort.cri.nz>.

Whitefly Symposium in Sicily, Italy.
February 2001.
Further information <whitefly@bemisia.freeserve.co.uk> or by contacting David Oliver, the Research Facilitator, at <network.ewsn@bbsrc.ac.uk>.

2nd Australasian Soilborne Diseases Symposium in Lorne, Victoria, Australia.
5-8 March 2001.
Contact: Ian Porter, Agriculture Victoria, Private Bag 15,South Eastern Mail Centre, Victoria 3176, Australia; e-mail: <Ian.J.Porter@nre.vic.gov.au>.

World Congress of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants 2001 in Budapest, Hungary.
8-10 July 2001.
Contact: Dr Oszkar Kock, National Institute for Agricultural Quality Control, P O Box 30, 93., H-1525 Budapest, Hungary; Fax: +36-1-2122-673; e-mail: <map.congr@ommi.hu>.

XIth meeting of the International Sclerotinia Workshop in York, UK.
8-12 July 2001.
Contact: Dr Nigel Hardwick, Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York, YO41 1LZ, UK; Fax: +44-1904-462111; e-mail: <nigel.hardwick@csl.gov.uk>. The provisional programme will appear on the BSPP web pages at <http://www.bspp.org.uk/>.

The XIth Latinamerican Phytopathological Congress in Piracicaba, State of Sao Paolo, Brazil.
August 2001.
Contact: Brazilian Phytopathological Society (SBF).

American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, USA.
25-29 August 2001.
See <http://www.scisoc.org>.

International Symposium on Asian Pears in Kurayoshi, Tottori, Japan.
25-29 August 2001.
Contact: S Iwahori, Institute of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8572, Japan; Fax: +81-298-53-6617; e-mail: <iwahori@sakura.cc.tsukuba.ac.jp>.

9th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology - Interactions in the Microbial World in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
26-31 August 2001.
Contact: for scientific program - Jan Woldendorp, CTO-NIOO, P O Box 40, 6666 ZG Heteren, The Netherlands; Fax: +31-26-4723227; e-mail: <woldendorp@cto.nioo.knaw.nl>, or for organisation - Dr Wietse de Boer at e-mail: <wdeboer@cto.nioo.knaw.nl>.

IUFRO Meeting - Phytophthora Diseases in Forest Trees and Natural Ecosystems in Western Australia.
1-5 October 2001.
See:<http://www.ozemail.com.au/~williap/Miscellaneous/phytophthora.htm>.

The 3rd International Bacterial Wilt Symposium in Sun City, Republic of South Africa.
Late January or early February 2002.
Contact: Jody Terblanche, Tobacco and Cotton Reserach Institute, Private Bag x 82075, Rustenberg, 0300, Republic of South Africa; Fax: +27-142-993113; e-mail: <Jody@NITK1.AGRIC.ZA>.

The 8th General Symposium of the Plant Virus Epidemiology Group of ISPP in Aschersleben, Germany.
May 2002.
Contact: RogerJones, Chairman, ISPP Plant Virus Epidemiology Committee; e-mail: <rjones@agric.wa.gov.au>.

8th International Congress of Plant Pathology in Christchurch, New Zealand.
2-8 February 2003.
Contact: Congress Chairman, Dr Ian Harvey, PLANTwise, P O Box 8915, Christchurch, NZ; Fax: +64-3-325-2946; e-mail: <harveyi@plantwise.co.nz> or Helen Shrewsbury, ICPP Secretariat, P O Box 84, Lincoln University, Canterbury, NZ; Fax: +64-3-325-3840; e-mail: <shrewsbh@lincoln.ac.nz>.ICPP2003 Website: <http://www.lincoln.ac.nz/icpp2003/>.