INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER ON PLANT PATHOLOGY

In this issue:

• 8th ICPP New Zealand 2003
• ISPP Executive Committee 1998-2003
• World Directory of Plant Pathologists
• ISPP Newsletter on the Internet only
• Phytopathological Society of Japan
• European Foundation for Plant Pathology
• Rhizoctonia
• Plant Virus Epidemiology Symposium
• Microbiological Societies
• Press releases from APS
• Interim Commission on Phytosanitary Measures
• Charles Yang and AVRDC
• Rosati Prize winners
• Coming Events

As a result of the ballot conducted by the ISPP Secretary-General Anupam Varma, the ISPP Executive Committee is pleased to accept the bid from the South Island of New Zealand Branch of the Australasian Plant Pathology Society. This means that the 8th International Congress of Plant Pathology will be held in Christchurch, New Zealand, in the year 2003.

As is customary, one of the two Vice-Presidents on the ISPP Executive Committee for the period including the next Congress is from the host country for the next Congress, New Zealand.

The ISPP Nominations Committee chaired by ISPP Immediate Past-President Jim Cook has recommended the following names for election as officers of the Executive of ISPP for the 5-year-period starting at the end of the 7th ICPP in Edinburgh, UK, in August 1998.

President: Peter Scott, UK

Vice-President: Anupam Varma, India

Secretary General: Charles Delp, USA

Treasurer: Chuji Hiruki, Canada.

They will be joined on the new ISPP Executive by Dick Hamilton, Canada, as Immediate Past-President and by Richard Falloon, nominee of the New Zealand South Island Branch of the Australasian Plant Pathology Society, host nation and society for the 8th ICPP in Christchurch, New Zealand, as second Vice-President.

Charlie Delp advises that the Directory was close to going online in June 1998 with complete directories and Introductory Pages for the following seven contributors including over 12,000 addresses: American Phytopathological Society, Asia on IRRI’s data base, China, France, Japan, the Mediterranean, and Portugal. Also the following were about to submit data: Australasia, SASPP Southern Africa, Africa on IITA’s data base, and Latin America organized by Ed French at CIP.

The Directory should be online on the web for demonstration and additional signing up at the 7th ICPP in Edinburgh in August 1998.

Under the Fisher Trust and the Fisher Will, which support the Directory project, a printed version of the directory will also be created for the libraries named in the Will.

I have recommended to the ISPP Executive that the ISPP Newsletter should be published only on the ISPP web site from the end of 1998 and that mailing of the paper version should cease at that time.

The intention is that all plant pathologists and other interested persons should access the ISPP Newsletter on the ISPP web site at <http://www.bspp.org.uk/ispp>. I ask those who believe that they will be inconvenienced by this change and would prefer to continue to receive the ISPP Newsletter in paper form to let either me or an ISPP Executive member know as soon as possible while the recommendation is being considered. Brian Deverall.

The annual meeting of the Phytopathological Society of Japan, held in Sapporo from 20-22 May 1998, was organized by Professor Ichiro Uyeda of Hokkaido University. The attendance at the meeting was 873 scientists, and 448 papers were presented. The current membership of the society is 2002.

A new Council was elected as:

President: Dr Nobuaki Matsuyama, Professor at Kyusyu University

Vice-President: Dr Tsuyoshi Takahashi, Professor at Iwate University

Secretary-General: Dr Yohachiro Honda, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery, Tsukuba

Editor-in-Chief: Dr Hitoshi Kunoh, Professor at Mie University.

Further information may be obtained from Professor Shigeyuki Mayama, Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kobe University, Rokkodai-Cho, Kobe 657, Japan; Fax: +81-78-803-0999; e-mail: mayama@kobe-u.ac.jp

EFPP has opened a site on the internet, listing all of the national and regional societies in the field of plant pathology, and creating links to their internet sites where possible. The site is at <http://www.ipo.dlo.nl/ipowww/efpp/index.htm>.

The agenda for the 5th Meeting of the Board of the European Foundation (EFPP) to be held during the 7th ICPP on Tuesday 11 August 1998 from 18.00 - 20.00 h at the Roxburghe Hotel, 38 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, UK, is as follows:

1) Opening address by the President, Professor A Matta

2) Minutes of the 4th Board Meeting and matters arising

3) Report of the General Secretary - EFPP internet site

4) Report of the Treasurer

5) Report of the European Journal of Plant Pathology

6) Report on the 4th Conference in Bonn

7) Progress report on the 5th EFPP Conference on ‘Biodiversity in Plant Pathology’ to be held in September 2000 in Taormina, Sicily

8) Proposal for the 6th Conference in 2002 in the Czech Republic

9) Proposal to further differentiate the minimum annual contribution to the EFPP

<50 members 50 ECU

50-100 members 100 ECU

101-500 members 200 ECU

>500 members 300 ECU

10) Any other business

11) Date of the next Board Meeting.

For further information and with suggestions, additions or changes to the EFPP web site, contact the EFPP General Secretary, Dr J F J M van den Heuvel, DLO Research Institute for Plant Protection, P O Box 9060, 6700 GW Wageningen, The Netherlands; Fax: +31-317-410113; e-mail: efpp@ipo.dlo.nl

The Rhizoctonia Subject-Matter Committee (IRC) of ISPP advises of the new officers for its second 5-year term. To preserve the continuity of the activity of the new IRC, the current chairman, Baruch Sneh (Israel) will continue to serve on the committee as past chairman, Suha Jabaji-Hare (Canada) and Gerda Dijst (the Netherlands) will also continue as members for the second term. The following were elected to join the IRC. The newly elected Chairman is Stephen Neate and the three new committee members are Shigeo Naito (Japan), Hans Schneider (the Netherlands) and Marc Cubeta (USA).

During the next IRC business meeting which will be held on one of the lunch breaks during the ICPP 1998, the new IRC chair will assign to each active member their new responsibility, and will develop a 5-year agenda detailing future activities of the IRC.

Special sessions on Rhizoctonia organized by the IRC will be held at the ICPP98 in Edinburgh. The purpose of these sessions is to encourage discussions on research reports of new findings in the fields of Rhizoctonia research. Therefore it is aimed that the presentations will be short to allow discussion.

For further information, contact Stephen Neate, CSIRO Land and Water, P B No 2 Glen Osmond, SA 5064, Australia; e-mail: stephen.neate@adl.soils.csiro.au

Dr Michael Irwin advises about this symposium to be held in Almeria, Spain from 11-16 April, 1999 (see Coming Events).

It is organized under the auspices of the Plant Virus Epidemiology Committee of the International Society of Plant Pathology, CCMA-CSIC, and University of Almeria, and will develop the theme of "Plant Virus Epidemiology: Current Status and Future Prospects." There will be formal and poster sessions and a field excursion to see virus disease problems of vegetable crops grown under plastic.

For further information, contact Dr Irwin, University of Illinois, USA; Fax: +1-217-333-6784 or Dr Alberto Fereres, Madrid, Spain; Phone: +34-1-5627620; Fax: +34-1-5640800; e-mail: ebvaf22@fresno.csic.es

The International Union of Microbiological Societies announces three component Congresses in Sydney, Australia, for 9-20 August 1999.

The XIth International Congress of Virology will take place from 9-13 August 1999. The IXth International Congress of Bacteriology and Applied Microbiology and the IXth International Congress of Mycology will take place from 16-20 August 1999. Each will be held at the Sydney Convention Centre, Darling Harbour.

For further information, contact IUMS, 9-20 August 1999, Congress Secretariat, GPO Box 128, Sydney, NSW 2001, Australia, or, for the International Congress of Virology, visit the website at <http://biology.anu.edu.au/IUMS/>.

The American Phytopathological Society (APS) issued three items of news and invited visits about each to its home page at <http://www.scisoc.org>.

One is about the major leaf spot epidemic which affected the US corn belt about two years ago and continues to remain a major threat to corn production. The causal fungus is Cercospora zeae-maydis which increased greatly in prominence following the introduction of conservation tillage in the 1980s.

Another is about Sorghum ergot which has had a wide impact in Brazil, other countries in South and Central America, the USA and Australia in the past few years after previously being apparently confined to Asia and Africa.

The third is to commemorate a century of plant virology since the reference by Beijerinck in Delft, The Netherlands, to a "contagious living fluid" that led to the discovery of tobacco mosaic virus.

The First Session of the Interim Commission on Phytosanitary Measures will take place in Rome, Italy, from 3-6 November 1998.

ISPP has been invited to attend the meeting and the agenda is as follows:

1) Opening of the Session
2) Adoption of the Agenda
3) Election of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairpersons, and Rapporteur
4) Rules of Procedure
5) Adoption of Standards
- Determination of Pest Status in Area
- Guidelines for Pest Eradication Programs
6) Standard Setting Procedures
7) Work Program for Harmonization
8) Status of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)
- Acceptance of the New Revised Text
- Implementation of Interim Measures
9) Other business
10) Date and Venue of Next Meeting
11) Adoption of the report.

A recently received issue of Centerpoint, the newsletter of the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC), contains a tribute to Dr Charles Yang who retired last year as Director of the Asian Regional Center, Thailand.

Charles had been one of the original recruits by AVRDC in 1972 as the first plant pathologist and became leader of the legume research program in 1976. He later was made resident scientist of the Thailand Outreach Program, which evolved through his efforts into a regional training and research activity with impact far beyond Thailand, leading to the establishment there of the Asian Regional Center. A long-term institution thus arose on the Kamphaengsaen campus of Kasetsart University. Charles and his wife Pauline, both of whom I knew during 1960-61 in Madison, Wisconsin, USA, retired to the USA.

Further information on AVRDC and Centerpoint may be obtained from them at P O Box 42, Shanhua, Taiwan 741, ROC; Fax: +886-6-583-0009; e-mail: avrdcbox@netra.avrdc.org.tw Brian Deverall.

Awards given in memory of Pasquale Rosati, two for researchers whose work has advanced the biology, genetics and breeding of the genera Fragaria and Rubus and one to young researchers in strawberry breeding and physiology, have been assigned by an international jury of prominent scientists in these fields of research.

Dr ir Wouter Eric van de Weg of the Centre for Plant Breeding and Reproduction Research at Wageningen, The Netherlands, and Dr Kar Yoong Lim of the Department of Biological Sciences at Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London, UK, are the winners in Fragaria and Rubus, and Gianluca Baruzzi and Roberta Dradi share the prize for young researchers.

Dr van de Weg was awarded the $1,500 prize and certificate for gene-for-gene relationships between strawberry and the causal agent of red stele root rot, Phytophthora fragariae var. fragariae, and Dr Lim the $1,500 prize and certificate for his work on the genoma painting technique and characterization and detection of raspberry chromatin in polyploid Rubus. The panel would also like to commend Dr Pedro Brás de Oliveira, University of Lisbon, Portugal, who received special mention for his work in raspberry agronomy.

Gianluca Baruzzi, the co-winner of the prize for young researcher who will receive $750 and certificate, is a strawberry breeder with expertise in field management techniques of the crop, and Roberta Dradi, the other co-winner, will receive $750 and certificate for having significantly contributed to insight into the physiological mechanisms of fruiting, carbohydrate partitioning and fruit quality traits in strawberry. The prizes will be awarded at a ceremony during a special conference at Cesena, Italy, dedicated to Pasquale Rosati, who was a leading European scientist in the fields of breeding and genetics of Strawberry and Rubus.

The competition was supported by 17 sponsors:

E Bellini, University of Florence; G Cellini, Fruit Expert, Ravenna; G Cristoferi, ISTEA-CNR, Bologna; W Faedi, Istituto Sperimentale per la Frutticoltura - Sezione di Forli; C Fideghelli, Istituto Sperimentale Frutticoltura, Roma; R Guerriero, University of Pisa; D Musacchi, Fruit breeder, Ferrara; P Roudeillac, CIREF, Francia; S Sansavini, DCA, University of Bologna; Prof C Xiloyannis, University of Matera; R H Zimmerman, Fruit Res. Laboratory, USDA, USA; Grower Associations: Agrifrut Romagna, Cesena; Apofruit, Cesena; Apro-Fruttadoro, Cesena; Nursery Groups: Centro Attivitá Vivaistiche, Faenza (RA); Fa.Vi.Frut, Faenza (RA). Others: VIII IAPTC Congress, Organizing Committee, Florence.

The panel of 9 internationally recognised scientific experts in Italy, France, UK and USA, under the chairmanship of Dr Silviero Sansavini from the University of Bologna, Italy, and with the cooperation of the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) Secretariat at Leuven and the Italian Horticultural Society Secretariat at Florence, would like to congratulate the winners and thank all the highly qualified candidates who competed for the prizes.

For further information, contact Jozef Van Assche, Executive Director, ISHS, Belgium; Fax: +32-16-22-94-50; e-mail: ishs@agr.kuleuven.ac.be

2nd International Rice Blast Conference (IRBC) in Montpellier, France.
4-8 August 1998.
Contact: Secretariat IRBC 98, CIRAD-CA, UR PHYMA, Bat. 2, BP 5035, 34032 Montpellier, France; Fax: +33-4-67-61-56-03; e-mail: IRBC98@cirad.fr

8th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
9-14 August 1998.
Contact: Meeting Planners, Ardenne International Inc., Suite 444, World Trade & Conference Centre, 1800 Argyle Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3J 3N8; Fax: +1-902-423-2143; e-mail: ardenne@fox.nstn.ca

The VIIth International Congress of Plant Pathology in Edinburgh, UK.
9-16 August 1998.
Contact: Dr D J Royle, Chairman, 7ICPP, Long Ashton Research Station, AFRC Institute of Arable Crop Protection, Long Ashton, Bristol BS18 9AF, UK; Fax: +44-1275-394-007; e-mail: david.royle@bbsrc.ac.uk

Downy Mildew Workshop at the VIIth ICPP in Edinburgh, UK.
During 9-16 August 1998.
Contact: Dr Peter T N Spencer-Phillips, Department of Biological Sciences, University of the West of England, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol BS16 1QY, UK; Fax: +44-117-976-3871; e-mail: IN:p5-spenc@uwe.ac.uk

Symposium on Advances in Phytophthora Molecular Genetics in conjunction with the International Congress of Plant Pathology in Edinburgh, UK.
15 August 1998.
Contact: David Cooke or Paul Birch, Fungal and Bacterial Plant Pathology, Scottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK; e-mail: dcooke@scri.sari.ac.uk

9th Conference of the ISHS Vegetable Virus Working Group in Turin, Italy.
22-27 August 1998.
Contact: Dr P Caciagli, Istituto di Fitovirologia Applicata, 9th Conference ISHS - VVWG, Strada delle Cacce 73, I-10135 Torino, Italy; Fax: +39-11-343809. See home page at <http://ifa.to.cnr.it/vvwg>.

6th International Mycological Congress in Jerusalem, Israel.
23-28 August 1998.
Contact: Secretariat, Sixth International Mycological Congress, P O Box 50006, Tel Aviv 61500, Israel.

International Conference on Peri-Urban Vegetable Production in the Asia-Pacific Region for the 21st Century in Bangkok, Thailand.
29 September-1 October 1998.
Contact: Dr Napavarn Noparatnaraporn, Kasetsart University, Bangkhen, Bangkok 10900, Thailand; Fax: +66-2-561-4641; e-mail: rdi@nontri.ku.ac.th; web page: <www.rdi.ku.ac.th> or Dr Lowell L Black, P O Box 42, Shanhua, Tainan 741, Taiwan, ROC; Fax: +886-6-583-0009; e-mail: llblack@netra.avrdc.org.tw.

ICSU World Conference on Higher Education at UNESCO Headquarters, Paris.
5-9 October 1998.
Contact: ICSU Secretariat, 51 Boulevarde de Montmorency, Paris 75016, France; Fax: +33-1-4288-9431; e-mail: icsu@Imcp.jussieu.fr or see the web site at <http://www.Imcp.jussieu.fr/icsu/>.

8th International Workshop on Fire Blight in Kusadasi, Turkey.
12-15 October 1998.
Contact: Prof H Saygili, Ege University, Faculty of Agriculture, Plant Protection Department, 35100 Bornova - Izmir, Turkey; Fax: +90-232-388-1864; e-mail: saygili@ziraat.ege.edu.tr or the website at <http://www.intrepid.net/afrs/fb7.htm> or Dr Timur Momol, Plant Pathology Department, Cornell University, Geneva, NY 14456, USA; Fax:+1-315-787-2389; e-mail: tmml5@cornell.edu

The 1998 Brighton Conference - Pests & Diseases in Brighton, UK.
16-19 November 1998.
Contact: for the program, Dr D V Alford, BCPC, Orchard House, 14 Oakington Road, Dry Dayton, Cambridgeshire CB3 8DD, UK; Fax: +44-1954-789059 or for general matters, The Brighton Conference Secretariat, 8 Cotswold Mews, Battersea Square, London SW1 3RA, UK; Fax: +44-171-924-1790; e-mail: eventorg@event-org.com

Annual Meeting of the American Phytopathological Society jointly with the Entomological Society of America in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
8-12 November 1998.
Contact: Faye Labatt, CMP Meeting Manager, American Phytopathological Society, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St Paul MN 55121, USA. e-mail: flabatt@scisoc.org

Joint Meeting, British Society for Plant Pathology and Society for Applied Microbiology - rhizosphere micro-organisms in Warwick, UK.
15-17 December 1998.
Contact: Dr Mark Hocart, Plant Science Division, SAC, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK; Fax: +44-131-667-2601; e-mail: m.hocart@ed.sac.ac.uk

First Australasian Soilborne Disease Symposium in Gold Coast, Australia.
10-12 February 1999.
Contact: Dr Rob Magarey, Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations, P O Box 566, Tully, Queensland 4854, Australia; Fax: +61-7-4068-1907; e-mail: asds@bses.org.au; web site: <http://www.ozemail.com.au/~williap/Soilborne_Symposium.htm>

The Global Initiative on Late Blight (GILB) Conference in Quito, Ecuador.
16-19 March 1999.
Contact: Mari Kearl, c/o International Potato Center (CIP), GILB, Apartado 1558, Lima 12, Peru; e-mail: m.kearl@cgnet.com

6th International Conference on Pseudomonas syringae pathovars in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
24-27 March 1999.
Contact: Dr E Lucienne Mansvelt, Infruitec, Private Bag X5013, Stellenbosch 7599, South Africa; e-mail: lucienne@infruit2.agric.za

VII International Symposium of Plant Virus Epidemiology in Aguadulce, Almeria, Spain.
11-16 April, 1999.
Contact: Dr Alberto Fereres, CCMA-CSIC, C/Serrano 115 dpdo., 28006 Madrid, Spain; Phone: +34-1-5627620; Fax: +34-1-5640800; e-mail: ebvaf22@fresno.csic.es; web site <http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~afereres/epicong.html>.

XIVth International Plant Protection Congress in Jerusalem, Israel.
25-30 July 1999.
Contact: The Congress Secretariat, P.O. 50006, Tel Aviv 61500, Israel; Phone: +972-3-514-0000; Fax: +972-3-514-0077 or +972-3-517-5674; e-mail: ippc@kenes.com; Web site: <http://www.kenes.co.il/IPPC>

XVI International Botanical Congress in Saint Louis, Missouri, USA.
1-7 August 1999.
Contact: The Secretary General, XVI IBC, c/o Missouri Botanical Garden, P O Box 299, St. Louis, MO 63166-0299, USA; Fax: +1-314-577-9589; e-mail: ibc16@mobot.org; XVI IBC Web site at: <http://www.ibc99.org>.

Annual Meeting of the American Phytopathological Society (Joint with the Canadian Phytopathological Society) in Montreal, Canada.
6-12 August 1999.
Contact: Faye Labatt, CMP Meeting Manager, American Phytopathological Society, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St Paul MN 55121, USA; e-mail: flabatt@scisoc.org

5th International Workshop on Septoria/Stagonospora Diseases of Cereals in El Batan, Mexico.
21-24 September1999.
Contact: Dr Ravi Singh, Wheat Program, CIMMYT, Lisboa 27, Apartado 6-641, Mexico D.F, Mexico; Fax: +52-525-726-7558; e-mail rsingh@cimmyt.mx; Web: <http://www.cimmyt.mx/>.

XIII Congress of European Mycologists in Madrid, Spain.
21-25 September 1999.
Contact: Dr R Galan, Dpto de Biologia Vegetal, Facutdad de Ciencias, Universidad de Alcala, 28871 Alcala de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Fax: +341-885-5066; e-mail: BVMHF@JARIFA.ALCALA.ES

9th Australian Wheat Breeding Assembly in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia.
26 September-1 October 1999.
Contact: Joy Pugh, Meetings and Events, PO Box 282, Darling Heights, Toowoomba, Queensland 4350, Australia; Phone: +61-7-4631-2840; Fax: +61-7-4635-5550; e-mail: <marksuth@usq.edu.au>; website: <http://pig.ag.uq.edu.au/wbsa/wbsadefault.htm>

The Xth Latinamerican Phytopathological Congress (X Congreso Latinoamerican de Fitopatologia) in Guadalajara, State of Jalisco, Mexico.
27 September-1 October1999.
Contact: Sociedad Mexicana de Fitopatologia, c/o Unidad de Biotecnologia - CINVESTAV, Apartado Postal 629, Irapuato - Gto, 36500 Mexico.

12th Biennial Australasian Plant Pathology Society Conference in Canberra, ACT, Australia.
27 September-1 October 1999.
Contact: Greg Johnson (Convenor), Postharvest Technology - ACIAR, GPO Box 1571, Canberra, ACT 2601; Fax: +61-2-6217-0501; e-mail: johnson@aciar.gov.au or Ms Philippa Rowland (Secretary), Bureau of Resource Sciences, P O Box E11, Kingston, ACT 2604, Australia; Fax: +61-2-6272-4896; e-mail: pcr@mailpc.brs.gov.au

5th EFPP Conference on Biodiversity in Plant Pathology in Taormina, Sicily, Italy.
September 2000.
Contact: Professor Antonino Catara, Universita di Catania, Italy.

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