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:

• Amended ISPP Statutes & Rules of Procedures

• Plant Pathology in Kyrgyzstan
• German Phytomedical Society
• Rhizoctonia Newsletter
• Russian Contact
• Chinese Society for Plant Pathology
• Mediterranean Phytopathological Union
• Subject Matter Committee on Sclerotinia
• Roots of Discovery Video
• Pakistan
• South Africa
• Horticulture
• Coming Events

Arising from the meetings of the ISPP Executive Committee and ISPP Council in Edinburgh in August 1998, ISPP Secretary-General Charlie Delp has been interacting with members of the ISPP Executive to prepare emendations to the Statutes and Rules of Procedure. These are being sent to ISPP Councillors to seek their comment before putting the matters to them for a vote on approval.
Any queries should be directed to Charlie Delp at <delp_c@samoa.usp.ac.fj>.

The President of ISPP, Dr Peter Scott, has replied to a message from Anara Chakaeva, Head of the Scientific Centre for Plant Protection, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where there is an intention to establish a Kyrgyzstan Society for Plant Pathology. The ISPP Executive is seeking some details about the Society and contacts for its Chair and/or Secretary, before taking steps to welcome the Society as an Associated Society of ISPP.

ISPP should be able to assist mainly by providing a means of contact and discussion with other Associated Societies and their plant pathologists. For example, it may be that communication with other societies will suggest ways of developing project proposals for priority objectives in plant pathology. Among the needs of plant pathology in Kyrgyzstan are assistance in training specialists in biology and in diseases caused in plants by phytoplasmas, viruses, bacteria and nematodes, and assistance in training specialists in biopesticides.

An interim contact may be through e-mail: <isayenko@krsu.edu.kg>.

The German Phytomedical Society (DPG) supports research, education and counselling in phytomedicine. Themes are diseases, parasites and growth impairments of plants - especially cultivated plants - as well as protective measures to keep them healthy. The society’s disciplines are basic research and practical application of its findings.

The DPG is an association of persons who work in the field of phytomedicine or are students who plan to do so in the future. It supports postgraduate training and scientific exchange of experience on a national and international level.

It is one of the DPG’s aims to help develop state of the art plant protection and to put it into practice, thereby minimising disadvantageous effects for the environment.

The DPG endeavours to publish results from all fields of phytomedical research and to convey to the public an objective and well-balanced image of its fields of work and the possibilities of plant protection.

Work Groups established for the exchange of experience between specialists and junior scientists:

Biological combat of plant diseases - Biometry and experimental methods - Herbology - Integrated plant protection - Mycology - Nematology - Useful Arthropodes - Parasitic and non-parasitic damage of woods - Plant protection technique - Plant protection in the tropics and subtropics - Phytobacteriology - Phytopharmacology - Population dynamics and epidemiology - Virus diseases of plants - Reserves protection - Vertebrates - Host-parasite-relations

1) Participation in research conferences and colloquia like Deutsche Pflanzenschutztagung (German plant protection conference), Pflanzenschutzkolloquium anläßlich der Grünen Woche (plant protection colloquium on the occasion of the "Green Week"), public research conferences of the work groups, etc.

2) Newsletter "Phytomedizin" for DPG members with short reports on work group meetings and conferences.

3) Series of publications of the German Phytomedical Society.

4) "Zeitschrift für Pflanzenkrankheiten und Pflanzenschutz" (periodical for plant diseases and plant protection) as the DPG´s official organ - published by Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart. (special price for DPG members).

5) Co-operation in the development of curricula and study guidelines.

6) Cultivation of relations to organisations with similar aims.

7) Awarding of prizes for outstanding scientific achievements.

Organisation of DPG. The growing number of roughly 1,700 members to date is distributed among the various fields of activity as follows: Research and education 22%, public sector 19%, industry 34%, students 19%, unknown 6%. Organisations, companies and private persons who wish to support the society’s endeavours can be admitted as supporting members.

The Chair: Professor Dr Volker Zinkernagel, Am Hochanger 2, 85350 Freising, Germany, Fax: +49-8161/71 4538, e-mail: <1.vorsitzender@dpg.phytomedizin.org>; Professor Dr H-W Dehne, Nussallee 9, 53115 Bonn, Germany, Fax: +49-228/732442, e-mail: <hw-dehne@uni-bonn.de>; Professor Dr G F Backhaus, Messeweg 11/12, 38104 Braunschweig, Germany, Fax: +49-531/2993009.

DPG office: Dr Ursula Wurzer-Faßnacht, Am Hochanger 2, 85350 Freising, Germany, Fax: +49-8161/71 4194, e-mail: <geschaeftsstelle@dpg.phytomedizin.org>; homepage: <http://dpg.phytomedizin.org>.

Treasurer: Dr Michael Käsbohrer, Liebigstraße 51-53, 60323 Frankfurt, Germany, Fax: +49-69/71 55-300, e-mail: <michael.kaesbohrer.@cp.novartis.com>;

Committee for junior affairs: Speaker: Professor Dr H-W Dehne, Nussallee 9, 53115 Bonn, Germany.

Rhizoctonia Newletter

The Rhizoctonia Newletter is currently under construction and should be available for viewing at the International Rhizoctonia Website at <http://plymouth.ces.state.nc.us/staff/cub/> in January 2000. Any suggestions about the content of the Rhizoctonia Newsletter, any articles for the Newsletter (updates or submissions on meetings; post vacancies/positions wanted or available), and information on manuscripts published on Rhizoctonia in peer reviewed journals and on Rhizocotina websites should be sent to Marc A Cubeta, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, Department of Plant Pathology, 207 Research Station Road, Plymouth, NC 27962, USA; Fax: +1-252-93-5142; e-mail: <marc_cubeta@ncsu.edu>.

Andrey A Aver’yanov, DSc, Leading Scientific Researcher, Head of the Biophysical Group, Research Institute of Phytopathology, p/o B Vyasemy, Moscow region 143050, Russia, advises about a change in the means of contact to e-mail <a.averyanov@mtu-net.ru> and Fax: +7-096-334-0902.

A new website of the Chinese Society for Plant Pathology has been established at <www.chinaspp.com>.

Zaifeng Fan <fanzf@ht.rol.cn.net>, Chinese Society for Plant Pathology.

The Mediterranean Phytopathological Union (MPU) has a new internet site at <www.unifi.it/istituzioni/mpu>, and will soon be joined by a web-page for the Newsletter of the MPU. The e-mail address of the MPU Secretary-Treasurer, Professor Surico, is <surico@ipaf.fi.cnr.it>. The site is still under preparation and any comments criticisms or suggestions are welcome to Laura Mugnai, Plant Pathologist, Istituto di Patologia e Zoologia forestale e agraria, P.le delle Cascine 28, 50144 Firenze, Italy; Phone: +39-055-3288377; Fax +39-055-354786; e-mail: <laura@ipaf.fi.cnr.it>.

Jim Steadman of the University of Nebraska has proposed the creation of an ISPP Sclerotinia Subject Matter Committee.

Sclerotinia attacks over 400 species of plants, including oilseed, vegetable and forage crops in temperate and semi-tropical regions of the world. A committee would provide some structure for organizing workshops, contributing to ISPP congresses, and a method to facilitate communication and internationalization on the topic.

The aims of the Sclerotinia subject committee are:

1) to promote exchange of information on research relating to Sclerotinia,

2) to promote international collaboration and encourage collaborative research projects among colleagues working on the various aspects of Sclerotinia research,

3) to have an organized body that will deal with issues of interest for Sclerotinia researchers and interact with related professional societies,

4) to organize periodic meetings and workshops that are focused on various aspects of Sclerotinia research, and

5) to distribute among people interested in Sclerotinia relevant information and news from different countries related to Sclerotinia research, meetings and other events.

Prerequisites for membership on the committee are proposed as:

a) the time and enthusiasm to promote the activities of the working group,

b) a vision for promoting Sclerotinia research regionally and globally,

c) access to efficient communication by e-mail and Fax.

The proposed composition is:

James R. Steadman, coordinator and organizer, University of Nebraska, USA,

Hassan Melouk, communications coordinator, USDA-ARS Oklahoma State University, USA,

Chrys Akem, Middle East regional coordinator, ICARDA, Aleppo, Syria,

John Whipps, UK/Europe regional coordinator, Horticultural Research International, UK,

Alison Stewart, Australasia regional coordinator, Lincoln University, New Zealand,

Li Guoqing, Southeast Asia regional coordinator, Huazhong Agricultural University, China,

Daniel Ploper, South American regional coordinator, Agricultural Experiment Station, Tucuman, Argentina,

Greg Boland, Canada regional coordinator, University of Guelph, Canada,

Nigel Hardwick, XI International Sclerotinia Workshop organizer, Central Science Laboratory, UK.

A more formal Chair, Vice-Chair, Newsletter Editor and Secretary from within these nine members may be necessary after formal ISPP Committee status is granted. Terms of office would range from 3-5 years.

The proposed work program is planning a workshop for 2001, a communication network via e-mail being established, a newsletter being initiated after the communication network is operative and a contribution to the ICPP 2003.

James R. Steadman, Professor of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583 - 0722, USA; Fax: +1-402-472-2853; e-mail: <JSTEADMAN1@unl.edu>.

Jeff Bach, an intern in the media sales department, Pennsylvania State University, USA, advises that recently a film entitled "Roots of Discovery" has been released. Twelve plant scientist are followed in the film as they uncover secrets of root cells and how they respond to environmental signals. They examine downward growth of roots in response to gravity and assess the potential of using tools of genetics for analysing root growth. The project was done along with NASA/NSF Network for Research on Plant Sensory Systems. Questions about the film or a wish to see other titles in their video library may be checked at <http://www.mediasales.psu.edu> or by writing to Jeff at <jtb167@psu.edu>.

Dr S Sarwar Alam, General Secretary of the Pakistan Phytopathological Society, Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology, P O Box 128, Faisalabad, Pakistan, has sent the latest issue of the Newsletter of the Society. Among items covered are pictorial glimpses of activities in the Second National Conference of Plant Pathology held in Faisalabad from 27-29 September 1999.

New facilities for the Pakistan Phytopathological Society have been established in the Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, with direct telephone line to +92-41-627098 and e-mail: <PAKPS@YAHOO.COM>.

News from the Southern African Society for Plant Pathology (SASPP) included the abstracts of presentations at their 37th Annual Congress held in Pietermaritzburg from 17-20 January 1999 and a notice for the 20th General Meeting of the Society being held in Grahamstown on 28 January 2000.

Because of costs, SASPP decided to cease production of hard copies of their Newsletter. Communication by means of a list server is being set up, but problems with out-of-date e-mail addresses have slowed its implementation. Contact in the interim period can be via e-mail: <saspp@kendy.up.ac.za>.

The International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) is registered in Belgium and publishes a quarterly magazine "Chronica Horticulturae", with an editorial office in Leuven at Fax: +32-16-22-94-50 and e-mail: <info@ishs.org>. The ISHS website is <http://www.ishs.org>.

International Symposium on Tropical Mycology in Liverpool, UK.
25-29 March 2000.
Contact: Profesor Roy Watling; e-mail: <r.watling@rbge.org.uk>.

European Congress of Fungal Genetics 5 in Arcachon, France.
25-29 March 2000.
Contact: Dr Beatrice Felenbok, Institute de Genetique, Universite Paris-Sud, Centre d’Orsay, Batiment 409, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France; Fax: +33-1-6915-7808; e-mail: <felenbok@igmors.u-psud.fr>.

Postharvest 2000 in Jerusalem, Israel.
26-31 March 2000.
For further information, see the web-site <www.agri.gov.il/events/PostHarvest2000.html> or e-mail: <postharvest@kenes.com>.

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.
See <http://www.uvcs.uvic.ca/conf/cps_aps/>. Contact: Jack R. Sutherland, Chair, Local Arrangements Committee; Fax: +1-250-598-1959; e-mail: <jsuther@islandnet.com>.

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>.

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>.

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>.

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/>.