INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTER ON PLANT PATHOLOGY

In this issue:

• Plant Virus Epidemiology Symposium
• Report by Roger Jones - Plant Virus Epidemiology
• Grapevine Trunk Disease
• Asian Conference on Plant Pathology (ACPP 2000)
• News from Japan
• Active Genes during Defence
• Combined Millenium Meeting
• Asia-Pacific Plant Pathology
• Bacterial Wilt
• French University Permanent Position
• Horticultural Economics
• Coming Events

The 7th International Plant Virus Epidemiology Symposium was held at Aguadulce, Almeria, Spain, from 11-16 April 1999. It was attended by 195 people from all over the world and was a very productive meeting. The Chairman of the Symposium, Dr Alberto Fereres, reports that it was enjoyed by most of the participants and that the scientific level was excellent.

ISPP made a financial contribution as start up money for the first expenses of the organizing committee. The meeting was also well supported financially by other organizations. Sponsors and collaborators were the following: ISPP, Spanish Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), University of Almeria, Spanish Ministry of Education, Almeria Local Government, Monsanto, Seminis, Caja Rural de Almeria, S&G Seeds and Cultek.

The Symposium opened with an address by J M Thresh on the past 100 years in plant virus epidemiology and the continuing ecological tradition, and about the role of the ISPP Epidemiology Committee. Major sessions followed on: transmission mechanisms of plant viruses; current approaches to plant virus epidemiology; whitefly-associated problems of vegetable crops; modelling plant virus epidemics; epidemiology of arthropod-borne viruses; management and control strategies. These were followed by general discussion and consideration of future prospects of plant virus epidemiology. There was also a mini-symposium on local problems related to insect-transmitted virus diseases in vegetables and on epidemiology and application of control strategies. A visit to the "El Ejido" greenhouses covered integrated production co-operatives, vegetable processing and export companies.

The Symposium has a web page that proved to be very useful for delivering information to potential participants. The web site can be browsed at: <http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~afereres/epicong.html>.

For further information about the Symposium, contact Dr Alberto Fereres, Research Scientist, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC) Serrano 115 dpdo., 28006 Madrid, Spain; Fax: +34-91-5640800; e-mail: <afereres@ccma.csic.es>.

A detailed personal account of the Symposium by Roger Jones, Co-operative Research Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture and Agriculture Western Australia; e-mail: <rjones@agric.wa.gov.au> follows.

The seventh International Symposium on Plant Virus Epidemiology was held in the Hotel Playadulce at Aguadulce, Almeria on the south east mediterranean coast of Spain from April 11-16, 1999. The Almeria district was chosen as the location because it is the centre of Spain’s lucrative intensive plastic plant house based vegetable industry, and this ‘out-of-season’ industry is threatened by virus diseases particularly those transmitted by whiteflies. The chief conference organiser was Alberto Fereres of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Scientificas in Madrid. The symposium was attended by 280 participants from 28 different countries, and covered a wide range of topics related to its epidemiology theme. Participants included a diverse array of researchers and other interested parties.

On the evening of our arrival (Sunday) a welcome reception was held at Hotel Playadulce. On Monday, in the opening keynote presentation Mike Thresh (UK) summarised the past 100 years of plant virus epidemiology. Mike traced the build up in the knowledge base on the subject, from the discovery of viruses to the current position at the end of the present century. Among other things, he stressed the diverse modes of persistence and spread that viruses exhibit, autonomous versus vector transmission, differences due to climatic and geographical zone, factors influencing virus inoculum dispersal, local versus distant spread, roles of wild plants as virus reservoirs, and contrasting scenarios where rapid spread or slow virus spread are typical. He also contrasted currently neglected areas of activity, e.g. beetle and mealybug transmitted viruses, with the intense activity now associated with whitefly and thrips borne viruses. Mike emphasised how the ecological tradition in plant virology has recently recovered despite having reached a low ebb not too long ago. He welcomed the increasing application of new techniques and innovations to help solve epidemiological problems and emphasised the continuing role of epidemiology in addressing the viral challenges we face as we move towards the next millennium. Mike also traced the history of the Plant Virus Epidemiology Committee since its foundation in 1978 through the series of international meetings it has organised at roughly 3 year intervals in different continents culminating in the seventh meeting in Almeria. The main aim of the group is to bring together researchers from all over the world working on epidemiology and control of plant virus diseases (and other interested parties) to discuss current research interests. It has been very successful in doing this. A well deserved tribute to Mike was given in the conference dinner at the close of the symposium for the way he has so effectively ‘fathered’ the epidemiology group as its founding chairman over 21 years through to the present.

The first oral session dealt with ‘plant virus transmission mechanisms’ and began with Alberto Fereres who discussed electrical monitoring of insect probing and feeding behaviour during non-persistent virus transmission by aphids. A negative correlation exists between the time elapsed from the last intracellular puncture to the end of the acquisition probe and the ability to transmit potato virus Y. Thus virus inoculability starts decreasing immediately after acquisition begins, possibly as a result of salivation. Differences in vector efficiency between aphid species seem related to the duration of probing. Tom Pirone (USA), Benny Raccah (Israel) and Stephane Blanc (France) described virion-helper component-stylet interactions in non-persistent aphid transmission and methods of purifying helper component. Differential retention of helper component may be another cause of differences in vector efficiency between aphid species. Henryk Czosnek (Israel) described increased transmission of tomato yellow leaf curl virus through sexual contact between whiteflies, with more transmission occurring from male to female than female to male. Multiplication of the virus within individual whiteflies decreased their fitness and life expectancy. There were two presentations from the John Innes Institute (UK) on molecular aspects of the mechanisms involved in transmission of geminiviruses. Finally, Dick Peters (the Netherlands) reported infection of transmitting and non transmitting western flower and onion thrips by tomato spotted wilt virus. When first instar larvae acquire the virus midgut cells become infected and then the virus moves to the salivary glands. In non-transmitting thrips no virus enters the salivary glands. In transmitters the amount of virus replicating in the mid gut determines the amount of transmission.

The second oral session was entitled ‘current approaches to plant virus epidemiology’. Olga Esteban (Spain) described a ‘squash capture PCR’ for direct detection of non-persistently transmitted viruses in single aphids. By selection of appropriate primers, nested PCR can be used to differentiate transmissible and non transmissible strains of the same virus within an aphid. Chuck Nibblet (USA) reported differentiation of citrus tristeza virus strains in citrus samples based on minor sequence variations in their capsid proteins detected by RT-PCR. Peter Markham (UK) used PCR and dot-blot hybridisation to study the geographical distribution of cotton leaf curl disease in Pakistan and the requirement for an additional nanovirus-like component for expression of typical leaf curl symptoms in cotton plants. Ossmat Azzam (IRRI) used RT-PCR to show that a single field site can contain isolates of rice tungro spherical virus with different evolutionary histories. Fernando Garcia-Arenal (Spain) and Donato Gallitelli (Italy) used RNA sequence information to study biodiversity and population changes in isolates of cucumber mosaic virus. Virus populations changed over time. Loss of the satellite RNA responsible for severe necrotic symptoms in tomato occurred due to the impact of necrosis in diminishing the rate of virus spread from plant to plant. Daniele Bourdin (France) and Trefor Woodford (UK) discussed the taxonomic status of the Myzus persicae vector group including M. persicae, M. antirrhinii and M. nicotianae, and the relative efficiencies of clones of each as potato leaf roll virus vectors. A novel rDNA fingerprinting technique using micro-satellites was used to distinguish aphid clones. Some clones of all three were efficient vectors. Studies on relative transmission efficiencies should ideally involve several distinct clones per species.

On Tuesday, the third and longest oral session concerned ‘whitefly-associated problems of vegetable crops’. Emilio Rodriguez-Cerezo (Spain) traced the history of whitefly transmitted virus problems afflicting the plastic house cucurbit industry in Almeria. In the early days, beet pseudo yellows virus transmitted by the glasshouse whitefly was the main concern but in 1990 Bemisia tabaci arrived and displaced the glasshouse whitefly bringing with it serious problems with cucurbit yellow stunting disorder. Both viruses cause identical yellowing symptoms. Two B. tabaci biotypes (B and Q) are present in Spain and both transmit the virus readily. Very frequent application of insecticides is usually needed to keep the yellowing symptoms the virus causes at bay. Avoidance of overlapping host crops and good weed removal are key control measures to decrease the virus source. Rodrigo Valverde (USA) discussed three viruses commonly found together in the field in sweet potatoes in Louisiana, sweet potato feathery mottle, sweet potato chlorotic stunt and sweet potato leafcurl. Both of the later are readily transmitted by B. tabaci biotype B. Mixed infections with more than one virus cause yield decreases but single infections do not. Gail Wisler (USA) discussed the spread of three tomato-infecting viruses transmitted by whiteflies into new areas, tomato infectious chlorosis, tomato chlorosis and an unnamed virus. Confusion of their symptoms with those of nutritional problems leads to underestimation of their occurrence. Movement of infected breeding material, international trade and the increase in protected cropping are all contributing to expansion in the natural range of whitefly borne viruses in the USA. Enrique Moriones (Spain) reported two different types of tomato yellow leaf curl in Spain, the Sr and Is types. The virus arrived in Spain in 1992 and was represented by the Sr biotype. Starting in 1996, the more severe Is type, which is more readily transmitted by B. tabaci type B, displaced the Sr type. Philip Stansly (USA) described management practices for geminivirus epidemics in field grown tomatoes in Florida and neighbouring states. The B biotype and continuous cropping are the main driving forces behind epidemics which predominantly involve tomato yellow leaf curl and tomato mottle viruses. A crop free period to break the cycle of virus and vector, and widespread use of soil applied imidacloprid insecticide against whiteflies proved the most effective control measures, with virus resistant cultivars also included as an additional measure in the Dominican republic. John Colvin (UK) described the spread and management of tomato leaf curl virus in tomato in southern India where insecticides are sprayed as often as every second day to control its whitefly vectors. The vector does not reproduce on tomato and potential management strategies include breeding for virus resistance, use of nylon nets to exclude whiteflies from nursery beds and removal of weed reservoirs. Henryk Czosnek (Israel) discussed breeding tomato for resistance to tomato yellow leaf curl using resistance from Lycopersicum hirsutum. This resistance is broad spectrum as it is also effective against certain other geminiviruses. Moshe Lapidot (Israel) reported breeding for tolerance to tomato yellow leaf curl virus from tomato breeding lines TY172 and TY197.

After the coffee break, James Legg (IITA), Peter Markham and John Colvin (UK) described different facets of the current pandemic of cassava mosaic viruses in East Africa. The severe form of the disease found mainly in Uganda is caused by a hybrid between east African cassava mosaic and African cassava mosaic. The whitefly vector B. tabaci favours cassava as a host and multiplies better on infected than healthy cassava, especially in susceptible and sensitive cultivars, and increase in whitefly numbers is one of the main factors driving the pandemic. Intensive rouging of symptom-affected cassava plants is advocated to prevent whitefly build up on infected plants. Marcia Roye (Jamaica) described genetic diversity among geminiviruses infecting crops and weeds in Jamaica. Fransisco Morales (CIAT) reviewed the current position with whitefly transmitted viruses in Latin America. At least 40 such viruses are known and the advent of the B biotype of B. tabaci in Latin America has greatly exacerbated the situation. The position is so bad in some areas that daily spraying of insecticides is practiced against whitefly vectors. Risk areas can be predicted from latitude, altitude and rainfall with low altitude and warm, dry conditions favouring epidemics. GIS is helpful in identifying high risk areas. Thomas Henneberry (USA) described management strategies for dealing with Bemisia. Avoidance of whitefly susceptible cultivars is important along with good irrigation and fertilisation, as stressed plants favour their build up and promoting healthy growth to avoid stress decreases their numbers. Because they develop resistance to normal insecticides but not to the chloronicotinyl group, applying immidacloprid is very useful as a control measure. Early harvest and destruction of crop residues were other key measures as they prevent whitefly flights to new crops.

After the poster session on Tuesday, there was an introduction to the technical field trip and details of how the local plastic house vegetable industry at Almeria operates was provided along with information on the agronomic practices employed, virological and insect vector issues and a discussion of integrated disease management strategies. The Almeria region produces 35% of Spain’s horticultural export earnings with 50% of its production exported. It has 27,000 hectares of plastic houses. This was followed by a meeting on the activities of the Plant Virus Epidemiology Committee of the International Society of plant Pathology. This and later discussions resulted in a new committee being chosen with representatives from each continent.

On Wednesday, the symposium technical field trip involved visits to plastic houses where tomatoes, capsicums and various cucurbitaceous crops were being grown. Among the virus diseases commonly found in the plastic houses are tomato yellow leaf curl and cucurbit yellow stunting disorder (whitefly-borne), tomato spotted wilt (thrips-borne), cucumber mosaic, watermelon mosaic and squash mosaic (aphid-borne), and melon necrotic spot (Olpidium vectored). Several of these were seen on the field trip generating considerable interest. Multiple spraying with insecticides was being used to keep whitefly under control in these crops and infected plants were being rouged out by hand. Integrated disease management strategies have been developed for each individual crop and are being gradually adopted. These greatly decrease the requirement for multiple insecticide sprays. There were also visits 1) to a vegetable packing plant where a diverse array of vegetable produce was seen and an auction of produce for export was underway, and 2) to a local horticultural research station where experiments involving vegetable crops in plastic houses and fruit trees of a range of types were demonstrated. Afterwards participants were treated to a traditional Andalucian lunch with multi-courses washed down with local wines. Following this they could opt for a visit to sites of historical interest going back more than 2,000 years in Almeria or for a trip to the nearby ‘cabo de gata-nijar’ nature reserve.

On Thursday, the fourth oral session concerned ‘modelling plant virus epidemics’. Larry Madden (USA) set the ball rolling with a theoretical assessment of the impacts of different virus – vector transmission mechanisms on plant virus disease epidemics. The influences of rate of virus acquisition, rate of inoculation and length of latent period on virus disease dynamics and effects of control measures were explored using the linked-differential-equation model of host and vector populations. This was not an easy talk for the less mathematically minded! Johnson Holt (UK) described a new general model of plant virus disease spread that incorporates vector aggregation. With cassava mosaic virus spatial aggregation of vectors on cassava plants is an inevitable consequence of infection which promotes their reproduction. Vector aggregation decreases the effective contact rate and therefore the predicted abundance of infected hosts. His model takes this into account. Eventually overcrowding leads to emigration of vectors and dispersal of inoculum to other fields. In contrast, Mike Jeger (the Netherlands) discussed modelling virus source effects in tree nurseries rather than vector populations. Sarah Pethybridge (Australia) described using spatial analyses of spread patterns of three viruses in hop plantations to hypothesise on the means of spread. Plants infected with prunus necrotic ringspot virus were significantly aggregated down rows suggesting contact spread during mowing of the understory of young hop growth rather than sread than via pollen transmission. In contrast, the random distribution of the hop carlavirus suggested spread by alate aphid vectors. Merrit Nelson (USA) then gave a ‘big picture’ account of analysis of regional virus epidemics and vector incidence using GIS and geostatics to guide management decisions. Recurring patterns of incidence and risk of virus disease develop on a regional scale because of the cumulative effect of local landscape elements. GIS and geostatics help in understanding and communicating these site-specific patterns. Pamela Anderson (CIAT) described the ongoing development of a mathematical model as an analytical tool to prioritise integrated virus disease management research on whitefly transmitted viruses in Latin America. This was another ‘big picture’ talk covering the situation, particularly in tomatoes, in Latin America and the Caribbean. Using sensitivity analysis, her model provides recommendations on the future epidemiological research needed and the most epidemiologically cost effective IPM tactics to employ. Forest Nutter (USA) reported on temporal and spatial analysis of data on spread of two phytoplasma diseases infecting papaya plantations in the Northern Territory of Australia. Debbie Thackray (Australia) described a simulation model forecasting aphid outbreaks and cucumber mosaic virus epidemics in lupin crops in the mediterranean type climate of Western Australia. Her model is based primarily upon rainfall during late summer and early autumn. This determines the availability of herbaceous host plants (mainly weeds) on which aphids build up before moving into crops sown in late autumn or early winter. The model successfully predicted the time of arrival and build up of aphids, spread of CMV, yield loss and virus transmission to harvested seed.

The fifth oral session was entitled ‘epidemiology of arthropod-borne viruses’. Anna Maria Pereira (Portugal) reported on the occurrence of tospoviruses since Western Flower Thrips was first found in 1989 in Portugal. Tomato spotted wilt virus was first found in the following year and impatiens necrotic spot virus in 1994. The former is now widespread. Mariano Camba (Spain) reported on citrus tristeza virus in Valencia. Models of spatial and temporal spread have been established in different areas. Dick Peters (the Netherlands) described different patterns of spread of rice yellow mottle virus in irrigated rice in Africa and concluded that most were consistent with contact rather than beetle transmission. Pablo Vercruysse (Belgium) reported on facets of the epidemiology of the carrot motley dwarf complex in parsley. Mats Lindblad (Sweden) descibed the epidemiology and control of the leafhopper-borne wheat dwarf virus in winter wheat. Leafhoppers brought in the virus to wheat crops in autumn and spraying with pyrethroids in spring halved the final numbers of infected plants. Abdullah Gera (Israel) described transmission of iris yellow spot tospovirus by Thrips tabaci. The virus and vector were widespread in onion growing areas. Angeles Achon (Spain) reported on the occurrence of maize dwarf mosaic and sugar cane mosaic viruses infecting maize. The former was by far the most abundant in Spain where Sorghum halepense was the key reservoir host.

The sixth and final oral session dealt with ‘management and control strategies’. Fernando Ponz (Spain) described a way of classifying isolates of potato virus Y from pepper distinguishing four groups based on their reactions to pepper virus resistance alleles. Peter Thomas (USA) gave a paper on pathogen derived transgenic resistance. The resistance of 512 transformed lines of potato containing replicase constructs of potato leaf roll virus were tested against 66 isolates of the virus in the field. Some lines were identified with a ‘high level of resistance’ but still in these the eyes of occasional tubers were infected at harvest and by the end of storage it had spread widely within them. Spread of the virus to transgenic plants in the field was much less common than to non-transgenic potato plants. Michel Ravelandro (France) reported on the performance of a transgenic plum line (C5) transformed with a coat protein construct of plum pox virus. It withstood field exposure under high inoculum pressure in Poland without becoming infected with the virus. Amit Gal-On (Israel) described production of a full length infectious clone (AG1) of attenuated zuchini yellow mosaic virus that harbours a point mutation which abolishes aphid transmission. Field experiments in squash and watermelon demonstrated a protective effect of the clone when used for cross protection. Tefion Jones (UK) reported that, in assessments made over 5 years in the field, blackcurrant gene Ce conferred effective resistance to blackcurrant reversion disease and to its gall mite vector. A second gene P conferred only partial resistance to both. Yeheskel Antignus (Israel) provided an update on the use of UV-absorbing polythene in plastic houses to protect against infestation with B. tabaci type B and western flower thrips vectors. Dramatic reductions in insect vector numbers were recorded where UV light is removed by making plant houses of this plastic. This results in greatly decreased virus spread, eg with tomato yellow leaf curl in tomato. UV absorbing screens of 50 mesh size, but not larger, were also effective. There was little effect on the growth of vegetables but ornamentals sometimes developed unwanted flower pigments. The final two papers dealt with integrated disease management strategies for virus disease control, the first from a virologists perspective and the second from and entomologists standpoint. Roger Jones (Australia) described the development of effective integrated disease management strategies that have been widely adopted for control of cucumber mosaic and bean yellow mosaic viruses in lupins. Inoculum introduced with the lupin seed constitutes the primary source with the former while the latter invades the lupin crop from adjacent annual clover pastures. Differences in the measures adopted between the two viruses reflect this source difference. Management involves sowing lupin seed with minimal virus infection (cucumber mosaic), perimeter non-host crop barriers (bean yellow mosaic), promoting early canopy cover, retaining stubble groundcover, improved weed control and isolation (both viruses). Mike Irwin (USA) stressed the problems of using traditional IPM approaches for controlling insect feeding damage when dealing with insect vectors and attempts to minimise spread of the viruses they transmit. He also emphasised the additive effect in terms of the amount of control obtained when different types of control measures are combined and the importance of considering interactions.

The symposium was very intensive with many contributions packed into each oral session. There was also a very extensive set of poster presentations complementing the oral sessions, but covering a much broader range of issues, often with very up-to-date information. The book of abstracts can be referred to for details of these. The conference dinner on the last day was most enjoyable complete with delicious Spanish food, a fine array of local wines and "flamenco" dancing.

In conclusion, the symposium was well organised, productive and informative. There was a lot of stimulating discussion both in the formal sessions and, especially, outside them. The hotel where the meeting was held and its location were well chosen. I have returned home in an enthused frame of mind with a lot of new information and contacts useful not only to me but also to the rest of the group I work with. The organisers of the symposium, Alberto Fereres and his helpers from Madrid and Almeria, should be heartily congratulated on a job well done. I thank the British Society for Plant Pathology for the travel award that enabled me to attend, participate in and present research at this important and memorable meeting.

Roger Jones, Co-operative Research Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture and Agriculture Western Australia; e-mail: <rjones@agric.wa.gov.au>.

The Mediterranean Phytopathological Union and the International Council on Grapevine Trunk Diseases are organizing the 1st International Workshop on Grapevine Trunk Diseases - Esca (Black Measles) and Grapevine Decline. It will be held in Tuscany, Italy, from 1 to 2 October 1999.

Over the last decade there has been a dramatic increase in the incidence and severity of Esca (Black Measles) disease in many viticultural areas of the Mediterranean region and of North and South America. At the same time, a decline of young vines has spread in the replanting of vineyards in South Africa, California and Southern Europe. This type of decline appears to be linked to fungus infections of the wood from which most of the organisms associated with Esca have been isolated. Pathogenicity tests have shown the stunting ability of these fungi on young vines.

The objectives of the International Workshop are to bring together and to review the results of ongoing research and to identify areas of international collaboration with the aim of expediting the development of more effective control measures.

The workshop will be structured on a number of invited lectures and the presentation of contributed papers. Four sessions are planned as follows:

Session 1: Esca Disease

Session 2: Young Grapevine Decline

Session 3: Etiology and Taxonomy of the fungi involved

Session 4: Epidemiology and Control

Those who are interested in the subject are invited to submit contributions and to participate in the workshop, by contacting The Secretarial Office, MPU: Laura Mugnai, Istituto di Patologia e Zoologia forestale e agraria, Piazzale delle Cascine 28, 50144 Firenze, Italy; Fax. +39-055-354786; e-mail: <laura@ipaf.fi.cnr.it>.

Professionals from Asian and all over the world are invited to participate in ACPP 2000 which will be held in Beijing, China, from 25-28 August 2000. The conference will consider the many problems of common concern for crop diseases in Asia, under the theme "Beginning of New Century - New Step in Plant Pathology in Asia". It will be set in Beijing, an ancient city with a history of civilisation reaching back over 3000 years and with historic sites such as the Great Wall and the Palace Museum.

The conference is sponsored by the Chinese Society for Plant Pathology, and co-sponsored by The Phytopathological Society of Japan and the Korean Society of Plant Pathology, and undertaken by the China International Conference Center for Science and Technology.

Contact: Liyun Guo, Secretariat of ACPP 2000, Chinese Society for Plant Pathology, Plant Protection Building No.313, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China; Fax: +86-10-62891025; e-mail: <bauicbe@public.bta.net.cn>.

See the web site: <http://www.chinapp.com>.

The annual meeting of the Phytopathological Society of Japan was held in Niigata from 2 - 4 April 1999. The meeting was organized by Professor Makoto Kojima of Niigata University. The attendance at the meeting was 818 scientists and 390 papers were presented.

At the meeting, a new council was elected comprising:

President: Dr Tsuyoshi Takahashi, Professor of Iwate University;

Vice-President: Dr Yoshio Ehara, Professor of Tohoku University;

Secretary-General: Dr Yohachiro Honda, Associate Director for Research, Department of Plant Protection, National Agriculture Research Center, Tsukuba;

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

Editor-in-Chief for Journal of General Plant Pathology (JGPP): Dr Shigeyuki Mayama, Professor of Kobe University. JGPP is planned to be published by the Society from the year 2000.

Also, new ISPP council members were elected for 1999-2004 comprising: Dr Tadaaki Hibi, Professor of University of Tokyo; Dr Mitsuro Kameya-Iwaki, Professor of Yamaguchi University; Dr Shigeyuki Mayama, Professor of Kobe University; Dr Shinji Tsuyumu, Professor of Shizuoka University; Dr Ichiro Uye da, Professor of Hokkaido University.

The current membership of the Society is 2120.

Further information may be obtained from Professor Shigeyuki Mayama, Laboratory of Plant Pathology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kobe University, Rokkodai 1-1, Nada-ku, Kobe 657-8501, Japan; Fax: +81-78-803-5865; e-mail: <mayama@kobe-u.ac.jp>.

I was fascinated by an article entitled "Coming to Genomics" by Dr R J Zeyen of the University of Minnesota, USA, in the April 1999 issue of Phytopathology News 33 (4): 67 and 70. Particularly, I appreciated the description of the potential of the technology of DNA microarray to enable finding out which plant genes are switched on during active defences against infection. As a person who has had a career-long interest in the process of disease resistance, and who has seen numerous papers in the past decade indicating the involvement of numerous "response" genes either after recognitional events following R and Avr gene interaction or after application of activators of systemic resistance, I welcome the prospect of getting a full picture of the plant’s reaction system.

Dr Zeyen’s article goes beyond this satisfying prospect to further and deeper implications of genomics for the 21st century leading to what he terms an "inevitable intellectual and post-genomic revolution".

An Introduction to Molecular and Genomic Techniques is being offered just prior to the APS/CPS annual meeting in Montreal, Canada, in August 1999 (see Coming Events). For more information, visit <http://www.scisoc.org/opae/shortcourse/imb.htm>.

Brian J Deverall

From South Africa comes news of a Biotech SA 2000 meeting in the broad area of Experimental Biology, Biotechnology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Plant Pathology. Four different scientific societies including the South African Society for Plant Pathology (SASPP) have combined resources in order to run this event to be held in Grahamstown, South Africa, from 23-28 January 2000. There is also the opportunity for a budget holiday in the East Cape Coastal Resorts around the conference week.

For further information, contact the BIO Y2K Secretariat, c/o Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa; Fax: +27-46-6223984; e-mail: <bioy2k@ru.ac.za>.

This is the theme of the 12th Biennial Australasian Plant Pathology Society Conference to be held in Canberra, Australia, from 27-30 September 1999 (see Coming Events).

The web-site provides updating information at <http://www.ozemail.com.au/~williap/Conference/Conference.html>.

The 3rd International Bacterial Wilt Symposium will be held at Sun City, Republic of South Africa, in late January or early February 2002. There are excellent facilities for conferences, accommodation and recreation. It is very well placed for pre- and post-conference tours including to the Kruger National Park.

For further information, 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>.

Scientists interested in the future of the Bacterial Wilt Newsletter are asked to contact the current Editor, Dr Chris Hayward, as soon as possible and before 1 September 1999, because soon after that he hopes to be able to introduce a new Editor in a different part of the world. Chris’s address is Dr A C Hayward, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia 4072, Queensland, Australia. In the same time frame, alternatively contact Dr Philippe Prior at the same address; Fax: +61-7-3365-1566; e-mail: <prior@biosci.uq.edu.au>.

For the last 30 years, the Biochemistry Department of INSA-Lyon (France) has turned out more than 1000 ingeneers. In collaboration with colleagues of the Claude Bernard University - Lyon I, it wishes to develop teaching and research on Plant Molecular Genetics and Physiology, and is looking to recruit a Professor to begin in September 2000.

Pedagogy profile: the applicant will have a good experience of plant biology teaching, be able to reorganize the teaching for under-and post-graduate students at the Lyon - I University, and be able to develop a high level course in the Biochemistry Department of INSA.

Research profile: ideally, the applicant will know plant mechanisms developed in reaction to agressors, especially knowledge of plant/insect interactions will be greatly appreciated, and will have a mastery of molecular biology tools.

The purpose is to set up a research laboratory in the field of plant/insect interactions, in close collaboration with the group associated with INRA, which studies these problems from the insect point of view. The study of specific mechanisms implicated in the production of entomotoxic proteins might be considered.

For further questions, please contact Professeur Jean-Michel Fayard, Laboratoire de Biologie Appliquée, INSA Biochimie, Bat 406, 20 Av. A. Einstein, 69621 Villeurbanne cedex France; Fax: +33-4-72-43-85-34; e-mail: <jmfayard@insa.insa-lyon.fr>.

ISHS announces the XIVth International Symposium on Horticultural Economics in Guernsey, Channel Islands, UK from 12-15 September 2000.

For further information, contact John Ogier, ISHS Economic Symposium, Raymond Falla House, P O Box 459, Longue Rue, St Martin’s, Guernsey, Channel Islands, via UK GY1 6AF; Fax: +44-1481-35015; e-mail: <info@horticulture.guernsey.net>.

13th John Innes Symposium, Attack & Defence in Plant Disease in Norwich, UK.
20-23 July 1999.
Contact: Mrs Jeni Fox, John Innes Centre, Norwich, NR4 7UH, UK; Fax: +44-1603-456844; e-mail: jennifer.fox@bbsrc.ac.uk

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>.

9th International Congress of Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
25-30 July 1999.
Contact: Eurocongres, J van Goyenkade 11, 1075 HP Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Fax: +31-20-673-73-06; e-mail: Eurocongres@RAI.NL

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.
7-11 August 1999.
Contact: Faye Labatt, APS, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St Paul MN 55121, USA; e-mail: <flabatt@scisoc.org>.

Sensory Responses of Fungi in Manchester, UK.
9-12 August 1999.
Contact: Dr Geoff Robson, School of Biological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PT, UK; Fax: +44-161-275-5656; e-mail: <geoff.robson@man.ac.uk>.

The XIth International Congress of Virology in Sydney, Australia.
9-13 August 1999.
Contact IUMS, 9-20 August 1999, Congress Secretariat, GPO Box 128, Sydney, NSW 2001, Australia, or visit the website at <http://biology.anu.edu.au/IUMS/>.

15th Meeting of the International Working Group on Legume Viruses in Perth, Australia.
15-17 August 1999.
Contact: Dr Jane Gibbs, Workshop Co-ordinator, CLIMA, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Australia 6907; Fax: +61-8-9380-1140; e-mail: djgibbs@cyllene.uwa.edu.au

The IXth International Congress of Bacteriology and Applied Microbiology in Sydney, Australia.
16-20 August 1999.
Contact IUMS, 9-20 August 1999, Congress Secretariat, GPO Box 128, Sydney, NSW 2001, Australia.

The IXth International Congress of Mycology in Sydney, Australia.
16-20 August 1999.
Contact IUMS, 9-20 August 1999, Congress Secretariat, GPO Box 128, Sydney, NSW 2001, Australia.

Methods and Markers for Quality Assurance in Micropropagation in Cork, Ireland.
24-27 August 1999.
Contact: Prof A C Cassells, Plant Science Department, University College, Cork, Ireland; Fax: +353-903294; e-mail: <a.cassells@ucc.ie> or <ishs@ucc.ie>. Web-site: <http://www.ucc.ie/ucc/depts/biotech/ishs>.

Pseudomonas ’99: Biotechnology and Pathogenesis in Maui, Hawaii.
1-5 September 1999.
See <http://www.asmusa.org/mtgsrc/>.

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. See web site: <http://www.cimmyt.mx>.

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.  For updates, please follow the APPS Website at <www.ozemail.com.au/~williap>.

International Working Group on Plant Viruses with Fungal Vectors in Monterey, California.
5-8 October 1999.
Contact: John L Sherwood; Fax: +1-706-542-1262; e-mail: <sherwood@arches.uga.edu> or see the web-site <www.res.bbsrc.ac.uk/plantpath/Iwgpvfv/Monterey.html>

British Society for Plant Pathology Presidential Meeting: Vector-pathogen-plant interactions in UK.
December 1999.
Contact: Dr Mark J Hocart, Crop Science & Technology, SAC Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH12 8NJ, UK; Fax: +44-131-667-2601; e-mail: m.hocart@ed.sac.ac.uk

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>

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

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.chinaspp.com>.

Symposium on Chemical and Non-Chemical Soil Disinfestation in Turin, Italy.
11- 15 September 2000.
Contact: M Lodovica Gullino, Di Va P R A - Patologia vegetale, Via L da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco (Torino), Italy; Fax: +39-011-6708541; e-mail : gullino@agraria.unito.it

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

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/>.