In this issue:
Books Arising from ICPP2008 in Torino
Four books will soon be published arising from some of the sessions at
the 9th International Congress of Plant Pathology (ICPP2008) held in
Torino, Italy, in August 2008. They are based on invited lectures and have
been written up under the co-editorship of subject leaders and Professor
Maria Lodovica Gullino, who was Chairperson of the Congress and is now
President of ISPP. They will be published in the coming months by Springer
as a series on "Plant Pathology in the 21st Century". The books
are:
"Recent developments in management of plant diseases" edited
by U Gisi, I Chet and M L Gullino.
"Post-harvest pathology" edited by D Prusky and M L Gullino.
"The role of plant pathology in food safety and food
security" edited by R N Strange and M L Gullino.
"Knowledge and technology transfer for plant pathology"
edited by N Hardwick and M L Gullino.
See: http://www.springer.com/series/8169
.
The American Phytopathological Society 2009 Awardees
The American Phytopathological Society (APS) has announced the
recipients of its 2009 awards, which were presented at the APS Annual
Meeting held in August 2009 in Portland, Oregon, USA.
The following were recognized as Fellows in recognition of
distinguished contributions to plant pathology or the society:
James C. Carrington, Oregon State University; Martin Carson, USDA-ARS;
Ann Renee Chase, Chase Horticultural Research, Inc.; Cesare Gessler, ETH
Zurich; Walter Douglas Gubler, University of California-Davis; John
Franklin Leslie, Kansas State University; David Marshall, USDA-ARS;
Richard Nelson, Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation; Timothy Paulitz, USDA-ARS;
Patrick M. Phipps, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University;
Herman B. Scholthof, Texas A&M University; and Robert Zeigler,
International Rice Research Institute.
See: http://www.apsnet.org/members/awards/2009Awardees.asp
for full details about the Fellows and about awardees in other categories.
Emerging Pathogens Institute
The Emerging Pathogens Institute (EPI) of the University of Florida in
Gainesville, Florida, USA, was initiated in 2006, but a new three-story
building with 80,000 square feet (almost 7500 m2) lab and office space has
just been finished. The building has containment facilities at the BSL2
and 3 level. On the roof top, there is a BSL3 greenhouse. So far, the
faculty and staff of the EPI were scattered throughout Gainesville (and
other locations in the USA), but will move into the new building in
September 2009. This is a unique opportunity for collaboration among
plant-, veterinary- and medical epidemiologists, molecular biologists,
quantitative ecologists, economists and sociologists. Emerging pathogens
form a real threat to Florida, with its international trade and tourism.
Since March 2009, Ariena van Bruggen has a dual appointment at both the
EPI and the plant pathology department of the University of Florida, where
she will teach an epidemiology course. She will continue with research on
enteric pathogens associated with vegetables and will initiate new
projects. Other plant pathologists are informally associated with the
Institute. If you are looking for an opportunity to spend a sabbatical
leave in Gainesville, you may want to consider the EPI. Ariena may be
contacted at ahcvanbruggen@ufl.edu
.
See: http://epi.ufl.edu .
Arthur Kelman - International Phytobacteriologist
Tribute was made in the August issue of this Newsletter to the many
contributions made by the late Arthur Kelman to plant pathology. Dr Kelman
carried out teaching and research in forest pathology but was best known
for his work on plant diseases caused by bacteria, a field in which he
played a leading and highly influential role for more than four decades.
Together with accomplished co-workers and graduate students he made
notable contributions to diagnostic and isolation methods, understanding
of host-parasite relationships, and control methods for bacterial wilt
caused by Ralstonia solanacearum and the soft rots caused by the Erwinia
spp. (now reclassified into Pectobacterium and Dickeya).
Dr Kelman's work was characterized by great thoroughness and critical
attention to detail. One of his earliest contributions, a review of the
literature on bacterial wilt (Kelman 1953) was also one of his finest, and
illustrates well the qualities which marked the man and his work. This
review cites more than 850 references, many of them in inaccessible
journals and published in languages other than English. For example, a
large part of the early work on bacterial wilt was carried out by Dutch
workers in Indonesia in the early decades of the 20th century. It was a
monumental achievement in information retrieval to have assembled all of
this work into a comprehensive review which has been the starting point
for all later workers on this destructive soil-borne disease of a wide
range of vegetable and other crops in the tropics and sub-tropics.
Kelman, A (1953). The bacterial wilt caused by Pseudomonas
solanacearum: a literature review and bibliography. North Carolina
Agricultural Experiment Station, Technical Bulletin No. 99. pp. 194.
Arthur Kelman was responsible in collaboration with Dr Luis Sequeira
for organising the first Planning Conference and Workshop on the Ecology
and Control of Bacterial Wilt caused by Pseudomonas solanacearum
held at North Carolina State University in 1976. This meeting was the
precursor of the International Conferences on bacterial wilt starting in
Taiwan in 1992, which are now held on a four or five year cycle and have
contributed greatly to international collaboration and understanding of
all aspects of the biology and control of a highly destructive disease.
Dr Kelman was a guide, mentor and inspiration to many younger
scientists who came under his influence; he was an unfailing collaborator
who has left a lasting legacy.
Chris Hayward haywd123@optusnet.com.au.
IX International Mango Symposium in China
This symposium is announced to take place in Sanya, Hainan Province,
China, in April 2010 (see "Coming Events"). The theme is
"Mango for everyone every day and from everywhere". The previous
symposium in the series was three years ago in South Africa. A broad
scientific program embracing oral presentations, posters and field visits
is planned. The scientific sessions will include "Diseases and Pest
Control" and "Postharvest Pathology".
Sanya is a very important Chinese region for mango production, as well
as being a tropical paradise. It makes a good meeting place for
scientists, professionals, technicians and students interested in basic
and applied research in mango, and for mango farmers, plantation owners,
traders and market development agents.
The symposium is organized as an activity of the Section for Tropical
and Subtropical Fruits of the International Society for Horticultural
Sciences. The Hainan Shenquan Group Co Ltd, a company enterprizing in
mango farming, rubber plantation and hotel development, will be the host
of the symposium, and the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural
Sciences the co-host.
All information will be available at http://www.mango2010.cn
.
For any further inquiries, contact mango_nantian@yahoo.com.cn
.
Dr Ping Lu and Professor Qiubo Chen, Chairmen of the Organizing
Committee.
Fungi of Australia: The Smut Fungi
"Fungi of Australia: The Smut Fungi" by Kálman Vánky of the
Herbarium Ustilaginales Vánky, Germany, and Roger G Shivas and Dean
Beasley of the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland,
Australia, has been published by CSIRO and the Australian Biological
Resources Study (ABRS). There are 276 pages. An accompanying CD-ROM is by
Dean Beasley. The Hardback & CD ISBN is 9780643095366.
This is the first overview of the Australian smut fungi in almost 100
years, and includes identification keys to genera and species, full
synonymy, descriptions and comprehensive lists of specimens. In Australia,
the smut fungi include 296 species in 43 genera. The accompanying CD
incorporates a Lucid Player and provides an easy-to-use, interactive
key to the smut species, with comprehensive fact-sheets, distribution maps
and over 1000 images.
See: http://www.publish.csiro.au/pid/5729.htm
.
Bill Pont
Bill Pont died recently at the age of 89. He will be well remembered by
his colleagues in plant pathology in Australia, and particularly in the
Queensland State Department, and in the north of that state where he
worked for most of his career. One part of his early work attracted
attention more widely among those interested in the then slender evidence
that resistance to a pathogen can be induced systemically after localised
earlier infection.
After serving in World War II, he was appointed to a newly created
plant pathology position near Cairns in the first regional plant pathology
laboratory in Queensland. Bill established control measures for the major
diseases of bananas (leafspot and speckle) and tobacco (blue mould).
During the summer wet season he worked on the coast with bananas, then
concentrated on the tobacco crop based on the Atherton Tableland.
He often saw the development of blue mould disease in field tobacco
following natural infection by Peronospora tabacina, and he
observed that moderately stem-infected plants became less severely
affected by the disease on the foliage than neighbouring plants which had
no stem infection. He described this in:- Pont W (1959). Blue mould (Peronospora
tabacina Adam) of tobacco in North Queensland: some aspects of
chemical control. Queensland Journal of Agricultural Science 16, 299-327.
Researchers in the CSIRO Division of Plant Industry in Canberra,
Australia, then re-explored the phenomenon under glasshouse and field
conditions and confirmed it as :- Cruickshank I A M & Mandryk M
(1960). The effect of stem infestation of tobacco with Peronospora
tabacina on foliage infection to blue mould. Journal of the
Australian Institute of Agricultural Science 26, 369-372.
At the time, it could not be concluded that the local infections on
stems directly induced resistance in the foliage, because some change in
growth habit also occurred suggesting that this may be having indirect
effects. Bill's reports, however, are often cited by researchers on
tobacco and other plants where the induction of systemic resistance by
localised pathogenesis, chemical activators and root-associated organisms
has now become well known, and in some cases extended to field control
procedures. Great respect is paid to Bill Pont's powers of observation and
assessment.
Brian Deverall acknowledges input on Bill's life and career in
Queensland, via Liz Dann and Ken Pegg, from Rob O'Brien and a eulogy by
Bill's son, Greg.
On-Farm Research
The Plant Management Network has made available webcasts from an
"On-Farm Research Conference" at Iowa State University, USA,
designed to help growers make good management decisions from their
research.
The titles of the webcasts include: Planning an Experiment; How to
Improve Chances of a Successful Trial; Tools for Conducting On-Farm
Research; Soil Fertility On-Farm Research Methods and Measurements; Basics
of Data Collection; Managing Data in On-Farm Research; Collecting
Agronomic Production Data; Methods for Collecting Plant Disease Data;
Collecting Insect Data; Weather/Climate Information for Agricultural
Research; Economics and On-Farm Research; Instrumentation, Sample, and
Data Handling.
See: http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/onfarm
. The first webcast is freely accessible for all. The rest can be accessed
by staff and students of the Plant Management Network's partnering
universities and companies, and by current individual subscribers. Others
must subscribe for an annual fee ranging from US$38 to 45.
Climate Change and Social Tensions
ISPP Secretary-General Greg Johnson found an article entitled "A
Brief History of Climate Change and Conflict" in the Bulletin of the
Atomic Scientists and passed it on for ISPP members to study.
The article is by James R Lee, the associate director of the Center for
Teaching Excellence and a professor in the School of International Service
at American University, Washington, DC, USA. He has extensive experience
as an analyst of international trade, environmental policy, and security
issues. He is the author of "Climate Change and Armed Conflict".
Quoting from an early paragraph in the article shows the nature of the
argument. "In recent years, many foreign affairs experts have
attempted to demonstrate the linkages between climate change and the
social tensions that can lead to conflict. While critics may believe this
is simply a fad in international affairs, history suggests otherwise. Over
the last few millennia, climate change has been a factor in conflict and
social collapse around the world. The changing climate has influenced how
and where people migrate, affected group power relations, and provided new
resources to societies while taking away others. Such circumstances cause
large-scale alterations in lifestyles and illustrate pathways from climate
change to conflict."
The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists informs the public about threats
to the survival and development of humanity from nuclear weapons, climate
change, and emerging technologies in the life sciences. This Bulletin was
established in 1945 by scientists, engineers, and other experts who had
created the atomic bomb as part of the Manhattan Project.
See: http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/features/brief-history-of-climate-change-and-conflict.
Coming Events
2nd World Seed Conference "Responding to the Challenges of the
Changing World: The Role of New Plant Varieties and High Quality Seed in
Agriculture" at FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy. 8-10 September 2009.
See: http://worldseedconference.org/en/worldseedconference/home.html
.
"Genetics 100 Years On" a symposium at the John Innes Centre,
Norwich, UK. 9-11 September 2009. See: http://www.jic.ac.uk/centenary/events/Genetics100YearsOn/
.
Potatoes: Viruses and their Vectors, in Edinburgh, UK. 16 September
2009. See: http://www.aab.org.uk/ .
BSPP Presidential Meeting 2009 "Darwin to Disease; Crops and their
pathogens" - Celebrating Darwin's 200th Birthday - University Museum,
Oxford, UK. 22 September 2009. See: http://www.bspp.org.uk/
.
Annual Meeting of SIPAV, the Italian Society for Plant Pathology, in
Locorotondo, Bari, Italy. 28 September-1 October 2009.
APPS 2009 "Plant Health Management-An Integrated Approach" at
the Civic Precinct, Newcastle, NSW, Australia. 30 September-2 October
2009. See: http://www.apps2009.org.au/
.
Agriculture: Africa's "Engine for Growth - Plant Science &
Biotechnology hold the Key" at Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts,
UK. 12-14 October 2009. See: www.aab.org.uk/contentok.php?id=83&basket=wwsshowconfdets
.
The 13th World Forestry Congress (Forests in development - a vital
balance) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 18-25 October 2009. See http://www.wfc2009.org/index_1024.html
. E-mail: info@wfc2009.org .
CABI Global Summit-food security in a climate of change-in London, UK.
19-21 October, 2009. See: http://www.cabi.org/foodsecurity
.
5th International Plant Protection Symposium (IPPS) at Debrecen
University, Hungary. 20-22 October 2009. Contact: G J Kovics, Secretary of
Symposium, kovics@agr.unideb.hu
.
9th International Congress on Plant Molecular Biology in St Louis,
Missouri, USA. 25-30 October 2009. Contact: ipmb2009@missouri.edu
. See: www.ipmb2009.org .
The 10th Arab Congress of Plant Protection in Beirut, Lebanon. 26-30
October 2009. See also flyer linked from an item in the May 2009
Newsletter. Contact: aspp@terra.net.lb
or acpp2009@cnrs.edu.lb .
"First International Conference of Mycops" in the Institute
of Mycology and Plant Pathology, University of Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
9-11 November 2009. Contact: Professor Dr Rukshana Bajwa director@mpp.pu.edu.pk
or the Conference Secretary Dr Sarwar Alam drssalam@yahoo.com
.
British Crop Production Council, BCPC Congress 2009, at the Scottish
Exhibition & Conference Centre, Glasgow, United Kingdom. 9-11 November
2009. See: www.bcpccongress.com
.
The 2009 International Conference on Horticulture in Bangalore,
Karnataka, India. 9-12 November 2009. See: http://www.pnasf.org/ich2009.htm
.
5th International Conference on Plant Pathology, with the theme
"Plant pathology in the globalized era", at the Indian
Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India. 10-13 November 2009.
Contact: ipsdis@indiatimes.comor ipsdis@yahoo.com
.
2009 National Fusarium Head Blight Forum in Orlando, Florida, USA. 7-9
December 2009. See: http://www.scabusa.org/forum09.html
. For more information, contact: scabusa@scabusa.org
.
National Soybean Rust Symposium in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. 9-11
December 2009. Contact: dorrance.1@osu.edu
.
Advances in Nematology in London, UK. 15 December 2009. See: http://www.aab.org.uk/
.
Plant Microbial Interactions: positive and negative interactions in
relation to agricultural and natural ecosystem function in Grantham, UK.
15-16 December 2009. See: http://www.aab.org.uk/
.
International Advances in Pesticide Application in Cambridge, UK. 5-7
January 2010. See: http://www.aab.org.uk/
.
7th International Workshop on Grapevine Trunk Diseases in Santa Cruz,
Chile. 17-21 January 2010. See: http://www.icgtd.org/7IWGTD.html
.
Global Biosecurity 2010, Safeguarding Agriculture and the Environment,
at the Brisbane Convention Center, Queensland, Australia. 23 February-3
March 2010. See: www.globalbiosecurity2010.com
.
Phytophthora Diseases in Forest Trees and Natural Ecosystems - 5th
Meeting of the IUFRO Working Group in Rotorua, New Zealand. 7-12 March
2010. Queries to Pam Taylor, phone: +64-7-3435727, Fax: +64-7-3480952.
Email: pam.taylor@scionresearch.com
.
Plasmodesmata 2010, 7th International Conference, Sydney, Australia.
21-26 March 2010. See: http://www.bio.usyd.edu.au/pd2010/
. Contact: pd2010@bio.usyd.edu.au
.
IX International Mango Symposium in Sanya, Hainan Island, China. 8-12
April 2010. See: http://www.mango2010.cn
.
13th Congress of the Mediterranean Phytopathological Union in Rome,
Italy. 13-18 June 2010. See: www.mpunion.com
. Contact: laura.mugnai@unifi.it
.
International Plant Virus Epidemiology Symposium in Cornell, New York,
USA. 20-24 June 2010. See: http://www.isppweb.org/ICPVE/
. Contact: Professor Alberto Fereres at afereres@ccma.csic.es
.
12th IUPAC International Congress of Pesticide Chemistry in Melbourne,
Australia. 4-8 July 2010. See: http://www.iupacicpc2010.org/
.
XVII Congress of the Federation of European Societies of Plant Biology
(FESPB) in Valencia, Spain. 4-9 July 2010. See: http://www.geyseco.es/fespb/principal.php?seccion=general
. Contact: fespb2010@geyseco.es
.
34th International Carrot Conference in Kennewick, Washington State,
USA. 26-27 July 2010. Contact: Lindsey DuToit dutoit@wsu.edu
.
9th International Mycological Congress (IMC9) "The Biology of
Fungi" in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK. 1-6 August 2010. See: http://www.imc9.info/
.
APS Annual Meeting 2010 at Opryland, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. 7-11
August 2010. See: http://www.apsnet.org
.
XXVIII International Horticultural Congress (IHC2010) in Lisbon,
Portugal. 22-27 August 2010. Contact: info@ihc2010.org
. See: http://www.ihc2010.org .
The 8th International Conference on Pseudomonas syringae and
Related Pathogens in Oxford, UK. 31 August-3 September 2010. See: www.reading.ac.uk/Psyringae2010
. Contact: syringae2010@plants.ox.ac.uk
.
3rd AAB Symposium on Potato Cyst Nematodes in Newport, UK. 14-15
September 2010. See: http://www.aab.org.uk/
.
The 18th Biennial Australasian Plant Pathology Meeting and 4th Asian
Conference for Plant Pathology, a Joint Conference, at the Darwin
Convention Centre, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. 27-29 April
2011. Watch: http://www.appsnet.org
.
XVIII International Botanical Congress - 2011 in Melbourne, Australia.
24-30 July 2011. See: http://www.ibc2011.com/
.
Joint Meeting of APS and IAPPS in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. 6-10 August
2011. See: http://www.apsnet.org .
10th International Congress of Plant Pathology 2013 (ICPP2013)
"Bio-security, Food Safety and Plant Pathology: The Role of Plant
Pathology in a Globalized Economy" in Beijing, China. 25-31 August
2013. Watch: http://www.isppweb.org/congress.asp
.
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