Produced by the International Association for the Plant Protection Sciences (IAPPS). To join IAPPS and receive the Crop Protection journal online go to: www.plantprotection.org
The 2024 Fungal Pathogen Genomics workshop will take place 2-7 June 2024 in Hinxton, UK. This immersive week-long training is sponsored by the Wellcome Trust Advanced Courses Program, offering experimental biologists and geneticists working with fungal and oomycete species practical training in genomic-scale data analysis using web-based data-mining resources including FungiDB, Ensembl Fungi, SGD/CGD and MycoCosm.
Training includes lectures, hands-on exercises, group projects, and seminars featuring distinguished guest speakers. Throughout the course, attendees will acquire expertise in data mining and analysis using tools provided by various fungal informatics resources. Highlights include:
– learning to access, assess, and integrate information on gene structure, epigenetics, expression, function, population diversity, comparative genomics, etc, carrying out in silico experiments on hundreds of supported fungal/oomycete taxa
– conducting RNA-Seq and SNP analysis and visualization of your own (or any publicly available) data using the VEuPathDB Galaxy workspace
– identifying secondary metabolite clusters in MycoCosm
– discovering virulence genes and annotations in Ensembl Fungi/PHI-Base
– accessing genetic interactions in CGD/SGD
– contributing your insights on specific genes (or lists of genes) via User Comments or manual genome curation in Apollo
– identifying gene (sets) of interest for analysis of GO term or pathway enrichment, further analysis using other informatics resources, or experimental analysis in the lab/field
Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your skills in pathogen genomics! If you – or others in your group are interested – further information and application materials are available at:
Note that the application deadline of 29 February 2024 is fast approaching. Applications are accepted from anywhere in the world; the Trust covers all local expenses, and limited bursary support for travel may be available for selected applicants who would not otherwise be able to attend the workshop.
Yours in science — Eve Basenko, Nishadi de Silva & David S Roos … on behalf of all workshop organizers and instructors
John Leslie
For more information contact: John Leslie <jfl@KSU.EDU>
26th Biannual International Plant Resistance to Insects (IPRI) Symposium
The 26th Biannual International Plant Resistance to Insects (IPRI) Symposium (IPRI 2024) will be jointly hosted by the World Vegetable Center, National Taiwan University, and National Chung Hsing University. The event is scheduled to take place from April 22nd to 25th, 2024, at the World Vegetable Center in Tainan, Taiwan. The primary objective of this symposium is to bring together leading experts, researchers, and practitioners from across the globe to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and foster collaboration in the field of plant resistance to insects.
IPRI 2024 aims to address insect-related challenges in agriculture by exploring innovative strategies, presenting cutting-edge research, and discussing practical solutions. The goal is to develop effective and sustainable approaches to combat insect-related issues. The symposium will feature a diverse program covering various topics, including insect-plant interactions, genetic resistance mechanisms, breeding for insect resistance, integrated pest management, and emerging technologies.
IPRI 2024 will include oral sessions, poster sessions, and engaging social events. Registration and abstract submissions are currently open. We sincerely invite you to join us at the 26th IPRI 2024. Additional details can be found at https://avrdc.org/ipri-2024-about/.
Note the 100 Euro discount for active IAPPS members on registration fees for the International Plant Protection Congress., 1-5 July 2024, Athens, Greece. For more information on the IPPC and to become an IAPPS member ($30 for students, $35 for developing countries and $50 for industrial countries) go to the IAPPS website http://www.plantprotection.org and click on the Join IAPPS icon. If you have a problem joining please contact me at eheinrichs2@unl.edu
E A (Short) Heinrichs, IAPPS Secretary General and Membership Manager
Registration Type
Until January 31st 2024
From February 1st 2024
Undergraduate Students*
290,00 €
390,00 €
PHD students* Post Doc Scientists* and Retired scientists**
Dear colleagues, On behalf of the Hellenic Society of Phytiatry we would like to invite you to participate in the XX IPP Congress which is going to take place at the Megaron Conference center in Athens Greece, in July 1-5, 2024.The Congress is hosted by the Hellenic Society of Phytiatry in Athens, Greece and organized under the auspices of the International Association for the Plant Protection Sciences (IAPPS), and of the Agricultural University of Athens. In an era of the undoubted phenomenon of climate change around the globe, in a period of the vast increase of earth population with immense problems in food security, in a period of enormous pressure on natural resources to meet α vast need for nutritious and safe food, conservation of biodiversity and creating opportunities for economic growth, Plant Protection will play an extremely important universal role in securing human welfare. Management of Crop Loss caused by pathogens and pests is a complicated issue of paramount importance for global agriculture, involving hosts and environment, plus scopious and intense scientific research, political decisions and application of international rules and measures. There is an urgent need for developing ecofriendly and safe biologicals and agrochemicals, pesticides either with nano-formulations. Research is also required to study evolutionary dynamics in reference to climate change, measurements and analysis, modelling of crop loss and predictive modelling. So, there is an urgent need to identify new pests and efficiently cope with diseases or pests threatening global human welfare. Obviously, new pathogen resistant sources in germplasm for confronting destructive pests and diseases are an everyday request by farmers. In an era of the boom of artificial intelligence able in perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, Plant Protection is on the center of international interest. Therefore, the Congress will be consisted of plenary and concurrent sessions of updated information and research data with invited speakers along with oral and poster presentations to cover all plant protection disciplines including plant pathology, entomology, weed science, nematology, plant breeding, technology transfer and relative to plant protection disciplines. Satellite sessions will be also welcomed. Plenary lectures will be among others focused on: Molecular diagnostics for evidence based rational use of pesticides, in the European Green Deal era Enabling sustainable agriculture through understanding and enhancement of microbiomes Applying chemical ecology for environmentally friendly strategies to control insect pests Impact and control of transboundary/invasive banana wilt pathogen, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense Microbial pesticides: Discovery, piloting and scaling up in Africa Sustainable weed management Coordinated approach for transboundary plant pest and disease management Food security in Africa needs policy support for sustainable plant health management Concurrent Sessions will be generally focus on: Current plant protection problems affecting major regional crops or crops of international significance such as grapevines, olives, citrus, tropical fruit trees, cereals, vegetables, forests etc. will be highlighted. Top scientists will be invited to present updated information on chemical plant protection problems contributing to current advances and alternatives offered by the private sector of agrochemical-pharmaceutical chemistry. Further objectives of the IPPCAthens2024, will be invited lectures and oral presentations on hot research topics and recent developments in Plant Protection sciences directly originating from research translation of molecular plant pest interactions. Scientific contact among young scientists and top research leaders, helping opening research cooperation and contacts with leading research groups around the globe will be promoted and facilitated.
International organizations dealing with food security, food safety and plant health will be welcomed to critically analyze crucial current problems related to world agriculture and propose measures and actions. FAO, EFSA, EPPO and other leading organizations will be invited to participate in this unique Global Plant Protection Congress.
We are confident that as congress organizers will make any effort needed to succeed in organizing a scientifically profitable event and assure you for a memorable stay in Athens Greece. More information regarding the Congress are available at www.ippcathens2024.gr Sincerely yours, The Chairman of the XX IPPCATHENS2024 Eris Tjamos For any further information, do not hesitate to contact Congress Secretariat Panagiotis Georgakopoulos Senior Project Manager Tel: +30 2103250260 email: panagiotis@globalevents.gr
30 October 2023, Europe: The second Innovation panel of the Biofruit Congress focussed on the latest Biocontrol and IPM innovations that also contribute to improve sustainability
The 6th international BIOFRUIT CONGRESS run during Fruit Attraction, organized by Eurofresh Distribution and IFEMA, included for the second time a session on Innovation and sustainability. Last’s year focus was on post-harvest innovations, this year’s panel on Biocontrol and other IPM innovations which help reduce the farm footprint at the level of disease and pest management. The use of Biocontrol solutions alone is calculated to have an average 30% lesser footprint than the use of chemical products alone. The reduction is higher when their applications are also more effective. Biocontrol leaders Certis Belchim, Bioline and Koppert, as well as Kimitec research center (Maavi Foundation), shared their latest and future innovations which help to improve both crop protection solutions and sustainability.
Biorationals, chemicals, pheromones, botanicals, vegetation cover… a clear and unique IPM concept under the Growing For The Future umbrella, Certis Belchim has been developing combined biocontrol and chemical solutions to grow residue-free crops in both greenhouse and field production. “Residue-free is possible in many crops today, thanks to the combination of our natural and chemical solutions” confirms Pedro Juan, Head of Food Chain Management. It has been possible due to Certis Belchim’s cooperation across the entire food chain. “Growing for the future” or G4TF is Certis Belchim’s food chain value-proposition, developed since 2012 to help growers and exporters to meet today’s residue level requirements of the European retailers, 50 to 70% lower than the European MRL, as well as the EU objectives of sustainability for the future: 50% reduction of the use of pesticides, 25% of production organic and 50% reduction of food loss.
Invasive species, like apple snail, are a threat to food security. It’s important that they’re quickly managed before they start to spread. One of the best ways to do this is to share plant health knowledge with smallholder farmers. And writeshops are an excellent tool for gathering evidence-based information to do this. In this blog, we look at how a recent writeshop in Kenya has helped to curate knowledge to identify and manage invasive apple snail impacting Kenya’s rice production.
What’s apple snail, and why is it such a threat to Kenya’s food security?
In 2020, CABI confirmed the discovery of invasive apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata) in rice fields in the Mwea Irrigation Scheme in Kirinyaga County, Kenya. The snail is native to South America. However, over the last 40 years, this freshwater mollusc has spread across North America and Asia, and has now had its first report in continental Africa. The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) and the Ministry of Agriculture have taken immediate action. This is critical as the IUCN/GISD lists the invasive apple snail among its 100 most damaging invasive species globally.
The snail usually lives in waterways, like rice paddies, where it feeds on young rice seedlings. One adult snail can destroy one square metre of rice in a single night. And females can lay up to 3,000 eggs overnight. Moreover, the hatched snails have a 90% survival rate and can live for up to four years. As a result, they are highly damaging to rice paddies.
data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==Animation showing the life cycle of the invasive apple snail
Taking action on invasive apple snail
In recent years, CABI has been working with Kenya’s authorities to control the spread of the snail through the PlantwisePlus programme. CABI has also researched the potential impact of the snail on rice production in Kenya. In July 2023, the journal of Pest Management Science published a CABI-led study on the snail. The paper laid out how an invasion of apple snail could be “disastrous” for rice production and food security in Kenya. The pest could spread and affect other rice-growing regions across Africa.
Today, extension agents report that apple snail is now one of Kenyan rice farmers’ top five concerns. Agro-dealers report that 70% of complaints they hear are due to apple snails. Household surveys and focus group discussions with smallholder farmers reveal the scale of the devastation. The snail has reduced rice yields by up to 14%. However, it has reduced net income from rice by up to 60% in addition to increasing the production costs.
Using writeshops to help limit to threat of the apple snail
Against this background, Kenya’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD) took further action. Through its Plant Protection and Food Safety Directorate (PP&FSD), it organized a writeshop. In this context, a writeshop is a collaborative writing workshop. Experts drawn from different institutions and disciplines come together to write content capturing best practices for managing an invasive pest. Multiple authors or contributors work on the same piece of content. In this case, the writeshop aimed to create technical resources to manage the spread of invasive apple snail.
Facilitated by CABI’s David Onyango, this collaborative workshop brought together delegates from across Kenya. This included the national government, academia, national and international research organizations, and the National Irrigation Authority.
The more detailed goals of the writeshop included:
Developing a technical brief for the invasive apple snail in Kenya
Review existing technical posters (on identification, life cycle and management)
Aligning the posters to the Kenyan situation
The workshop was well attended, and participants got busy finding solutions. They talked about how the event created an excellent atmosphere for knowledge exchange. As the workshop drew to a close, attendees reported on the strides made to craft a comprehensive technical document to steer the management of apple snail. They produced a technical brief that outlines strategies for an integrated approach to tackling the snail across Kenya.
The future of rice production in Kenya
The researchers stressed the importance of rapidly addressing apple snail in Kenya. This includes raising awareness, outreach and capacity building. In Kenya, around 300,000 small-scale farmers are involved in rice cultivation. The work is an important source of income for many. Furthermore, the Mwea Irrigation Scheme accounts for 80-88% of the country’s rice production.
Rice consumption is set to grow in the next seven years. As a result, it’s been identified as a priority food value chain. However, Kenya’s authorities have recognized considerable untapped potential to expand rice production. Estimates suggest a production potential of up to 1.3 million hectares of irrigated rice.
CABI scientist, Dr Kate Constantine, explained how rice production has seen consistent growth in demand over the last three decades. She described how it has the potential to improve rural livelihoods. In Kenya, rice is the third most important cereal grain after maize and wheat. Its consumption is increasing at a faster rate than production.
Action a priority to safeguard farmer livelihoods
Dr Constantine also explained that rice farmers in Mwea face many challenges of which apple snail is only one. This includes water shortages, rice blast attacks and high input costs. They also face machinery shortages, bird damage, poor infrastructure, and a lack of resilient and acceptable rice varieties. “The recent introduction of apple snail has added to these challenges, posing a serious threat to rice production in the region and potentially across Africa,” she said.
Farmers have been increasing their use of chemical pesticides in an attempt to stop the snail. They have also hired labour, which is costly, to physically remove egg masses and snails. CABI research officer, Fernadis Makale, explained how the negative impacts will only increase. Over time, the apple snail will continue to spread if unchecked. Action is urgently needed. The window of opportunity to contain or eradicate the snail is limited. If it becomes widespread across Kenya, the only feasible option will be management. And management has high economic, livelihood and environmental costs.
The writeshop was an important step towards managing the snail. With the information curated, this technical resource will help smallholders and the people who support them to take action.
International Conference on Plant Health Management ICPHM 2023 – Innovation and Sustainability
On behalf of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), we would like to invite you to participate in the forthcoming “International Conference on Plant Health Management, ICPHM 2023 – Innovation and Sustainability” that will take place from November 15-18, 2023, in Hyderabad, India.
Plant Protection Association of India (PPAI) Executive Committee together with the LOC are currently establishing a Scientific Program Committee, to offer an up-to-date scientific program including oral presentations and posters covering the most important challenges in the field of plant health management today. Plant health management (PHM) is the science and practice of comprehending the interplay of biotic and abiotic stresses that limit plants from achieving their full genetic potential as crops, ornamentals, forest trees, or other uses. PHM embodies bulwarking and building upon the concept of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) of these stresses to ensure ecological, economic, and social benefits for all the stakeholders including general public.
The main objective of this international conference is to pursue global opportunities in innovation and sustainability of research and entrepreneurship related to the field of Plant Health Management. Agriculture continues to be the backbone for the economy of many countries as majority of the human population is dependent on it for food, feed, and fibre. The deliberations in this conference are expected to focus on preparing a roadmap for the identification, delineation, and exploitation of the core research areas of PHM for innovation, sustainability, and business prospects in the field of Agriculture.
Well renowned world scientists to lead a wide range of topics and sessions will be invited. There will also be optional workshops, and you are welcome to propose topics. In addition, professional excursions encompassing the Indian agriculture combined with touristic attractions are planned, which will accommodate both scientists and accompanying persons to join and enjoy the conference. We would like to emphasize that the ICPHM 2023 is open to plant protection scientists from all over the world.
Hyderabad is the capital of the Indian state of Telangana and de jure capital of Andhra Pradesh. Occupying 650 square kilometres along the banks of the Musi River, it has a population of about 6.7 million and a metropolitan population of about 7.75 million, making it the fourth most populous city and sixth most populous urban agglomeration in India. Hyderabad was established in 1591 AD by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah. The city has the famous Hussain Sagar lake, which was built in 1562 AD near the center of the city. It is historically known as a city of pearls and is one of the most popular pearl and diamond trading centers. It is a world-famous city for the ancient structures such as Charminar and Golconda Fort, and the modern Hitech City and Ramoji Film City. It is highly popular for the delicious Hyderabadi biriyani.
The LOC with its experienced and renowned crop protection scientists are working hard to offer you a memorable conference ICPHM 2023 in Hyderabad.
Plant health management (PHM) is the science and practice of comprehending the interplay of biotic and abiotic stresses that limit plants from achieving their full genetic potential as crops, ornamentals, forest trees, or other uses. PHM embodies bulwarking and building upon the concept of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) of these stresses to ensure ecological, economic, and social benefits for all the stakeholders including general public.
Research is traditionally defined as a systematic investigation into an area of study in order to reveal new inferences, re-examine existing knowledge, or establish new acts. Entrepreneurship is the process of designing a new product/service and converting it to become a successful business.
The main objective of this international conference is to pursue for global opportunities in research and entrepreneurship related to the field of PHM. Agriculture continues to be the backbone for the economy of many countries as majority of the human population is dependent on it for food, feed, and fibre. The deliberations in this conference are expected to focus on preparing a roadmap for the identification, delineation and exploitation of the core research areas of PHM for business prospects in the field of Agriculture.
Chief Patron
Shri Narendra Singh Tomar
Hon’ble Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Government of India
President of the ICAR Society
Patron
Shri Singireddy Niranjan Reddy
Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture, Co-Operation, and Marketing
Government of Telangana
Patron
Dr Himanshu Pathak
Secretary, DARE & DG, ICAR
Patron
Dr R S Paroda
Founder Chairman, TAAS, New Delhi
Conference Chair
Dr B Sarath Babu
President
Plant Protection Association of India
Former Principal Scientist & Head ICAR-NBPGR – Regional Station
Conference Co-Chair
Dr Rajan Sharma
Cluster Leader – Crop Protection and Seed Health, ICRISAT
Conference Co-Chair
Dr R Jagadeeswar
Director of Research
Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University
Conference Co-Chair
Dr Celia ChalamVasimalla
Head & Principal Scientist, Division of Plant Quarantine,
ICAR-NBPGR, New Delhi
Conference Co-Chair
Prof T V K Singh
Dean of Agriculture PJTSAU (Retd.),
Ex. Emeritus Scientist-ICAR
Conference Co-Chair
Dr Gururaj Katti
Former Principal Scientist (Entomology) & Head (Crop Protection)
ICAR – Indian Institute of Rice Research,Hyderabad
Conference Co-Chair
Dr S J Rahman
Senior Professor & Univ. Head of Entomology, Department of Entomology
College of Agriculture, Prof. Jayashankar Telangana State Agri. University, Hyderabad
Conference Co-Chair
Dr M Srinivasa Prasad
Principal Scientist,
ICAR-IIRR, Hyderabad
Plant Protection Association of India (PPAI)
Plant Protection Association of India has been in the forefront of the scientific community of Plant Protection both at National and International level during the past close to four decades. The society demonstrated its strengths in the past to bring the fruits of scientific research to the stakeholders by documentation and organization of several conferences and seminars and provided right science platform to deliberate, exchange and spread the emerging knowledge on plant protection.
I just received this update on the status of concurrent sessions for the IPPC to be held in Athens, Greece in July, 2024. Please go to the IPPC website ippcathens2024.gr and consider submitting a title for a concurrent session. For further information please contact the IPPC Chair, Professor Eleftherios (Eris) Tjamos, e-mail: tjamatika@gmail.com and or e-mail: ect@aua.gr mobile phone 0030 6932 365566
I hope to see you in Athens in 2024!
Prof. E.A. Heinrichs
IAPPS Secretary General
Dear Short,
Dear Board members of the IAPPS
Just one year before the date of holding the XXIPPCATHENS2024 we uploaded in the website of the congress ippcathens2024.gr the currently submitted titles of the concurrent sessions (C/S) along with the C/S organisers for your information contact the IPPC Chair, Professor Eleftherios (Eris) Tjamos,
Your comments or further C/S proposals will be appreciated.
Best regards,
Eris
ERIS TJAMOS CHAIR
Professor Eleftherios (Eris) Tjamos, Emeritus Professor in Plant Pathology,
President of the Hellenic Society of Phytiatry
Department of Plant Pathology, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece,
This email was sent to eheinrichs2@unl.eduYou received this email because you are registered with Global Events
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