IAPPS NEWSLETTER

Number I      January, 2008

WINNERS OF THE IAPPS INTERNATIONAL PLANT PROTECTION AWARD OF DISTINCTION (IPPAD)

We are happy to announce the winners of the IPPAD, who will receive their award at a special ceremony during the IPPC in Glasgow.

Zhenqi Li
Prof. LI, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, Shaanxi China has made significant contributions in the areas of plant immunology and plant pathology, host-plant resistance, mechanisms and inheritance of resistance, electronic microscopy of fungi and integrated pest management for sustainable crop production. In the early 1950s, wheat stripe rust was in epidemic proportions in China and his pioneering studies revealed for the first time the life cycle of the pathogen in this unique epidemic system. During 1983~1990, He pioneered the use of molecular DNA markers for population genetic analysis of wheat stripe rust and confirmed, for the first time at the molecular level, the long-distance transmission of the pathogen. From the late 1950s until early 1990s, the breakdown of disease resistance in wheat was a significant problem for the management of wheat stripe rust in China. Prof. Li's studies determined (1) the region where the loss of disease resistance first occurred (2) that virulence variation of the pathogen was the main cause inducing the loss of disease resistance and (3) that the mountainous areas over 1600 m above the sea level, are the key areas for the development of virulence variation. For his significant contributions in stripe rust management he received the prestigious National Natural Science Award presented by the Chinese government.

Dr. Hari C. Sharma
Principal Scientist and Entomology and Project Coordinator at ICRISAT in India, Dr Sharma's scientific contributions are in the areas of insect bio-ecology and population dynamics, economic thresholds, natural plant products, host-plant resistance, transgenics and molecular assisted selection for insect resistance, effect of transgenic crops on non-target organisms, and natural enemies for integrated pest management. Several lines with resistance to insects have been identified/developed in sorghum, chickpea, pigeonpea, soybean, and cotton, and these lines have been used in crop improvement programs in Asia, Africa, USA and Australia. IPM modules for pest management in sorghum, chickpea, and pigeonpea have been developed, for use in sustainable crop production systems. Extensive information has been generated on the effects of transgenic crops on the non-target organisms, which is crucial to develop strategies for deployment of transgenic crops for pest management. He has published extensively producing 303 publications. Among his numerous awards for his work are the CGIAR Excellence in Science Award and the King Baudouin Award.

Mustapha El Bouhssini
Dr. El Bouhssini, Entomologist, ICARDA, Aleppo Syria. has played a pioneering role in developing integrated pest management options for the control of insect pests of cereals and legume crops in Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA). His research includes pest biology, estimation of yield losses, cultural practices (planting dates), biological control (predators, parasitoids and entomopathogenic fungi), botanical insecticides (Neem, Melia) and host plant resistance: (screening of germplasm, mechanisms of resistance and biotype characterization through differentials and molecular techniques). Development of a novel team approach with crop breeders has resulted in the (1) development of three bread wheat and five durum wheat varieties resistant to Hessian fly in Morocco, (2) development of Russian wheat aphid (RWA) germplasm lines which are the first barley and wheat germplasm lines carrying resistance to RWA developed and used in CWANA and (3) development of 205 F6 chickpea lines carrying resistance to leaf miner, (4) elucidating the genetics of resistance in wheat and avirulence in Hessian fly (5) Development of an IPM package for the management of chickpea leaf miner, and (6) development of a bio-control method based on entomopathogenic fungi for Sunn pest management in West and Central Asia. Among his numerous awards is the Basel Award for Scientific Agricultural Research in Syria, as a member of the team that developed an Integrated Pest Management package for chickpea leaf miner.

Prof. John E. Foster
Professor Foster is an entomologist in the Department of Entomology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln with expertise in host plant resistance to insects. His current research involves the utilization of GMO maize in IPM systems. He has written more than 100 refereed publications, numerous extension articles/and publications, plus several book chapters. Prof. Foster has co-authored the release of 24 plant patents, germplasms and/or cultivars. He has mentored 34 graduate students and served on the committees of another 65 students in 5 different disciplines. He teaches courses on Host Plant Resistance to Insects to resident students and Distance students, International Plant Protection to Distance students, and Insect Genetics to resident students. He has taught short courses on Plant Resistance to Insects in Brazil, China and Thailand. Twenty eight of his students were international scholars and 28 returned to their home country where many continue to collaborate with him.

Prof. Baruch Rubin
The research of Prof. Rubin and his group (graduate students, post-docs, colleagues and technicians) at the Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, concentrates on weed biology, ecology and management, including studies on the fate of herbicides in the environment and the physiology and the biochemistry of herbicide action. Prof. Rubin's group developed integrated weed management (IWM) programs based on a better understanding of the biology of the weeds and on developing optimal combinations of management strategies including crop rotation, rational use of herbicides, cover crops and cultural practices. Prof. Rubin is heavily engaged in the education of new generations of Plant Protection specialists. He teaches several courses on Weed Science at the Hebrew University and presents lectures in international courses. He has supervised over 80 graduate students, in addition to postdoctoral fellows and visiting scientists. Many of his former students became leaders in fields of Plant Protection, in Israel and in other countries. Among his numerous international contributions, he has been appointed Chairman of the Scientific Program Committee of the XIV International Plant Protection Congress, President of the Weed Society of Israel, and is presently serving as Vice President of the International Weed Science Society (IWSS).

Dr. Gary Jahn
Dr. Jahn is IRRI (International Rice Research Institute) Representative and Coordinator for the Greater Mekong Subregion located in Laos where he manages the Lao-IRRI Rice Research and Training Project, manages the ADB JC-ICT Project, Linking Extension and Agricultural Research Needs through Information technology (LEARN-IT) Project for Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam and serves as Technical Advisor to the FARMSTEAD (Fish And Rice Management System To Enable Agricultural Diversity) project in Cambodia. He was the Principle Investigator of the Livelihood Improvement Through Ecology (LITE) Project of Bangladesh (2002-2004), seeking to determine the effect of rice farmers' insecticide applications on crop loss, yield and profits. Analyzing data from 600 fields over 2 years proved that farmers' insecticide applications have no effect on yield or crop loss. Farmers who conducted the initial experiments then trained their neighbors and after 2 years, approximately 5000 farmers living in 6 villages in two provinces ceased using insecticides on rice as a result of their experience with LITE. He also collaborates with the Plant Protection Unit of the Cambodian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) to develop a method of improving rice production in favorable rain-fed environments without reducing fish harvest or incurring unsustainable crop loss. The project succeeded in double cropping rain-fed land with a high value crop - more than doubling farmers' rice yields and profits in the process.

On behalf of the IAPPS Governing Board, I wish to congratulate all the recipients of the IPPAD.

Dr. E. A. "Short" Heinrichs
IAPPS Secretary General
E-mail: eheinric@vt.edu

4TH ASIA-PACIFIC CONFERENCE ON CHEMICAL ECOLOGY

The 4th Asia-Pacific Conference on Chemical Ecology 2007 (APACE 2007) was held at the Epochal Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki Pref., Japan during September 11 to 14, 2007. Nearly 300 participants from 20 countries of Asia-Pacific region and others attended the conference. The main aim of this conference was to bring together a diverse range of scientists, from young students to experienced leaders working on all aspects of chemical ecology, from marine to terrestrial organisms, including microbes to human beings. The members of the Local Organizing Committee of APACE were very pleased with the high turnout at the conference, indicating that one of the main objectives of this event could be achieved. I The conference was structured in 4 plenary lectures and 6 keynote speeches delivered by world-wide renowned scientists from various fields of chemical ecology, such as aquatic chemical ecology, pheromone molecular biology, application of pheromones, plant allelochemistry, multitrophic interaction, forest chemical ecology. Details of the full program can be found at www.wdc-jp.com/apace2007/program.html. Plenary lectures 1-3 were given on the first day and Plenary lecture 4 on the final day. Each keynote speech was generally followed by the related symposium(a) in each of which several invited speakers gave their lectures. In addition to the invited contributions for the symposia, the conference was also designed to accommodate poster contributions with special workshops and general oral presentations. In addition, as a new trial, luncheon seminars was introduced on the third day.
The organizer wish to thank the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Commemorative Organization for the Japan World Exposition ('70), City of Tsukuba, The Honokai Foundation, and Kato Memorial Bioscience Foundation for their financial support. Scientific support was given by the Japanese Society of Applied Entomology and Zoology, Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology and Agrochemistry, and Pesticide Science Society of Japan, while special contributions were made by the following private companies; Shin-etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., Fuji Flavor Co., Ltd., Shimadzu Corporation, Dow AgroScience, Bayer CropSciences, and Sophia Scientific Co., Ltd.

Dr. Tadashi Miyata
IAPPS Regional Coordinator,
Region V-A (East/SE Asia)
E-mail: tmiyata@agr.nagoya-u.ac.jp

The IAPPS Newsletter is published by the International Association for the Plant Protection Sciences and distributed in Crop Protection to members and other subscribers. Crop Protection, published by Elsevier, is the Official Journal of IAPPS. IAPPS Mission: to provide a global forum for the purpose of identifying, evaluating, integrating, and promoting plant protection concepts, technologies, and policies that are economically, environmentally, and socially acceptable. It seeks to provide a global umbrella for the plant protection sciences to facilitate and promote the application of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to a the world's crop and forest ecosystems. Membership Information: IAPPS has four classes of membership (individual, affiliate, associate, and corporate) which are described here. The IAPPS Newsletter welcomes news, letters, and other items of interest from individuals and organizations. Address correspondence and information to: Dr. Manuele Tamo, Editor IAPPS Newsletter Biological Control Center for Africa, IITA-Benin 08 B.P. 0932 Tri Postal, Cotonou, Republic of Benin E-mail: m.tamo@cgiar.org