IAPPS NEWSLETTER

Number V      July, 2002

REPORT ON SPECIAL MEETING OF GOVERNING BOARD
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE PLANT PROTECTION SCIENCES

A special meeting of the Governing Board (GB) of the International Association for the Plant Protection Sciences (IAPPS) was convened at Miami, Florida USA during 18-23 February 2002. The purpose of the meetingwas to review implementation status of IAPPS and develop strategic plan to enhance achievement of membership and programmatic objectives. The IAPPS is an independent umbrella organization established at the 14th International Plant Protection Congress (IPPC) in Jerusalem, Israel, July 1999 to address current/important work on international plant protection problems/questions. The association promotes an integrated and systems approach to agroecosystem management in the control of pests, plant diseases and weeds. The GB comprises an Executive Committee , 8 Regional Coordinators , and 4 technical support personnel . The members of the Board in attendance for the meeting were: Dr. Hans Herren (President), Dr. J. Lawrence Apple (Secretary General), Dr. Baruch Rubin (Vice President), Dr. Bill Tweedy (Treasurer), Dr. Zhou Darong (Representative from the IPPC Host Country), Dr. Pierre Urech (Industry Representative), Dr. Braima James (Regional Coordinator for Sub-Saharan Africa); Dr. Mohamed Besri (Regional Coordinator for North Africa/Middle East), Dr. Keith Brent (Regional Coordinator for Europe), and Dr. Izuru Yamamoto (Regional Coordinator for East and Southeast Asia).

Key issues/decisions: This was the first group meeting of the GB since the July, 1999 organizational meeting of IAPPS in Jerusalem (Israel). Subsequent contacts and planning has been conducted by postal and e-mail. The Board reviewed the IAPPS implementation status, updated planning of the 15th IPPC (Beijing, PR China, July 2003), and assigned tasks for priority activities.

  1. Membership categories: Reports from the regional coordinators for Europe, Africa/Middle East, Sub-Sahara Africa, and East/Southeast Asia, and North America indicated weak visibility of the IAPPS in the regions. To minimize operational difficulties and increase visibility of the Association in the regions, IAPPS will reimburse costs incurred on networking, profile regional plant protection initiatives and activities on its website, and encourage a stronger membership drive at all membership categories:
    • Individual members: Effective next/15th IPPC, registration fees to the IPPCs will include annual IAPPS membership fee to attract new members.
    • Affiliate members (national, regional, and international societies, congresses and associations): Membership is free; plant protection communities are urged to submit contact addresses of eligible bodies in order to broaden the IAPPS membership base (write to Secretary General J. Lawrence Apple ). Potential candidates in Sub-Sahara Africa include entomological societies (e.g., the African Association of Insect Scientists/AAIS, Entomological Society of Southern Africa), inter-governmental plant protection legislative bodies (e.g. Inter-African Phytosanitary Council/IAPSC), and thematic networks (e.g., the West, East and Southern African LOOPs of the global taxonomic network BioNET INTERNATIONAL).
    • Associate members (national, regional, and international governmental and non-governmental organizations, and agencies, and institutes). Membership fee will be reduced from $3500 p.a., to different levels as follows:
      1. CIAT, ICIPE and IITA, which provide staff time on the IAPPS, will each pay $850 p.a., to include free individual membership for 10 developing country scientists per center. IITA enjoys this special deal; CIAT and ICIPE were urged to recruit suitable NARS candidates.
      2. All other IARCs will pay $1500 p.a. to include free individual membership of 10 developing country scientists. IPM research groups, e.g., partners on CGIAR Systemwide Program on IPM (SP-IPM) are particularly urged to subscribe and strengthen a mutual interest/drive to collate, generate and disseminate credible plant protection information in support of objective and independent decision-making by governments, the public, consumers, researchers, extensionists, and farming communities.
      3. Non-IARCs will pay $1000 or less (decision on exact amount is pending).

  2. Technical issues/GMOs in plant protection: The large-scale deployment of insecticidal transgenic crops, particularly in resource-limited agriculture, was discussed in the framework of the need to integrate plant protection sciences at farm-level, and to avoid "boom and bust" productivity patterns that are generally associated with dependence on monofactorial interventions. IAPPS partners can assist national and inter-governmental decision making on GMOs by providing objectively verifiable data on candidate pest problems to be addressed by GMOs (e.g., pest incidence, damage severity and crop loss data, efficacy and accessibility of alternative options, risks to non-target production systems and biodiversity protection, and the sustainability of GMO interventions/target pest resistance. Publicly funded IPM research groups, (e.g., IARCs on the SP-IPM), which have memoranda of understanding with national governments and sub-regional ministerial councils that oversee agricultural R&D, are ideally placed to play a primary role in generating these kinds of data.

  3. Plant protection policies: As an initial step to create a sound vision on the operational environment guiding plant protection contributions to sustainable agriculture, the GB will organize a panel discussion (proposed theme: "IPM: back to the future") during IPPC 2003 (e.g., July 8/10?). The panel is expected to lay a foundation for sub-regional consultations to develop/revise national plant protection policies and strategies with appropriate legislation to secure high and stable yields. In Sub-Sahara Africa, some of the concerns to address would include a regulatory framework for the production, marketing, distribution and use of biopesticides, insecticidal transgenic crops and pesticides and compliance with the protocols, and institutional capacity/sustainability to evaluate pest problems, generate alternatives to unsustainable products/practices and enhance farm-level decision-making. In this regard, key collaborative partners include the IAPSC (Yaoundé, Cameroon), the FAO Regional Plant Protection Office, with the Global IPM Facility (Accra, Ghana), and the SP-IPM (a global coalition of IARCs and IPM research and development organizations). Dr. J. Lawrence Apple (Secretary-general of IAPPS) was invited to the Inter-Center Working Group Meeting of the SP-IPM for discussions on how best the two groups can initiate joint action to promote national plant protection policies.

  4. Award of distinction: The responsibility for candidate selection for the Awards of Distinction will move from the organising committee of the IPPCs to the GB. Candidate selection process will be activated in advance of IPPCs and encourage recipients to attend at the IPPC ceremony. The candidate selection committee will comprise: Lawrence Apple, (Chairman), Pierre Urech, Mohammed Besri, Braima James, and Zhou Darong (representative of the next IPPC host country). The committee will review concept and wording of the award, standardize the selection process/procedure, suggest categories of award, specify qualifications for an award, frequency of awards, solicit candidates etc.

  5. Bylaws/statutes: The Secretary General will lead the review by email discussions with the GB.

  6. Financial statement: The GB accepted the financial report, recognized it owed Elseveir (publisher of the journal Crop Protection) publication fees for print subscribers to the journal. Crop Life International's support to IAPPS ends in 2003, and the GB will initiate contacts to renew the support from Crop Life. The GB agreed in principle to provide a token honorarium to the Secretary-General who provides free services to the association, and to send a letter of commendation to Dr. Nancy Ragsdale (ARS/USDA) for valuable services rendered on the IAPPS newsletter.

  7. New officers of GB: Keith Brent, Pierre Urech, Izuru Yamamoto, and Lawrence Apple (Secretary General) will retire and leave the GB soon after IPPC 2003. In line with the IAPPS Statutes, the Executive Committee will appoint a Nominations Committee to be chaired by the Past President (Dr. Yoram Rossler) to present candidates for president, vice-president, treasurer, and secretary general for election by the GB at IPPC 2003 in Beijing. The IAPPS membership is requested to nominate candidates. Nominations should be sent to the Secretary General (j_apple@ncsu.edu).

  8. IPPC July 2003: The GB discussed the planning report by the local organising committee (PR China) and made the following recommendations for the consideration by the LOC:
    1. Theme: Sustainable plant protection for the 21st century (the first global conference in the new millennium/addressing the need for increased production of quality food and fibre)
    2. Rationale: Despite the extensive use of control measures, 35-40% of the potential production of food and other agricultural products is still lost through the effects of crop pest, diseases and weeds. The congress will communicate and discuss current information and issues concerning the further development of plant protection technologies and their effective, safe and sustainable implementation, worldwide, in integrated crop systems.
    3. Sessions: Symposia, panel discussions; special/China specific topics to be covered in the sessions
      • Advances in plant protection technologies
      • Sustainable plant protection strategies in major crops and farming systems
      • Safety in plant protection for human and environmental health

    4. Structure: The revised scientific programme (details circulated to GB by Baruch Rubin) and a proposed timetable of activities were submitted to Zhou Darong; the structure includes the opening lecture (1; Dr. Hans Herren, Director General of ICIPE and President of IAPPS to give the opening address), plenary papers (7; speakers identified, timely contacts by the LOC is required), and concurrent sessions (variable; a number of submissions).
    5. Timetable of activities: A first circular is out already (see this web site).
      • 2nd circular: A draft to be circulated to GB members by March 30, the final version ready and announced by 9 April; text to include information on main sessions/titles, topics, names of plenary speakers and session organisers (one Chinese and one international partner per session; one serves as Chair), timetable for registration/early or late etc, call for abstracts, guidelines for presentations (paper format/layout and posters) and travel logistics (visa, hotel, tours/excursions).
      • 3rd/final circular: Date?; to include final programme and information on general housekeeping; e.g.,repeat information on travel logistics (visa, hotel, tours/excursions).
    6. Funding arrangements: The budget of IPPC 2003 is required. The IPPC 1999 (in Israel) cost ca. $500,000, approximately $200,000 of which was raised funds/membership registration fees. Registration fee for IPPC 2003 in China will be $380. Actual/potential funding arrangements were proposed for IPPC 2003:

      IPPC 1999: The LOC of IPPC 1999 (in Israel) has provided the LOC in PR China $10,000 towards the congress.

      Direct IAPPS sources: IAPPS members pay 15% less on the registration fee, the GB will reimburse this difference to the LOC for each registered member who participates. The GB will provide $5000 bursaries to support international travel of young scientists from developing country participants; the LOC was asked to raise funds to match this $ for $ to attract a larger/wider number of young scientists.

      Bursaries for younger scientists: The LOC of IPPC 1999 (in Israel) provided travel funds to 65 young participants from developing countries; with this experience, GB/IAPPS members are urged to identify external sources of travel funds (e.g., specialized UN agencies) for young scientists from the developing countries, send the information to the LOC in PR China. The LOC will contact the sources directly.

      International plant protection industry: Due to mergers there are a fewer number companies than previously, and the GB does not expect a large number of industry representatives at IPPC 2003. Crop Life International continues its support to IAPPS ($30,000 p.a., for 4 years ending 2003) and expects that part of its contribution goes to IPPCs; Crop Life International will sponsor a plenary reception at IPPC 2003, but does not envisage additional financial support to the congress.

      • Local plant protection industry (in PR China) to be identified and contacted.
      • Product promotion: IPPC 2003 can advertise plant protection products in the circulars.
      • Invited speakers: the LOC needs a clear stand on travel, registration, and accommodation obligations to invited speakers; the GB expects that invited speakers can pay all or part of these costs from own funds.

    7. Promotion/advertisements: ca. 5000 hard copies of the brochures; outlets will be the IAPPS website, newsletter, Governing Board members and regional coordinators/coordinating organizations; IPM Net; SP-IPM Coordinating Secretariat and website; British Crop Protection Council/BCPC-Brighton database; IUPAC congress; Rio + 10 congress; principal crop protection societies in the USA/piggyback on postage

  9. IPPC 2007: In order to formalize the protocol for selecting the host country for IPPC 2007, a Host-Country Selection Committee was established that included Bill Tweedy (Chair), Keith Brent and Baruch Rubin. The Committee will solicit bids through the IAPPS Newsletter, IAPPS Website, and other means prior to IPCC 2003; and at IPPC 2003, the committee will make a recommendation to the GB.

Report Submitted by Dr. J. Lawrence Apple, IAPPS Secretary General
E-mail: j_apple@ncsu.edu
(Sincere appreciation is extended to Dr. Braima James who served as recording secretary during the Governing Board Meetings and who compiled the information for this report.)

MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT
IOBC/WPRS WORKING GROUP
"INTEGRATED CONTROL IN CITRUS FRUIT CROPS"
VALENCIA, SPAIN 6-8 NOVEMBER 2002

In the last ten years, the Citrus working group "Integrated Control in Citrus Fruit Crops" has organised three meetings ( Catania 1992, Antibes 1994 and Florence 1996). These meetings have offered a good opportunity to exchange experiences and strategies in citrus pest management, to encourage cooperation between the participants and to develop various scientific research projects.

The next Citrus working group meeting will be organised on 6-8 November, 2002, in Valencia, Spain. The main topics of the meeting are:

IOBC/WPRS Working Group "Integrated Control in Citrus Fruit Crops" Valencia, Spain 6-8 November 2002

Pre-registration Form

Family Name: _______________________________________

First name: ________________________________________

Position (Senior scientist, PhD-student, ....):

_________________________________________________

Address:

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

Phone: ___________________________

Fax: _______________________

e-mail: __________________________

I intend to have an oral presentation with the title (orientative):

Accompanying person: ________________________________________

The pre-registration form should be sent before May 30, preferably by E.mail, to the local organiser:

Ferran Garcia-Mari
Dept. Ecosistemes Agroforestals
E.T.S. Enginyers Agronoms
Universitat Politècnica de València
Camí de Vera 14
46022 Valencia, Spain
Tel.: 34-9638-79250,
Fax.: 34-9638-79269,
E-mail: fgarciam@eaf.upv.es

Location of the meeting and other information such as accommodation, registration fees, instructions for the abstract preparation and scientific excursion will be reported in the 2nd circular.

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.

IAAPS 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.

The IAPPS Newsletter welcomes news, letters, and other items of interest from individuals and organizations. Address correspondence and information to:

Dr. Nancy N. Ragsdale, Editor
IAPPS Newsletter
ARS/USDA
5601 Sunnyside Ave.
Beltsville, MD 20705-5140 USA
E-mail: nnr@ars.usda.gov