IAPPS NEWSLETTER

Number IV      June, 2002

HENRY A. WALLACE CONFERENCE SERIES

Nearly 62 years ago, then U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Henry A. Wallace proposed the creation of an interAmerican institution for tropical agriculture that would benefit all American countries by conducting research and training personnel. The idea was implemented in Turrialba, Costa Rica, and is now the internationally recognized Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center, known as CATIE. CATIE plays an important role in education, training, extension and research activities in Latin America.

The first Henry A. Wallace Conference Series, cosponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and CATIE, was held February 25-27 in Turrialba, Costa Rica. Approximately one hundred international scientists and policymakers from the public and private sectors attended and discussed technical innovations for advancing agriculture in North, Central and South America. Nobel laureate Norman E. Borlaug, who favors biotechnology solutions to the world's food shortages, gave the keynote address. Other speakers included directors from an international network of agricultural centers operated by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

Key issues centered around value_added production and management practices for coffee farms. Coffee is an important crop to Latin American farmers and to U.S. consumers, the largest purchasers of coffee in the world. Since coffee prices have been declining, farming strategies to counteract the drop in prices were explored, particularly diversification with compatible, profitable crops. One example discussed the possibilities of growing coffee on the same farm as high_value timber and tropical fruits. Another topic was tropical agriculture's cacao product, which is important to the chocolate industry. Initiation of technical strategies for developing the cacao plant's resistance to fungal diseases was discussed to help meet growers' needs for varieties with disease_resistance and high_yield traits. Genetic resources, natural products, and invasive, alien species were also topics of presentations.

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON ALLIUM WHITE ROT

The 7th International Workshop on Allium White Rot will be held June 4-8, 2002, in central California. The workshop will focus on all aspects of the biology and management of Sclerotium cepivorum, and there will also be a session on other diseases of Allium crops.

PESTICIDES IN THE MOLECULAR AGE:
NEW BIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY

This meeting will be held in Orlando, Florida on October 22 through 25th, 2002. It is sponsored by the NSF/North Carolina State University Center for Integrated Pest Management, the Japanese Society for Pesticide Science and Toxicology Communications. The organizing committee includes Drs Michael Roe and Ernest Hodgson, North Carolina State University and Dr Naoki Motoyama, Chiba University.

The meeting includes 2 keynote lectures, seven symposia and poster sessions. The keynotes and symposia are as follows:

If you wish to be listed for the second announcement or obtain further information, please contact Ernest Hodgson at:
Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology
P. O. Box 7633
North Carolina State University
Raleigh NC 27695-7633 USA
Telephone: 919-515-5295
Fax: 919-513-1012
email: ernest_hodgson@ncsu.edu

The meeting is a satellite to the 11th North American Meeting of the International Society for the Study of Xenobiotics to be held at the same location October 27th through 31st, 2002. Further details on the ISSX meeting can be obtained from the ISSX web site, or from the ISSX administrative office at 301-983-2434.

GORDON RESEARCH CONFERENCE
MECHANISMS OF TOXICITY

The 2002 Mechanisms of Toxicity Gordon Research Conference is being held Sunday, July 21_Friday, July 26, 2002 at Bates College, Lewiston, Maine. Over the past several years, this meeting has evolved into the premier small meeting focused on the molecular mechanisms underlying toxicant response. This year's program continues this tradition with sessions including:

There will be a keynote address by Dr. Bruce Hammock and Late Breaking Research Presentations chosen from submitted poster abstracts. Complete program information and registration information can be obtained at: http://www.grc.uri.edu/

10th IUPAC INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON THE CHEMISTRY OF CROP PROTECTION: INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR HEALTHY CROPS

The fourth and final circular is now available for this congress, which will take place in Basel, Switzerland August 4-9, 2002. The deadline for abstracts was extended until April 30, 2002. A stimulating program is planned. For complete information, please access the web site at: http://www.syngenta.com/iupac2002/

PESTS & DISEASES 2002 - MEETING THE CHALLENGES IN CROP PROTECTION

This years's British Crop Protection Council (BCPC) Conference, known also as the Brighton Conference, will be held November 18-21, 2002 at the Hilton Metropole Hotel in the city of Brighton. The BCPC Pests & Diseases website at: www.bcpc.org is regularly updated and one may preview the programme.

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