IAPPS NEWSLETTER

Number VI      June, 2009

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FROM A DEVELOPING COUNTRY TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Bacterial wilt, caused by a soil borne bacterium, Ralstonia solanacearum is a serious disease of crops such as tomato, eggplant and peppers in the tropical countries. To overcome this disease problem IPM CRSP has been implementing a technology of grafting scions of high yielding and locally acceptable varieties of eggplants and tomatoes to the wild species of eggplants such as Solanum sisymbriifolium and S. torvum in Bangladesh and the Philippines for the past 10 years. This technology not only provides resistance to bacterial wilt but also proves resistance to root knot nematodes and increases the duration of the productive period of the crop over 15 to 25%. In 2005, this technology was transferred to Uganda and in 2008 to India. Recently this grafting technology has been transferred to Honduras mostly for extending the production period of eggplant crop.

In Bangladesh, grafting of eggplants has reduced the mortality of plants by 93%; and increased the fruit yield by 249% and income by 305%. Similar results were also reported from the Philippines.
Dr. Sally Miller, Professor of Plant Pathology at the Ohio State University who has been involved in implementing the grafting program in Bangladesh and the Philippines, and her colleague who was involved in Uganda are currently introducing this technology to tomato growers in Ohio by conducting workshops in various counties. In fact, a graduate student from Bangladesh, Mr. Mohammad Abu Masud, studying at Ohio State University supported by IPM CRSP is also participating in this technology transfer activity.

This is one of the examples of the technologies developed and implemented in the developing countries by the USAID funded IPM CRSP being introduced and adopted to benefit the public in the United States of America.

Dr. R. Muniappan and F. Steed
IPM CRSP, Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0334, USA
E-mail: ipm-dir@vt.edu

WHY TAXONOMY MATTERS

The origins of taxonomy - the science of discovering and naming life on earth - lie in the 18th century when Linnaeus developed his famous naming system. His students and their successors have devoted lifetimes to collecting specimens and poring through literature up to 250 years old in their quest to name and describe species. At first glance, the outcomes of their work may not look relevant to society. In fact, taxonomists are often perceived as specialists pursuing eccentric interests relevant only to natural history museums and universities.

Some ask: is this a science that is needed in the 21st century?

We say it is. Taxonomy does matter. It is very relevant to today's challenges. Whether you live in the centre of London, the outskirts of Timbuktu, or in a high mountain valley in Nepal, taxonomic knowledge can improve and, at times, even save your life. Taxonomy and the work of taxonomists should not be underestimated. Its impacts on society are often beneficial, sometimes in unpredictable ways. Did you know that the work of taxonomists has improved Namibian roads and ensures the safety of Chinese medicine?

In this series of case studies we see Why Taxonomy Matters. We see how taxonomic knowledge is applied around to the world to save LIVES, save CROPS, save HABITATS, save SPECIES, save MONEY and more… For the full set of case studies, see the Why Taxonomy Matters pages of BioNET's website: www.bionet-intl.org/why.

To contribute your case study, see the guidelines: http://www.bionet-intl.org/opencms/opencms/caseStudies/contribute/contribute.jsp.

Dr. E. Watson and R. Smith
BioNET
E-mail: bionet@bionet-intl.org

2ND BIOPESTICIDE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE (BIOCICON-2009)

The 2nd Biopesticide International Conference (BIOCICON-2009) is being organized from 26 to 28 November, 2009, by the Crop Protection Research Center, Department of Advanced Zoology and Biotechnology, St. Xavier's College (Autonomous), Palayamkottai, India. This conference is in continuation of a BIOCICON-2007 held previously in the same department promoted by Department of Science and Technology (DST), New Delhi; Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi and Tamilnadu State Council for Science and Technology (TNSCST), Chennai. BIOCICON-2009 is aimed to promote basic and applied research and development for ecofriendly pest and disease management in agriculture and forestry.

The conference will include the following sessions:
For more information please contact:

Dr. K. Sahayaraj
Organizing Secretary - 'Biocicon-2009'
Crop Protection Research Centre
St. Xavier's College
Palayamkottai -627 002, Tamil Nadu, India.
E-mail: biocicon2009@gmail.com

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