www.apsnet.org
What Does the Future Hold for APS? John Sherwood, APS President, sherwood@uga.edu Happy new year, and perhaps, happy new decade. There is nothing like trivia to stir the blogosphere, and under current debate is if we have just ended the first decade of the new millennium or are already in year two. At any rate, as this comes to press I am approximately midway through my term as president of our society, and our new governance structure has been in place approximately six months. I want to take this opportunity to bring the membership up to date on activities underway in our society. The infamous quote, “Prediction is very hard, especially about the future,” is attributed to Yogi Berra. Scientists are often asked what the future may hold, and we often try to make predictions based on the data we have in John Sherwood hand that was generated to answer questions we thought were important at the time. In a recent article in the International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability (8:219-236; doi:10.3763/ijas.2010.0534) some 50 authors provide “the top 100 questions of importance to the future of global agriculture.” The purpose of this exercise was to “guide policy makers involved in directing future agricultural policy and research.” The authors identified four overarching areas under which the questions are listed: 1) natural resource inputs, 2) agronomic practice, 3) agricultural development, and 4) markets and consumption. As one might expect in such a broadly based treatise, “pest and disease management” was a subheading in “agronomic practice” with four questions raised concerning plant health and plant diseases. Perhaps a more fundamental question is, “From where will the talent arise that will be able to answer the 100 questions?” APS has been bringing attention to this question for several years through activities led by James MacDonald, David Gadoury, and most recently, James Moyer. Over the last year, Moyer has facilitated keeping together a coalition of approximately 30 diverse scientific societies and industries to support an initiative coined the Coalition for a Sustainable Agricultural Workforce (CSAW) (www.sustainableagworkforce.org) that seeks federal investment in core educational programs to support K-12, undergraduate, and graduate programs in agricultural sciences. This issue was featured in the November issue of Ag Professional (54[11]:34-36) and a brief overview by Moyer is also included in this issue of Phytopathology News on page 5. CSAW and other discussions on education have raised the visibility of the society’s initiatives and ongoing programs related to education. Hence, APS Council is moving forward in establishing an Office of Education that will be similar in scope and responsibility to the other boards and offices of APS. This is planned to come to fruition at the beginning of the next presidential term. The APS Public Policy Board (PPB) completed a strategic planning activity at the beginning of December 2010, and the outcome of those discussions will be presented in an upcoming issue of Phytopathology News. PPB has been active in conveying the concerns of the plant pathology community on the abrupt change in the Request for Applications for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative in the nascent National Institute of Food and Agriculture. In addition, PPB continues to address issues relevant to plant pathology in food safety and culture collections and respond to regulatory issues that can or will impact the programs of plant pathologists. PPB has a
News 2011 APS-IPPC Joint Meeting Call for Papers Secure your place in the program! Submit your oral technical and poster abstracts February 1 – March 15 to be a part of the program in Honolulu, HI! Plan ahead and join APS in Hawaii! Housing is open. APS has negotiated significantly discounted rates at two hotels, the Hilton Hawaiian Village starting at $185 per night and the Doubletree Alana Waikiki starting at $172 per night. These rates are offered based on availability three days before APS•IPPC and three days after Joint Meeting the meeting. August 6–10 Registration opens Honolulu, Hawaii in February. Visit www.apsnet.org/meet for more information. n
2011
January 2011 • Volume 45 • Number 1
Collaborative Agreement with CSPP Renewed in 2011 Recently, APS and the Chinese Society for Plant Pathology (CSPP) renewed their collaborative agreement through November 2013 to facilitate interactions and increase sharing of science between APS and CSPP members. Through a special agreement between the two societies, APS and CSPP members are developing joint symposia, sharing cooperative memberships, and creating new initiatives for effective interactions. More about this opportunity is available on APSnet at www.apsnet.org/about/join/benefits/ Pages/CSPP.aspx. n
What Does the Future Hold for APS continued on page 3
In this Issue Editor’s Corner ............................................ 2 Letter to the Editor ..................................... 3 Committee Spotlight ................................... 3 APS Foundation .......................................... 6
Public Policy Board ..................................... 9 APS Annual Report .................................. 10 Outreach ................................................... 15 People ....................................................... 16
Classifieds .................................................. 18 APS Journal Articles .................................. 19 Calendar of Events .................................... 20
www.apsnet.org
January 2011 • Volume 45 • Number 1
News
Editor-in-Chief: Doug Jardine Managing Editor: Michelle Bjerkness Editor: Amanda Aranowski Design: Agnes Walker Advertising Sales: Karen Deuschle Phytopathology News (ISSN 0278-0267) is published eleven times per year by The American Phytopathological Society (APS) at 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121 U.S.A. Phone: +1.651.454.7250, Fax: +1.651.454.0766, E-mail: aps@scisoc.org, Web: www.apsnet.org. Phytopathology News is distributed to all APS members. Subscription price to nonmembers is $69 U.S./$81 Elsewhere. Periodicals paid at St. Paul, MN. CPC Intl Pub Mail #0969249. Postmaster: Send address changes to Phytopathology News, 3340 Pilot Knob Road, St. Paul, MN 55121 U.S.A. Submission Guidelines Address all editorial correspondence to: Doug Jardine, Department of Plant Pathology, 4024 Throckmorton Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66506-5502 U.S.A. Phone: +1.785.532.1386; Fax: +1.785.532.5692; E-mail: PhytoNewsEditor@scisoc.org. In order to ensure timely publication of your news items and announcements, please send in material six weeks prior to the date of publication. Material should be no more than six months old when submitted. Submission of materials as electronic files, via e-mail, will speed processing. For information on submitting electronic images contact Agnes Walker at awalker@scisoc.org. Deadline for submitting items for the March 2011 issue is January 15, 2011.
APS Leadership Council President: John L. Sherwood President-Elect: Carol A. Ishimaru Vice President: Michael J. Boehm Immediate Past President: Barbara J. Christ Internal Communications Officer: Danise T. Beadle Internal Communications Officer-Elect: David M. Gadoury Treasurer: Randall C. Rowe Senior Councilor-at-Large: Carolee T. Bull Intermediate Councilor-at-Large: Anne E. Dorrance Junior Councilor-at-Large: Walter F. Mahaffee Divisional Councilor: David G. Schmale III Publications Councilor: Anthony P. Keinath Executive Vice President: Steven C. Nelson Editors-in-Chief APS PRESS: Margery L. Daughtrey MPMI: Gary Stacey Phytopathology: Niklaus J. GrÜnwald Phytopathology News: Doug J. Jardine Plant Disease: R. Mike Davis Plant Disease Management Reports: Frank P. Wong Plant Health Progress: Ned A. Tisserat The Plant Health Instructor: Anton B. Baudoin Board and Office Chairs and Directors APS Foundation Chair: Ray D. Martyn Divisional Forum Chair: George W. Sundin PPB Chair: Jan E. Leach Publications Board Chair: Anthony P. Keinath OEC Director: Darin M. Eastburn OIP Director: Sally A. Miller OIR Director: Brian D. Olson OPRO Director: Monica L. Elliott AMB Director: Scott T. Adkins AXMB Director: Gary C. Bergstrom Division Officers Caribbean Councilor/Divisional Forum Rep.: Maria Mercedes Roca President: Lydia I. Rivera-Vargas Vice President: TBA Secretary-Treasurer: Ronald D. French-Monar North Central Councilor/Divisional Forum Rep.: George W. Sundin President: Deanna L. Funnell-Harris Vice President: TBA Secretary-Treasurer: Loren J. Giesler Northeastern Councilor/Divisional Forum Rep.: Wade H. Elmer President: Russell J. Tweddell Vice President: Beth K. Gugino Secretary-Treasurer: Christian A. Wyenandt Pacific Councilor/Divisional Forum Rep.: Jim E. Adaskaveg President: Jay W. Pscheidt President-Elect: Debra A. Inglis Secretary-Treasurer: Juliet M. Marshall Potomac Councilor/Divisional Forum Rep.: Kathryne Everts President: Mary Ann Hansen Vice President: Boris A. Vinatzer Secretary-Treasurer: Yilmaz Balci Southern Councilor/Divisional Forum Rep.: Timothy B. Brenneman President: Boyd Padgett President-Elect: David Langston Vice President: Raymond W. Schneider Secretary-Treasurer: Donald M. Ferrin
2 Phytopathology News
Editor’s Corner Free-Choice Learning Opportunities Aid U.S. Science Education Doug Jardine, Kansas State University, PhytoNewsEditor@scisoc.org As with many of our members, APS is not the only professional science organization that I belong to. Since 1984, I have been a member of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society. Although research is only 10% of my current appointment, I have maintained membership in Sigma Xi if for no better reason than I enjoy their flagship publication, American Scientist. An article in the most recent issue caught my interest due to my previous position as director of the APS Office of Public Relations and Outreach (OPRO). As a reminder, OPRO’s mission is in part “to educate the public on matters related to plant health, plant diseases, and associated microorganisms…. and to demonstrate the value of plant pathology to Doug Jardine society.” In the article, “The 95 Percent Solution,” authors John Falk and Lynn Dierking (1) put forth the thesis that school is not where most Americans learn most of their science. They cite data that while U.S. middle and high school aged students fall behind in science literacy compared to their peers in other developed countries, even though much public funding has been invested in in-school science education, U.S. adults have consistently outperformed their international counterparts in science literacy measures. They suggest that this is due in part to the significant advantage that Americans have in access to freechoice learning opportunities, including digital resources, educational television and radio, science museums, zoos, aquariums, national parks, and community activities, such as 4-H and scouting. The article cites numerous examples that support their thesis. What drew my attention to the article relates to a project I was involved with as OPRO director. The “Plants Get Sick Too!” exhibit, which was a plant pathology display produced by the Science Museum of Minnesota staff and APS member volunteers that was on exhibit at the Science Museum during the 2008 APS Centennial Meeting, is now available to APS members for use at local events (see www.apsnet.org/members/outreach/opro/pages/outreachresources.aspx). If, as Falk and Dierking suggest, most science education occurs in places outside of school, then we as APS members should seek ways to use materials like this exhibit in our communities, perhaps along with hands-on experiences, such as are highlighted in the article, “APS Reaches High School Teachers and Students at National FFA Career Show” on page 15. I challenge all of us to be creative in how we can educate the public on the science of plant pathology through local free-choice forms of science learning. Reference 1. Falk, J. H., and Dierking, L. D. 2010. The 95 Percent Solution. American Scientist 98:486-493. n
2010 Art in Phytopathology Submission: Vintage Necklace Sara Thomas, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Georgia Crafted by nature’s best, this necklace will be a perfect gift for the mycologist woman in your life, for any occasion! Guaranteed to be of fungal origin, this necklace is made solely with “angel-wing structures” painstakingly chiseled out from multiple blueberry fruits infected with Monilinia vaccinii-corymbosi. Much of my summer was spent cutting thousands of blueberry fruits for mummyberry disease assessment. Probably to make this task more entertaining, at the end of the day I would spend quite some time on a couple of fruits to excavate the fungal structure in tact. Soon I had many of these beautiful flower-like angel-wing structures and suddenly remembered their similarity to one of my mother’s necklaces that I had seen as a child. So, I arranged them as best as I could remember and soon had a fungal version of my mother’s necklace! n
Letter to the Editor Unsung Heroes H. Jesse Dubin, former associate director, CIMMYT Wheat Program I would like to comment on Al Scharen’s letter re: “The Origin of the Green Revolution.” I fully agree with Al that there were many participants in the development and diffusion of the semidwarf wheat cultivars. The unsung heroes that Al mentions, as well as others, should be remembered. If Norm Borlaug were here he would be the first to give credit to all of these people, including the well known “bird boys” who became key technicians in Mexico. As a matter of fact, Norm does give credit to the key people in his new biography authored by Noel Vietmeyer (Borlaug-Wheat Whisperer, 1944–1959, Vol. 2). In the afterword (p. 271), he personally notes the colleagues who participated with him in the breeding and diffusion program, including Edgar McFadden, the scientist who bred the durable Sr2 complex into the cultivar Hope. In each volume, Vietmeyer calls them “career savers,” forty people who fortuitously intervened in Borlaug’s career to move him toward the so-called Green Revolution. These “career savers” should not be forgotten. For those interested, I highly recommend reading all three volumes of Vietmeyer’s biography of Borlaug. It is a fascinating read. n
Have an Opinion? Recommendation? Insight? We Want to Hear It! Important objectives for Phytopathology News are to inform members of new information, provide a platform for the exchange of information, and to connect not only our members, but content across all aspects related to the broad nature of our science. Letters to the Editor can serve as a meaningful tool to reach members on topics of relevance and interest to our society. For example, this month’s letter includes a timely book recommendation for our readers. Please feel free to submit your own Letter to the Editor (PhytoNewsEditor@scisoc.org) if you have an opinion, a recommendation, or a thoughtful insight you think our readers would like to see. We look forward to hearing from you! n
What Does the Future Hold for APS continued from page 1
continual review and planning process, so if you have topics of concern please convey them to Jan Leach, who began her term as PPB chair following the 2010 APS Annual Meeting in Charlotte. Membership continues to bring some of the best science in plant health to the pages of the journals of our society. Thus, the journals published by APS remain competitive for institutional subscriptions from which the society uses the proceeds to provide benefits to APS members. While making predictions (especially about the future) is hard, there is concern about what might be the impact of the shrinking window of time from when articles are published and become available via open access on future institutional journal subscriptions. Discussions have begun on what might be alternative income streams for the society in the future to continue the breadth of member activities we utilize and enjoy. Council has approved the establishment of a Committee on Innovation and Entrepreneurship to begin to explore and support the development of activities and products that could provide future revenue streams for the society—a necessity if institutional journal subscriptions begin to wane. Additional information on this new opportunity for members to engage in the society will soon be forthcoming. Last, but certainly not the least of APS’s activities, is the upcoming annual meeting; the first-ever APS Annual Meeting to be held in Hawaii. This meeting will be held jointly with the International Association for the Plant Protection Scientists (IAPPS). The APS Scientific Program Board, in collaboration with representatives of IAPPS, met at the end of September to develop a joint program that will highlight the breadth and depth of the interests of both societies. The call for papers is scheduled to open February 1, 2011, so I hope all goes well in completing your work for an abstract. As a final comment, I want to thank the membership for their support and enthusiasm during my time in the presidential lineage leading to the office of president. APS continues to function well through a long-standing blend of volunteerism of members and an exceptional staff at APS Headquarters. I hope this new year, and perhaps new decade, finds you and your plants in good health. n
COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHT
Host Resistance Committee Alemu Mengistu, Host Resistant Committee Chair, Alemu.Mengistu@ars.usda.gov The field of host resistance is the core of the plant pathology profession. Host resistance is also a key component of most integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. The increased understanding and basic knowledge of the mechanisms contributing to host resistance will result in better disease management, which reduces negative impacts to production and yield, thereby increasing global food production. As such, the APS Host Resistance Committee is tasked with promoting cutting-edge technologies to identify and characterize the mechanisms of plant host resistance. The committee’s primary mission is to foster awareness and disseminate information related to identifying mechanisms of resistance and integrated management strategies that improve the host’s ability to defend itself against pathogen attack. Members of the committee sponsor symposia and workshops at APS meetings that best address the innovations being discovered in host resistance. The committee also proposes symposia sessions that address professional development which aid our members in the success of their respective programs. This includes being a resource to initiate collaborations, identifying programs of research, and serving as professional sounding boards on projects and proposals. The committee consists of willing volunteers who serve as a pool of experts in the field that APS may contact in regard to special requests for information (regarding issues of host resistance) or serve as a sounding board on particular policy-based issues that may arise. The Host Resistance Committee invites anyone willing to serve as a member to play a role in this constantly evolving field by joining our committee by e-mailing the serving current committee chair, Alemu Mengistu, alemu.mengistu@ars.usda.gov; the vice chair, Shaker Kousik, shaker. kousik@ars.usda.gov; or the past chair, Kimberly Webb, kimberly.webb@ars. usda.gov. n
Phytopathology News 3
Welcome New Sustaining Associate Members Conviron and Natural Industries The American Phytopathological Society (APS) welcomes its newest Sustaining Associate Members Conviron and Natural Industries, Inc.
Conviron is a global supplier of controlled environment systems for plant science research. They offer an extensive product portfolio of single and multi-tier chambers and rooms as well as research greenhouses, much of which is customized to a client’s specific requirements. To help ensure project success, Conviron also offers specialized services from early-stage engineering and design through to installation, project commissioning, and on-going maintenance and support. Natural Industries, Inc. specializes in developing beneficial microbial products for use in agriculture, horticulture, turf, and lawn and garden. Located in Houston, TX, Natural Industries recently increased its research staff and production thanks to a new state-of-the-art 2,000-squarefoot lab that was built in 2007. The new lab operation helps Natural Industries keep up with global demand for its Actinovate and ActinoIron products. Natural Industries is constantly working with researchers around the world to bring the most effective and safest chemical alternatives to the market. Sustaining Associate Members are industry organizations that help support the mission of APS. As a Sustaining Associate Member, companies receive special recognition opportunities along with significant discounts. More than 30 organizations are currently members, visit APSnet at www.apsnet.org/ members/directories/Pages/sustain.aspx to see a full listing. If your organization is not currently listed as a Sustaining Associate Member and you would like to learn more about this unique opportunity, visit www.apsnet.org/about/ join/benefits/Pages/SA.aspx or contact APS Sustaining Associate Chair Dan Myhaver (dan.myhaver@envirologix.com) for more information. n
4 Phytopathology News
APS, PMN Offer Stakeholder Outreach/ Extension Platforms to Support USDA-NIFA and Other Grant Requirements Applying for a grant and looking for a way to fulfill the outreach/extension requirement? Depending on the audience you seek, APSnet, the APS Education Center (www.apsnet.org/outreach), and the Plant Management Network (PMN) (www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/outreach) websites now offer a service to develop, disseminate, and maintain educational web-based materials in support of your outreach needs. Regardless of which venue you choose, we will cooperate with you and your team to create and publish educational web-based materials, making them available to our mutual stakeholders. The service may be used to fulfill or partially fulfill the outreach/extension component required by USDA-NIFA or other grants for which you and your colleagues may be applying or submitting a proposal. Our expert involvement will consist primarily of producing, hosting, and maintaining a series of open-access Internet-based webcasts based on your outreach/extension message. These webcasts will be promoted and publicly available on the APSnet Education Center and PMN’s websites to disseminate your grant-based information to our readership. APSnet is heavily utilized by APS members and those interested specifically in plant pathology and related sciences. The APSnet Education Center is visited by K-12 and post-secondary/graduate student teachers and students in plant pathology and the biological sciences. PMN covers the array of plant sciences, reaching growers, agribusiness professionals, private and public researchers, educators, policy makers, and the public at large. In addition to webcasts, our full suite of services includes producing/distributing educational materials in several forms and media, including web-based, print, CD/DVD, and exhibits. We are also happy to explore other opportunities with you. Benefits of a Partnership for Creating, Disseminating Your Educational Outreach/Extension Webcast(s): • Your webcast will be publicly available in an institution-neutral publication venue • Our websites are acknowledged as credible, nonbiased resources • Publishing with us positions your outreach materials within existing electronic resources that are recognized as centralized destinations hosting comprehensive plant science information • An established track record of producing high-quality online presentations and resources • Ease of publication; developing your webcast is as easy as preparing a routine PowerPoint • Convenience; recording your presentation can be done from the convenience of your office telephone, saving time and travel • Your webcast will be maintained and remain available beyond the life of the grant • Achieving your stakeholder outreach/extension goal through our websites is efficient and cost effective • APS and PMN are able to supply some of the matching contribution required by some granting bodies Thank you for the opportunity to be considered as part of your grant proposal. We look forward to working with you on the development of your educational materials. Sample webcasts are available online at www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/samplewebcast and www.apsnet.org/samplewebcast (audio required). For more specific information and associated costs, please contact Darin Eastburn, APSnet, eastburn@illinois.edu; Anton Baudoin, APSnet Education Center, abaudoin@vt.edu; and Miles Wimer, PMN, mwimer@scisoc.org. n
APS Collaborates with CSAW APS is partnering with several other scientific societies and agricultural industry leaders to generate support to train scientists who will be our future workforce for universities, corporations, and government agencies. At a time when we need to make great advancements in the agricultural, nutritional, and environmental sciences in order to meet our future global food and fuel demands, we are facing the loss of a large percentage of the workforce to retirement over the next five to 10 years. The capacities of universities to train future scientists are being reduced due to budget constraints and fewer research funds. Furthermore, too few students are being attracted to careers in agricultural science. The Coalition for a Sustainable Agricultural Workforce (CSAW), composed of nine scientific societies and 20 corporations, is calling attention to the critical need to train greater numbers of scientists. This unique partnership of industry and scientific societies is working in parallel with other efforts by universities and corporations. CSAW is focusing on new partnerships to find workable solutions to this huge challenge. With the help of industry, we can further quantify the anticipated employment needs by educational level for each discipline. Moreover, through this effort, we can help recruit qualified students and promote awareness of careers. We have created an initial website (www.sustainableagworkforce.org) for CSAW and encourage you to view it. It will be used to report current activities and progress on various CSAW efforts. Over time, we hope to include information on careers, job opportunities, internships, and links to individual companies, university departments, and scientific societies. Over the last few months, CSAW has had a series of meetings with the USDA and specifically with NIFA. We expect that such a large challenge will require working with many other agencies and political leaders, and we will attain our future workforce through a broad range of solutions. If you have any additional questions or interest in this effort, please contact APS member and past president, James Moyer (james-moyer@ncsu.edu, +1.919.515.2730), who is taking the lead on this initiative for APS.
Members of CSAW AACC International (formerly the American Association of Cereal Chemists) The American Phytopathological Society American Society of Agronomy American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers Agrotain International LLC BASF Corporation Bayer CropScience Crop Science Society of America Cargill, Incorporated CID Bio-Science, Inc. Deere and Company Dole Fresh Vegetables Dow AgroSciences LLC Entomological Society of America E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company GROWMARK, Inc. Gylling Data Management, Inc. International Plant Nutrition Institute J. R. Simplot Company Kellogg Company Monsanto Company National Council for Agricultural Education National FFA Organization Pioneer Hi-Bred International PotashCorp Rural Sociological Society Soil Science Society of America Weed Science Society of America Winfield Solutions, LLC, a Land O’Lakes Company n
Order now for Spring and Fall Classes 1.800.328.7560 www.shopapspress.org The American Phytopathological Society
NEW
#M8535-12/2010
NEW
Phytopathology News 5
APS Foundation Additional Funds, New Members, and Fresh Initiatives for 2011 Ray D. Martyn, Chair, APS Foundation Board, rmartyn@purdue.edu I am pleased to introduce the two newest members of the APS Foundation Board, Lawrence Datnoff, professor and head of the Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, Louisiana State University, and Ray D. Martyn Kestrel Lannon, APS Graduate Student Committee chair, North Carolina State University. We welcome them to the board and look forward to their insight as the foundation pursues its strategic agenda. I also express my deep appreciation, as well as that of the entire board, to outgoing chair, George Abawi. Abawi served the foundation for many years, unselfishly giving his time to many activities. During his tenure as chair, he helped navigate the APS Foundation through some very rough economic conditions. The APS Foundation was founded in 1986 by authorization of APS Council as a 501-(c)3 nonprofit organization. Its mission is to promote and support the discipline of plant pathology and special programs that meet the society’s objectives and member needs, but which are outside the normal operating budget of the society. The foundation’s income initiates from charitable giving of APS members and supporters. Those monies are allocated to one or more of the 50 different foundation funds as instructed by the donor and a portion of the investment returns are awarded to individuals in support of travel to the APS Annual Meeting. The generous support by APS members continues to assist many individuals in numerous ways. Most visible perhaps are the named student travel awards, of which there are 48. The Named Student Travel Funds were established in 1996 to support graduate student travel to APS meetings and have become extremely popular and successful. Since then more than $164,000 have been awarded to graduate students to attend APS meetings. There were 28 graduate student travel awards granted for the 2010 Annual Meeting in Charlotte, totaling $22,100. We hope to have at least that many, or more, for the 2011 APSIPPC Joint Meeting in Hawaii, thanks in part
6 Phytopathology News
to a generous contribution from APS Council. We also hope to increase the travel grants to Hawaii to $600 each. An additional 150 awards, totaling $194,358, have been granted from the other named funds. The APS Foundation also received several significant gifts during the past year. A generous gift from J. Artie Browning, APS past president and his wife Arra, established a new graduate student travel award called “The J. Artie and Arra Browning Plant Medicine and Health Travel Fund.” This new award recognizes the emerging professional field of plant health and medicine and encourages students majoring in one of the current or future programs to participate in a professional meeting appropriate to their professional interest. A review committee, consisting of APS Foundation Board member Anne Alvarez and Caydee Savinelli (Syngenta Crop Protection) and Don Ferrin (Louisiana State University) has been appointed to develop nomination and selection criteria. Hopefully this will be in place in time for the Hawaii meeting. This new award is in addition to Browning’s current travel award. A new student travel fund was also established this year. APS member Harald Scherm developed the Efrat Gamliel-Atinsky Student Travel Award, along with friends, family, and colleagues from the University of Georgia and from Israel, in honor of his post-doctoral student, Efrat Gamliel-Atinsky, who was tragically killed in an automobile accident in southern Israel in March 2010 after another vehicle crossed the center line and struck her car. This travel award will be bestowed in her memory to an outstanding student pursuing research in the broad areas of epidemiology, pathogen ecology, and population biology who wishes to present their research at the APS Annual Meeting. Additionally, Milton and Nancy Schroth recently contributed a generous gift to the foundation in the form of a stock transfer. The sale of this stock will increase the corpus in the Schroth Faces of the Future Symposium fund, which recognizes early-career professionals in a special symposium at the APS Annual Meeting and assists with their travel. Likewise, Jesse Dubin also donated a significant gift of stock to the student travel fund he established in honor of the Peace Corps. On behalf of the APS
Foundation Board, I want to thank these and other members for their support. I know the recipients of these awards do also. You may remember that the foundation conducted a raffle for a new iPad at the annual meeting in Charlotte. The raffle was very successful, thanks to the 200-plus members who purchased 463 tickets. Mani Skaria was the lucky iPad winner, as was the APS Foundation, which netted almost $3,300 for student travel grants. Thanks to all who participated in this first-time fundraising event. Look for a new raffle prize in Hawaii. During the past year, the foundation completed a new strategic business plan. After many months of critical review, the foundation revised its strategic goals and developed guidelines for increasing the number of APS members who contribute to the foundation and the total amount of contributions. Currently, only 7% of the APS membership (10% of the domestic members) regularly contribute to the foundation. It is a goal to increase this to 20% of the domestic membership over the next five years. In addition to the Named Student Travel Funds (of which there are 48 individual travel funds) and the other 13 named funds, the foundation identified the following initiatives to develop over the coming years: 1) Fellowships for undergraduate students who have a career interest in plant pathology 2) Early-career professional development and training fellowships 3) Recognition and support of novel and innovative teaching concepts and models 4) APS public policy fellow These new initiatives, as well as several other current initiatives, will require considerable levels of endowment to come to fruition. During the next year, the foundation will address how it can achieve its goals of increasing contributions and support. For a complete list of all of the foundation funds, visit www.apsnet.org/ members/foundation. The APS Foundation has a bold agenda for the next five years. I hope you will help us achieve our goals by contributing to the foundation. Your dollars support so many students and other members. For ways to contribute please visit our website. If you have any questions about the foundation, please do not hesitate to contact me or any board member. n
Early-Career Nematologists— Funding Opportunity for Hawaii Applications for the Schroth Faces of the Future Symposium awards, created through an endowment established by Milt and Nancy Schroth, are due in February. Four awards are available and will provide funds of $400 each to the selected presenters to help support their travel to the meeting. The 2011 symposium is entitled “Schroth Faces of the Future—New Perspectives in Nematology.” This symposium is designed to acknowledge the new faces shaping the future of nematology. The speakers will be asked to present their research in a special session where they will have the opportunity to highlight their current work and speculate on the future directions of their discipline. In addition, the speakers will have the opportunity to submit a mini-review to be published as a fully citable APSnet feature, where they can highlight their philosophy and thinking about the future direction of their discipline. We encourage nominations of scientists in the early stages of their careers (within 10 years of graduation, including post-docs) that are forward thinkers and are perceived to be the future leaders in the field of nematology. Speakers will be chosen by a selection committee composed of nematologists and members of the Early Career Professionals Committee. The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. (EST), February 15, 2011. Applications should be submitted as a single-merged PDF document via e-mail to Gilda Rauscher; see www.apsnet.org/members/foundation/apply/ Pages/SchrothSymposium.aspx for details. n
Deadlines Approaching for Several Student Funding Opportunities Applications are due January 10 for the I. E. Melhus Graduate Student Symposium, entitled “Today’s Students Making a Difference in the Field of Plant Disease Epidemiology.” The symposium will feature four to five graduate student presentations, with travel awards for each presenter of $600–$1,000, highlighting research that leads to a better understanding of plant disease epidemiology and management. Submissions for the Raymond J. Tarleton Student Fellowship, an award supporting graduate students in plant pathology research, are due January 14.
Do you have undergraduate students working in your laboratory who could benefit from the support of the Frank L. Howard Undergraduate Fellowship? If so, we encourage you to notify them about this opportunity. The application process is not complicated and it provides an excellent opportunity to introduce an undergraduate to the exciting world of plant pathology research. The fellowship will be awarded for summer 2011 or the 2011–2012 academic school term. Six copies of the application package are due January 24, 2011.
“The travel grant awarded me the ability to continue my education outside an academic realm, network in a relaxed environment, and get feedback and alternate views on my current research,” says Andrea Payne from Oklahoma State University. Payne was one of 27 students awarded this past year. “As a student, the experiences gained at the national APS meetings are indispensible. As an awardee, the process was seamless from submission to award reception. I look forward to the chance to reapply for another award when I am able to do so,” notes Payne.
Don’t delay! Submit your applications and gain new opportunities and experiences through the support of the APS Foundation! Information on these awards is available on APSnet at www.apsnet.org/members/foundation/apply. n
Eligible students are encouraged to review the following application requirements for the 2011 APS Student Travel Award. Applicants should consider preparing their responses in a word processing application prior to completing the online form. Once the form is available online, applicants can paste the content of their submission directly into the form. Applicants are required to submit an abstract for the 2011 meeting and fill out the online application. The application requires students to answer questions about their research, to make a case for a hot topic that they feel should be presented at the next APS meeting, and requires a recommendation from their graduate advisor. A complete list of requirements can be found on the application website.
Online Application for the 2011 Student Travel Awards Opens in February If you are an APS student member giving an oral or poster presentation at the 2011 APSIPPC Joint Meeting in Honolulu, HI, you are eligible to apply for an APS Student Travel Award. We are interested in rewarding students who are the best and brightest in their field. Awards are available to all manners of study and scientific interest. The online application process for the 2011 APS Student Travel Awards will open February 15, 2011, and continue through March 22, Andrea Payne 2011. (Once activated, the online application will be available at www.scientificsocieties.org/aps/ foundation/travel.) However, students who received an award in 2010 will not be eligible for an award until 2012. Award winners will receive $500 to support their travel to the 2011 APS-IPPC Joint Meeting in Honolulu. Applications are due by NOON Central Time on March 22, 2011, and advisor letters are due by NOON Central Time on March 29, 2011. These deadlines are strictly enforced; no applications or advisor letters will be accepted after the posted deadline. Students are encouraged to apply early.
“The travel grant awarded me the ability to continue my education outside an academic realm, network in a relaxed environment, and get feedback and alternate views on my current research.” “I encourage all students to apply and take advantage of this opportunity to network and interact with colleagues from around the globe. The joint meeting of APS and the International Association for Plant Protection Sciences in Honolulu, HI, is an experience that shouldn’t be missed,” says Kestrel Lannon of North Carolina State University, chair of the APS Graduate Student Committee (GSC). n
Phytopathology News 7
APS PRESS Publishes a Practical Guide to Turfgrass Fungicides A Practical Guide to Turfgrass Fungicides is a comprehensive 270-page handbook for turf professionals who are responsible for turfgrass disease control. It clearly explains fungicide movement in turf, fungicide mode of action, strategies for dealing with the threat of fungicide resistance, environmental and maintenance factors that influence fungicide performance, effective approaches to scheduling fungicide sprays, and practices for integrating chemical and nonchemical options for individual turf diseases. Author Richard Latin has dedicated his career to the investigation and implementation of practical solutions to contemporary plant disease problems.
As a turf pathologist, educator, and scientific advisor to golf course superintendents, author Rick Latin, a professor of plant pathology at Purdue University, understands the real-world turf disease concerns encountered on a daily basis. This is the first book written in practical language for turf managers and students that describes how and why fungicides work (and why sometimes they don’t). It addresses all factors that contribute to the effective,
efficient use of fungicides specifically for controlling diseases on turf. It provides golf course superintendants, turf managers, and the extension professionals who advise them with a strong foundation on the nature of these very important turf management tools. The practical information delivered in this book demystifies fungicide management for nonscientists. It supplies the knowledge base to help turf professionals make fungicide application decisions from an informed perspective, which will lead to healthier turfgrass at a lower cost with less maintenance. As a result of this informed perspective, golf course superintendents, sports turf managers, and related professionals will also gain the background needed for engaging in effective communication of disease control issues with their administrators as well as the public. “The book is filled with 114 color figures and diagrams that help clarify important concepts,” said Margery Daughtrey, editor-in-chief of APS PRESS. “It is written at just the right level for turf management training courses and programs. Symptoms of 26 common turf diseases are clearly shown in color to help readers identify fungal diseases but, more importantly, the concepts of ‘when’ and ‘how’ and ‘why’ to treat are better understood after reading Rick Latin’s comprehensive and comprehensible book.”
SPDN-GPDN 2010 Joint Meeting On October 18–20, approximately 30 diagnosticians (both plant pathologists and entomologists) descended on College Station, TX, from the southern and midwestern United States for the joint Southern Plant Diagnostic Network (SPDN)-Great Plain Diagnostic Network (GPDN) joint meeting. Workshops on ‘Candidatus Liberibacter’ and its vector were offered at this meeting in addition to a half-day tour. General meeting sessions, conducted on Wednesday at Rudder Tower, discussed the existing program within the various regions as well as possibilities for future collaborations between the two regions and with the research community in general. Regional meetings were avenues for state reports. This meeting was concluded with a social at the Lake Bryan Icehouse where participants enjoyed nice food, music, and environs.
A tour stop at the USDA Pecan Breeding Program in Somerville, TX. 8 Phytopathology News
Group photo at the Wednesday night social on Lake Bryan.
The book includes the following chapters: Turf Fungicide Fundamentals; Modes of Action of Fungicides; Fungicide Resistance; Factors That Influence Fungicide Performance; Biofungicides, Phosphonates, and Post-Patent Products; Fungicide Interactions; Scheduling Fungicides for Turf Disease Control; Fungicide Regulation; Interpreting Fungicide Performance Research; Turf Disease Characteristics and Control; and Turf Fungicide Profiles. This title will deliver in January 2011 and may be ordered from APS at a $30 discount through February 6, 2011. APS members also receive an additional 10% discount. (List price: $139.95; sale price: $109.95; member sale price: $98.96; plus shipping.) To order this title, call toll-free +1.800.328.7560 U.S.A. and most of Canada or +1.651.454.7250 elsewhere. Or, go to the APS PRESS online store after January 10, 2011, at www.shopapspress.org. When ordering by phone or fax, please reference the title: A Practical Guide to Turfgrass Fungicides and the book item # 43924 along with your credit card information. n
Share APS and Win! APS is asking its university members to help share the value of membership this year. Each member that joins or renews during the 2010–2011 academic year puts your university in the running for the University Recruitment Challenge. The second-place university will receive an award of $250 for travel to the annual meeting, and the overall winner will receive an award of $500 for travel to help your university attend the annual meeting!
Public Policy Board The Public Policy Board Is Actively Engaged in Food Safety Melanie Lewis Ivey, PPB Intern, ivey.14@osu.edu, and Jeri Barak, PPB Member, barak@plantpath.wisc.edu
Melanie Lewis Ivey
Jeri Barak
The contamination of fresh produce by zoonotic pathogens is not a new problem; however, recent advances in pathogen detection, identification, surveillance, and dissemination of information, as well as the occurrence of several large-scale outbreaks, has led to increased public awareness about foodborne illnesses associated with fresh produce. As a result, scientific societies, governmental agencies, and nongovernmental organizations have become more engaged in identifying critical, fundamental, and practical research needs to better understand the complex relationships among human pathogens, plants, and their environment. After the devastating October 2006 Escherichia coli O157:H7 outbreak in fresh spinach, the APS Public Policy Board (PPB) formed an APS Food Safety Interest Group (FSIG) to address the research and outreach contributions plant pathologists could offer to the national food safety community and the public. Since 2007, the number of members in this interest group has doubled in size from 26 to approximately 50 members. The group includes APS members, plant pathology graduate students, USDA and FDA officials, and the APS Washington liaison. Two immediate activities of the FSIG were to suggest that food safety be a key focus area for the PPB and to collaborate with the APS Bacteriology Committee to host a symposium (“Cross Domain Bacteria: Emerging Threats to Plants, Humans, and our Food Supply”) at the 2007 APS Annual Meeting. By 2008, food safety had made it into the top five on the PPB priority list, and in 2009 it ranked third and was allocated a 20% time commitment for the board’s efforts. Over the last year, PPB worked to develop interagency and intersocietal collaborations to increase the visibility of current plant pathology research relevant to food safety issues and to increase research funding for expansion of our knowledge of human pathogen-plant interactions. PPB distributed a white paper
proposing the establishment of an interagency program that would be specifically focused on gaining fundamental and practical knowledge of human pathogen-plant interactions and would provide a venue for cross-disciplinary interactions among plant pathologists and food safety specialists in academia, industry, and government. As a followup to the white paper, two listening sessions, cosponsored by APS and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), on “Assuring the Safety of Fresh Produce” were held in Washington, DC, in November 2009. At this forum, APS members presented their current research efforts and proposed funding initiative pertaining to food safety to key members of the FDA Center for Food Safety and Nutrition (CFSAN) produce safety staff and researchers from the University of Maryland, Georgetown University, USDA leadership, USDA-ARS, USDA-NIFA, USDAFSIS, and the Washington, DC, members of the International Association for Food Protection and the Institute of Food Technologists. Throughout 2010, PPB continued their efforts to establish interagency collaborations and submitted a second white paper reiterating the need for increased funding. Additionally, PPB requested the establishment of an interagency funding initiative and workshop to bring together all relevant members of the food safety community so that fundamental and applied research needs could be prioritized. Copies of both white papers can be downloaded at www.apsnet.org/members/outreach/ppb/Pages/ FoodSafety.aspx. Currently PPB, with the help of Washington, DC, liaison Kellye Eversole, is exploring the development of consortia to fund food safety initiatives through non-USDA and international agencies. In the past year, PPB has also made significant gains in developing intersocietal collaborations. In August 2010, Jacque Fletcher and Eversole worked with Don Zink (science adviser, FDA CFSAN) to host a full symposium at the International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) meeting in Anaheim, CA, entitled “Human Pathogens Associated with Edible Plants.” The vast research and extension outreach training and experience of plant pathologists were showcased during this symposium. The symposium attracted approximately 200 people, and the audience included members of the fresh produce and crop industries, growers, federal and state regulators, extension and education professionals, scientists involved in quality control, and microbiological and technical services professionals. Following the symposium, PPB hosted an IAFP-APS
human pathogens on plants discussion to provide APS and IAFP members and others with an interest in human pathogens on plants the opportunity to share their perspectives and priorities learned from the IAFP meeting. A diverse group of participants attended the meeting, including David W. Tharp (IAFP executive director), Samir Assar (FDA CFSAN leader), and industry and academic IAFP members. Topics discussed at the meeting included an overview of an organizational meeting on preharvest food safety, the formation of new avenues to consolidate and present plant pathology-food safety related research, interest levels for a similar symposium at IAFP in 2011, and other strategies for enhancing communication among our disciplines. A similar symposium and working group meeting were hosted at the 2010 APS Annual Meeting in Charlotte, NC, and a proposal for a more comprehensive symposium at the 2011 IAFP Annual Meeting was submitted in October 2010. Lastly, APS-FSIG members Steven Rideout (Virginia Cooperative Extension) and Melanie Lewis Ivey (The Ohio State University) were invited speakers at the Influence of Production Practices on Food Safety Workshop held during the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) in Palm Desert, CA. This provided APS with an opportunity to highlight current applied and extension outreach that is being conducted in food safety by plant pathologists. Both presentations were well received and sparked interest in developing more formal interactions with ASHS in the coming year. Over the last year, PPB has advocated for increased funding for both fundamental and applied research knowledge of human pathogen-plant interactions. Recently, PPB and FSIG were awarded a conference grant by the USDA National Institutes of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). These funds will support an interdisciplinary workshop where researchers will share ongoing project information and prioritize fundamental and applied research needs in food safety. This event will be held midto late 2011, so look for conference information to be disseminated as planning progresses! An information-sharing GroupLoop website was established at APS to facilitate information sharing with the FSIG. If you have an interest in food safety and would like to join the FSIG, or be added to the food safety GroupLoop, please contact Michelle Bjerkness at APS Headquarters (mbjerkness@scisoc.org). n
Phytopathology News 9
APS Annual Report The APS 2010 Annual Report Danise Beadle, APS Internal Communications Officer, danise.beadle@bayer.com “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” Often misattributed to Charles Darwin, the preceding quote does set the tone of the activities that Danise Beadle took place this year for The American Phytopathological Society (APS). From a new constitution and nomination process to governance to the new APSnet and even a change in meeting venue, our society has embraced these transformations and continues to thrive. With the unfaltering support of APS staff and countless hours of volunteerism by the membership, below you will be able to follow the means by which your society will remain a viable, forward-looking scientific organization continuing to advance the science of plant pathology and its application to plant health. _______________________________________ Detailed APS Annual Report and Committee Listings Available Online; Treasurer’s Report in February Phytopathology News A detailed version of the 102nd Annual Report is available at www.apsnet.org/about/ governance/annualreports. The report of the treasurer is now published annually in the February issue of Phytopathology News. Watch your issue next month for full details. In addition, for the most up-to-date listing of APS leadership, including council, boards, offices, and committee listings, visit www.apsnet.org/members/apsleadership. _______________________________________ APS 2010 Highlights Governance—The year 2010 brought forth many changes for APS, but none as great as the constitutional change in governance. With more than 90% of the voting membership ratifying the recommendations put forth by the ad-hoc governance committee and unanimously endorsed by APS Council, the society now has the means by which to address issues in a nimble, proficient manner. The new governance structure reduced the number of council members from 21 to 12, but enhanced the liaising role of each. Council now includes the president, president-elect, vice president, past president, internal communications officer (formerly secretary), treasurer, three elected 10 Phytopathology News
councilors-at-large, publications councilor, divisional councilor, and the executive vice president. Implementation of the new structure began at the conclusion of the 2010 APS Annual Meeting in Charlotte, NC. Divisional Forum—With the revision in the APS Constitution, a Divisional Forum was established, which is composed of the six division councilors. Together, they coordinate activities that are relevant to the divisions and those activities that connect divisions with the leadership and council of APS, communicate with the divisional forum councilor, and forward nominees to council for the divisional councilor position. In September, council officially established the forum as an APS standing committee/society internal relations committee. Nomination Committee—As mentioned in the November 2010 issue of Phytopathology News, this committee is also a by-product of the constitutional change redirecting the responsibility from the Councilors Forum to a new Nominations Committee. This committee’s charge is to promote volunteerism within APS and ensure that the society’s elected and appointed positions are filled by qualified, committed individuals who reflect the diversity within our society. Nominees who have met the first level of criteria (respected in the field of plant pathology; possess leadership experiences in APS and a record of follow-through and results in various APS activities; and are
good mentors of others) will be requested to submit an application providing a curriculum vitae and their vision for the future for APS. By enhancing the nomination process, the committee ensures a talent pool from which to draw our future societal leaders. APSnet—“The new APSnet went live following the annual meeting taking nearly two years to build and including more than 100,000 pages and over 20,000 images. While offering the same key features as the previous version, the new APSnet is easier to navigate. In addition, the site now has hundreds of pages of new content and enhanced features that meet all of the key success factors we established for this project,” notes Darin Eastburn, director of the APS Office of Electronic Communications (OEC). This progressive system clearly organizes all of the APSnet content into a database for a higher level of integration and content connectivity than experienced with
our previous website. The database-driven site will now connect and complement content like never before. Instead of static web pages with no communication or connectivity between them, this website has an innovative, organized structure that will improve each user’s experience and position APS for enhanced capabilities in future initiatives.
are now available online, with the remainder being available online within the new decade. In November 2010, IS-MPMI published its first “Focus Issue,” consisting of invited review articles and key research papers on the specific topic, Cell Biology of Plant-Virus Interactions. A focus issue on another important topic will be scheduled for 2011.
Plant Management Network (PMN)— What started as one applied crop protection journal 10 years ago, has grown into a suite of 12 online resources now read by nearly 350,000 individuals worldwide in just the past year. Through its continued expansion and development, the Plant Management Network’s (PMN’s) fiscal resources exceeded expenses in 2010. Congratulations! A new focus topic— Focus on Potato—was launched on July 1, 2010 (www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/fop). The first iteration includes six expert webcasts on potato crop protection and production, searchable databases (including PMN’s partner university extension publications), and efficacy trials. An additional webcast is anticipated to be added each month. PMN’s position as a multidisciplinary, applied, stakeholderoriented communication platform is being sought as a venue to supply the extension/ outreach component of AFRI grant proposals. In response, PMN has supplied financial proposals with hope that these opportunities may increase in the future. Since January 2010, PMN has posted the following publications in addition to its four core journals: Proceedings of the International Research Conference on Huanglongbing, 2008; Proceedings of the 2009 Soybean Rust Symposium; Proceedings of the 14th International Sclerotinia Workshop; Proceedings of the Second International Ascochyta Workshop; and Plant Disease Management Reports, Vol. 4.
APS PRESS—With new publications, such as Plant Bacteriology; Cercospora Leaf Spot of Sugar Beet and Related Species; Citrus Tristeza Virus Complex and Tristeza Diseases; Compendium of Wheat Diseases and Pests, 3rd Ed., and Compendium of Chickpea and Lentil Diseases and Pests, the financial growth of the society has been ensured by the activities of APS PRESS in 2010. Future releases include Compendium of Tomato Diseases; Tomato Health Management; Compendium of Coffee Diseases and Pests; Diseases Caused by Bacteria: An Image Database and Educational Resource on CD; Fire Blight: History, Biology, and Management; Smut Fungi of the World; A Practical Guide to Turfgrass Fungicides; Virus and Viruslike Diseases of Pome and Stone Fruits; Conspectus of World Ethnomycology; and A Lucid Key to the Species of Phytophthora. In addition, APS PRESS continues to supplement sales with recommended titles from other publishers. These sales now account for more than 10% of APS PRESS revenue and are efficiently marketed with low risk and high efficiency. The APS PRESS e-books platform will launch in 2011, beginning with selected titles from the Compendium of Plant Disease Series. APS PRESS surveyed members and customers on their use of e-books. Nearly 75% of the respondents answered favorably to the use of the Compendium of Plant Disease Series Online through their libraries if it were available. Next, APS PRESS will add key references online, protocols online, images online, and other publications, including textbooks online. These e-publishing platforms will be delivered alongside the current APS Journals Online site and utilize a central home page with search continuity across all content in the site. In anticipation of the launch of e-book delivery, APS PRESS has recently reduced its warehouse space and is moving toward a short-run printon-demand model which allows APS PRESS to keep backlist titles in print longer while also improving their reach by offering them to a
APS Journals—The 2009 ISI impact factors continued to hold steady or increased compared to competing journals (MPMI, 4.41; Phytopathology, 2.19; Plant Disease, 2.12). In the past year, APS Journals Online users accounted for more than one million active user sessions, nearly double the number from three years ago. More than 300 institutional libraries now provide online access of APS journals to their scientists and students. Upon the recommendation of the APS Publications Board, the open-access timing for Plant Disease was reduced to 12 months, aligning with the current policy for MPMI and Phytopathology. Upgrading of online service has allowed open-access articles to be seen in PubMed. The preview section for the three journals, called First Look, is now on the website and manuscripts, once accepted, are appearing there. This is a common feature for most high-profile journals. The year 2010 also marked the 100-year anniversary of Phytopathology. Digitization of Phytopathology back issues continues and 24 years of legacy content
greater number of readers. APS PRESS authors will receive the best of both the print and e-book worlds going forward. Annual Meeting—If one has ever wondered about the amazing talents within APS staff and our society, one only has to look at the 2010 Annual Meeting to be in awe. For in less than three months, they were able to make a seamless transition from a flooded Opryland in Nashville, TN, to a state-ofthe-art convention center in Charlotte, NC, where more than 1,500 people attended the annual meeting representing 38 countries. In addition to the change in venue, other novel concepts included recognizing the awards and honors recipients at the Opening General Session, thus giving attendees the opportunity to acknowledge and connect with leaders and award winners throughout the meeting; extending poster viewing hours; introducing two new APS leadership training opportunities; and extending committee meeting days. The Opening General Session also included a tribute to the late Nobel Laureate and revolutionary plant pathologist Norman Borlaug. Leadership Institute—Two workshops comprised the inaugural offerings of the APS Leadership Institute at the annual meeting in Charlotte. An all-day workshop entitled “Leadership I: Finding Your Style” was presented by Teri Balser, a faculty member in the Department of Soil Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This workshop was particularly well suited to scientists and technical professionals, covering material in a way that suits the needs of leading and managing scientific organizations and working within volunteer organizations. A halfday workshop, sponsored by Monsanto Co. and entitled “Enhance Your Team Performance— Understanding Your MBTI,” was geared toward graduate students and post-doctorals. Jim Zaits, talent manager lead for Monsanto, led a highly interactive session where participants, after having taken the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, discussed the results to gain a better understanding of their personality type. The goal of the Leadership Institute is to provide APS members opportunities to equip themselves with the skills required to function efficiently in the current environment and to become leaders.
The first participants of the 2010 APS Leadership Institute. The APS 2010 Annual Report continued on page 12 Phytopathology News 11
The APS 2010 Annual Report continued from page 11
The committee is planning future offerings of the institute and is developing additional resources to help APS members realize their potential as effective leaders and managers. APS Foundation—In an effort to increase member donor participation and enhance the breadth of award offerings, the APS Foundation undertook a comprehensive review of their current activities and established a new strategic business plan for the next five years. The plan went through critical review by the board and the APS Executive Committee and first steps of implementation are underway for 2011. APS Foundation Chair Ray Martyn provides a detailed overview of the foundation’s 2010 activities on page 6 of this issue. Financial “Cash Conservation” Plan—The continuing difficult financial situation has forced everyone to be more fiscally conservative. Over the past two years, APS leadership has approached this situation by implementing a “cash conservation” plan. APS boards, offices, committees, and staff were asked to reduce their expenditures where they could, while maintaining the integrity of their programs. At the recent annual meeting in Charlotte, APS Treasurer Randy Rowe announced that, as a result of the considerable efforts of APS members and staff, APS remains in excellent financial health. In fact, in the FY10 fiscal year, that ended June 30, 2010, APS finished the year with a surplus that exceeded $500,000, which represents about 13% of our annual expenses. Special thanks to all for the considerable efforts in keeping APS fiscally healthy during these difficult times. Although our society currently is in an excellent fiscal position, APS leadership will remain fiscally vigilant and conservative, because this situation could change going forward due to many factors. However, council has decided to move from a “cash conservation” position to one in which they are now willing to entertain innovative funding proposals from boards, offices, and committees that will address specific needs of the membership and are aligned with the APS strategic plan. While APS is not a granting agency and resources are limited, council recognizes its responsibility to help APS remain highly relevant and to constantly identify actions that will build the APS of the future and bring value to the membership. Public Policy Board—Numerous issues were addressed by the APS Public Policy Board (PPB) in 2010. Culture collections were a key priority for PPB. Working in cooperation with federal, industry, and professional society partners, APS has championed for a National Plant Microbial Germplasm System to protect, preserve, enhance, and facilitate the use of our microbial
12 Phytopathology News
culture collections. In the food safety arena, PPB met with food safety staff from both FDA and multiple levels of USDA (FSIS, NIFA) at the spring meeting in Washington, DC, as well as organized and presented an APS-FDA cosponsored Symposium on Human Pathogens on Plants at the International Association for Food Protection Annual Meeting and at the APS Annual Meeting. Additionally, PPB submitted and was awarded a grant for the development of a multidisciplinary conference on human pathogens on plants. Enhanced involvement of plant pathologists in decision-making activities is a critical component of PPB efforts. Mary Palm, APS fellow in the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), has been appointed to participate in the White House Initiative on Food Safety, and an APS-EPA position for a plant pathologist was established with Frank Wong selected as the first subject matter expert. Regulatory activities included continued monitoring and interaction with EPA and APHIS on regulatory activities, developing draft comments on the EPA-proposed Draft Guidance for Pesticide Registrants on Pesticide Drift Labeling. On an ongoing basis, PPB advocates for increasing funding for agricultural research broadly and plant pathology-related research, specifically at a number of federal agencies, by participating in and providing comments to USDA on the structure and amount of funding for plant pathologyrelated research, especially related to the new NIFA program structure and by increasing involvement of plant pathologists working in key policy positions in the federal government, such as the APS-OSTP fellowship program in which a plant pathologist works directly with the White House OSTP.
PPB continued conversations with several EPA representatives at their offices in DC.
Coalition for a Sustainable Agricultural Workforce (CSAW)—APS and nearly 30 other scientific societies and agricultural industry partners have begun to collaborate on ideas for building a sustainable agricultural workforce. Some of the proposed initiatives, with the aid of federal support, include promoting an awareness of career opportunities in the crop sciences, building a pipeline of students in middle and high schools who are interested in pursuing degrees in applied and basic agricultural sciences, generating awareness of the importance
of sustainable agro-ecosystems and the crucial role of the agricultural sciences in feeding a growing world population, funding scholarships to attract the best students into agricultural science studies and to support applied learning programs, and developing innovative recruitment and training programs to attract high-quality graduate students with leadership potential. (See page 5.) Visioning Forum—Under the chairmanship of Chris Mundt and Linda Kinkel, this new standing committee was charged with the task of identifying, monitoring, and prioritizing scientific issues and environmental trends that may impact plant pathology worldwide, as well as providing regular updates to APS Council to aid in strengthening the scientific stature of APS. Although the focus is on science, the members of this advisory panel should be thinking “outside the box” and be scanning for anything that impacts the planning of our society’s leadership. Office of Public Relations and Outreach (OPRO)—This office’s primary focus for the next three years will be to provide outreach to students and teachers to complement and support the APS education initiative. APS booths were present at both the FFA Convention in the teacher’s world area in October and at the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) Convention in November. To facilitate attracting K-12 students to the plant sciences or general biology, OPRO is encouraging APS members to become a mentor for PlantingScience.org. Finally, through the 3rd Annual OPRO Video Contest, the APS YouTube channel was populated with your submissions to continue attracting students and the general public to the science. (See Phytopathology News, June 2010, p. 84.) APS-CSPP Working Group—A unique working group between APS and the Chinese Society for Plant Pathology (CSPP) was established this year to facilitate enhanced cooperation between the two societies. This focused working group will initially develop joint symposia on Sino-U.S. cooperative programs for both the APS meeting in Hawaii as well as at the ISPP meeting in August 2013 in Beijing. Several additional ideas, such as development of a database of relevant expertise for joint projects, publication of opportunities for graduate education, exploration of exchanges of groups of students and other young professionals with the objective of exposing younger members to opportunities for collaboration, sharing of scientific programs electronically, and establishing a dynamic tool for communicating funding opportunities for Sino-U.S. cooperation, are also on the long-term list of potential efforts. n
Just announced! A scientific program you can’t afford to miss. 2011 APS-IPPC Joint Meeting • August 6-10 • Honolulu, Hawaii SPECIAl SESSIOnS InCluDE: • Ag and Food Biosecurity: A Decade of Progress and Reality • The Developing Crisis, International Movement of Insects and Pathogens in Commercial Trade • Digital Identification Tools: Their Role in Biosecurity and Pest Management • IPM and Biological Control of Insect Pests, Plant Pathogens, and Invasive Weeds in the Pacific Islands: Where Are We Heading? • Wheat Blast—A Potential Threat to Global Wheat Production
IPM-Biocontrol-Plant Disease Management • Better Use of Entomopathogenic Microbes in IPM • Crop Health Management for Food Safety and Agroecosystem Health in Developing Countries • IPM Program for Vegetable Crops in the Tropics and Opportunities for IPM Graduates • Laboratory Methods for Detecting and Characterizing Fungicide Resistance • New Products and Services
Plant Pathology-Diseases of Plants • Disease Complex Between Nematodes and Other Plant Pathogens • Management of Insect-Transmitted Plant Virus Diseases in the Tropics • New and Emerging Technologies in Turfgrass Disease Management • Omics Approaches for the Characterization of Interactions Between Human Enteric Pathogens and Plants: A Plant Pathologists Perspective • Phytopathological Phreakonomics • Schroth Faces of the Future in Nematology • Technology Outlook: Detection Innovations and Successes • Tropical Forest Pathology
Plant Pathology-Molecular/Cellular/Plant-Microbe Interactions • Biology and Molecular Biology of Closteroviruses • Role of Fatty Acids and Lipids in Host-Pathogen Interactions • What Else is There? New Genes, Metabolites, and Regulatory Pathways Involved in Biocontrol by Bacteria
Plant Pathology-Biology of Pathogens • Fungal Comparative Genomics and the Impact of Next Generation Sequencing
Professionalism/Outreach/Industry/Genetic Engineering • Challenges to the Production and Distribution of Quality Planting Materials, Seed, and Seed Systems for Farmers in Developing Countries • Innovative Chemical and Biological Approaches to Plant Protection • International Perspectives on IPM Education for Advancing Sustainable Agricultural Systems • MRLs: A Growing Agricultural Export Issue • Pesticide Resistance in Agriculture—A Global Issue • Using Translational Biotechnology to Deploy Disease Resistance Traits in Crop Plants
Weed Science • Invasive Weeds as a Threat to Agriculture and Human Health • Parasitic Weeds—The Drawback of the Hungry World
Show us Your Research!
Plant Pathology-Epidemiology/Ecology/ Environmental Biology • 11th I. E. Melhus Graduate Student Symposium: “Today’s Students Making a Difference in Plant Disease Epidemiology and Disease Management” • International Mycotoxin Issues in a Changing World • Why Care About Crop Loss? Impacts on Science, Production, and Society
Call for Papers Opens February 1
More to come! Technical sessions and posters are being developed right now. Visit www.apsnet.org/meet for full session descriptions, presentations, and speakers.
#8538COL-12/2010
Emerging Pests/Invasive Species
Twentieth Annual Symposium of the Soilborne Plant Diseases Interest Group of South Africa: Compost and Soilborne Plant Diseases The Soilborne Plant Diseases Unit of the Agricultural Research Council’s Plant Protection Research Institute (ARC-PPRI) hosted the 20th Interdisciplinary Symposium on Soilborne Plant Diseases September 15–16, 2010, at the Vredenburg Research Centre of the ARC-PPRI in Stellenbosch. The topic for this year’s symposium was Compost and Soilborne Plant Diseases. The event was attended by 60 representatives of research councils, national and provincial departments of agriculture, private companies, universities, and farmers. Participants represented a wide range of disciplines, including agronomy, botany, entomology, genetics, horticulture, microbiology, soil microbiology, nematology, plant pathology, plant physiology, soil science, and zoology. The following aspects were introduced and discussed in depth: why compost?; making the best of compost, a practical guide to making compost; the value of quality compost for the plant; commercial production and application of vermicast; compost and produce quality; the use of compost tea for disease control; effect of compost amendment on soilborne potato diseases; effect of different mulch materials, composts, and organic treatments on tree condition and root health of avocado trees; potential use of compost and additional biological amendments to manage apple replant disease; and methods for the microbiological and molecular characterization of disease suppressive composts. The opening address, prepared by Mike Walters, former director of ARC-PPRI, was delivered in his absence by Isabel Rong, division manager, plant pathology/microbiology, of the ARCPPRI. Aad Termorshuizen of the BLGG Agro Xpertus, the Netherlands, delivered the keynote address. Conclusions reached by the delegates to this symposium are summarized below. Compost is a very useful source of organic matter. When applied to soils low in organic matter, disease suppression generally increases. The properties of compost that make it useful in agriculture and horticulture are 1) an absence of pathogens in compost (in contrast to fresh organic matter), 2) low risk of stimulation of pathogens present in soil (again in contrast to fresh organic matter), and 3) its availability and price. In general, compost has a positive effect on soil structure, cation exchange capability, moisture characteristics, and disease suppression, especially for soils that are low in organic matter content. Important factors with regard to the production of quality compost are 1) knowledge of the C:N ratio of raw material used, 2) a two-week heat phase with temperatures of at least 65°C, 3) regular aeration, 4) a moisture between 50 and 60%, and 5) record keeping of recipes, tempera14 Phytopathology News
tures, and laboratory analyses. Composts clearly differ in composition, depending on the source of the to-be-composted material, the composting process, and the maturity of the compost used.
position of compost extracts as well as the food safety hazard posed by the presence of potential human-pathogenic bacteria, as well as microbial metabolites, which may pose a health risk.
Selected micro-organisms added to a compost windrow may ensure that the breakdown phase proceeds mainly in an aerobic manner and that the build-up phase proceeds harmoniously, and thus results in a humified substance rich in plant-available nutrients. Aerobic compost of known quality will contribute to remedy poor soil conditions, increase the diversity of soil life, improve water-holding capacity, restore fertility, and contribute to plant health and product quality. Regular applications of quality composts and extracts will guarantee crop/yield sustainability.
Compost is able to suppress soilborne disease of potatoes, but suppression varies according to the type and quality of the compost. The nature of the raw product from which compost was prepared, the maturity of the compost, and the composting process used affect the disease management potential of the compost. The variable and often low to moderate levels of disease suppression and control typically obtained through the use of composts in field soils suggest that the most important application for composts would lie in sustainable and organic agriculture and horticulture, where pesticide use is minimal or absent.
With the worldwide search for more wholesome quality produce and more sustainable production practices, vermicast may provide significant benefits. Vermicast has moved from a cottage industry to commercial production and application. By introducing vermicast into their integrated approach, farmers can now obtain yields similar to or better than the conventional chemical approach with significant improvements in quality and with reduced inputs and associated costs. Some studies have shown that compost does not always have a significant influence on the quality of products with regard to nutrient density, shelf life, organoleptic properties, and heavy metal contamination. The most important contributing factor of compost in these studies was on the environment. Less synthetic fertilizer and pesticides were needed while water was conserved. Several research papers support the feasibility of compost teas (extracts) as a means of plant disease control. The commercial use of these extracts for this purpose is, however, restricted by several uncertainties. The most important of these is the inconsistency in quality and com-
A study on the effect of different mulch materials, composts, and organic treatments on the condition and root health of avocado trees showed that the use of avocado wood chips or partially matured compost as mulches maintain tree condition and increase yield with prolonged application to avocado trees. Biological approaches to Apple Replant Disease (ARD) control are knowledge and management intensive. As with other soilborne diseases, orchards showing severe ARD symptoms need intensive treatment and a combination of biological strategies is needed to reduce ARD effects. Compost on its own did not alter microbial properties or tree performance to the same extent as when combined with a microbial inoculant such as compost extract or a combination of Bacillus spp. The effect of compost on disease suppression is not predictable: it depends on the compost, the quantity applied, the soil, the pathogen species and pathogen density, as well as the crop involved. Once a pathogen has reached a very
high density, it is unlikely that compost amendment will lead to sufficient control of the disease. Compost is better used to avoid soilborne plantpathogenic problems than to suppress high densities of pathogens already present in soil. Determining the quality (or biological profile) of compost is an elusive task because of many taxonomic, methodological, and technical difficulties that exist with regard to determining microbial diversity. These are reflected in the many inconsistencies that were shown to exist between growth promoting ability, phytoxicity, disease suppression, and microbial activity for composts examined. It appears that a multifaceted approach to microbial biodiversity comprising both
functional and taxonomic perspectives, provides a better chance of detecting trends and patterns that are ecologically meaningful. While many experiments have been carried out with different kinds of compost, little attention has been paid to the mechanisms involved in disease suppression. This aspect needs to be addressed in order to optimize the preparation and the use of compost for disease suppression. And finally, the use of compost for disease suppression can be an important component of the integrated management of soilborne plant diseases for both organic and conventional agriculture. n
Outreach APS Reaches High School Teachers and Students at National FFA Career Show High school teachers and students learned all about plant pathology as they stopped at the APS booth at the 83rd National FFA Annual Convention in Indianapolis, IN, October 20– 22, 2010. This year’s booth, sponsored by the APS Office of Public Relations and Outreach (OPRO), was strategically positioned in the new “Teacher’s World” area. This allowed for much more interaction with teachers, but still drew many students as well.
APS has always been your source for job openings in the field of plant pathology. On APSnet, a new section has now been added to publicize research internship opportunities with universities across the United States. Do you have high school students or undergraduates working in your lab? If so, take the time to share this informative resource with them—www.apsnet.org/careers/internships. If you would like your university’s internship opportunities added to this growing resource, please send all internship-related information to Michelle Bjerkness (mbjerkness@scisoc.org) and they will be added promptly. n
Intriguing samples featured this year included cedar apple rust, tar spot on maple, anthracnose on corn, brown rot on peach, Alissa Kriss talks plant disease with FFA members from and several other diseases. APS members Iowa. Nicole Donofrio (University of Delaware), Alissa Kriss (Ohio State University), and Gail Ruhl (Purdue University) answered questions from teachers, students, and parents about various subjects, including the featured samples and other diseases, such as diseases on poinsettia. The samples, provided by Ruhl, drew many people to the booth and piqued their curiosity. Teachers who visited the booth were encouraged to talk more about plant pathology in their classrooms and were supplied with a packet that contained a career brochure, a poster, and a list of resources available in the APSnet Education Center. They were also given information on the Plant Management Network, the storybook Plant Pathology: Past to Present, and the APS PRESS textbook Essential Plant Pathology. The APS representatives also shared information about their education and career paths with students as an example of the various options available to them. “This is the second year I have participated as an exhibitor at the FFA Career Show, and each year I find it more incredible to be surrounded by students and teachers who recognize and cherish the importance of agriculture,” said Donofrio. “These students are the next generation of plant pathologists, and it is exciting to encourage and nurture their interests!” The 2010 FFA show had a record attendance of 54,900, and featured the theme “Infinite Potential.” n It can be fun, too! Nicole Donofrio takes a small break with FFA members from Wisconsin.
Have You Seen the Latest Internship Opportunities on APSnet?
New Plant Pathology Career Brochure Available Want to share opportunities about careers in plant pathology with students or the public? Request copies of the new Plant Pathology Career Brochure, developed by the APS Office of Public Relations and Outreach (OPRO). The colorful brochure explains career potential, education requirements, and more, and is available for free to all members. View the brochure online at www.apsnet. org/members/outreach/opro/Documents/ careerbrochure.pdf or request copies today at www.apsnet.org/_layouts/apsforms/ careerbrochure.aspx. Phytopathology News 15
People Student Degrees Two candidates recently completed requirements for their degrees in the Department of Plant Pathology, University of Minnesota. Matthew Rouse completed the requirements for his Ph.D. degree in October 2010 under Matthew Rouse the guidance of advisor Yue Jin. His thesis was entitled “Studies on wheat resistance to Ug99.” Rouse has accepted a research plant pathologist position at the USDA-ARS Cereal Disease Laboratory in St. Paul, MN. Brett Arenz, under the Brett Arenz guidance of advisor Robert Blanchette, completed his Ph.D. degree in July 2010. The title of his thesis was “Fungi in Antarctica: A circumpolar study of biodiversity in soils and historic structures.” Arenz is currently a post-doc in the department on a 50% teaching, 50% research appointment. He is currently teaching a class on principles of plant pathology and doing research in association with Linda Kinkel and Jim Bradeen on the effects of plants on soil microbial community structure. Award Bruce Martin, a turfgrass pathologist with Clemson University, received the Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association’s Distinguished Service Award—the highest honor bestowed by the association. Bruce Martin Martin was awarded for more than a quarter-century of research and education benefiting the golf industry.
professor of botany and plant pathology at Oregon State University, and fellow of APS, will take office on May 1, 2011. Carrington will succeed interim President Phil Needleman, who has led the center since October 2009 James C. Carrington when the founding President Roger N. Beachy was appointed the first director of NIFA at the USDA. Carrington is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and internationally recognized for his research on gene silencing, the functions of small RNA, and virus-host interactions. He is a world leader in the study of “small RNA,” which was cited by the journal Science in 2002 as the scientific “Breakthrough of the Year.” This work has played a major role in unraveling some of the mechanisms by which plants and other organisms use small snippets of RNA to control growth, development, and defense against viruses. He regularly gives talks and presentations about his research to audiences around the globe. Presentations Prakash Hebbar, national program manager in the Emergency and Domestic Programs of the USDA APHIS Black Stem Rust and Phytophthora ramorum Programs, visited the Department of Plant Pathology, Washington State University (WSU), Pullman, November 1–2. He gave a seminar on “APHIS-PPQ Black Stem Rust and Sudden Oak Death Programs, examples of USDA efforts to limit the spread of invasive plant pathogens.” Hebbar was accompanied by Steve Miller, director of the USDA-APHIS Spokane office. Hebbar, who is located at APHIS Headquarters in Riverdale, MD, coordinates the nationwide efforts to protect the U.S. agricultural and natural resources from plant diseases, which may be exotic or local in origin. Hebbar’s visit was organized by Tim Murray, professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at WSU, who led a national effort to prepare a recovery plan for Ug99.
Debbie Inglis, professor of plant pathology at Washington State University (WSU) at WSU Mount Vernon Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center, hosted Nick Roskruge, a potato researcher and senior lecturer in horticulture and Maori resource and environmental management for the Institute of Natural Resources at Massey University in New Zealand. Roskruge presented a seminar entitled, “Maori food knowledge and production systems in New Zealand.” He was accompanied by his research associate, Turi McFarlane, and Chuck Brown, USDA ARS research geneticist at the WSU Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center (IAREC), Prosser.
From left: Babette Gundersen, Debbie Inglis, Nick Roskruge, Turi McFarlane, and Chuck Brown.
Deborah Samac, a research plant pathologist with USDA-ARS in St. Paul, MN, conducts research on diseases of alfalfa and genomics of host resistance using Medicago truncatula. She is also involved in research on diseases in cultivated wild rice. Samac and Karen-Beth G. Scholthof, a professor at Texas A&M University’s Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, attended their 30th reunion weekend event at Colorado College in early October. While on campus, Scholthof presented an invited seminar to the Biology Department on “Exploring virus movement: An 80-year journey from TMV to satellite panicum mosaic virus,” detailing her interest in the history of virology and recent findings in her plant molecular virology lab.
New Position James C. Carrington will become the next president of the Danforth Plant Science Center. Carrington, director of the Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing, the Stewart Professor for Gene Research, distinguished 16 Phytopathology News
Deborah Samac (right) and Karen-Beth G. Scholthof.
From left: Steve Miller, Prakash Hebbar, Tim Murray, and Xianming Chen.
In Memory Gene Douglas Easton died on November 2, 2010, at the age of 82. He was born in Rupert, ID, where he was raised and graduated from Rupert High School in 1946. He attended the University of Idaho (U of I), originally majoring in mechanical engineering until an instructor encouraged him to pursue plant sciences. He received a B.S. degree from the U of I in 1954 and later earned a master’s degree in plant pathology in 1956. In 1957, he received a Ph.D. degree in plant pathology from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. After serving in the Air Force, he spent the next three years in civilian life researching potato diseases for the University of Maine. Then, in 1962, he returned to the West, settled in Prosser, and accepted a position with Washington State University, where he worked with potato diseases until retiring in 1993. The research program he worked on was credited with preventing potentially devastating losses in Washington potato fields. After his retirement, he continued his love of gardening and traveling. He is survived by his wife Marlene. Alfred M. Mayer, professor of biology at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ), university administrator, devoted teacher, author, and award-winning plant biochemist, died at his home in Tzur Moshe near Tel Aviv Alfred M. Mayer after a long illness on June 7, 2010. He was 84.
In 1980, Al received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bordeaux II for his work on laccase, an enzyme secreted by the fungus Botrytis cinerea, a serious pest of grapes, which was causing serious losses to the wine industry. In 1985, he received the A. D. Bergman Award from HUJ in recognition of his research achievements. Professor Mayer completed a B.Sc. degree in chemistry followed by a Ph.D. degree in plant physiology in 1949 at the University of London under the supervision of W. H. Pearsall. In 1950, he joined the Department of Botany at HUJ. Al enjoyed teaching science, and together with Alex Poljakoff-Mayber, developed the Science Education Program in biology. Al was the head of the Institute of Life Sciences from 1967 to 1970. Over the years, he studied various aspects of plant metabolism, including the biochemistry of seed germination, enzymatic browning, the polyphenol oxidases, fungal laccases, and lately the parasitic plant broomrape, a major pest in Israel. He was aided in this work for more than 40 years with the technical expertise of Nurit Bar-Nun. Al enjoyed a sabbatical year in 1959 at Cambridge, United Kingdom, where he did research in phytochemistry with L. W. Mapson, T. Swain, and J. Friend, a group associated with Robin Hill. He was appointed full professor at HUJ in 1969. Upon his return to Israel, Mayer became interested, with D. M. Joel at Newe Ya’ar, in root parasites, especially broomrape, and how parasitic plants invade their hosts. Al spent a sabbatical year in 1986 at Oxford, where he did research on phenolics with Daphne Osborn. In the summer of 1987, he visited the Boyce
Thompson Institute (BTI) at Cornell University, NY, where he worked on seed germination with A. Carl Leopold. While at BTI, he developed a program of research on fungal laccase with Richard Staples which he began on his return to Israel. He retired as emeritus professor in 1995 but continued teaching at HUJ and researching the root parasites—work that engaged him until his death. In 1985, Mayer became interested and involved in orchid germination and cultivation, and later the propagation of Cymbidium. Working with orchids became a hobby, and he had a substantial greenhouse orchid operation in the back of his house. He also served as an informal consultant to workers at a nearby Kibbutz engaged in orchid production for export. Indeed, he aided the recovery of their orchid operation after it was nearly destroyed in a fire set by terrorists. Mayer published 290 scientific papers; a textbook of plant physiology, The Germination of Seeds, written with Poljakoff-Mayber; and an autobiography Sold on Plants. The latter book was dedicated to his late beloved wife, Nitza, whom he married in 1985. Mayer was born in Germany. After the rise of the Nazi regime, his father took the family first to Holland in 1933, and then to England in 1939. He emigrated to Israel in 1950. He experienced the Battle of Britain as a young man in London, the early years of the rise of Israel as a modern nation, and participated in the development of a world-class university in Jerusalem. He was a creative and imaginative scientist with a first-class mind. His was an extraordinary life. n
If you can pronounce phytophthora [fayh-tof-ther-uh], you’re probably a plant pathologist. And if you’re a plant pathologist, you belong with APS. Share this distinctive community of scientists with others. Tell your colleagues to visit the new APSnet so they can find out what you already know—if you’re a plant pathologist, you belong here. Photo courtesy of C. Kadooka, from the Compendium of Ornamental Palm Disease and Disorders.
Phytopathology News 17
Classifieds Classified Policy You can process your job listing at www.apsnet.org/careers/jobcenter. Your posting will be live within three to five business days and will remain on the website for up to three months or until a listed closing date, at which point it will drop off the listing. Please note: Your online job listing will be edited by newsletter staff to a maximum of 200 words for the print listing in Phytopathology News. Fees for posting online are $25 member/$50 nonmember for graduate or post-doc positions and $200 member/$250 nonmember for all other positions. To have your job listing also included in Phytopathology News, simply select the option on the online form (there is an additional $55 fee). If you have any questions, contact the APS Placement Coordinator (apsplacement@scisoc.org).
Post-Doctoral Position—Nematology The University of Illinois Department of Crop Sciences seeks a successful candidate who will conduct research on the impact of plantparasitic nematodes on biomass accumulation in monocotyledonous plants used for biofuels and develop efficient methods for assessing host-pathogen relationships under greenhouse and field conditions. The fellow will identify genetic variation in biofuel crops as hosts for plant-parasitic nematodes and investigate gene expression changes in response to infection by root-knot, lesion, and other nematodes. The fellow may identify and characterize other organisms that interact with pathogenic nematodes; for example, other soilborne pathogens or endophytic organisms that may have potential for biological control. Domestic and foreign travel will be required. The ability to work collaboratively is required. This is a 12-month, 100% time, and academicprofessional, non-tenure-track position, funded by grant monies. A Ph.D. degree in nematology, plant pathology, or related field with expertise in biology, ecology, and molecular plantnematode interactions is preferred. Interested persons should contact Terry Niblack for more information at Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1102 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801 U.S.A.; +1.217.244.5940 or tniblack@illinois. edu. Closing date is February 28, 2011. The position will remain open until filled. Biofuels Plant Scientist The College of Agricultural Sciences (CAS) at Colorado State University (CSU) is recruiting a plant scientist at the rank of assistant professor as part of an expansion of biofuels research and teaching at CSU. We seek a broadly trained individual who will develop a dynamic, externally funded research program focused on plants/crops for biofuels. The research program will emphasize key plant attributes 18 Phytopathology News
related to bioenergy that could include biomass or oilseed production, stress tolerance, input minimization, composition and quality of biomass or oil, efficiency of bioenergy crop production, and carbon sequestration. The candidate will use innovative tools/approaches to address bioenergy-related fundamental research questions in plant production and develop an active, extramurally funded and innovative research program. This is a nine-month, tenure-track position with responsibilities in undergraduate and graduate teaching (~45%), research involving undergraduate and graduate students and post-doctoral fellows (~45%), and service/outreach (~10%). Teaching responsibilities will be developed based on instructional needs. Ph.D. degree (completed by time of application) in plant biology, crop science, or a related field required. Research expertise in an area related to plant science and biofuels with publications in peer-reviewed journals required. Post-doctoral research experience preferred. To apply, submit an application package via e-mail as a pdf document by February 15, 2011 to Ryan.Abbott@colostate. edu, including a cover letter; resume; statement of teaching experience and interests (maximum two pages); an outline of a proposed research program (maximum two pages); and name, address, phone, and e-mail for three references. The position will remain open until filled. Graduate Assistant (Ph.D.) A graduate assistantship for a Ph.D. student in vegetable and agronomic crop plant pathology will be available starting fall 2011 in the Plant Pathology Department at the University of Florida (UF). The successful candidate will work on aerobiological and epidemiological factors related to fungal diseases in peanuts, potatoes, or cucurbits. Depending on the interests of the student, the project will offer significant opportunities and flexibility in designing research objectives that investigate problems related to the program’s overall goals. A stipend of $22,000/year will be awarded to the successful candidate. The successful candidate should possess a B.S./B.A. degree in agriculture or biological sciences and have an interest in plant pathology, ecology, and extension. Candidates with course-work in plant pathology are preferred. Good communication skills and the ability to work as a team member are required. The candidate must also meet the UF graduate school requirements (http://plantpath. ifas.ufl.edu/Information/ApplicationForms/ GraduateAdmissions.htm). Interested candidates should send a letter of application, resume/ CV, and a list of possible references (no more than three) to Nicholas S. Dufault (nsdufault@ ufl.edu). The selected applicant will need to be accepted by the UF Graduate School. The closing date is January 31, 2011, and is not adjustable.
Research Molecular Biologist/Plant Pathologist (Research Associate) The USDA-ARS, Manhattan, KS, seeks a post-doc. Effector genes from the wheat leaf rust pathogen, Puccinia triticina Eriks., are to be cloned. Using next generation sequencing, the incumbent will identify polymorphisms in the secretome of leaf rust. Using association and changes in virulence, candidate effectors will be identified and evaluated using transient expression in leaves of wheat isolines differing in leaf rust resistance. Further characterization of effectors will be explored using other pathogenic fungi as expression hosts. A Ph.D. degree in plant pathology, plant molecular biology, fungal genetics, or a closely related scientific discipline is required. Knowledge of bioinformatics, DNA isolation and cloning, PCR, microbial culture, and genetics are desirable. To learn more, search for announcement RA-11-031-H at www.afm.ars.usda.gov/divisions/hrd/ hrdhomepage/vacancy/pd962.html. Send application materials to USDA/ARS, Hard Winter Wheat Genetics Research Unit, John Fellers, 4006 Throckmorton Hall, Department of Plant Pathology, Manhattan, KS 66506 U.S.A., or e-mail John.Fellers@ars.usda.gov. Applications must be marked RA-11-031-H. Applications will be accepted from U.S. citizens and noncitizens as allowed; for more on citizenship restrictions go to www.afm.ars.usda. gov/hrd/jobs/VISA/Countries.htm. USDA/ARS is an equal opportunity employer and provider. Position is open until filled. n
IMPORTANT APS DATES TO REMEMBER January 2011 7 APS Foundation/OIP Travel Grant applications due 10 Applications for the I. E. Melhus Graduate Student Symposium due 14 Raymond J. Tarleton Student Fellowship applications due 24 Frank L. Howard Undergraduate Fellowship applications due February 2011 15 Schroth Faces of the Future Symposium applications due March 2011 15 Online submission of abstracts due for 2011 APS-IPPC Joint Meeting 22 Applications for 2011 Student Travel Awards due
APS Journal Articles Phytopathology January 2011, Volume 101, Number 1 Meta-Analysis for Evidence Synthesis in Plant Pathology: An Overview. Meta-Analysis to Determine the Effects of Plant Disease Management Measures: Review and Case Studies on Soybean and Apple. A Bayesian Approach to Meta-Analysis of Plant Pathology Studies. Assessment of the Process of Movement of Xylella fastidiosa Within Susceptible and Resistant Grape Cultivars. Bacterial Wilt Resistance in Tomato, Pepper, and Eggplant: Genetic Resources Respond to Diverse Strains in the Ralstonia solanacearum Species Complex. Deficiency in Silicon Uptake Affects Cytological, Physiological, and Biochemical Events in the Rice– Bipolaris oryzae Interaction. Mechanistically Compatible Mixtures of Bacterial Antagonists Improve Biological Control of Fire Blight of Pear. Effects of Different Potato Cropping System Approaches and Water Management on Soilborne Diseases and Soil Microbial Communities. Identification of Regional Climatic Conditions Favorable for Development of European Canker of Apple. Effect of Meloidogyne incognita Inoculum Density and Application Rate of Paecilomyces lilacinus Strain 251 on Biocontrol Efficacy and Colonization of Egg Masses Analyzed by Real-Time Quantitative PCR. Comparison of Soil Fungal Community Structure in Different Peanut Rotation Sequences Using Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analysis in Relation to Aflatoxin-Producing Fungi. Sexual Reproduction and Gene Flow in the Pine Pathogen Dothistroma septosporum in British Columbia. Contrasting Genetic Structure Between Magnaporthe grisea Populations Associated with the Golf Course Turfgrasses Lolium perenne (Perennial Ryegrass) and Pennisetum clandestinum (Kikuyugrass). Nivalenol-Type Populations of Fusarium graminearum and F. asiaticum Are Prevalent on Wheat in Southern Louisiana. Population Genetic Analysis of Tomato spotted wilt virus on Peanut in North Carolina and Virginia. Phytophthora ramorum in Canada: Evidence for Migration Within North America and from Europe.
Plant Disease January 2011, Volume 95, Number 1 Satellite Remote Sensing of Wheat Infected by Wheat streak mosaic virus. Root Infections May Challenge Management of Invasive Phytophthora spp. in U.K. Woodlands. Genetic Characterization of Barley Net Blotch Resistance Genes. Selection of Biocontrol Agents of Pink Rot Based on Efficacy and Growth Kinetics Index Rankings. Resistance in Winter Wheat Lines to Initial Infection and Spread Within Spikes by Deoxynivalenol and Nivalenol Chemotypes of Fusarium graminearum. Genetic Diversity of Watermelon mosaic virus in Slovakia and Iran Shows Distinct Pattern. Dynamics of Soybean Rust Epidemics in Sequential Plantings of Soybean Cultivars in Nigeria.
In vitro Assessment of Sclerotinia homoeocarpa Resistance to Fungicides and Plant Growth Regulators. Development of a Novel Rolling-Circle Amplification Technique to Detect Banana streak virus that also Discriminates Between Integrated and Episomal Virus Sequences. Antifungal Activity and Possible Mode of Action of Borate Against Colletotrichum gloeosporioides on Mango. First Report of Sugarcane mosaic virus on Maize in the Centre Region of France. First Record of Bacterial Crown Rot of Papaya (Carica papaya) Caused by an Erwinia papayae-Like Bacterium in the Kingdom of Tonga. First Report of Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. poinsettiicola Causing Bacterial Leaf Spot of Euphorbia pulcherrima in Slovenia. First Report of Downy Mildew of Lima Bean Caused by Phytophthora phaseoli in Virginia. First Report of Bacterial Blight of Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) Caused by Pseudomonas cannabina pv. alisalensis in California. First Report of Occurrence of Pyrimethanil Resistance in Penicillium expansum from Stored Apples in Washington State. First Report of Albugo candida Causing White Rust on Lunaria annua in Italy. First Report of Bacterial Leaf Streak Caused by Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola on Rice in Burkina Faso. First Report of Cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus in Cucumber, Melon, and Watermelon in China. First Report of Goss’s Bacterial Wilt and Leaf Blight (Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis) of Corn in Texas. Bacterial Soft Rot of Oncidium Orchids Caused by a Dickeya sp. (Pectobacterium chrysanthemi) in Florida. Bacterial Leaf Spot Caused by the Quarantine Pathogen Xanthomonas arboricola pv. pruni on Cherry Laurel in Central Italy. First Report of the Spiral Nematode Scutellonema brachyurum on Lilyturf in the United States. First Report of Eggplant mottled dwarf virus in Pittosporum tobira in Spain. First Report of Fusarium Wilt in the Broomrape Parasite Growing on Brassica spp. in India. First Report of Penicillium griseofulvum Causing Blue Mold on Stored Apples in Italy (Piedmont). First Report of Wheat dwarf virus and Its Vector (Psammotettix provincialis) Affecting Wheat and Barley Crops in Syria. First Report of Cylindrocarpon liriodendri on Kiwifruit in Turkey. First Report of Erysiphe quercicola Causing Powdery Mildew on Ubame Oak in Korea. First Report of Gummosis Disease of Japanese Apricot Caused by Botryosphaeria dothidea in Taiwan. First Report of Damping-Off Caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG-4 on Pink Ipê (Tabebuia impetiginosa) in Italy. First Report of Pepino mosaic virus Infecting Greenhouse Cherry Tomatoes in Greece. First Report of Brown Ring Patch Caused by Waitea circinata var. circinata on Poa annua and Agrostis stolonifera in New Jersey. Colletotrichum simmondsii Causing Anthracnose on Safflower in the Czech Republic. First Report of Pilidiella granati on Pomegranate with Symptoms of Crown Rot in the Prefecture of Xanthi, Greece.
MPMI January 2011, Volume 24, Number 1 Perspectives on Remorin Proteins, Membrane Rafts, and Their Role During Plant–Microbe Interactions. AVR1-CO39 Is a Predominant Locus Governing the Broad Avirulence of Magnaporthe oryzae 2539 on Cultivated Rice (Oryza sativa L.). Functional Characterization of fst1 in Fusarium verticillioides During Colonization of Maize Kernels. Cell-Penetrating Peptides Derived from Viral Capsid Proteins. Mutations in the P3 Protein of Soybean mosaic virus G2 Isolates Determine Virulence on Rsv4-Genotype Soybean. Biological Activity of the Agrobacterium rhizogenes– Derived trolC Gene of Nicotiana tabacum and Its Functional Relation to Other plast Genes. The Transcription Factor FgStuAp Influences Spore Development, Pathogenicity, and Secondary Metabolism in Fusarium graminearum. The Hypersensitive Induced Reaction and LeucineRich Repeat Proteins Regulate Plant Cell Death Associated with Disease and Plant Immunity. TaDAD2, a Negative Regulator of Programmed Cell Death, Is Important for the Interaction Between Wheat and the Stripe Rust Fungus. Comparative Analysis of the Capacity of Tombusvirus P22 and P19 Proteins to Function as Avirulence Determinants in Nicotiana species. BAK1 Is Not a Target of the Pseudomonas syringae Effector AvrPto. Genetic Basis for the Hierarchical Interaction Between Tobamovirus spp. and L Resistance Gene Alleles from Different Pepper Species. A Novel Transcriptional Factor Important for Pathogenesis and Ascosporogenesis in Fusarium graminearum. VdSNF1, the Sucrose Nonfermenting Protein Kinase Gene of Verticillium dahliae, Is Required for Virulence and Expression of Genes Involved in CellWall Degradation. Identification of Genes Involved in the Response of Banana to Crown Rot Disease.
Plant Management Network www.plantmanagementnetwork.org Plant Health Progress Effects of Varying Planting Dates and Tillage Systems on Reniform Nematode and Browntop Millet Populations in Cotton. Timing of Occurrence of Claviceps purpurea Ascospores in Northeast Oregon. Anthracnose Resistance in Sorghum Breeding Lines Developed from Ethiopian Germplasm. Presidio Fungicide Registered for Use in New York. Lethal Palm Disease Found in New Orleans. University Of Illinois Researchers Discover Potential New Virus In Switchgrass. Psyllid Identification Key to Area-wide Control of Citrus Greening Spread. Field Trial Results in Key Relative Maturities Exhibiting Yield Advantages of Monsanto Genuity SmartStax Corn Hybrids. Safari Insecticide Available for Use on Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) Under New York Special Local Need (SLN) Label. “Back On The Farm” - EPA Approves Movento and Ultor Insecticides for Second Time. n
Phytopathology News 19
PERIODICALS
News The American Phytopathological Society 3340 Pilot Knob Road St. Paul, MN 55121 United States of America
Calendar of Events
APS Sponsored Events February 2011 6-7 — APS Southern Division Meeting. Corpus Christie, TX. www.apsnet.org/ members/divisions/south March 2011 9-11 — APS Potomac Division Meeting. Rehoboth Beach, DE. www.apsnet.org/ members/divisions/pot 19-22 — APS Caribbean Division Meeting. San Juan, Puerto Rico. www.apsnet.org/ members/divisions/carib June 2011 15-17 — APS North Central Division Meeting. Omaha, NE. www.apsnet.org/ members/divisions/nc August 2011 6-10 — APS-IPPC Joint Meeting. Honolulu, HI. www.apsnet.org/meet 6-10 — APS Pacific Division Meeting. Honolulu, HI. www.apsnet.org/members/ divisions/pac Upcoming APS Annual Meetings August 4-8, 2012 — Providence, RI. August 10-14, 2013 — Austin, TX. August 9-13, 2014 — Minneapolis, MN.
Other Upcoming Events January 2011 10-14 — 2nd International Conference on Huanglongbing. Orlando, FL. http://IRCHLB.org 23-26 — 47th Southern Africa Society of Plant Pathology Conference. Kruger National Park, South Africa. www.saspp.co.za February 2011 8-11 — Seventh North American Strawberry Symposium combined with the North American Strawberry Growers Association Conference. Tampa, FL. www.nasga.org 20-23 — Maize Disease Genetics Workshop. Raleigh, NC. peter_balintkurti@ncsu.edu March 2011 21-23 — Joint Meeting of the 57th Annual Conference on Soilborne Plant Pathogens and the 43rd Annual California Nematology Workshop. University of California, Davis, CA. paulitz@wsu.edu April 2011 4-7 — Sixth IOBC Working Group Meeting on Multitrophic Interactions in Soil. Cordoba, Spain. Cordobamultitrophic2011@ias.csic.es 11-14 — International Congress of Postharvest Pathology. Lleida, Spain. www.postharvestpathology.com 26-29 — 4th Asian Conference for Plant Pathology (ACPP) concurrent with the 18th Australasian Plant Pathology Conference. Darwin, Australia. www.appc2011.org
May 2011 23-28 — 4th International Workshop for Phytophthora, Pythium, and Related Genera: Systematics (Taxonomy, Nomenclature, Phylogeny), Detection, Databases, Ecology. College Park, MD. gloria.abad@aphis.usda.gov 26-28 — 2nd Argentine Congress of Plant Pathology. Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. www.inta.gov.ar/balcarce June 2011 1-3 — Second Argentine Congress of Plant Pathology. Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. www.aafitopatologos.com.ar July 2011 23-30 — XVIII International Botanical Congress. Melbourne, Australia. www.ibc2011.com September 2011 5-7 — Resistance 2011. Rothamsted Research, United Kingdom. bart.fraaije@bbsrc.ac.uk October 2011 16-19 — The American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America 2011 Annual Meeting: Fundamental for Life: Soil, Crop, & Environmental Sciences. San Antonio, TX. www.soils.org/meetings August 2013 25-30 — 10th International Conference of Plant Pathology. Beijing, China. www.icppbj2013.org n
For the most current listing go to www.apsnet.org/meetings/meetingcalendar.