ISPP Subject Matter Committee: Forest Pathology

Chair: Assoc. Prof  Jolanda  Roux
Address: Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa.
Phone: +27 12 420 3938/9
Fax: +27 12 420 3960
Mobile:
Email: jolanda.roux@fabi.up.ac.za

Report 2008-2013: http://www.isppweb.org/Society_Reports/FP SMC.htm

Report 2013-2018:

Report 2018-2023: SMC report to ISPP 2018-2023 Forest Pathology

FOREST PATHOLOGY NEWS FROM IUFRO

The 23rd world conference of the International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO) took place during the last week of August 2010 in Seoul, Korea.  The conference had a significant forest protection component with several sessions dealing with tree pathogens.  A total of 92 countries were represented by 2675 delegates that attended the conference.  This spectacular conference included 170 sessions, with 916 oral presentations and 1054 posters.

After the main conference, 17 delegates participated in a three day forest health field tour.  Unfortunately the main field stop, to see t Korean oak wilt, coincided with heavy rain due to an approaching typhoon.  Despite this, all participants, their two Korean forestry scientist hosts and a determined tour guide, braved the rain, decked out in colourful blue or white rain coats to inspect dying and dead oak trees at close quarters.  Korean oak wilt, caused by Raffaelea quercus-mongolicae and its vector Platypus koryoensis, has resulted in significant losses to oak trees (Q. mongolica being the major host) in recent years.  Statistics released by the Korean Forest Research Institute suggest that more than 200 000 trees were lost in 2009.  The second stop of the field tour was to view Pine needle gall midge (Tehcodiplosis japonensis) damage and to see gypsy moth egg cocoons.

AWARDS - A number of awards were made to forest pathologists during the conference.  Dr. Elena Paoletti, Istituto per la Protezione delle Piante, Italy, received the "IUFRO Forest Health" award.  This award was also made to outgoing Division 7.02.00 (pathology) coordinator Dr. Gaston Laflamme, although he was sadly not able to attend the Congress to receive this award.  Dr. Marieka Gryzenhout, of the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), South Africa, received the Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award in IUFRO Division 7 (Tree Health) for the best doctoral thesis by a student who completed his/hear degree in the past five years.  Marieka's research concerned the taxonomy of the Cryphonectriaceae and published the book Taxonomy, phylogeny, and ecology of bark-infecting and tree killing fungi in the Cryphonectriaceae (APS Press) from her work.  The best poster for a person under the age of 35 went to Takahashi Yukiko from the University of Tokyo in Japan, for her work on oak wilt.

IUFRO BUSINESS - Prof. Mike Wingfield from the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria, South Africa and Dr. Su See Lee from the Forestry Research Institute of Malaysia were appointed as the two vice presidents of IUFRO, supporting Dr. Niels Ehlers Koch, the new IUFRO president from Denmark.  Both Mike and Su See have been actively involved in the management of IUFRO for many years, first participating in its working parties, research groups and divisions.  Mike and Su See will serve in their new positions for the next four years, until the next IUFRO world conference which will take place in Salt Lake City in the USA in 2014.

Anyone interested in becoming involved in IUFRO activities, or simply interested in sharing knowledge with fellow forest pathologists (jobs, publications, meetings, assistance), can join the email list server (FORPATH) now managed by IUFRO Headquarters staff in Vienna.  To   subscribe go to: http://www.iufro.org/science/iufro-mailing-lists/list-management/rg-702-forpath).  This list server was initiated by Prof. Dale Bergdahl in the early 1990's, but was recently moved to the IUFRO web server.   Other tree health related list servers hosted by IUFRO include FORENT (entomology - (http://www.iufro.org/science/iufro-mailing-lists/list-management/rg-703-forent) and FORCLIM (Air pollution and climate change - (http://lists.iufro.org/mailman/listinfo/rg70100-forclimair).  These servers that bind some 1500 forest health specialists are open to all people with a serious interest in matters pertaining to forest health.

UPCOMING IUFRO TREE HEALTH MEETINGS - The various Working Parties and Research Groups within Division 7 (Forest Health) of IUFRO organize annual meetings in various places internationally.  More information on these meetings can be found on the IUFRO website (http://IUFRO.org).