www.apsnet.org
February 2017 • Volume 51 • Number 2
APS: Moving Parts, Strategic Priorities,
and Incredible Energy
Tim Murray, APS President, [email protected]
Serving as APS
president is a great
honor and an
opportunity to give
back to the profession
that has given us so
much satisfaction. I’ve
served in many different
capacities as an APS
volunteer over the years and thought I had a
pretty good understanding of APS, but one
of the things I’ve come to appreciate even
more since joining the presidential team is
just how many moving parts there are to our
organization! I’ve attended many meetings in
this role, but I was surprised to learn there is a
“transition” meeting where the president and
president-elect meet for a day in late spring
to discuss the transition into the president’s
position. I naively thought, “What’s the
big deal? I’ve watched my colleagues Rick
Bennett and Sally Miller do the job, and
figure I know what comes next!” During that
meeting, we discussed the budget and every
APS office, board, and ad hoc committee in
detail to learn their priorities and the issues
they’re facing. We discussed the APS strategic
plan, its goals and priorities in the short and
long term, and then the question: What are
your goals and priorities for the next year?
Have you decided on a theme for the annual
meeting? And then the reality and challenge of
how to articulate the things that are important
to me professionally, and for APS, sinks in.
I would like to use this space to share some
of the things I think are important for APS,
starting with the theme for our upcoming
annual meeting and then some of our strategic
priorities.
The theme for the 2017 APS Annual
Meeting, “Changing Landscapes of Plant
Pathology,” highlights two factors, some
might call disruptive forces, that are and
will continue to have a profound impact on
the science and practice of plant pathology:
new technologies and the next generation
of plant pathologists who will employ
them in their pursuit of solutions to plant
health problems. One example is the
advent of faster and less expensive nucleic
acid sequencing technologies, which have
provided opportunities to answer questions
not previously possible to answer. Within
APS, this resulted in the development of
the Phytobiomes Initiative, an effort to help
attract new research funds for this developing
field, and the new open-access Phytobiomes
journal, which is expected to attract a broad
cross-section of scientists working in the
field. Phytobiomes has moved from concept
to publishing its first paper in less than 18
months, a truly remarkable accomplishment!
I have every confidence that developing a
greater understanding of the phytobiomes
will lead to transformative new approaches to
improving plant health and productivity that
will be required to meet the increased demand
for food projected by 2050.
Other potentially transformative
technologies are already on the horizon and
also have the potential to fundamentally
change the way we look at our science.
In addition to these new tools, we will be
looking to the millennial generation of plant
pathologists, who will soon be the largest
generation in the workforce, to meet the
challenges and demands associated with food
production of the future. They bring with
them new attitudes, values, and expectations
of life and the workplace that will result in an
exciting landscape for plant pathology. As a
society, we need to ensure that the professional
resources and infrastructure are in place to
support their needs, much as our predecessors
did for us.
Every APS president inherits activities
initiated by past leaders and initiates some
of their own. Each of these activities falls
into one of the three overarching goals
of the APS strategic plan (www.apsnet.
org/about/governance/Documents/
APSStrategicPlanOverview2016-2017.pdf ).
These goals, which have been unchanged over
the past few years, include:
• Securing the future of APS as the
premier source of plant health knowledge
dissemination in a competitive environment
Abstract Submissions
Now Being Accepted
The abstract submission period opens
February 1 for the upcoming APS Annual
Meeting to be held August 5–9, 2017,
in San Antonio, TX. Presenters have the
opportunity to share their critical research
and meet and collaborate with attendees.
The annual meeting website includes
the criteria for acceptance, submission
instructions, and guidelines. Abstracts are
due no later than March 15.
• Strengthening APS as the premiere
professional organization for plant health
science
• Fostering an innovative conference strategy
to meet member needs and expectations for
knowledge exchange and networking
Initiatives in progress under our goal to be
the premiere source of plant health knowledge
(in addition to the Phytobiomes journal)
include a task force led by Cristi Palmer to
evaluate and make recommendations for the
Plant Management Network (PMN). PMN
is almost 15 years old and has undergone
several changes since its inception. Initially
operated as a multidisciplinary source of
plant-health-related information supported
by subscriptions and multiple professional
societies, APS is now the sole society
supporting it. This is a good time to decide
what PMN should look like and how it should
operate going forward. Another task force, led
President, continued on page 19
In This Issue
Letter to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
OPRO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
APS Foundation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Public Policy Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
APS Journals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Calendar of Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Phytopathology News 17
Plant Pathology’s Perplexing Past—
The Rest of the Story
Editor-in-Chief: Kenny Seebold
Managing Editor: Michelle Bjerkness
Editor: Amanda Baumann
Design: Dawn Mathers
Advertising Sales: Kelley Lawrence
Phytopathology News (ISSN 0278-0267) is published monthly
with the August/September issue combined 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: [email protected], Web: www.apsnet.
org. Phytopathology News is distributed to all APS members.
Subscription price to nonmembers is $96 U.S./$112 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: Kenny Seebold, Valent USA, 608 Havana Court,
Lexington, KY 40511 U.S.A. Phone: +1.859.940.5184;
E-mail: [email protected]. 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 Amanda
Baumann at [email protected]. Deadline for submitting items
for the April 2017 issue is February 15, 2017.
APS Leadership
Council
President: Timothy D. Murray
President-Elect: Mary E. Palm
Vice President: Kira Bowen
Immediate Past President: Sally A. Miller
Internal Communications Officer: David M. Gadoury
Treasurer: Steven A. Slack
Senior Councilor-at-Large: Lindsey J. du Toit
Councilor-at-Large: Paul Vincelli
Councilor-at-Large: Gary Munkvold
Divisional Councilor: Jay Pscheidt
Publications Councilor: Niklaus Grunwald
Executive Vice President: Amy L. Hope
Editors-in-Chief
APS PRESS: Darin Eastburn
MPMI: John McDowell
Phytobiomes: Carolyn Young
Phytopathology: Krishna Subbarao
Phytopathology News: Kenny Seebold
Plant Disease: Alison Robertson
Plant Disease Management Reports: Kerik Cox
Plant Health Progress: Pamela Roberts
The Plant Health Instructor: Katherine L. Stevenson
Plant Management Network: Cristi Palmer
Board and Office Chairs and Directors
2026 Professional Development Forum: Renée Rioux
Academic Unit Leader Forum Chair: Sandy Pierson
APS Foundation Chair: Bill Dolezal
Divisional Forum Chair: Nicole Donofrio
PPB Chair: Gwyn Beattie
Publications Board Chair: Niklaus Grunwald
OE Director: Tom Mitchell
OIP Director: Marcial A. Pastor-Corrales
OPSR Director: Courtney A. Gallup
OPRO Director: Nicole Donofrio
AMB Director: Amy O. Charkowski
Division Officers
Caribbean
Divisional Forum Rep.: Ronald French-Monar
President: Paul Esker
Secretary-Treasurer: Angel Rebollar-Alviter
North Central
Divisional Forum Rep.: Ashok Chanda
President: Darin Eastburn
Secretary-Treasurer: Kiersten Wise
Northeastern
Divisional Forum Rep.: James LaMondia
President: Margaret McGrath
Vice President: Robert Marra
Secretary-Treasurer: Geunhwa Jung
Pacific
Divisional Forum Rep.: Natalie Goldberg
President: Soumaila Sanogo
President-Elect: Kendra Baumgartner
Secretary-Treasurer: Inga Zasada
Potomac
Divisional Forum Rep.: Nicole Donofrio
President: Mizuho Nita
Vice President: Mahfuzur Rahman
Secretary-Treasurer: Hillary Mehl
Southern
Divisional Forum Rep.: Albert K. Culbreath
President: 
Kevin Ong
President-Elect: Travis Faske
Vice President: Nicholas Dufault
Secretary-Treasurer: Rebecca Melanson
18 February 2017
Polymyxa betae and Rhizomania
in the United States
Robert M. Harveson, University of Nebraska, [email protected]
Since its first report from Italy in the 1950s, rhizomania has been the most dreaded disease
of sugar beets, causing severe damage wherever this crop is grown. It is also very unusual due
to the fact that it is a soilborne root rot disease caused by a virus known as Beet necrotic yellow
vein virus (BNYVV). The pathogen is uniquely transmitted to host roots by a zoosporic,
plasmodiophorid parasite, Polymyxa betae.
The natural host range of the parasite is limited to sugar beets, spinach, chard, and related
weed species, such as pigweed, lambsquarters, and Kochia. Without infection by this soilinhabiting vector, disease cannot occur; however, the parasite does not always contain the virus.
The vector itself causes little damage unless it is harboring the virus, transmitting it to the plant
roots after infection.
New Reports
Due to the fear of this disease and the potential damage to sugar beet production, my
predecessor, Eric Kerr (University of Nebraska [UN], Panhandle REC) and Willem
Langenberg (USDA-ARS, UN-Lincoln), proactively conducted a survey in 1976 from western
Nebraska sugar beet fields searching for root infections by the vector, but found none. To the
best of my knowledge, this was the first attempt to identify the vector/pathogen/disease system
in sugar beet production in the Americas.
The following year, Polymyxa betae was detected for the first time in the Western Hemisphere
by Bryce Faulk and Jim Duffus, although it was not found directly infecting sugar beet roots
in the field. It was identified in the greenhouse from beet plants grown in soil samples collected
from two California fields where previous beet crops had exhibited yellowing symptoms.
Furthermore, no evidence of the virus or symptoms of the disease (rhizomania) was observed,
only the presence of the vector (P. betae) in the baited plants from the field soil samples.
Curiously, the virus pathogen (BNYVV) was first encountered in North America in 1981
from a location having nothing to do with sugar beet production—a cherry orchard in
Washington State. In the attempt to correlate a potential soilborne virus with the stem-pitting
disease of sweet cherry, Abdullah Al Musa and Gaylord Mink identified BNYVV from the
roots of Gomphrena globosa (globe amaranth) grown in soil samples collected from beneath
diseased cherry trees.
Due to these new reports of both the vector and virus from California and Washington,
respectively, Kerr and Langenberg conducted another search in 1981, examining sugar beet
and redroot pigweed plants from low-lying areas of Scotts Bluff County, NE, sugar beet fields.
In five of six fields inspected, P. betae was present in the roots of all plants that were collected
and tested. This was the first evidence showing the vector directly infecting sugar beets in the
field from North America. However, the virus causing rhizomania was not detected from this
search. The pathogen and disease would not be found affecting sugar beets in Nebraska for
another decade. Ironically, I was incidentally involved with that first detection of rhizomania in
Nebraska and several other states, and that is the rest of the story.
My Unlikely Role
Finding rhizomania in the United States was an alarming development to the industry due
to its well-documented damage elsewhere and with no management options available. It also
placed an unwarranted pariah-like stigma on those unfortunate farms of first identification from
each new state or region. Therefore any new reports were of great importance and concern.
In July 1992, I was working as a research technician in the program of Charlie Rush with
the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station in Bushland, TX, one of only two labs in the Western
Hemisphere that were capable of testing for rhizomania at that time. The other lab with this
ability was that of Duffus (USDA, Salinas, CA), who had first found the disease in U.S. sugar
beet production in California in 1983 and Texas in 1985.
I personally ran the tests on sugar beet samples sent to us by Kerr that confirmed the
presence of the disease in Nebraska. I also processed additional samples that same summer
identifying the disease from Wyoming and Idaho as well. I later learned that our tests
were a second corroboration after first being confirmed by Duffus several days earlier, thus
Harveson, continued on page 19
Letter to the Editor
More to the Story:
Johanna Westerdijk
Dear Dr. Seebold,
With interest I read the article in Phytopathology News about
women plant pathologists written by Dr. Harveson. I just
wanted to inform you that there is more to tell your readers
about Johanna Westerdijk.
This year, we celebrate the
Westerdijk Year. Westerdijk was
the first female professor in the
Netherlands, and there are quite
some activities related to this.
One of the titles of APS PRESS
is a book edited by Jean Ristaino
entitled Pioneering Women in
Plant Pathology, which contains a
chapter about Westerdijk.
First, is the opening of the
Westerdijk Year at the University
of Utrecht where Westerdijk gave
her inaugural address 100 years ago on February 10 (see,
www.uu.nl/en/events/westerdijk-anniversary-2017-100years-of-female-professorship).
Second, a meeting organized by CBS will be held August
30–31, 2017, entitled “Leading Women in Fungal
Biology” (see, www.cbs.knaw.nl/BioloMICSNews.aspx?
Rec=7719). Also the official opening of the Westerdijk
Building will take place on August 31 (see, www.cbs.knaw.nl/
BioloMICSNews. aspx?Rec=7721).
Finally, in the framework of the Westerdijk year, the
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences has the
intention of increasing the number of female members by
having a special round of nominations where only female
scientists are considered as potential new members of
the royal academy (www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/11/
bold-new-step-dutch-science-academy-holds-women-onlyelections).
Best regards,
Francine Govers, Wageningen University
Harveson, continued from page 18
making my role a very minor one. Nevertheless, it was a
foreshadowing, landmark event in my career. Never in my
wildest dreams could I have imagined then that seven years
later I would replace Kerr as the extension plant pathologist in
Scottsbluff—it is indeed a small world.
Now you know the rest of the story.
References
Al Musa, A. M., and Mink, G. I. 1981. Beet necrotic yellow
vein virus in North America. Phytopathology 71:773-776.
Faulk, B. W., and Duffus, J. E. 1977. The first report of
Polymyxa betae in the western hemisphere. Plant Dis. Rep.
61:492-494.
Langenberg, W. G., and Kerr, E. D. 1982. Polymyxa betae in
Nebraska. Plant Dis. 66:862. n
President, continued from page 17
by Kerik Cox, is considering
The blur of activity and
value-added upgrades to Plant
Disease Management Reports
the many moving parts I
(PDMR). Like PMN, PDMR
mentioned earlier are due
has served us well, but the
format and operation have
to the incredible energy
remained unchanged for many
years. The PDMR task force
that you, the membership,
is considering improvements
generate in volunteering
to the author experience
as well as opportunities to
your time and talents to
improve data presentation.
make APS all that we are.
Lastly, improvements to
the electronic delivery of
Phytopathology News are being
considered, with results of the reader survey conducted by Kenny Seebold,
editor-in-chief, helping identify the best electronic delivery options given the
rapid growth and variety of e-readers.
Within our goal to be the premiere professional organization for plant
health sciences, we have actively engaged and developed memoranda of
understanding (MOU) with other plant pathology societies for mutual
collaboration and benefit. We currently have MOUs in place with the Chinese,
Brazilian, Nigerian, Indian, and Italian societies and are in discussion with
other societies, including the French, with whom we are jointly organizing a
session on phytobiomes at the 2017 European Foundation of Plant Pathology
meeting in France. In addition to increasing international membership and
participation in APS meetings, we are looking forward to hosting the 11th
International Congress of Plant Pathology (ICPP) in 2018. Planning for ICPP
2018 is actively underway and being led Rick Bennett, past president of APS.
Another new activity within this goal has been establishment of the 2026
Professional Development Forum (APS 2026), led by Renée Rioux. APS has
several committees that have engaged in professional development activities
in the broad sense, but they were not coordinated. APS 2026 was established
to provide a forum for brainstorming and coordination of activities related to
professional development to make them more cohesive and effective.
One of the first charges to APS 2026 was to consider family-friendly options
for the annual meeting, which leads to our last goal of fostering innovative
conference strategies to meet member needs. APS 2026 considered several
potential activities that would make the meeting more family friendly while
still retaining the high-quality professional experience we expect. Council
has reviewed their report and is moving forward to incorporate some of these
activities into the 2017 Annual Meeting. In this same vein, APS Council
hired Velvet Chainsaw Consulting last year to evaluate our annual meeting
and identify its strengths and areas where it could improve. Council is moving
forward to adopt some of the recommendations. One of the changes to look
for in San Antonio will be a third plenary session; there will be other changes,
so watch for 2017 APS Annual Meeting announcements in the coming
months.
These past five months as APS president seem like a blur of activity and it’s
hard to believe how soon the annual meeting will be here. The blur of activity
and the many moving parts I mentioned earlier are due to the incredible
energy that you, the membership, generate in volunteering your time and
talents to make APS all that we are. We are also very fortunate to have a highly
competent, committed, and professional staff at APS Headquarters, who help
channel that energy and keep things running effectively and efficiently. I want
to thank everyone in my program who has supported me, as well as all of
you who contribute to APS. I look forward to seeing you in San Antonio in
August. n
Phytopathology News 19
International Year of
Plant Health in 2020
Raising Public
Awareness, Support
for Plant Protection
In March 2016, the International Plant
Protection Convention (IPPC), including
plant protection officials from 182 member
governments, reached an agreement to seek
a United Nations (UN) proclamation for an
International Year of Plant Health (IYPH) in
2020. The purpose of an IYPH is to raise public
awareness and support for plant protection going
into the next decade. An IYPH will improve the
public’s understanding of the importance and
impacts of plant health in addressing issues of
global importance, including food security, threats
to the environment, and economic development.
The approval process for this IYPH in 2020
is currently underway at the UN Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO). The UN
FAO will vote in July 2017 whether to move
this forward to the UN General Body, formally
requesting proclamation of the IYPH 2020.
Many of you have asked about what you can
do to support this important initiative. You can
write a letter of support to your country’s official
representative or delegate to the FAO before the
FAO conference meeting in July 2017. We have
provided a sample letter to get you started at
http://bit.ly/2jfWtih. Contact Stephanie Dubon
(USDA APHIS PPQ) at stephanie.m.dubon@
aphis.usda.gov or Stephanie Bloem (executive
director of the North American Plant Protection
Organization) at [email protected]
if you have any questions about IYPH or if you
need assistance in finding the appropriate contact
to send a letter of support. n
+ =
–
Phytobiomes Editors
Now Handling a Steady
Stream of Article
Submissions
Still time to save big on page charges!
The all-new Phytobiomes
journal is quickly gaining a
steady stream of manuscript
submissions, nearly 25 of them as of this month.
This is an excellent time to submit your paper, as the APC fee for
Phytobiomes’ fully open-access articles has been reduced to just
$1,350 for each accepted manuscript. This offer is scheduled to
end on March 1, 2017.
The new Phytobiomes journal is the first and only dedicated
journal in the fast-growing area of phytobiomes research. It
Carolyn Young
is expected to be well read and highly cited by researchers in
the many sub-disciplines of plant pathology; agronomy, soil
science, entomology, animal science; and other scientific fields such as ecology, chemistry,
computational biology, and climatology.
Phytobiomes is an excellent venue for publishing research papers, review articles,
perspectives, and various short communications. The journal’s editorial board is
delivering fast decisions and helpful feedback as they evaluate the early papers for this
new journal.
Phytobiomes shares the same online delivery platform as the other APS journals. Papers
are published online quickly in full-text html and PDF formats and include Altmetrics,
CrossRef citation linking, article alerts, and more.
Phytobiomes and the other APS journals offer Creative Commons licenses in two forms,
CC BY and CC BY-NC-ND, allowing broader use of the research upon publication and
meeting compliance guidelines with grant-funding organizations.
Be among the history-makers by publishing your manuscript in the very first yearly volume
of Phytobiomes. Learn more and submit your manuscript at http://phytobiomesjournal.
org! n
Applications for Storkan-HanesMcCaslin Foundation Awards
Due May 1
The deadline is approaching for you to submit your application for the Storkan-HanesMcCaslin Foundation Awards, named in honor of Richard C. Storkan, Gerald L.
Hanes, and Robert L. McCaslin.
To date, more than $495,000 has been awarded to 78 promising scientists. In
addition to unrestricted cash awards (which range from $5,000 to $10,000 and can be
used for any purpose that will benefit the education of the student, including personal
expenses), new awardees will also receive round-trip fares to the APS Annual Meeting
and are presented their awards at a luncheon attended by their research advisors, previous
awardees, and members of the Foundation Committee.
A major aim of the foundation is to encourage research by offering financial
assistance to graduate students who are working on soilborne diseases of plants. To be
considered for funding, each proposal should be carefully prepared in accordance with
the instructions published in the January Issue of Phytopathology News and submitted
electronically, no later than May 1, 2017, to Michael Stanghellini (chair of the Selection
Committee), at [email protected]. Please submit a short, two- to threepage research proposal containing a concise statement of the objectives, methods and
materials, and projected impact of the proposed research (note: a budget is not required);
one-page resume; and a letter of recommendation from the applicant’s major professor or
research director. n
20 February 2017
Ag Chemicals Conference Proceedings Now Live on PMN
Audiovisual webcasts of the 64th Annual West Texas Ag Chemicals Institute Conference held in
Lubbock, TX, on September 13, 2016, are now available on the Plant Management Network (PMN)
thanks to the support of Cotton Incorporated.
Nearly five hours of footage comprising seven
talks and two panel discussions covered policy
and regulation updates, legal issues, pest management, unmanned aerial vehicles, and more.
These presentations and the speakers’ accompanying slides are freely available through
PMN’s Focus on Cotton webcast resource.
Session topics and speakers include:
• EPA’s Revisions to the Applicator
Certification Rule (28 minutes)—This
presentation provides an overview of
proposed changes to the EPA’s pesticide
certification and training requirements,
discussing rationale behind the revisions and
potential future amendments. Speaker: Dale
Scott, Texas Department of Agriculture.
• UAV Use in Agriculture: Practical, Legal,
and Technological Considerations
(45 minutes)—This talk discusses several
key considerations for adoption and use
of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) to
collect field imagery data. Speaker: Austin
Bontrager, Servi-Tech Expanded Premium
Services.
• Understanding the EPA Product
Registration Review Process (33
minutes)—This talk discusses how the EPA
approaches risk evaluation, toxicity testing,
exposure, and other factors when evaluating
and approving new active ingredients
proposed for registration. Speakers: Jerry
Wells and Cherilyn Moore, Syngenta Crop
Protection, LLC.
• Politics and Policy Update (17 minutes)—
This presentations covers the state of the
current political climate, including key
issues such as farm bill appropriations, the
Trans Pacific Partnership, loan programs,
and more. Speaker: Kody Bessent, Plains
Cotton Growers, Inc.
• Handling Agriculture-Related Legal
Issues (40 minutes)—This discussion
helps producers and practitioners navigate
the legal complexities related to statutory
agriculture liens, government farm
programs, spray drift, property rights, and
aerial management techniques. Speaker:
Amber S. Miller, Crenshaw, Dupree, &
Milam, LLP.
• Old World Bollworm: Assessing a
Potential New Threat (39 minutes)—
• IPM Panel Discussion (34 minutes)—
• Integrating Mobile Technology in
Agriculture (36 minutes)—This talk
Also included are recordings of the 2016
award and scholarship presentations hosted
by Jane Denver (TAMU) and Glen Ritchie
(Texas Tech University and Texas A&M AgriLife Research).
Focus on Cotton contains more than 50
webcasts on various aspects of cotton crop
management. The site also features Cotton Cultivated, a new resource from Cotton
Incorporated that helps users quickly find the
most current cotton production information
available. These and other resources are freely
available courtesy of Cotton Incorporated at
www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/foco. n
This presentation describes the biology,
distribution, and management of old world
bollworm and discusses the potential of
microbe research to improve plant health
and performance—specifically new findings
about fungal endophytes. Speaker: Gregory
A. Sword, Texas A&M University (TAMU).
discusses the value and utility of several
agriculture mobile applications, including
Barchart, Farm Futures, CattleFax, Farm
Logs, Tank Mix Calculator, and others.
Speaker: Blake Bennett, Texas A&M
AgriLife Extension.
• Crop Management Update (33
minutes)—This panel discussion provides
an update of the 2016 growing season and
discusses key issues such as irrigation, soil
fertility, and weed control. Moderator:
Wayne Keeling, Texas AgriLife Research
Center; contributors: Katie Lewis, Jim
Bordovsky, and Seth Byrd.
This panel discussion covers important
integrated pest management topics of the
2016 growing season, including bollworms,
stink bugs, nematodes, cultural practices,
sugarcane aphid, and cloverworm.
Moderator: Blayne Reed, Hale/Swisher;
contributors: Pat Porter, Katelyn Kowles,
Kerry Siders, and Suhas Vyavhare.
Check Out the Latest
APS PRESS Recommended
Title
Field studies in the Lasiophaeriaceae and
Helminthosphaeriaceae sensu lato represents more
than a decade of field studies on wood-inhabiting
fungi of the ascomycete families Lasiosphaeriaceae
and Helminthosphaeriaceae sensu lato. This new
publication offers readers a tangible means of
identifying species and encouraging further field work
by all interested parties. Keys to species are provided,
and each species, including 12 new ones, is fully
described and illustrated. n
Visit www.shopapspress.org to order this new
resource and other valuable titles from APS PRESS.
Phytopathology News 21
Apply for the Tour of Private Sector Relations
The application for the Tour of Private Sector Relations, June 13–15, 2017, is now open. If you are a graduate student or post-doc interested
in learning more about career opportunities in private sector and government organizations, this opportunity is for you! Registration is open
until February 16 and costs $50. More information is available at www.apsnet.org/members/outreach/opsr.
Office of Public Relations and Outreach
OPRO Spreads the Word at FFA, AFA, and NABT
The APS Office of Public Relations and Outreach (OPRO)
was busy this past autumn, reaching out to students and
teachers at three major events: the FFA National Convention
and Expo, Agriculture Future of America (AFA) Leaders
Conference, and the National Association of Biology Teachers
(NABT) conference.
The FFA National Convention and Expo was held at the
Indianapolis Convention Center, October 19–21. With
more than 60,000 attendees, this event enables us to reach
high-school and college students and teachers with strong
agricultural interests. Dominique Tate (The Ohio State
University [OSU]), Tim Durham (Ferrum College), and
Monica Lewandowski (OSU) staffed the APS exhibit,
which was part of the event’s expo, that included over 400
exhibitors. Attendees were engaged with the popular “Which
Plant Disease Are You?” game and APS members distributed
information cards and posters on plant pathology careers
(available on http://plantdisease.org). It was also a good
opportunity to network with other exhibitors that included
agricultural businesses and companies, federal agencies, and
dozens of universities.
Nikki Tate (left) and Monica Lewandowski (right) share fun facts about careers
in plant pathology with thousands of FFA members at the 2016 FFA National
Convention and Expo.
22 February 2017
AFA hosted 1,200 students and professionals for the 20th
AFA Leaders Conference, November 3–6 at the Sheraton
Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City, MO. Doug Jardine
(Kansas State University) staffed the APS booth, visiting
with undergraduate students from around the United States
about opportunities for graduate degrees in plant pathology.
For land-grant university students, Jardine provide names of
APS members they could contact for more information when
they returned home. For students from liberal arts schools,
he provided them the names of contacts at universities where
they might be interested in applying to graduate school.
The 2016 Professional Development conference, sponsored
by NABT, was held November 3–6 at the Denver SheratonDowntown in Denver, CO. The conference joined more
than 1,000 biology and life sciences educators with the goal
of providing the best possible biology education materials,
including pedagogy, hands-on workshops, and informative
sessions. Kari Peter (The Pennsylvania State University),
Alejandra I. Huerta (Colorado State University [CSU]), and
Mary Ortiz-Castro (CSU) staffed the APS booth. Here they
promoted educational plant pathology activites and materials
with instructors by engaging them in the “Which Plant
Pathogen Are You?” board game. Instructors were encouraged
to incorporate plant pathology into the classroom by using
this simple, educational, and fun board game or other
materials at www.apsnet.org/EDCENTER/K-12. n
Tim Durham (left) and Nikki Tate (right) show off the “Which Plant Disease
Are You?” game at the 2016 FFA National Convention and Expo.
Plant Cyberinfrastructure 10-Year Plan Released
for Public Comment
The Plant Science Research Network is an
NSF-funded consortium of plant science
societies in the United States, including APS,
that is developing a 10-year strategic plan
for plant systems research (from molecules
to ecosystems) over the coming decade. This
plan, entitled the Plant Systems Research
Initiative (PSRI), is closely aligned with APS’
Phytobiomes Initiative.
APS representative Brett Tyler is
coordinating the PSRN’s development of
cyberinfrastructure component of this plan.
It is intended that the PSRI, and in
particular the cyberinfrastructure plan, will
guide community activity, policy, and funding
broadly over the next five to 10 years, for
example via the U.S. interagency National
Plant Genome Initiative.
The development of the cyberinfrastructure
plan began at the January 2016 Plant and
Animal Genome meeting and culminated with
a 2-day visioning workshop in Washington
DC in October that included the chair of
APS’ Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics
Committee, Lijun Ma.
From the workshop discussions, an
extended Executive Summary of the
Cyberinfrastructure Plan has been drafted,
including recommendations as the framework
for writing a full-length plan this coming
spring. This has been refined by input so far
from over 50 scientists in the fields of plant
systems and cyberinfrastructure research.
The plan encompasses six elements of
cyberinfrastructure, namely data, tools,
platforms, communication and collaboration,
training, and outreach. The plan, subtitled
“Connections,” strongly emphasizes the
need to improve the interoperability of data,
tools, and platforms; new models for training
the current and next generations of plant
scientists; as well as promoting collaboration
and communication among plant and data
scientists, educators, stakeholders, farmers, and
the general public. The report also points to
the need for rethinking professional incentives
for the kinds of synergistic activities needed to
improve connectivity, as well as the need for a
broader range of funding models.
The PSRN is now seeking input from the
broader community interested in plant systems
research and life sciences cyberinfrastructure,
including scientists interested in plant–
microbe interactions at all levels of scale and
application.
To provide input on the cyberinfrastructure
plan, go to the plant research community
site, www.plantae.org, register, then go to
the Big Data and Cyberinfrastructure group
to download the document and post your
comments. Input will be most valuable if
received by February 28.
APS Foundation
2017 APS Annual Meeting
Show Off Your Research—
Apply for a Student Travel
Award
The application has three parts:
Do You Want an APS
Foundation Award? We Want
to Give You One!
The APS Foundation is currently accepting applications for the following
awards. Learn more about these funding opportunities at www.apsnet.org/
members/foundation/apply.
1. A copy of the student’s formal APS abstract
already submitted for an intended oral or poster
presentation for the 2017 APS Annual Meeting.
2. A special session proposal for a “hot topic” that would be
suitable for presentation at a future APS Annual Meeting.
3. A letter of recommendation from the student’s current advisor
(due March 24, 2017).
It is recommended that you compose your responses prior
to completing the online form. Once ready, you can copy and
paste your materials into the appropriate text box in the online
application. Complete details can be found on the application
website (www.apsnet.org/members/foundation/apply/Pages/
StudentTravelAwards.aspx). Applications are due by noon
Central Time on March 21, 2017, and advisor letters are due by
noon Central Time on March 24, 2017. Applications or advisor
letters submitted after the posted deadline will not be accepted
as the deadline is strictly enforced.
All students are encouraged to apply for this excellent
opportunity to highlight their research efforts! n
International Travel Award
16
Provides $1,500 in support of early or midcareer international
members to participate in an APS Annual Meeting.
John and Ann Niederhauser Endowment (JANE) Award
A $3,000 award supports proposals that involve international cooperation
between a person/institution in the United States and a person/institution
outside of the United States. Projects should have positive impacts and
practical applications for the developing country.
Plant Pathology Experiential Awards
The award provides $500 to both a department and an individual graduate
student or post-doctorate to visit a nonacademic organization for the purpose
of promoting career and research development experiences.
Schroth Faces of the Future Awards
Four early career members will receive $500 to present on host resistance
and host/pathogen interactions at the 2017 Annual Meeting “Faces of the
Future” symposium. n
Phytopathology News 23
Public Policy Update
Interdisciplinary Research Shines in 2016
Symposium on Phytobiomes
Alejandra Huerta, Colorado State University, [email protected]
Phytobiomes research
offers the opportunity
to integrate findings
from a wide diversity of
disciplines, promoting new
fundamental information on
our cropping systems with a constant eye on
translating that information into practice. This
opportunity for crossdisciplinary exchange
and interdisciplinary research was strongly
evident in the recent Keystone Symposium
“Phytobiomes: From Microbes to Plant
Ecosystems.” This symposium drew together
a community of 143 participants from 20
countries in the lovely city of Santa Fe, NM,
November 8–12, 2016. The scientific program
was organized by Jan Leach, Kellye Eversole,
Jonathan Eisen, and Gwyn Beattie. The
breadth of expertise among the participants
made for an exciting program, as participants
learned about such diverse topics as modeling
technologies to understand how root hairs
extract phosphate from soils, how crop and
economic models can link to climate and
weather scenarios, and how the AgData
Coalition is helping growers get the most out
of their farm data, as well as applications of
plant nanobionics, the rapidly developing
industry of agricultural biologicals, and the
many fascinating interactions among plants,
insects, microbes, and the environment that
influence our cropping systems.
The scientific program was designed
to address advances in systems biology
approaches and supporting technologies to
better understand phytobiomes, including
their functional networks and activities.
The program showcased novel findings in
eight sessions: community assembly and
Organizer Jan Leach introduced the keynote speaker
Pam Ronald to kick off the event.
24 February 2017
Phytobiomes journal editors connected during the symposium.
functions, signaling mechanisms within
phytobiomes, multi-trophic interactions
in phytobiomes, imaging and modeling
of phytobiomes, promising prospects for
phytobiome engineering, and the application
of phytobiomes research for agricultural
sustainability. Two vibrant (and packed)
poster sessions provided an open platform
for active discussion among conference
attendees. The keynote address, “The rice
phytobiome: Exploring the rice response
to microbes and environmental stress,” by
Pamela Ronald, from the University of
California-Davis outlined the complexity,
perspectives, and successes of phytobiomes
research. Ronald demonstrated the power
of a predictive computational network
for understanding stress responses in rice
and illustrated the value of international
collaborations to enhance crop resilience
and educating and engaging the public on
scientific advancements.
In addition to the scientific research
presentations, three workshops were held
that addressed distinct efforts to advance the
vision of phytobiomes as a new approach to
agriculture. The first workshop highlighted
the importance of developing a broad-based
scientific workforce; it gave an opportunity
for eight selected early career scientists
(graduate students, research scientists, and
assistant professors) to present their research.
The second workshop highlighted the need
for coordinated, collaborative efforts in
phytobiomes; it gave the opportunity for
the International Alliance for Phytobiomes
Research to debut its supporters. This alliance
of industry and academic entities is dedicated
to building a phytobiomes-based foundation
for accelerating the sustainable production
of food, feed, and fiber. The third workshop
highlighted one of the first coordinated efforts
of the alliance and that is to help identify and
address challenges in characterizing soil- and
plant-associated microbiomes. Participants
discussed topics such as the need to identify
best practices in sampling, processing, and
data analysis to generate reporting standards
for metadata and to ensure publicly accessible,
high-quality databases.
The symposium concluded with a dynamic
session on phytobiomes and the vision
for tomorrow’s agriculture. During this
session the participants openly discussed
meeting outcomes and perspectives for
future phytobiomes conferences. These
discussions underscored the need for
integrating public outreach, education,
and effective communication strategies as
our knowledge of phytobiomes advances;
engaging experts in an even broader array
of fields relevant to phytobiomes, including
nutritionists, economists, sociologists,
extension agents, farmers, and statisticians
in addition to the many agricultural and life
scientists present; and continuing to increase
the interdisciplinary and global nature
of phytobiomes research and translation.
The meeting highlights were shared via
social media using Twitter and the hashtag
#KSphytobiome. n
People
Student Awards & Degrees
Sara Bratsch was awarded her Ph.D.
degree this October from the Department
of Plant Pathology at the University of
Minnesota. Bratsch’s thesis defense was
entitled “Investigation of virus-like disorders
of agronomically important plants” and
her thesis title was “Detection, diagnostics,
and characterization of virus-like organisms
and conformational disease-like proteins in
plants.” After being awarded her Ph.D. degree,
Bratsch is now leading a USDA-funded
post-doc project, “Integrated Management
and Diagnostics of Emerging Viruses in
Fresh Tomato Production.” This is a two-year
post-doctoral research project addressing
plant health and production with a split
focus on 80% research and 20% extension
to study yield-reducing viruses in fresh
tomato production in Minnesota. Bratsch
will be conducting surveys of Minnesota high
tunnels and community gardens to identify
and characterize the virus(es) present by
transmission electron microscopy, serological,
and molecular methods. Bratsch will also
be conducting experiments to study the
epidemiology of the viruses identified. The
project will culminate with the production of
virus disease management reports.
Madhu Kappagantu
recently completed all
requirements for the
Ph.D. degree program in
the Department of Plant
Pathology, Washington
State University. She
investigated the biological
and molecular effects
of Hop stunt viroid (HSVd) on different
hop cultivars. In a five-year study, it was
shown that HSVd infection induced cultivardependent effects on cone yield and resin
yield. Using high-throughput sequencing
analysis of an infected HSVd-sensitive cultivar,
dynamic changes in host transcriptome
were identified. The host response to mixed
infections of HSVd with other pathogens
was also examined. She also developed a
rapid and cost effective diagnostic assay for
HSVd. Hanu Pappu and Ken Eastwell served
as her major advisors, and her committee
included Joan Davenport, Stephen Kenny,
and George Vandemark. Kappagantu was a
recipient of financial aid awarded by the Hop
Research Council to attend the IV Humulus
Symposium of the International Society for
Horticultural Science 2015.
Charles S. Krasnow
earned his Ph.D. degree
under the guidance of
Mary Hausbeck in the
Department of Plant,
Soil, and Microbial
Sciences at Michigan
State University. The
title of his dissertation
is “Effects of host resistance, fungicides, and
cover crops on Phytophthora capsici.” His
research focused on fungicide management
strategies, the susceptibility of Brassica
vegetables and cover crops to Phytophthora
capsici, and the histology of squash root
rot. Krasnow provided multiple extension
talks to growers and industry representatives
over the course of his graduate program. In
2015, he received the Michigan Vegetable
Council Industry Scholarship for his research
and extension work with vegetable growers
in Michigan. He is currently employed by
Syngenta AG in Vero Beach, FL, in the lawn
and garden division. His responsibilities
include fungicide efficacy trials and evaluating
new products for market performance.
McKeever received numerous scholarships,
awards, and recognitions, including WSU
Heald Scholarship (2011–2012), S. O.
Graham Research Fellowship (2011–2012),
Achievement Rewards for College Scientists
Fellowship (2012–2015), Martin Stoner
Memorial Scholarship (2015), WSU
CAHNRS Honor Student (2011), president of
the WSU Plant Pathology Graduate Student
Organization, Student Presentation Award at
the 59th Annual Conferences on Soilborne
Plant Pathogens (2013), advisor for ISEF/FFA
Student Science Project (2014), and student
travel awards to the 62nd Annual WIFDWC
Conference (2014), APS Pacific Division
Annual Meeting (2015), and the 64th Annual
WIFDWC Conference (2016). She worked
as a forest health technician with the New
York State Department of Environmental
Conservation in the summer 2008 and field
forestry technician with the Manomet Center
for Conservation Sciences, Brunswick, ME, in
the summer 2011. She has worked as a forest
pathologist with the Montana Department
of Natural Resources and Conservation since
September 2016.
Kathleen Mary McKeever recently completed
all requirements for her Ph.D. degree in
plant pathology from Washington State
University (WSU) under the supervision
of Gary Chastagner. Her dissertation was
entitled “Assessing status of and resistance
to Phytophthora root rot on true fir (Abies
spp.).” Her Ph.D. program committee also
included Dennis Johnson, Mark Mazzola,
and Ned Klopfenstein. McKeever grew
up in the Hudson Valley of New York
State and received her B.S. degree in forest
health from the College of Environmental
Science and Forestry, State University of
New York in Syracuse in 2008 and an M.S.
degree in plant pathology from WSU in
2010. During her Ph.D. program at WSU,
Swarnalatha Moparthi
recently completed
all requirements for
her Ph.D. degree in
plant pathology from
Washington State
University. Her thesis,
entitled “Epidemiology
and management of
sweet cherry powdery mildew in Washington
nurseries.” Gary Grove was her major
professor and Dennis Johnson, Weidong
Chen, and Scot Hulbert were her other
committee members. Powdery mildew of
sweet cherry caused by Podosphaera prunicola is
a major problem in cherry nursery production.
She conducted various studies and found
Kathleen
McKeever with
her committee
members (left to
right) Dennis
Johnson, Mark
Mazzola, Gary
Chastagner, and
Ned Klopfenstein.
People, continued on page 26
Phytopathology News 25
People, continued from page 25
that chokecherry and sweet cherry can be
infected by two different Podosphaera species,
and the chokecherry powdery mildew fungus
is Podosphaera tridactyla. She determined
the source of initial inoculum for powdery
mildew in cherry nurseries, time and
duration of infection, and viability of conidia,
chasmothecia, and ascospores. She also
determined the effectiveness of electrolyzed
oxidized water in reducing disease severity and
number of chasmothecia formation. Moparthi
grew up in the State of Andhra Pradesh. She
received her B.S. degree in botany, genetics,
and chemistry from Acharya Nagarjuna
University, India, in 2002 and M.S. degree
in biology from Youngstown State University,
OH, in 2011. She received the best poster
presentation award at the APS Pacific Division
Annual Meeting in 2016. After her Ph.D.
degree, she is interested in working as a plant
pathologist in the area of extension.
New Position
Marty Draper has been
appointed as department
head and professor of
the Department of Plant
Pathology at Kansas
State University. Draper
holds a B.S. degree in
plant pathology and pest
management from Iowa
State University and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees
from North Dakota State University (NDSU).
Following graduation, he served as the plant
pathologist for the North Dakota State Seed
Department and then as an instructor and
director of the Plant Pest Diagnostic and
Seed Health Testing Lab at NDSU. He
left NDSU to become an extension plant
pathologist at South Dakota State University.
For the past 10 years he has been national
program leader for plant pathology and
integrated pest management with the National
Institute of Food and Agriculture. Draper
left Washington, DC, and began his role in
Manhattan, KS, in July.
University of Georgia students on career trip to Dow Agrosciences.
Collaboration
During the dates of July 18–21, 2016, 24
plant pathology, entomology, and weed
sciences graduate students from the University
of Georgia (UGA) attended a trip to
participate in a UGA Career Day hosted by
research scientists, such as Javier Delgado
(Dow AgroSciences), at their headquarters
in Indianapolis, IN, and a midseason
diagnostic workshop hosted by instructors,
including Kiersten Wise (Purdue University
Crop Diagnostic Training and Research
Center). This trip, planned by students of
the Department of Plant Pathology, was
designed to address the ongoing trend in
industry to hire crop protection professionals
that are broadly trained across the three main
crop protection disciplines by providing an
opportunity for technical training as well
as information on the skill and experiential
needs of industry. During the visit to Dow
AgroSciences, students were given the
opportunity to speak with representatives from
HR about career preparation, representatives
from the summer internship committee on the
internship experience and application process,
research scientists on job responsibilities and
personal career track, and a panel discussion
on what it is like to work in industry with
all of the aforementioned. By providing this
information/training to students early in
their educational career, our program aimed
to give graduate students the opportunity to
design a program of study that will provide
the background needed to be competitive in
the current and future job market. Through
the generous support from the Dow Aidto-Education Program, UGA Society of
Aspiring Plant Pathologists, and departmental
contributions, the total cost to students for
the four-day, three-night trip was only $50 per
person. n
What’s Going On?
Have you recently graduated, received
an award, or been promoted? Is
something noteworthy happening in your
department? We want to hear from you!
Share your news with the APS community!
Submit your news online at www.apsnet.
org/publications/phytopathologynews/_
layouts/apsforms/phytosubform.aspx.
Find the Latest Jobs in Plant Pathology
Don’t forget, members can search online for new job opportunities in the field of plant pathology using
the APS Career Center. View the latest postings online in the APS Career Center at www.apsnet.org/careers/
jobcenter/Pages/FindaJob.aspx. n
26 February 2017
Trending
Phytopathology
• Soybean Resistance to the Soybean
Cyst Nematode Heterodera glycines: An
Update
Melissa G. Mitchum
spotlight
EDITOR’S
PICKS
• Plant Disease Severity Assessment—
How Rater Bias, Assessment Method,
and Experimental Design Affect
Hypothesis Testing and Resource Use
Efficiency
Kuo-Szu Chiang, Clive H. Bock, I-Hsuan Lee,
Moussa El Jarroudi, Philippe Delfosse
Phenomic Approaches and Tools
for Phytopathologists
Ivan Simko, Jose A. Jimenez-Berni,
and Xavier R. R. Sirault
A Proposal for a Genome SimilarityBased Taxonomy for PlantPathogenic Bacteria that Is
Sufficiently Precise to Reflect
Phylogeny, Host Range, and
Outbreak Affiliation Applied
to Pseudomonas syringae
sensu lato as a Proof of Concept
Boris A. Vinatzer, Alexandra J. Weisberg,
Caroline L. Monteil, Haitham A. Elmarakeby,
Samuel K. Sheppard, et al.
Krishna Subbarao, Phytopathology,
editor-in-chief
Mining the Gap: Assessing Leadership
Needs to Improve 21st Century
Plant Pathology
J. Beckerman and W. Schneider
p Open Access
An Immuno-Suppressive Aphid
Saliva Protein Is Delivered
into the Cytosol of Plant
Mesophyll Cells During
Feeding p Open Access
Sam T. Mugford, Elaine Barclay, Claire
Drurey, Kim C. Findlay, and Saskia A.
Hogenhout
John McDowell, MPMI, editor-in-chief
Paraphoma Crown Rot of
Pyrethrum (Tanacetum
cinerariifolium)
Azin Moslemi, Peter K. Ades,
Tim Groom, Pedro W. Crous,
Marc E. Nicolas, et al.
Submit Your Papers to Phytobiomes:
A NEW Open-Access Journal of APS!
Fast, high-quality reviews; a broad
intended readership; and discounted page
charges are just a few reasons to submit
to this important new transdisciplinary
journal of APS. Submit your paper today.
Alison Robertson, Plant Disease,
editor-in-chief
Cryptic Species: A Leitmotif of
Contemporary Mycology Has
Challenges and Benefits for Plant
Pathologists
F. M. Dugan and S. Everhart
Pamela D. Roberts, Plant
Health Progress, editor-inchief
Plant Disease
• Characterization of Colletotrichum
Species Causing Bitter Rot of Apple in
Kentucky Orchards
M. Munir, B. Amsden, E. Dixon, L.
Vaillancourt, N. A. Ward Gauthier
• Phytoplasma in Association with
Rubber Tree (Hevea brasiliensis) Stem
Fasciation in China
Y. Yang, L. Jiang, H.-Y. Che, X.-R. Cao,
D.-Q. Luo
p Open Access
MPMI
• Ethylene Biosynthesis and Signaling
Is Required for Rice Immune
Response and Basal Resistance Against
Magnaporthe oryzae Infection
Emily E. Helliwell, Qin Wang, Yinong Yang
• Rice Plasma Membrane Proteomics
Reveals Magnaporthe oryzae Promotes
Susceptibility by Sequential Activation
of Host Hormone Signaling Pathways
Jidong Cao, Chao Yang, Lingjuan Li,
Lan Jiang, Yao Wu, et al.
Plant Health Progress
• Biology and Economics of
Recommendations for Insecticide-Based
Management of Soybean Aphid
R. L. Koch, Bruce D. Potter, Philip A.
Glogoza, Erin Hodgson, Christian H. Krupke,
et al.
• Analyses of Yield and Economic
Response from Foliar Fungicide and
Insecticide Applications to Soybean in
the North Central United States
Y. R. Kandel, D. S. Mueller, C. E. Hart,
N. R. C. Bestor, C. A. Bradley, et al.
apsjournals.apsnet.org
Phytopathology News 27
www.apsnet.org
Periodicals
The American Phytopathological Society
3340 Pilot Knob Road
St. Paul, MN 55121
United States of America
Calendar of Events
Other Upcoming Events
APS-Sponsored Events
February 2017
February 2017
17-20 Southern Division Meeting. College Station,
TX. www.apsnet.org/members/divisions/south
26-Mar 2 Caribbean Division Meeting. San Jose, Costa
Rica. www.apsnet.org/members/divisions/carib
March 2017
22-24 Potomac Division Meeting. Morgantown, WV.
www.apsnet.org/members/divisions/pot
10-14
March 2017
11-14
28-30
June 2017
May 2017
14-16North Central Division Meeting. Champaign,
IL. www.apsnet.org/members/divisions/nc
7-11
26-29 Pacific Division Meeting. Riverside, CA.
www.apsnet.org/members/divisions/pac
August 2017
June 2017
5-9 APS Annual Meeting. San Antonio, TX.
www.apsnet.org/meet
November 2017
1-3Northeastern Division Meeting. Quebec City, Canada. www.apsnet.org/members/divisions/ne
July 2018
29-Aug 3 11th International Congress of Plant
Pathology. Boston, MA. http://icpp2018.org
5-9
18-21
18th Annual Oomycete Molecular Genetics Network Meeting.
Asilomar, CA. http://omgn.org
63rd Annual Conference on Soilborne Plant Pathogens and 49th
California Nematology Workshop. Davis, CA.
http://soilfungus.wsu.edu
Population Genomics of Fungal and Oomycete Pathogens of Plants
and Animals. Monte Verita, Ascona, Switzerland.
www.path.ethz.ch/education/population-genomics-of-fungal-andoomycete-diseases-of-animals-a.html
24th International Council for the Study of Virus and Other GraftTransmissible Diseases of Fruit Crops. Thessaloniki, Greece.
www.icvf.net
Seventh International Conference on Algal Biomass, Biofuels, and
Bioproducts. Miami, FL. www.algalbbb.com
July 2017
17-20
Eighth International Workshop on Grapevine Downy and Powdery
Mildew. Corvallis, OR. http://gdpm2017.org
December 2017
4-7
Important APS Dates
to Remember
Phenome 2017: Connecting the Bioeconomy. Tucson, AZ.
www.phenome2017.org
miCROPe 2017—Microbe-Assisted Crop Production:
Opportunities, Challenges, and Needs. Vienna, Austria.
www.micrope.org
February 2017
March 2017
16 Applications for APS Foundation Awards due
16 OPSR Tour registration closes
15 APS Annual Meeting abstracts due