Session Announcement: Disease management

Keynote speakers: Maarten de Waard and Philip Elmer
A wide range of strategies are available for control of diseases caused by Botrytis spp. These include chemical applications, cultural management, biological control and host resistance. Chemical control is a major strategy in management of many Botrytis diseases. In time, the arsenal of fungicides available is constantly subject to changes. Therefore, the search for new and better fungicides proceeds continuously. There are many publications reporting successful biological control of Botrytis spp. in the laboratory and in controlled environments but very few are commercialized. Where effective biological controls are available, industry uptake has often been slow and we examine some of the barriers to greater use by producers. Despite these challenges, most recent research is very encouraging as scientists identify unique combinations of biological controls and natural products that provide Botrytis disease control equal to that of conventional fungicides. This session will focus on new developments in chemical and biological disease control.

Details of the speakers:

Dr Maarten de Waard
Wageningen University, Laboratory of Phytopathology, Binnenhaven 5, 6709 PD, Wageningen, The Netherlands
Phone +31 317 483123, E-mail: maarten.dewaard@wur.nl

Biography:
1968: MSc Phytopathology, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
1968-1972: Junior scientist National Council for Research in Agriculture, Wageningen
1972: Assistant professor, Laboratory of Phytopathology, Wageningen University.
1974: PhD Fungicides
1975: Sabbatical year University of Maryland, USA
1977: Associate professor in Phytopharmacy.

Research topics include mode of action and selectivity of fungicides, fungicide resistance, and molecular genetics of fungi with respect to drug transporter genes in Aspergillus nidulans, Botrytis cinerea, and Mycosphaerella graminicola.
For more details see: http://www.php.wur.nl/uk

Dr Philip Elmer
The Horticulture and Food Research Institute of New Zealand, Ruakura Research Centre, Private Bag, 3123, Hamilton, New Zealand
Phone +64-7-8584783, E-mail: pelmer@hortresearch.co.nz

Biography:
1990: PhD Plant Pathology, Lincoln University, New Zealand (NZ)
1990-1992: Post-Doctoral Fellow: MAFTechnology, Lincoln, NZ
1992-1995: Scientist, HortResearch, Lincoln, NZ
1995-1996: Sabbatical year, IPO-DLO, Wageningen, The Netherlands and University of California, Kearney Agricultural Centre, Parlier, USA
1997-2005: Scientist, Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton, NZ
2006-present: Senior Scientist, BioProtection Group, Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton, NZ

Research topics include epidemiology, ecology and biological suppression of Botrytis cinerea. The integration of biological control antagonists, with activators of host defenses and natural products for Botrytis and powdery mildew control in viticulture. Other research interests include; biological suppression of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in kiwifruit as an alternative to iprodione and enhancing host defenses via fruit nutrition in stonefruits and grapes.


The session focuses on chemical and biological control topics. The Key note lecture on chemical control by Maarten de Waard will review fungal drug transporters known to play an important role in sensitivity and resistance to fungicides and on inhibitors of these drug transporters, described in literature as modulators. Some modulators display disease control while they are almost not fungitoxic in vitro. This may be ascribed to inhibition of drug transporters that act as pathogenicity factors. Hence, modulators may act as leads in the discovery of new disease control products.

The second keynote lecture will be presented by Philip Elmer. In the first part of this lecture, the biological suppression of Botrytis bunch rot in viticulture will be reviewed. The second part of the lecture will focus on the research that has resulted in the commercialization of two new, complimentary biological control products (BioGro certified) for grape growers in New Zealand. As market pressures continue to increase for residue-free wine, the evolution of a three component, biological control strategy for season-long Botrytis control in New Zealand vineyards will be described.