December 19, 2002

New Zealand Institute of Crop and Food Research scientist, Richard Falloon, has been elected President of the International Society for Plant Pathology

In tandem with his appointment, Christchurch is to host the society's congress in February 2003. The congress, a five-yearly event, is expected to attract over 1500 people from 70 countries and to earn New Zealand around $4.5 million.

The conference of the Australasian Plant Pathology Society - of which Dr Falloon will also soon become President - will be held jointly.

The overall theme of the Congress - "solving problems in the real world" - matches Dr Falloon's own views on plant pathology.

>From the potato blight in Ireland in the 19th century through to the current loss of up to 50% of the food grown in the developing world, plant diseases can severely affect humans, he says.

As president he aims to bring plant researchers together to exchange the latest disease-fighting ideas and to encourage greater international collaboration.

Dr Falloon is a "big picture" thinker who has worked in DSIR, then Crop & Food Research for over 30 years. A career highlight has been leading Crop & Food Research's multi-faceted approach to controlling the internationally important disease, powdery scab of potatoes.

Crop & Foods Research's approach incorporates the use of chemical and cultural controls, breeding resistant potato cultivars, such as Red Rascal, and understanding the role of soil chemistry in powdery scab development. Molecular techniques for disease detection and marker-assisted selection are also important parts of the research effort.

The 8th International Congress of Plant Pathology will be held from 2 to 8 February 2003 at the Christchurch Town Hall and Convention Centre.