Fm: infopapa-owner [infopapa-owner@rcp.net.pe]
Date: 4/18/97

Estimados colegas:

Continuacion...La ultima parte.

Cornell-Eastern Europe-Mexico (CEEM)

International Collaborative Project on Potato Late Blight Control

A CEEM Planning Meeting was held at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York,

USA, October 7 and 8, 1996.

General Objectives and Characteristics of CEEM

The general objective of CEEM is to lessen the problem of late blight

through selected activities in Eastern Europe, Mexico, and the United

States. CEEM desires to integrate with other institutions to achieve a

common goal, each playing an important and non-duplicative role. An

important goal of CEEM is to facilitate the sharing of information and

biological materials/technology that might contribute to solving the late

blight problem. It should contribute to the Global Initiative on Late Blight

(GILB) as proposed in Lima, Peru (March 1996). If the GILB can receive input

from CIP, PICTIPAPA, CEEM, and others, it has a wonderful opportunity to

succeed. It is important that each contributing institution/organization

receive recognition for its contribution, and that all members benefit by

participating in an open manner.

A goal of CEEM is to provide training sessions for scientists to gain

technology that is not yet available to them. The major audience is likely

to be scientists from Eastern Europe and Mexico.

CEEM might play an important role in enhancing communication (workshops,

electronic communications) and in facilitating the sharing of biological

materials/technology. CEEM might also assume responsibility for facilitating

the distribution of information among plant breeders and for sharing

breeding materials.

Two postdoctoral scientists are being sought for active research under the

CEEM umbrella. One position will work collaboratively with PICTIPAPA in

Toluca (Mexico) and the other will be located in Ithaca to work

collaboratively with Bob Plaisted and Bill Fry. In Toluca, activities will

focus on the ecology, epidemiology, and population genetics of Phytophthora

infestans in this unique ecosystem. Specific research objectives will be

chosen from the many opportunities available (oospore ecology, biocontrol,

population genetics, pathogenic specialization, etc.).

In Ithaca, activities of the postdoctoral scientist will concern pathogen

interactions with the host plant and breeding for resistance. Field research

space and greenhouse space are available in Bob Plaisted’s program and

laboratory space is available in Bill Fry’s program.

An objective of the project is to reveal secrets of the sexual populations

of P. infestans in the highlands of Central Mexico and to make available to

Eastern European and other scientists well-adapted potato varieties with

resistance to late blight. These objectives will be accomplished with the

following procedures: strengthen the Mexican initiative by locating an

associate scientist at Toluca, Mexico; further strengthen Cornell’s late

blight program by locating a postdoctoral scientist and an executive

director to manage and coordinate the project.

This project will complement the U.S. national program on combating late

blight in potatoes and tomatoes planned for 1996-2001, with a proposed

budget of US$36 million, and the Global Initiative on Late Blight (GILB)

being established at the International Potato Center (CIP) in Lima, Peru, at

a total budget of US$25 million for a 10-year period (additional to CIP’s

previous investment in late blight). Cornell will facilitate communication

between these two large initiatives; it brings Eastern European and Mexican

scientists into the mainstream and will open the resources of Mexico to

scientists worldwide.

The project includes an international advisory panel consisting of

world-renowned scientists from the USA, Mexico, and Eastern Europe who are

willing to dedicate their time to helping Cornell and its collaborators to

develop and transfer environmentally safe methods to control late blight to

resource-poor farmers, especially in Eastern Europe, where potatoes are an

essential component of the daily diet of millions of people.

A start-up grant of US$2.3 million has now been committed. In this context,

the role of non-traditional donors, who are aware of the real needs to

support this initiative and their invaluable and continued support, is

critical. The total cost of the project is estimated at US$3.354 million

for 6 years (1996-2001).

CEEM is managed by an executive committee, whose chairperson is Ronnie

Coffman, Cornell Associate Dean of Research and Director of the Agricultural

Experimental Station. Its other two members are William Fry and Robert

Plaisted. The Executive Director is K.V. Raman. There are an additional

nine advisors on an International Panel of Experts.

For a copy of the report on the Planning Meeting, please contact CEEM, 267

Emerson Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-1902, USA. Fax (607)

255-6683. E-mail: kvr1@cornell.edu

Progress on the Standard International Field Trials (SIFT)

Two months ago, a circular was sent to all "GILBers" about the SIFT for

resistance to late blight. SIFT was planned as a module of PICTIPAPA and is

being implemented by CIP (E. French, chairperson of the planning committee).

The call for candidate cultivars has resulted in submissions by:

1. Potato Research Station Vandel, Denmark

Variety Danva.

2. Arable and Forage Crops Department (CPRO-DLO), The Netherlands.

Variety Robijn (or Dutch Robin)

3. Scottish Crop Research Institute, United Kingdom

Varieties Stirling, Teena, and Torridon

4. CIP has proposed varieties from Argentina, Burundi, Colombia, and Peru

that are moderately resistant and cultivars from its breeding program

(population B, free of R genes)

The planning committee of SIFT will evaluate the data for all submissions

and choose a set of 20, plus checks for each of the five test sites.

Submitted cultivars must pass a pathogen-tested procedure before

multiplication for distribution to test sites.

Further submissions are welcome and will be especially timely if available

as in vitro materials (pathogen-tested).

Coming Meetings

· North American Potato Late Blight Workshop

Holiday Inn Palo Verde, Tucson, AZ, USA.

January 9-11, 1997

Contact: Dr. W.M. Brown

Fax 970/491-3862

· The IIIrd. World Potato Congress

Durban, South Africa

March 2-7, 1997

Contact: The Organizing Committee

World Potato Congress 1997

Private Bag X135

Pretoria 0001

South Africa

Fax: 27-12-325-6102

· African Potato Association

4th Triennial Conference

Johannesburg, South Africa

May 19-23, 1997

Contact: B.J. Pieterse,

Private Bag X293

Pretoria 0001

South Africa

Fax: 27-12-808-0348 // 808-0844

E-mail: ARTBJP@VOPI.AGRIC.ZA

· Potato Association of America Annual Meeting

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada

August 3-7, 1997

Contact: Dr. Bud Platt

Fax: 902/566-6822

E-mail: platt@persch.agr.ca

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