BSPP `Limited'
The British Society for Plant Pathology is now an incorporated charity limited by guarantee.

On 16 October 1997 a meeting of the Strategy Committee of the Society, Nigel Hardwick (President), David Ingram ([President-elect), Graham Jellis (Secretary), Derek Perry (Treasurer) and James Brown (Council Member) was held in a hotel at Marston Green, Birmingham. The main item on the agenda was to meet with a solicitor from Martineau Johnson to seek advice on the best method of protecting Members of Council, as Trustees, from any legal actions taken against the Society. As a result of the advice given Council decided to proceed to incorporate the Society. A motion was duly put to the AGM, held at the Presidential Meeting in York on 16 December, that `Council is instructed to proceed to the incorporation of the Society as a charitable company limited by guarantee. The company's Memorandum and Articles of Association will be based on the existing constitution of the Society'. The motion was carried unanimously.

During 1998, we amended a standard draft of the
Memorandum and Articles of Association as supplied by the Charity Commissioners to take account of the way in which we wished to operate the Society and Memorandum and Articles of Association as supplied by the Charity Commissioners to take account of the way in which we wished to operate the Society and protect Members' interests. We have kept the five-year rule for Officers and three year rule for Members. Subscribing Members will continue to elect Members to Council by annual ballot. The Memorandum and Articles of Association can only be changed by a two-thirds majority vote of subscribing Members taken at a meeting called for the purpose. We hoped that we could get through all the formalities so that the company would be in place by the end of the year.

We were informed on 9 May that the Charity Commissioners had approved the revised Memorandum and Articles of Association and we then proceeded to register the Company. Before we could register `British Society of Plant Pathology' as the company name we had to satisfy Companies House that we were pre-eminent in the field of plant pathology and therefore entitled to have the word `British' in our name. The Institute of Biology kindly wrote a letter of support to Companies House and we were duly incorporated. Our Certificate of Incorporation (Company No. 3576579) was dated 5 June 1998 with the Company's registered office at Martineau Johnson in Birmingham. We then possessed a Company called the British Society for Plant Pathology and an unincorporated charity of the same name. The next process was to register the Company as a charity. As the Charity Commissioners had already approved our Memorandum and Articles of Association this proved to be little more than a formality. On 10 September 1998 BSPP Ltd became a registered charity (No: 1071465) with its Memorandum and Articles of Association being the governing document. The next major step, involving yet more paperwork and a further round of signatures from Council Members, was to transfer the assets of the unincorporated Society to the new Company. This process was completed at the Council Meeting held on 3 November which then became the first meeting of the Board. A small celebration took place to mark this historic occasion in the Society's young life. The Society now has its own legal identity.

Council Members are now Directors of the Company with the Secretary acting as Company Secretary and the President as Chairman of the Board. Subscribing Members should not notice any changes to the way in which the Society continues to operate in their interests. The major changes will be felt by the Secretary who will now have to file annual reports and returns to Companies House. Members wishing to see the Memorandum and Articles of Association can request a copy from the new Secretary, Avice Hall.

Nigel Hardwick (President 1997) and Graham Jellis (Secretary 1994-1998)

Obituary: Dr J.E. Crosse

The pioneering work of Jess Crosse in bacterial plant pathology led Dr Luis Sequeira, one of the world's leading bacteriologists, to pay tribute to the way Crosse's classical studies, centred on Pseudomonas syringae pv mors-prunorum, changed his and others' recognition that healthy plant surfaces could be populated by pathogens, and the discrimination of bacterial skins by bacteriophage typing, allowing wide-ranging epidemiological researches. A successful chemical control of bacterial canker of cherry resulted from his elucidation of leaf scar infection in the autumn as the main avenue of infection. Dr Crosse recognised that the "new" disease attacking pears in Kent in 1958 was, in fact, the North American fireblight caused by Erwinia amylovora and he initiated studies on its distribution, characterisation of the pathogen and measures to contain the spread.

With his world-wide reputation, he became a valued collaborator and teacher. Many young scientists from abroad benefitted from his knowledge and guidance while working in his laboratory. In collaboration with UK colleagues, he initiated the Internation Conferences on Plant Pathogenic Bacteria in 1960. These have become highly successful and he was always sought after as a speaker at these and other conferences on plant pathology. Furthermore, he was a highly supportive member of the following societies: Institute of Biology (Founder Member and Fellow), Society of Applied Bacteriology, Association of Applied Biology, British Society of Plant Pathology and British Mycological Society. Dr Crosse was always happiest in the laboratory or in the orchard, but in later years such pleasures were overtaken by administrative duties.

Dr Crosse was born in 1919 and was awarded a wartime degree in 1940 at Birmingham University which he upgraded in 1948 to a 1st class hons. Botany. He gained a Ph.D. (London) in 1954 and a D.Sc. (London) in 1970. He first joined East Malling Research Station in 1949, was promoted to Head of Plant Pathology in 1972 and in 1977, he was promoted to DCSO and appointed Head of Crop Protection Division. Dr Crosse retired in 1980.

On graduation, Dr Crosse, having been in the Officer Training Corps at University, was initially posted into the Army, but he retrained as a pilot in the RAF. He was posted initially to Transport Command and finally to a Mosquito Pathfinder Squadron. He was demobilised in 1946.

Dr Crosse was married in 1944 and leaves behind his wife Betty and three children, Jane, Penny and Jesse William. He will be remembered by them and his friends not only as a scientist but as a home-lover, practical gardener and a walker with a love of history and architecture.

J.T. Legg and C.M.E. Garrett 

New Members of BSPP

We warmly welcome the following new members, who have recently joined BSPP. Miss Sarah A Cannell, a postgraduate student at the University of Nottingham, working on molecular biology of rusts and powdery mildews in cereals.

Miss Alexandra Collins, a postgraduate student from HRI Wellesbourne.

Professor Wilhelm Dercks, at Erfurt University in Germany, whose interests include necrotrophic fungal pathogens of vegetable crops, and ornamental and medicinal plants.

Dr Fiona M Doohan, working on Fusarium of cereals at the John Innes Centre in Norwich.

Dr Fazil Dusunceli, from the Central Research Institute for Field Crops in Turkey, working on fungal pathogens of cereal crops.

Mr Mohamed A El Bakali, a postgraduate student at the University of Barcelona, Spain, whose project involves the molecular biology and biocontrol of Rhizoctonia sp.

Mr Jamshid Fatehi, based at CABI, whose interests include molecular biology of fungal pathogens.

Prof. A P Galhotra, a plant pathologist from India.

Nuria Garcia-Flor, an undergraduate bursary recipient from Spain, working on applications of information technology in plant pathology.

Ms Dimitra Gkilpathi, a postgraduate student at IACR-Rothamsted, researching the epidemiology of necrotrophic fungal pathogens.

Miss Angsana Ankarapisan, a postgraduate student at the University of Bath, working on viral pathogens of rice.

Dr Acelino C Alfenas, from the Univeridade Federal de Vicosa in Brazil, whose interests include control of fungal pathogens of forest plants.

Dr Douglas J Bailey, of the University of Cambridge, whose interests include epidemiology and modelling of fungal pathogens.

Dr Kenneth Bell, from the Scottish Crop Research Institute in Dundee.

Bouchat B Bencharki, a postgraduate at the University of Hassan I in Morocco, researching molecular biology of cereal viruses.

Miss Cathy M Bennett, a postgraduate student from UCD in Dublin, researching the epidemiology of necrotrophic fungal pathogens in cereal crops.

Dr Jim Beynon, from HRI Wellesbourne, working on molecular genetics of Brassica pathogens.

Prof. Raghupati S Bilgrami, from Bihar University in India, whose interests include biocontrol of vascular pathogens in litchi.

Prof Dr Heinrich Buchenauer, from the Institut für Phytomedizin at Hohenheim University in Germany.

Dr Holger Buschmann, from the University of Bath, whose interests include the biochemistry of post-harvest pathology.

Niklaus Grunwald, of Cornell University, based in Mexico.

Miss Emma J Humphreys, a postgraduate student at the University of Nottingham, working on the molecular and population biology of rust in wheat.

Dr Danny Hunter, of the University of the South Pacific in Samoa, working on fungal and viral pathogens of Cassava and Taro.

Dr Paul J Hunter, from HRI Wellesbourne, working on post-harvest pathology in vegetable and grain crops.

Miss Kirsty K Jewell, a postgraduate student from Nottingham University, working on molecular biology of fungal resistance in oilseed rape.

Mr Neil D Johnstone, a postgraduate student at SAC Auchincruive, researching biocontrol of fungal pathogens.

Dr Vassiliki Karapapa, whose interests include Fusarium spp, Verticillium spp and vascular fungal pathogens.

Mr Benjamin Kemp, a postgraduate student at the University of Bath, working on the molecular biology of Xanthomonas sp in cassava.

Thomas Kirisits, a postgraduate student in Vienna, working on fungal forest pathogens.

Miss Christina Koutsidou, an undergraduate student at Imperial College. 

Dr Lionel Lebreton, based at INRA, Le Rheu, France, working on biocontrol and population biology of root pathogens of wheat.

Prof. J Albersio A Lima, from Brazil, studying viral pathogens of papaya and aubergines.

Dr Edna D M N Luz, from CEPLAC/CEPEC in Bahia, Brazil, whose interests include fungal pathogens of cocoa and other tropical crops.

Dr Caroline Mohammed, of the University of Tasmania in Australia, whose interests include fungal pathogens in a range of crops.

Mr Russell Moulding, a plant pathologist with Zeneca.

Miss Lonneke Mulder, a postgraduate student at the John Innes Centre, studying molecular genetics of powdery mildew of barley.

Bongani K Ndimba, a postgraduate student at the University of Durham, working on cereal necrotrophic pathogens.

Ms Sarah B Nettleship, a postgraduate from the Plant Virology Group at Bristol University.

Miss Hannah Noel, a postgraduate student from Bristol, researching fungal genetics and biochemistry of wood-rotting fungi.

Aleksa Obradovic, a postgraduate student at the Centre for Vegetable Crops, Yugoslavia

Mrs M E Ordonez, a university researcher based in Quito, Ecuador.

Dr Wilfred Otten, from the University of Cambridge, whose interests include fungal pathogens of root and vegetable crops.

Dr Naomi Pain, from Zeneca, Jealott's Hill.

Luz M Perez, based in Chile, whose interests include necrotrophic fungal pathogens of Citrus spp.

Gary Peterson, based in Maryland, USA, whose interests include epidemiology of fungal pathogens.

Mr Stephen R Piper, a postgraduate student at the University of Edinburgh.

Miss Anna Pollard, a postgraduate student from Bristol University.

Dr S. Ranomenjanahary, from the Laboratory of Plant Pathology in Madagascar, studying pathogens of tropical fruit and crops.

Prof. David J G Rees, of the University of the Western Cape, South Africa, researching the molecular genetics of powdery mildew.

Miss Jane Richardson, a postgraduate student at CSL in York, working on molecular biology of Pseudomonads.

Dr Saideh Salamati, from the Norwegian Crop Research Institute.

Dr K V Sankaran, of the Kerala Forest Research Institute, India, who is researching necrotrophic fungal pathogens of forest plants.

Dr Alain Sarniguet, based at INRA, Le Rheu, France, whose interests include the molecular biology and biocontrol of root pathogens in wheat.

Dr Peter Solomon, from the Carlsberg Laboratory in Denmark, working on the molecular biology of powdery mildew and rust in cereal and vegetable crops.

Mr Soner Soylu, a postgraduate student at Mustafa Kemal University in Turkey, working on bacterial pathogens of vegetable crops.

Dr Pietro D Spanu, who is based at the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford.

Mr Keith Stewart, a postgraduate student at the Oxford University, researching the molecular biology of powdery mildew in barley.

Prof. Ruth Taber, from Maryland, USA.

Mr David F Thompson, a postgraduate student at SAC Auchincruive, researching fungal pathogens of fruit trees.

Dr Pham Van Du, at Cwi Long Rice Research Institute, Vietnam, studying epidemiology and biocontrol.

Dr Jose A Ventura, based in Brazil, working on necrotrophic fungal pathogens of tropical fruits.

Lidia Viedma, a plant pathologist based in Paraguay.

Ann-Charlotte Wallenhammar, a postgraduate student at the Swedish Federation of Rural Economy and Agricultural Societies.

Miss Gillian E Weston, from the John Innes Centre in Norwich.

Miss Jane S Williams, a postgraduate student at the University of Bath, working on resistance in bacterial and vascular pathogens.

Mr Gordon Wilson, a postgraduate student from SAC Auchin-cruive, researching fungal and viral pathogens of raspberry.

Dr Katsuyuki Yoshida, a plant pathologist based in Japan. 

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