BSPP2016: Food Security, Biosecurity and Trade: The Role of Plant Health

President: Dr Julie Flood

The doubling of cereal and livestock production in the last half of the 20th century should have resulted in a global food supply being adequate for all but currently, nearly a billion people remain hungry every day.

Coupled with rising global population, producing sufficient food remains a major challenge. Crop losses due to plant disease play a significant role in this challenge. Estimates of 30-40% losses from “field to fork” are common. Any future solution to improved global food security must address these losses. One constraint to improving crop health globally is the spread of diseases between countries and between continents. Introduced pathogens can have significant effects on agricultural systems, impacting on food security as well as affecting indigenous biodiversity. Consequently, improved biosecurity planning is needed in many sectors and countries to reduce this risk of introduction as pathogen exclusion is always more cost effective then post-entry management. Trade is one pathway that can facilitate pathogen introduction but is vital to the economy of the country and to the individual; increased yields allow producers to trade their surpluses with a positive impact on their livelihoods.

The presidential meeting in 2016 will examine the role of plant health in the interactions of food security, biosecurity and trade and the significant role plant pathology and plant pathologists have to play in these challenges at the start of the 21st century.

The invitation to submit papers that address these issues is now open. Abstracts should be no more than 250 words and submitted on the abstract form to meetings@bspp.org.uk by the 30th April. The call for entries to the PH Gregory Prize and J Colhoun Poster competition will open later. The selected speakers will be responsible for their own conference registration and expenses.

Programme

Monday 12th September

8.45 am: President’s welcome

Food Security Sarah Gurr. Fungi challenge global food security
Fenton Beed. (TBC)
Sajid Ali. Protecting global wheat production against worldwide spreading yellow rust pathogen strains and populations
Yaima Arocha Rosete. Contributions to plant health by improving diagnosis and management of the coconut lethal yellowing phytoplasma in Cote d’Ivoire.
Paul Nicholson. Fusarium mycotoxins in cereals: combating a hidden menace
N Taylor. RNAi technology imparts high level resistance to Cassava brown streak disease across diverse geographical locations and the vegetative cropping cycle
Sally Mallowa. Tools of pedagogy and global partnership contribute to war on cassava viruses

PH Gregory Prize talks

Biosecurity Session
Nicola Spence. UK Plant Security: Protecting plants and trees using science
Gerard Clover. Managing biosecurity risks in New Zealand: relevance to the UK?

Poster Session and drinks

AGM 6pm

7.15 for 7.30 Conference Dinner

Tuesday 13th September

9am
Paul Beales. The role of the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate in plant biosecurity
Celia Knight. The Plant Health Professional Register
Jane Chard. Scottish Plant Health Service – role in safeguarding food security, biosecurity and trade
Roy Macarthur. The importance of an agreed seed sampling plan for regulated seed-borne pests and pathogens, to facilitate the international movement of seed.
Alexander Mastin. Early detection surveillance for emerging vector borne pathogens
Rachel Warmington. Biosecurity at the Eden Project – Considering Local and Global Threats

Trade Session Clive Brasier. Title TBC
Kenza Le Mentec. Nexus between plant pathology, trade and food security
Finn McQuid. Trade restricitions and control strategies : A modelling case study
Elizabeth Orton. Hymenoscyphus fraxineus
Jennifer Sjolund. Overcoming challenges in the detection and diagnostics of psyllid vectors of Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum.
Maizatul Suriza Mohamed. Understanding and monitoring Phytophthora palmivora, the causal agent of bud rot disease of oil palm in Malaysia

Closing remarks and coffee.